Cross-Cultural Communication: ESL Courses, Teaching, and Australia

This essay delves into the realm of cross-cultural communication, specifically within the context of English as a Second Language (ESL) courses. It highlights the increasing multiculturalism of nations and the subsequent challenges of miscommunication. The essay defines cross-cultural communication and examines its significance in ESL settings, emphasizing the diverse cultural backgrounds of students. It focuses on the role of teachers in ESL courses, underscoring the need for culturally sensitive teaching methods. The essay explores various strategies employed by teachers, including politeness, body language, and the use of audio-visual aids, to facilitate effective communication and learning. It also emphasizes the importance of embracing classroom diversity to enhance the learning experience. The Australian context is used as a case study to illustrate the application of these concepts, concluding that leveraging cultural differences can significantly benefit both students and educators. The essay underscores the critical role of cross-cultural communication in today's interconnected world, particularly in educational settings like ESL courses.

Running head: CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION
Cross-Cultural Communication
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:
Author’s Note:

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The advent of the concept of multiculturalism and the change in the outlook of the
people towards the people from the various diverse cultures as well as social background
have much changed the way the different people react to the individuals from the other
cultures and social backgrounds (Leung, Davison & Mohan, 2014). It is a reflection of this
particular fact that the various nations of the world in the present time the various nations of
the world consists of entities from diverse cultural as well as social backgrounds (Olson,
2012). One of the common problems which the majority of the nations therefore face in the
current times is the problem of cross cultural miscommunication (Leung, Davison & Mohan,
2014). The concept of cross cultural communication can be defined as the process by means
of which the various individuals from the different cultural as well as social backgrounds
interact or communicate with each other (Leung, Davison & Mohan, 2014). This particular
essay will focus on the concept of cross cultural communication especially in the context of
the various “English as Secondary Language (ESL) Courses” and the means which are
adopted by the teachers as well as the other individuals to overcome the problem of cross
cultural miscommunication and achieve positive results.
The various “English as Secondary Language (ESL) Courses” in the present times
have become an important part of the educational framework of the various nations of the
world and it is significant to note that the various nations of the world take the help of diverse
kinds of tests to access the vocabulary of the students and also to analyze whether the
students seeking admission in their educational institutions would be able to cope with the
educational requirements of the educational institutions or not (Phakiti, Hirsh & Woodrow,
2013). Therefore, it is a reflection of this particular fact the various “English as Secondary
Language (ESL) Courses” gained popularity in the present times and various students take
the help of these classes to improve their English (Phakiti, Hirsh & Woodrow, 2013). Thus, it
is generally seen that in these classes there are individuals or entities from different cultural

2CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION
as well as social backgrounds (Myles & Mitchell, 2014). In the opinion of many people the
menace of cross cultural miscommunication inevitably creeps when individuals from diverse
cultural as well as social backgrounds are engaged in a particular conversation or process and
the various “English as Secondary Language (ESL) Courses” inevitably involves a lot of
conversations and group activities (Myles & Mitchell, 2014). The nation of Australia is a
multicultural one and therefore the nation is composed of individuals from the different
cultural as well as social background (Myles & Mitchell, 2014). It is generally seen that the
standard of English of these individuals is not on par with the English of the other citizens of
the nation who have English as their mother tongue language (Myles & Mitchell, 2014).
Thus, these students take the help of various kinds of “English as Secondary Language (ESL)
Courses” to improve their English which is likely to help them not only to get admission in
the various courses of the educational institutions of the nation of Australia but also to
interact in a much better manner with the native people of the nation (Phakiti, Hirsh &
Woodrow, 2013).
The various teachers play a very significant role in almost all the educational
institutions however the role of a teacher in the particular framework of the English as
Secondary Language (ESL) Courses” where there are students from various diverse cultural
as well as social backgrounds becomes especially more significant to note (Larsen-Freeman
& Long, 2014). A teacher in an “English as Secondary Language (ESL) Course” not only
needs to teach the various students who are a part of the “English as Secondary Language
(ESL) Course” the basic precepts of the language of English and make the standard of their
English on par with the English which is taught at the diverse educational institutions of the
world but also take into consideration the factor of culture and ethnicity into consideration for
the purpose of teaching of the various students who are a part of the class (Larsen-Freeman &
Long, 2014). Therefore, it becomes very important for the teachers in the “English as

3CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION
Secondary Language (ESL) Courses” to take the help of various kinds of measures as well as
strategies for the process of teaching the various students who are a part of the class (Larsen-
Freeman & Long, 2014). The most common method which most of the teachers of the
“English as Secondary Language (ESL) Courses” take the help is the policy of politeness
(Crawford & Candlin, 2013). It is significant to note that the concept of politeness forms an
important part of the behavior of the various individuals and in the opinion of many people
this particular policy can be effectively utilized to improve the kind of conversation which
they are having (Crawford & Candlin, 2013). Thus, this particular policy is utilized by the
various teachers in the various “English as Secondary Language (ESL) Courses” to
effectively teach the students English. Another method which the various teachers often take
the help of is to use of various kinds of body language (Kinloch & Metge, 2014). It is
significantly to note that the strategy of communication by means of body language is forms
an important part of the process of intercultural communication and in the various “English as
Secondary Language (ESL) Courses” there are students belonging to diverse kinds of cultural
as well as social backgrounds (Kinloch & Metge, 2014). Therefore, it can be said that this
particular method of communication will act as an important tool for the various teachers in
the “English as Secondary Language (ESL) Courses” (Kinloch & Metge, 2014). Another
important aspect of this particular method of communication is that in the process of
intercultural communication it is generally seen that the same words have different meanings
in different cultures however the various kinds of body languages as well as gestures have the
same kind of meaning in all the culture and therefore this particular technique is often utilized
by the various individuals in the present times (Carbaugh, 2013). The use of various kinds of
audio as well as visual aids for the purpose of teaching in the various “English as Secondary
Language (ESL) Courses” is another option which the various teachers have in this particular
context (Bochner, 2013).

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In the recent times it is usually seen that the various teachers in the “English as
Secondary Language (ESL) Courses” take the help of the diversity in the classroom in a bid
to achieve better results with the students (Leung, Davison & Mohan, 2014). In the opinion of
many people the more diverse a class is in terms of culture as well as social backgrounds the
more chances the students as well as the teachers within the classroom will get to learn new
things (Leung, Davison & Mohan, 2014). It is a reflection of this particular fact that the
various teachers in the present day context try to use this particular to not only teach the
various students the basics of English in a much better but at the same time the students are
able to learn various new things about the other cultures as well (Phakiti, Hirsh & Woodrow,
2013). If the particular context of the nation of Australia is taken into consideration then it
will become apparent that this particular factor will be very useful not only for the various
students who are a part of the class but would also help the teacher in a significant manner as
it would help the diverse entities related to the class to become more tolerant towards the
various precepts of the other cultures (Phakiti, Hirsh & Woodrow, 2013). Therefore, it can be
said that the differences in culture as well as social background if properly utilized will act as
an added advantage to the diverse entities of the class.
To conclude, the world in the present times has become more multicultural than ever
on the score of the various factors like the influx of various people from diverse cultural as
well as social backgrounds. Therefore, the concept of cross cultural communication has
emerged as one of the most important ones in the present times. A pertinent example of this
particular concept is the problems faced by the various teachers in the diverse “English as
Secondary Language (ESL) Courses” which are generally seen as a conglomeration of
diverse cultural as well as social trends. Therefore, it is generally seen that the various
teachers in the present times take the help of various kinds of methods to teach English to the
diverse entities of the classroom. The common techniques which the teachers resort to are the

5CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION
practices of politeness, the use of body language as well as gestures to make themselves
understood, the use of audio and visual aids and others. Furthermore, it is generally seen that
if the teachers are able to utilize this particular cultural as well as social differences of the
students then better results can be achieved.

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