10/14/2020; Week 5: Cultural Differences Concerning Time

 

In an English Learning classroom, you will have a big melting pot of people. There will be people from Europe, Asia, Latin America, among others. Something that you might run across is an issue of cultural differences regarding time. 

In America, we live in a monochronic time culture. Everything about schedules. School starts at 8, it ends at 3. Work starts at 9, it ends at 5. And if you are late, you are being rude. There isn't a lot of weight placed on personal relationships. There is a lot of weight placed on deadlines and due dates. 

In many other countries, including Latin America and Polynesian cultures, they live in a polychronic time culture. This is different in so many ways, but in a classroom setting, you'll see students who might be late more than you're used to. They are honestly not trying to be rude, but, to them, relationships are more important. So, if they get a call that their neighbor needs a ride to work, they will do that, even if they will be late to class. If their sister needs someone to jump their car, they'll do that, even if they have an exam due. This can come across frustrating in our monochronic culture, but their culture simply doesn't place the same emphasis on schedules and strict time deadlines. 

The way we as a culture value and interpret time is important and affects every aspect of our lives. Before you become frustrated, try to understand the culture in which your students were raised. How can you use a student's cultural differences regarding time to your advantage?