Kibun

 Feb 29 2024

    As we have reviewed in previously post, we are dealing to understand how culture can act around the world at the time that we are in an ESL classrooms environments, since culture plays a strong role at the time that we are giving and received classes in ESL context. In this opportunity we will focus our attention on Kibun.  If we have not heard the word “Kibun” we can related as “mood”. Basically is the mood that a student’s shows at the time they participate. As teachers we need to know that students are not always comfortable or willing to participate in the class. According to Fisher (1991) in Japan “Kidun refers to how people feel or think about something” we can notice about this by taking a look at their no-verbal communication as: eye contact, behaviors, facial expressions, etc. On the other hand in Korea Kibun, refers more to “mood” and “feeling”. Kibun in Korea also appears in social hierarchy, since in some case teachers and employers does not focused much on students and employees Kibun. Nevertheless, students and employees do pay attention to their teachers and employers Kibun.

    Let’s place an scenario in which culture can play a bad role in a classroom. For example in Korea, in order to avoid bad Kibun, bad news are deliver at the end of the day, to avoid any bad behavior with someone. Let’s imagine that we are in a ESL classroom, and we are planning to pass an exame next week. In order to avoid our student being focus on the exam and not in the class, we can advise students that the exam would be for next week at the end of the class. So we keep our students focused on the class and participating, instead of being worry for the exam.

    As we could review, Kibun may help us to identify any reaction from our students, since based on their mood we can identify if there are willing to participate. On the other hand, we can also identify how comfortable they feel in the class, no just participating but also while they are paying attention. Finally,  nonverbal communication is also important in the classroom, because this can give us an idea what activities are well accepted and which one can be avoid somehow.