Teaching English in a multicultural classroom : strategies and challenges faced by Maltese teachers

Abstract

This study looked into English teachers’ experiences in local multicultural classrooms including the strategies they implement and the challenges they face. Classrooms are now widely diverse giving teachers many opportunities and challenges. Cultural difference is one of the most common aspects that make a classroom diverse. Teachers interested in professional growth and serving all their students properly must consider their socio-cultural background and how this is impinging on their learning. Understanding the socio-cultural influences is not just about being "politically correct" but it is about equity. “In some areas of Malta today, between 50 and 70 per cent of the school population is made up of immigrant children from European or other countries, with some schools having as many as 38 different nationalities of students" (Times of Malta, 2018) therefore our local context has a lot to offer on the topic studied here. The outcomes of the case studies carried out in three different schools have drawn up an image of the current situation regarding multicultural education. Some common misconceptions, differences in teacher training, and in pedagogy used emerged. A number of teachers stated that teaching multiculturally was no different than teaching a class of local students. What led to such a statement is the lack of awareness of something different than the “traditional” way of teaching, this was brought up, especially, by experienced teachers, which is another difference this study highlights. Teachers also spoke about the challenges they face including, language barriers, time, restrictive curriculum, etc. Finally some suggestions for further improvements were brought up, such as, teacher retraining and updated curriculum