When designing instruction for multicultural learners instructors should take into account how expectations for normative behavior are set prior to the discussion taking place.
In Watanabe's (1993) study on American and Japanese study-abroad discussion groups and cultural differences in framing American participants did not frame how they would discuss topics whereas Japanese participants deferred to their internalized notions of hierarchy rank and societal status to determine the speaking order of their group's members and topics. Lower-status participants spoke first in the Japanese participants' discussion and higher-status participant spoke later thus preserving the integrity of their status in the group. How would this affect students in a multicultural classroom setting? Would it implicitly stratify the classroom according to perceived status?
American participants in Watanabe's study framed their reasons as briefings or reportings whereas Japanese participants included personal anecdotes in chronological order weaving stories to back up their reasons for studying abroad. Americans presented their reasons with flatter affect than Japanese participants. Americans had the expectation that they were to reach their reasons for studying abroad quickly and directly because of the time limit whereas Japanese participants viewed this direct approach as creating a risk for disharmony or friction within their group. Instead they expressed themselves via the storytelling that is common in talk shows interviews and casual roundtable discussions. Would a lesson with active learning activities serve student learning better by limiting or leaving discussion time limits open?
Instructors can apply social referencing to teach students how to interact in the classroom. In the end this boils down to how members of a cohort mutually work together to create norms for communication and meaning-making.