Look at Me When I Talk to You

Communicating involves much more than memorizing vocabulary and learning grammar rules. As more and more students whose first language is not English are welcomed into our classrooms, teachers are finding that communicating effectively with this diverse population requires a sensitivity to cultural issues that affect the way people interact with one another.

In this revised, expanded and updated edition of Look at Me When I Talk to You, Sylvia Helmer and Catherine Eddy explore the underlying fundamentals of communication to show how culture influences the messages sent — and received. Elements of both the theory and practice of communicating in a multicultural setting are discussed, and examples from real classrooms illustrate the issues that can, and do, arise. Practical suggestions for helping students learn to cope in their new culture make this book a must-read for all teachers working with students who are learning English as an additional language.