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Problems international students face
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I am currently a sophomore at the University of California, Davis. Due to its diversity, I was able to encounter and meet a lot of international students in this school. Back when I was a freshman, I spoke to many international students and I notice that many of them excel in different courses such as math and science. Yet many international students disclosed to me that they struggle in English like me. Most of the students that I spoke have a difficulty in learning the context thought. This led me to what may be the cause of this problem such as the fast phase of the class and also not requiring international students to learn an additional language such as Spanish. As like to many international students, I do also struggle in English. …show more content…
Now that I am in college, I am still learning more and more. In contrast to English class between high school and college, college English is more extensive and more complex. It was tremendously difficult for students, just like myself, whose first language was not English. And learning another new language is making for most students who struggle to learn English more difficult. When I was first informed about my Spanish class, I was shocked, because I was not even able to utilize English fluently yet. Schooling then became troublesome as I was trying to learn to use English properly, to understand the concept of a third or even fourth language, all while I must remember that my root will always be Ilocano and …show more content…
This is what I notice when I attended high school. Many students who are fluent in the language feel that they are superior than to anyone who struggled with the language. Thus I am here to offer two solutions to the problems I am seeing. First, we should consider language classes to be optional. It is true that in America, the English language is essential hence I do not disagree with English classes. However, any other language classes should be optional and available to people who are willing to learn, instead of forcing every
Walking around I can observe that student’s population is Hispanic who are ESL. This student’s first language is Spanish and has little bit knowledge of English. They are able to take conversation with their peer with the Basic English they know, but struggle to talk in complete sentences. For example the
To begin, the Hispanic community share various nationalities that differ in some way, but the Spanish language is something they share in common. Communicating in the Spanish language is a part of my culture and it is something that sometimes I take for granted. Ever since I can remember, my parents taught me how to speak fluent Spanish and it was one of their main priorities. At home my parents only allowed me to speak Spanish, but at school I would have to speak fluent English. My parents wanted to make sure that I did not forget my roots, culture, and language because they knew it would benefit me in the future. As a result, this definitely helped me communicate effectively while growing up and continues to do so today, which is why I am very thankful that my parents reinforced the importance of maintaining my language throughout my life. Be...
I took my first Spanish class in 8th grade because I knew a foreign language credit was required for an advanced diploma, but I had no clue how useful the language would become. Waynesboro is a very diverse city and being bilingual has many advantages. After completing Spanish IV in 10th grade, I was nearly fluent in the language because I used it daily on the soccer field with my nine Hispanic teammates. This especially came in handy when competing against teams with no Spanish speakers. Fast forward two years to today, and I still have the conversational aspects of the language engrained in my brain. At Chick-Fil-A I work with a Hispanic lady named Carolina who does not speak any English, and I am her best friend at work
As a child, I had to navigate from an English-speaking classroom to a Spanish-speaking home. At eight in the morning I was given instruction in English by my professors at school. After three in the afternoon at home, I engaged in Spanish conversation with my mother, father, and siblings. When the summer vacation came around, it was back to speaking Spanish only, and then I regained the Mexican accent that had faded away during the school year. My experience learning English was different from what earlier Spanish-speaking generations in the United States dealt with.
In the year 2000, right before the start of my 5th grade year, I moved to the Dominican Republic from the United States. My parents wanted to raise my sisters and me there. I had to start a new life, a new school, and make new friends. Making the transition from the United States to the Dominican Republic really wasn’t difficult because I spoke Spanish at home with my family. In fact, I was a good student, often earning honor roll and getting diplomas for having good grades. I moved back again to the United States in my junior year of high school, because my parents wanted me to go to college in the US. It wasn’t easy; I didn’t know anybody, I had to make new friends again, and I wasn’t familiar with the life over here. I only spoke a little bit of English, because I had spent many years taking classes in Spanish while in the Dominican Republic. To help me pick up the language again, I decided to take regular classes instead of english as a second language because I thought this strategy would help me learn more English and get accustom to the language.
While reading this article, one of the most shocking sections was when the students were talking to Monzó and sharing their outlook on their place and their language’s place in society. These students, even at this early age, are feeling how devalued their first language has been. They feel like they have to speak the right* English, only use English in public places, never their first language, and that they must assimilate to the American culture as much as possible. This reminded me of a chapter in Lippi Green (2012)’s text. Within this chapter, Lippi-Green (2012) discusses how in the United States Spanish speakers are not only expected to learn English, but they are expected to learn and utilize the right* English determined by the majority and assimilate entirely to American culture.
