What is miscommunication? It is the failure to communicate in the right way. Does this happen very much? All the time! Is it intentional? Not always. Can it be prevented? Yes, with time and effort. Is there cultural miscommunication? Absolutely! It happens all the time.
Possible miscommunication in a TESOL classroom could lead to some unintentional embarrassment and some hurt feelings. It would be easy to mispronounce words, which can cause some students to react with laughter, although it would not be done to be mean. Certain mannerisms are okay in one culture but doing it in another is not okay. When these situations arise, it is a time that requires much patience, but it also can be used to share with others what the differences are, so they understand.
Success that can be found in a classroom with multicultural students would be to build a stronger unit together or learning about each other’s cultures. This could be a great way to involve students to share about their background and what is done that is different from others. This would help students understand that even though there are differences in the way they do things, each student is still trying to learn and grow to be better and do their best. It can be challenging but having discussions and letting students ask questions will help them to be open-minded and not be afraid to a say how they think or feel, which helps communication be stronger.
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