5/20/21; Week 5: Culture Differences Concerning Time

What do You Know about Time Culture?

    When it comes to culture, it's possible to list several aspects that will differ from place to place. We usually pay more attention to those which are more evident, such as language, dress coding, eating habits, among others. Teachers in a TESOL classroom have to be aware of the different cultural aspects they will deal with to avoid or minimize any misinterpretation, embarrassment and also promote diversity

    As a teacher, I have never thought about how cultural time perception is significant and should not be undervalued. Depending on how students and teachers make use and value time, some adjustments may be necessary for the sake of a constructive relationship and productivity in class.

    The way learners and teachers perceive things as the tolerance to wait, punctuality,  interactions, pressure regarding time, schedule, and procedures tell us the kind of time culture they adopt. Two kinds of time culture are to be observed in a TESOL classroom: monochronic and polychronic.

Monochronic or Polychronic?

    Students who belong to the monochronic time culture will probably be more focused on following schedules and procedures. They are usually task-oriented, and time management is crucial for them.

    On the other hand, students who come from a polychronic time culture will reasonably value more interaction with peers and teachers than completing tasks. They are more interested in making friends and connections because people are more important than time for them.

Different Like Water and Oil

    I have been tutoring English privately for a long time. I had two very distinct students, like water and oil, that can exemplify the concept of culture time above. I taught Portuguese to Joe, an American young adult who was spending some time with his wife's family in Brazil. I remember that Joe was always punctual to classes and also expected the same from me. He was worried if we would be able to follow and complete the study schedule before his return to the US. He sometimes complained a bit about how Brazilians would not obey some rules in public places. It used to make him very frustrated. He used to say that if there is a rule, it needs to be followed. I would say that Joe belongs to a monochronic time culture.

    My other student, Marcelo, was a Brazilian Entrepreneur recently divorced. Punctuality was not in his vocabulary. Every time he was late, he had either an unbelievable or funny excuse to justify it. Marcelo would rather spend a lot of time in class talking about his divorce issues than following our schedule. Sometimes he would complete a writing task talking about something not related to what he was doing. We ha ended up building a personal connection and, we became good friends. Marcelo, as a typical Brazilian, belongs to polychronic time culture.

Monochronic and Polychronic Together. 

Does it work?

    What about having students like Joe and Marcelo in the same classroom? How to deal with them and mediate the relationship among them?

    Their time culture can lead them to misinterpret each other, creating a stereotyped view of their peers. To manage this issue, I believe that the first thing to be done is to talk about the differences when they become disturbing. Making viewpoints clear, listening to peers willing to understand can lead students to a higher level of respect, tolerance, and broader world cultural perspectives.

If you got to here, wrap it up by watching the video below. and answer the following questions:

1) How have you ever thought about the glasses you wear to look at the world? 

2) What about changing them? 

(You may see things you have never imagined before!)

References

04 Cultural differences in Concerning TIME. (2017, March 17). Ivers Video; TESOL 378. https://video.byui.edu/media/04+Cultural+differences+in+Concerning+TIME/0_1cjop6lc

Video

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCouaH93yp8gwXfFzep3R-rQ/videos. (2021, May 20). Looking at the world with other glasses: How to understand cultural misunderstanding [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WrZityEriI0