HOW TO SPEAK EFFICIENTLY TO A MULTICULTURAL CLASSROOM

A good teacher is the one that manages to convey the message efficiently to a culturally diversified public. It is now well established from a variety of studies that cultural backgrounds might shape individuals’ perceptions. The university classrooms are not extent of this phenomenon, which is why teachers need to be able to deliver efficiently the intended message to their students. This paper centres on a specific aspect that might help them to accomplish this challenge, i.e. performance on their non-verbal communication. In the first place, kinesics or body language, which reflects teachers’ posture, gestures, and facial expressions. In the second place, vocalics or paralanguage, which refers to how teachers convey the content through vocal tones and intonation. In the third place, proxemics or consideration of space and special distance between teachers and students. In the fourth place, chronemics or use of time, and, finally, their physical appearance. The paper seeks to provide important insights on teacher’s non-verbal communication in general and its relevance in a multicultural environment in particular, as both students and teachers might benefit from more attention to this subject.