By Leah Boesen, University of Memphis, Social Work. Leah has a passion for helping at risk children and families and wants to contribute to the empowerment and well being of children from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Through my research I found six tips that help educators succeed in cross cultural communication with the families of their students.
1. Show cultural sensitivity
Approach your lesson plans with an awareness of the different cultural perspectives your students may bring. You cannot know everything, so it is better to ask than to assume. Ask questions, do some research, and show students you are interested in where they come from. Be willing to work with students and families whenever a cultural barrier arises. That includes an openness to learning about and respecting the religious or cultural beliefs, holidays, and traditions practiced in the student’s life.
2. Encourage open dialogue
Along with your own willingness to learn, give students and caregivers room to ask questions too. They should feel welcome and listened to, especially when barriers come up between home and school. Give caregivers space to ask about policies, expectations, and lesson materials, and to raise concerns about their child’s education and classroom experience. Formal parent teacher conferences help, and so does letting caregivers contact you at any time about their child and asking them for feedback so the student’s needs are attended to.
3. Use clear, simple language
This matters most when there is a language barrier between a caregiver and the school. Precise language ensures understanding, especially around questions and concerns on either side. Too often the student ends up as the translator, which creates problems when the meeting is about issues the student is having in class. Teachers should never rely on a student to translate everything. Districts with families who speak other languages should provide interpreters in each school to assist with important meetings.
4. Be mindful of nonverbal cues
Every culture communicates through facial expressions and body language, and those cues vary. Some cultures consider it disrespectful for children to make eye contact with elders or authority figures. Recognizing cues like this goes hand in hand with cultural sensitivity. Paying attention to how attentive and engaged both you and the parent are will help during important conversations and will head off misunderstandings.
5. Build trust through consistency
Consistent communication builds trust and a positive relationship. That means reaching out with positive reports, and not only when a student is misbehaving or struggling, and it means letting caregivers respond with their own insight and concerns. When communication is consistent, caregivers see that you are as invested in their child as they are, which opens the door to more communication.
6. Practice active listening
Active listening shows you are engaged and makes the other person feel validated and respected. For educators, it means creating space for a caregiver to express concerns and share information without interruption. Body language matters here: face them, sit upright, nod, and maintain eye contact where their culture welcomes it. Reflect back what they said so they know you understood. Making a caregiver feel heard may be the single most important part of communicating successfully with them, and in turn supporting the student’s success.
Two perspectives: an educator and a student
Along with my research, I interviewed two people with the same ten questions, adjusted for each perspective. The first was Leila Kubesch, an educator and founder of Parents2Partners. The second was a first generation university student who was born in the Philippines and grew up in Hawaii before moving to the mainland.
1. Where do you work or go to school, and who are the students there?
Leila Kubesch: I worked in Indiana and Ohio as an English as a second language teacher, K through 12. All of my students represented diverse cultures, countries, and languages.
The student: I went to school in Hawaiʻi and the Philippines until I was seven, where most students and teachers were Native Hawaiian, Asian, or Pacific Islander. When I moved to the mainland, the schools were predominantly white, and I was the only Hawaiian student and often one of very few Asian kids. When we moved to the South, the schools were predominantly African American and Latino, again with very few Asian students. Most teachers and administrators in the mainland schools were white, which was a big adjustment for me.
2. Have you, or your teachers, ever had trouble communicating with a family? How was it overcome?
Leila Kubesch: One of my challenges was a very young student who spoke only Russian. I did not speak the language, and the child did not speak English yet. Schools have an 800 number for interpreters and translators. The parent and I met face to face in the classroom with the interpreter on speakerphone, and that conversation helped me understand what the child needed. From there we could look for the right ways to support him.
The student: My parents spoke English well, so it was not usually a problem. But my family often used Filipino and Hawaiian phrases that teachers did not understand, and teachers sometimes struggled with our cultural context, like the importance of family gatherings. When my parents felt unsure, they asked for emails instead of face to face meetings, and I sometimes helped explain.
3. How do you keep language barriers from disrupting meaningful conversations with families?
Leila Kubesch: Every school district is required to pay for interpretation and translation services, but money is tight, and I did not want to create a burden. So I started identifying community leaders who spoke the language and asked whether we could trade: I speak French fluently, so you can use my help, and I can call on you when I need someone who speaks Chinese. Knowing where the resources are, exchanging them, and finding volunteers made the schools much more supportive. I also learn a few words, like greetings, so parents know I am making an effort, and I research their culture. For example, during Ramadan I am mindful not to offer food or drink when I invite Muslim families. The most important thing is asking parents how we can work together to support the child.
The student: Teachers should use simple, clear language and avoid idioms or jargon that confuse non native speakers. Translations or interpreters help when needed. Sending written communication home also gives families time to read and understand it without feeling rushed.
