Education Commons^™

The nature of silence is complex in any classroom with international or domestic students. Instructors sometimes fail to recognize that the classroom silence of foreign students is unlike their native counterparts. With an insider perspective, this article explores the concept of silence among international students by examining the existing body of literature relating to cultural norms. It also suggests a number of ways of dealing with silent students in a diverse classroom setting.

In the selection of multicultural literature for children and young adults, educators and researchers focus on two main controversial issues—authority and authenticity—that the authors portray in their writing. What type of author can accurately portray realistic pictures of minority cultures in multicultural literature for young adults? Must it be written by a member of that particular ethnic group? Does it become something different if it is written by an outsider of the group?