Multicultural Literacy: Thinking Multicultural in Developing Different Types of Questions

 

 

Kun Herrini

 

 

Multicultural Literacy is knowledge of cultures and languages, as well as the ways in which multi-sensory data (text, sound, and graphics) may introduce slant, perspective, and bias into language, subject matter, and visual content. We live in multicultural societies, teach in multicultural settings, and our students often interact with those who come from a different place in terms of gender, rural or urban environments, nationalistically, linguistically, racially, and religiously. Awareness of and sensitivity to culturally determined norms promote understanding. In fact, when students embrace the principle that difference does not equal deficiency, they gain an appreciation for the wealth of diversity that surrounds all of us.

 

When helping students develop questions, the teacher may use the above considerations to exercise and /or build sensitivity to the ways in which different cultural groups formulate and express questions. Also consider that different ethnic, religious, and cultural factors may play significant roles in determining what topics students address in their questions and how they approach particular topics.

 

 

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Herrini, K. (2005, September). Multicultural literacy: Thinking multicultural in developing different types of questions. Paper presented at 1^st International Seminar on Literacy Education in Developing Countries, Semarang, Indonesia.

 

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