Cultural Diversity in the Classroom

If one observes any social setting of the modern world today, one will find that there is a clear presence of several heterogeneous groups there. Be it an office, an IT company, or even a classroom. Globalization has made its foray into our lives and it's here to stay. In such a scenario, it is difficult to find an exclusively homogeneous group (in any of the given settings mentioned above), based on the origin of their country or the like. One will be met with a culturally diverse group instead. Since this change in order has come to be, the need for assimilating these diverse groups into one homogeneous group becomes imperative for the smooth flow of any organization or a social setting and that is why intercultural communication becomes important. Let us take an example of cultural diversity in a classroom setting to drive this point home.

It is very important to have cultural diversity in any classroom because it opens the minds of students (and others) to a different experience. Imagine having a classroom setting that has a mix of different cultures and origins. How does that help? It opens the minds of students to an enriching experience. They learn about different cultures, its varied ways and techniques, the lifestyle of the people belonging to that culture and the likes. In the process, it leads to a lot of learning. Teaching cultural diversity to students is therefore very, very important because it provides young minds with an entirely new learning experience.

Promoting Cultural Diversity

It is important to learn how to promote cultural diversity, especially in a classroom setup because only when that happens, will the students learn to appreciate other cultures. Their belief in their own culture will be enriched and it will make them more open to diversity. Thus it will lead to less prejudice. Here are some ways in which one can promote cultural diversity.

Introduction
Make sure that on the first day of class, all the students come in front of the class and introduce themselves. Let them include in their introduction, their names, hobbies and the country they belong to among other things. This will introduce others to the fact that there are people who belong to different cultures.

Shift Places
Change the seating arrangements of the students from time to time and place them with a different student each time. This will allow them to interact with different people and learn something more about them. Sitting in the same place will not help them to know others.

Fill Out Sheets
To make it even more fun, use a portion of the time and give them activity sheets. Have them fill out the questionnaire on it. Include questions like:

• Find someone who is from a different country.
• What language do they speak?
• What is a popular festival in their country?

This will lead to increased interaction and an understanding of other cultures.

Activities - To Do
There are several activities that one can conduct to promote cultural diversity in the classroom. Here are some of them:

• Each student has to come forward and relate a practice that is exclusive to their culture.
• Play a film, then ask the students to relate it.
• Choose a folklore song or tune and let the students learn it, then sing it together.

Decorate the Class
Decorate the class with a lot of paraphernalia from the varied cultures. Have the students paint a flag of their own country and then decorate the classroom with it. Place other cultural-related craft like festival pictures etc. This technique really helps because the varied culture snapshots are always visible to everyone.

Field Trips
Organize field trips and take students to museums that have a collection of things from varied cultures. One could even go to people's homes to understand their culture better (if the parents agree with the arrangements).

Organize Fairs
Organize a fair or a cultural program. Then stage plays, musical shows and the like that highlight different cultures. This is an excellent medium to promote music and films of varied cultures. So also can one put up a bookstall that houses diverse books.

These were some methods by which cultural diversity can be successfully promoted in a classroom setup. Add some of your own to these, and then go have a frolicking time with your class!