4. How have lessons been adjusted to reflect students’ cultures?
Leila Kubesch: Every day! As a new teacher who had just come to the US, I assumed newcomers needed to learn about US culture, and they were not motivated at all. So for their English presentations, I asked them to teach us something from their own culture instead: read a picture book from their culture, report on a cultural food and bring it in, or teach the class a game outside. Many knew little about their own culture, and they were excited to learn it. We found common ground. A Japanese student showed us they play rock, paper, scissors with different words. I do not have to know every culture. When students teach me about theirs, they gain the confidence to navigate US culture and language, and they connect with their classmates too.
The student: Few of my teachers put in the time to understand my culture. The closest was International Club potlucks and school events about food, where I was encouraged to bring Hawaiian or Filipino recipes so classmates could learn about my culture.
5. How are sensitive topics and cultural misunderstandings handled?
Leila Kubesch: I share the mistakes I made myself. In my culture, looking someone in the eye is disrespectful, and one time I looked my teacher in the eye and got slapped across the face. When I came to the US as an adult, I was told to keep eye contact in interviews, and I could not do it, so I was not getting hired. I practiced with family, friends, and even my dog for almost six months. At American Airlines I was turned down the first time, and the second time I made eye contact and was hired the same day. As a teacher, I noticed that students who were picked on often looked down, so they could not say who was involved and were not believed. I had them play a game called Care Bear Stare: if you blink, you lose. It helped.
The student: Some of my experiences went differently than I hoped. In my senior year, I asked to take part in Hawaiian graduation traditions like wearing a lei. Some staff said leis were out of dress code, while others said they were fine for the same event. The misunderstanding was met with confusion instead of encouragement or acceptance.
6. When did understanding a student’s background help support them academically or emotionally?
Leila Kubesch: I realized one student could not yet read or write in his own language, which explained why he came to class without a pencil. Instead of stopping class, I found intervention resources and offered after school time once or twice a week. During COVID, I heard students blaming Chinese people for the pandemic, and I had many Chinese students. I invited Chinese community leaders to visit. They brought food, lessons, and games, and the Chinese students came to be seen as people with many cultural gifts. Building empathy created respect.
The student: In US and World History, Hawaiʻi and the Philippines are often told from one perspective. Teachers who knew about my connections to those places explained lessons with more awareness and accuracy, and I appreciated when they were open to hearing what I could add.
7. How are school policies and expectations explained in a way that respects cultural differences?
Leila Kubesch: Most parents know the policies. What they may not know are the cultural expectations. In many countries, including where I grew up, parents do not go to school meetings unless the child caused a problem. So when parents skip a conference here, teachers may think they do not care, which is not true. I explain the parents’ culture to the teachers, and then I tell the parents that when they miss a meeting, the teacher may think they do not care, so please make the effort. Once they understand, they come.
The student: One teacher sent home a translated newsletter and avoided assumptions, like expecting everyone to celebrate Halloween. She explained things clearly in person during conferences and was very patient when my parents asked questions.
8. What training helps educators understand cultural diversity?
Leila Kubesch: I made it my goal to connect, so teaching is relational, not transactional. Sharing stories helps parents and teachers learn. For years I could not convince students to practice eye contact, but once I shared my own story, it made sense to them. Make the story engaging and relevant, and include the listeners in it.
The student: Cultural sensitivity training that includes Pacific Islander and Asian cultures would help, along with workshops on implicit bias, cross cultural communication, and the challenges of moving between cultures.
9. What advice would you give on building positive relationships across cultures?
Leila Kubesch: Send a postcard to every student welcoming them and wishing them an amazing year. It is addressed to the child, but it goes to the parent’s address, and parents feel at ease when their child hears from the teacher. Connect with the child and you connect with the family; if a child dislikes the teacher, the whole family will too. Instead of detention for missing homework, I call parents and offer to have the student stay after school so I can help. Approach it as support, not punishment. That support comes back as gratitude, and you will not feel alone or stressed.
The student: Be patient and open. Share your culture with your teachers; most are curious and want to learn. Try to understand their perspective too, since what feels like common sense to you may be new to someone else. Be open to changing uninformed views instead of being angry about them.
10. What cross cultural communication strategies work best?
Leila Kubesch: Travel with the intent to learn. I never buy souvenirs. Before a trip to Mexico, I contacted a school, asked what they needed, and brought erasers, colorful chalk, and craft supplies. In exchange they gave me books they no longer used, and those became souvenirs for my classroom. At conferences, parents who could not find a sitter could bring their children, who had those toys and books to enjoy. Being accommodating makes your classroom more welcoming.
The student: Speak openly and honestly, but respectfully. Explain things about your culture instead of assuming people know, and it is fine to remind people that differences can be addressed respectfully.