When working with students who are culturally and linguistically diverse--U.S. born or an immigrant-- it is critical to find out about their cultural background: where they or their family come from and what cultures have influenced who they are.

In this section of the site, you will find general and specific information about some of the prevalent cultural immigrant groups in American society (for example, there is a comparison between aspects of four Southeast Asian cultures.) For each link along the right side of the page, a community member has written a welcome message. In addition, there are brief facts on each specific culture or country of origin, highlights about linguistic features, information about other aspects such as religion(s), and resource books/websites. This information may help you understand where your students come from, so you can be more effective with students who may feel identified with one or more of these groups. Keep in mind that there may be dozens of languages spoken in the same country or there may be many tribes who share common traditions but could greatly differ in their approach to different aspects of life.

Understanding the students’ cultural and linguistic background, in addition to getting to know their personality traits, is key in planning instruction and choosing appropriate strategies for helping them learn English and succeed academically.

However, I encourage you to view your student as an individual first with unique individual life and age related experiences, strengths/talents and learning preferences!!! It is critical to always consider the array of factors that will impact the way our students think, behave, and feel about school, learning and living in our communities. These factors include their native language (which can be very different from English), family situation, previous education, literacy in their native language(s), previous exposure/learning of English, conditions for immigration, and economic conditions among other elements.

Remember that the extra time you spend on providing the learners with individualized instruction, for example one-on-one tutoring, is one the most effective and necessary ways to help them to catch up with years of language and maybe academics (schooling and content they did not have in their native country or in a refugee camp).

Finally, for many of us the experience of teaching culturally and linguistically diverse people may be summarized in the words of a tutor who reflected once: "Teaching a second language kid may be one of the most enriching experiences of our lives…I am not sure who learned more, my student or me…"

If you are interested in becoming more knowledgable about multicultural issues, I have compiled an extensive list of resources. If the "ethnic background of your student(s) is not covered in this website, there are many sites on the internet that will provide you with background on a particular culture and language. Being aware of language differences may provide you with clues for some common errors students make when speaking, listening, reading or writing in a second language. If possible, reach out to the community and ask member of that particular community to give you information about the country of origin or region where your student(s) come from and the other common cultural background information you need.