A language barrier tends to "set students apart" from other students. If the entire class but one student speaks English, the whole class will likely avoid or ignore that student because they do not know how to communicate with him/her, or they may have the misconception that the ELL student is "stupid" because they cannot speak English. This is one of the hardships an ELL student may unfortunately have to face at school. Whether or not the ELL student speaks the same language as the other students, body language and unspoken communication makes it very clear whether or not that student is accepted or well-liked by the other students. If the ELL student feels uncomfortable in his/her classroom, he may begin to exhibit learned helplessness and may even refuse to attempt to learn things during the
Multicultural education in the U.S. school system has become more pragmatic with the affluent nature of globalization. As the world’s technology increases exponentially, our world has grown smaller, increasing the need for global communication skills and cultural sensitivity. However, American schools are plagued by the pressures of budget cuts, test scores, educational bureaucracies, and impending closures. For many schools, foreign language education has been put on the proverbial chopping block. In the results posted from a national survey of elementary and secondary schools conducted in 2008, foreign language education dropped from being taught in 31% of elementary schools in 1997, to 25% in 2008. Secondary schools experienced a 7% drop, from 86% to 79% (Rhodes 3). School administrators and boards struggle to weigh the high costs of foreign language education against the needs for other core (English, literature, mathematics, natural sciences) and elective curriculum (music, physical education, arts, social sciences) while many parents, professionals, and academics cry out for the value a foreign language education brings to a child’s life in terms cognitive reasoning and cultural sensitivity. The debate regarding the need for foreign language education leaves much to be considered; from how the act of learning a language beginning at an early age effects a child’s ability to learn and analyze situations, to what is sacrificed, or what is not learned, with the time, energy, and money that goes into foreign language education; from a deeper understanding of other cultures and diversity, to exactly how fluent does the student become in the second language and how useful is it later in life.
It is no wonder that the United States is lagging in the area of foreign languages. Where most European students are required to learn a foreign language at age eight, American students are barely asked to utter a syllable in a non-native tongue until the age of fourteen (Tagliere), and even then it is merely ‘strongly encourag...
When I was a child my dad, and my grandparents taught me how to speak Spanish before I could learn how to speak English. As I continued to learn more and more words, Spanish became my first language, I spoke it fluently, and English came second. When I was ready to start Pre-K, my dad taught me to write in English other than in Spanish. It was hard to learn how to write my letters without knowing them in English and only in Spanish. I would confuse my E’s
There are many things wrong with the world right now and that does not exclude the US, while there are many issues with dealing with an increasingly global society but none of them are as easy to fix and as urgent reforming language education. Although it is important for language to be standardized so that we can all understand each other, the state of language education is holding back non-native and native speakers alike.
International students may be sent to America to study, speak, write and read in English but the chance of encountering difficulties and struggles is high. According to researchers, learning English in America especially for foreign students is a difficult decision because one may not be able to become accustomed to the environment, behavior of difference culture and the acts of other around. English learners will also encounter reading disability because one cannot read English in a short time; additionally, international students usually struggle with reading English even though one may have the knowledge of the English language. No matter how many disadvantage the English language has, the world most common language will not be extinct because jobs, education and many other parts of the world use English as a primary
There are a lot of people who think that the U.S. speaks one language and one language only, English. Having students take the time to learn a new language over the course of years can reduce conflicts between problematic and ignorant people. Diversity in America is what made this country what it is today. People should not be close-minded and believe one language is superior over another. Practicing a few basic words can help a lot if a person is getting around an unfamiliar location in the United States or in another
Knowing nothing about the language and then suddenly having to learn how to read and write gave me big obstacles to overcome. During, elementary school through 6th grade I went to a bilingual school. We had a month of all English courses and then one month of all Spanish courses rotating along the school year. During, this time I learned how to read and write in English. Also how to use past, present, and future tenses while incorporating them into sentences. Not only was this difficult for me, but also having to read in front of classmates was embarrassing. Every time I would have to read out loud I could feel my face get hot and red. However, not only did I have to learn a new language and have an accent with it, but I also had to face the criticism from others who knew the language and had no struggle with
English is, almost certainly, the most important subject that a child can learn in school. Without knowing proper English, a child will not be able to communicate effectively with the English speaking nation. They would be shut off from education and other people in this country. A person who does not poses proper English limits his or her ability to achieve their highest potential. Knowledge of the English language is important to learn to be able to communicate with others, in the teaching of immigrant students, and in finding and maintaining a job.