Throughout my classroom observations, I noted that students frequently demonstrated effective communication skills, particularly during group tasks and peer collaboration. While individual work was occasionally assigned, group-based activities were more dominant in both English and EAL classes. Despite their diverse cultural backgrounds, the students generally collaborated harmoniously: they exchanged ideas, listened to one another, divided responsibilities, sought help from me when necessary, and even translated key words into a classmate’s L1 when needed. Their willingness to interact respectfully and their openness to cultural exchange were notable. One of the most striking behaviours I observed was their independence—many students, even those with limited English proficiency, were unafraid to express themselves, ask questions, or engage with peers and teachers alike. That said, lower primary (KS2) students were visibly more engaged and enthusiastic compared to those in KS3 and KS4, which might reflect young adolescents’ heightened self-awareness and fear of making mistakes. The seating arrangements further highlighted this contrast: whereas younger pupils sat in mixed-nationality groups, older students tended to cluster by nationality. This suggested to me that younger children were perhaps more unaware of cultural difference and less influenced by cultural prejudices.

 

Across all key stages, most students responded positively when given opportunities to talk about their own cultures—especially in relation to holidays, food, and education. They showed curiosity about other traditions and listened carefully when classmates shared their experiences. Even students who were otherwise less talkative seemed more inclined to join discussions when culture-related topics came up. Religion, however, remained the least discussed aspect; students seemed less inclined to volunteer personal beliefs or practices in this area.

 

Several critical incidents during my observations revealed how both student and teacher attitudes shaped the classroom dynamic. For instance, in a KS3 class discussion on politics, a student commented that Black people were “as violent as White people”—a clear reference to the Black Lives Matter movement. The Black students remained silent, and the teacher neither challenged the comment nor invited others to reflect on it. While I understood the teacher may have sought to prevent further tension, the silence around such a racially charged comment was concerning. Another incident occurred when a Chinese student mentioned eating rice for breakfast. His classmates laughed, and although the student laughed along, the moment still highlighted the potential for stereotyping. Most notably, a Muslim student presenting on animal-related traditions said his community sacrificed animals during a religious holiday. The teacher responded harshly to what she described as “killing animals,” prompting the student to fall silent and hand in his essay without further explanation. A similar instance occurred when a Chinese boy brought up the issue of eating dogs or cats in China; again, the teacher reacted critically, and the student withdrew from the discussion. These incidents showed me how powerfully teacher reactions can affect students’ willingness to share cultural perspectives. I observed that teacher disapproval—even if unintended—can quickly silence students and discourage intercultural dialogue. More broadly, such teacher responses may shape how other students perceive particular cultures, reinforcing stereotypes rather than challenging them.

 

While many lessons incorporated research tasks and presentations that had the potential to promote discovery skills, students were rarely encouraged to compare their own cultures with others or critically interpret cultural differences. In this way, their interpreting and relating skills remained underdeveloped. Much of the cultural knowledge shared during the lessons aligned with elements of big C culture (e.g., national foods, holidays, geography), whereas little c and deep culture remained largely unexplored. Byram’s (1997) notion of critical cultural awareness—as well as Barrett et al.’s (2014) emphasis on action—was scarcely observable. Nevertheless, students were often enthusiastic about learning and interacting, particularly in the EAL classes where cultural exploration was more open-ended. In contrast, the English lessons were more focused on target cultures and less inclusive of the students’ own backgrounds.