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Cultural diversity in the classroom
Cultural diversity in the classroom
Cultural diversity in the classroom
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Introduction
There are many issues teachers and students encounter in educational contexts centering on teaching English to speakers of other languages (TESOL). Many of the major issues addressed here are also relevant to teaching students American Sign Language (ASL), as well as other signed and spoken languages. The goal of this paper is to conduct a review of current research and literature of ELL/EFL/ESL/TESOL/TEFL/ESP/TOEFL/IELTS peer-reviewed publications that address these teaching-learning contexts and the key focus areas of culture diversity, sociolinguistic variation, the use of innovative technologies for language teaching and learning, language assessment, and language modalities. Each of these concepts will be extrapolated to
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TESOL represents Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, which are teachers of non-native English speaking students living in the US and can be found in K-12, colleges, universities, community groups and as tutors for hire. TEFL represents Teaching English as a Foreign Language and is found in countries where English is not the native language. Students function in society utilizing their native language and there is a large possibility that their interaction with their teacher and classmates is their only use of the English language. In many countries, these positions do not require any academic background besides being a functioning native speaker.
Subsets of ESL
Although, ESL is an umbrella term for the goal of many learners, there are different forms of English. One of those fors is ESP, and it represents English for Specific Purposes and is a subset of ESL geared towards adults, characterizes topics such as:
• Business English
• Technical English
• Scientific
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No better example of that is through migration and emigration, and how people no longer move just to different cities, but many move to different countries and in doing so, many countries, such as Russia, Germany and Canada, require language tests in order to become a resident. Some countries that maintain two languages, such as Canada, allow multiple languages in order to create a society filled with functioning dominant language speakers.
As a result, this cross-national concept has implications on English and has fostered two additional terminology, World Englishes and World English.World Englishes refers to the different forms of localized variations of English outside of the United States of United Kingdom and is different from the idea of World English. This is related to Kachru’s concept of the circles of English, discussed later. World Englishes is the idea that different variations of English arise through various political and social influences. These language variations vary and in many instances acquire different meanings and lexicon. World English is the concept of English as a Lingua franca and used for global activities, such as business, diplomacy and trade. In this instance, English is following in a long line of global Lingua
Acquiring a Language: American Sign Language vs. English In the Unites States and Canada, an estimated range of 500,00 to 2 million people speak/use American Sign Language. According to the Census Bureau, ASL is the leading minority language after Spanish, Italian German and French. ASL is the focal point of Deaf Culture and nothing is dearer to the Deaf people’s hearts because it is a store of cultural knowledge and also a symbol of social identity, and social interactions. It is a fully complete, autonomous and natural language with complex grammar not derived and independent of English.
“Learning another language is not only learning different words for the same things, but learning another way to think about things” (American). For centuries, people from all walks of life have been using their hands to communicate with one another, and for centuries people from all walks of life have been learning. Today I am following in their footsteps with a passion from God for the deaf language, culture, and souls. For almost a decade, an intense ardor for American Sign Language and a desire to reach its native users for Christ seeded itself in my soul, wove its roots deeper and deeper, and blossomed into one of the greatest loves of my life. American Sign Language is a unique language with a rich history that not only provides a service to people in the deaf culture, but also to hearing people who seek to attain fluency.
Every year, the number of immigrants in the U.S. has grown “significantly.” Chen predicts that by the year of 2020, public schools will have at least 50 percent of students that are non-English speakers (¶5). This shows that it is important that public schools have a successful ESL program. The purpose of ESL programs is “to enhance” ESL students learning, to help students’ “emotional well-being”, and to accelerate students’ ability to learn the new language. According to Chen, some district schools have failed to support ESL students’ learning. For example, Chen stated that “...[some] school districts [have been] accused of not meeting t...
Sign language is a method of communication for people who have hearing or speech impairments. Sign language is a language that is made up of gestures using the hands and some facial expressions which classifies it as a visual language. There are two different versions of sign language for english, American Sign Language (ASL) and Pidgin Signed English (PSE). Both are widely used across the world, but the signer who uses the versions and the syntax will be different, while the signs and the actual use will be the same.
In the U.S. the fourth most common language is American Sign Language. American Sign Language or ASL is a way of communication for those who are deaf or hard of hearing. As common as this language is, many people know nothing about it so i decided to open myself to this challenge. I decided to dedicate myself to this topic and learn as much information on this language. I wanted to open myself up to a whole new community just like i had in learning Spanish and French. I wanted to take the next few months and learn as much as possible about something that i honestly knew nothing about. So what is American Sign Language? How much can i learn in 3 months?
In the last twenty years, the population of linguistically diverse school age-children has increased exponentially (Short & Echevarria, 2004, p.9). In order to effectively serve students with different language backgrounds it is important that teachers use strategies that benefit all students. Adrienne L. Harrell and Michael Jordan (2008) found that students need strategies that use explicit language objectives, provide constant reinforcement of academic language, make connections to prior knowledge, and give opportunities to read, write and speak in English to support their language development (p. 5). The presence of these strategies in a classroom with a mixture of ELL students and native English speakers only enhances the learning experience
After viewing the panel discussion about how our local school districts have implemented English Language Learning in their school, I am very intrigued. From what I gathered the field of ELL is a growing industry in education, especially in Colorado Springs. We have ELL’s students coming from all over the world. Here in Colorado Springs alone, school districts have to accommodate for over fifty different languages spoken by ELL’s. I can only imagine the challenge that comes with such a diverse group of non- English speakers in our community schools.
The specific question that guided my research is: “What are the differences in syntax and imagery between conversational ASL and ASL literature, and what effect do those differences have on ASL literature?” Anyone who has learned American Sign Language can attest that its literature is, in fact, different than its “regular” language. However, after discovering that not much research has been done on ASL literature, I wanted to know how they’re different.
In learning about the deaf culture I have taken on a new understanding about the people it includes. Through readings and the lessons, I have learned that being deaf has both its hardships and its blessings. The beauty of the language alone makes one want to learn all that he or she can about it. In this paper I will discuss the beauty of the language and the misconceptions the hearing world has about deafness.
Imagine coming into a new country with no knowledge of their language. Now, imagine being a young child having to come in a new country with no knowledge of their language and having to go to school with the native students. That student who is in a new country and school will feel left out and frustrated. They are around new customs and people, the teaching that they were once used to has change and the teachers, they might speak fast and the student is even more confused and they might want to give up. This is where the school board comes into place and help students that is new to their county learn English with the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages(TESOL) program; to include the English Language Learners(ELL) students in the curriculum and have them interact with other students.
This paper will define the term sign language, give a brief history of how sign language was created, types of sign languages, grammar and syntax within American
current English educators and educators, who use English as a second language, will give other
It has been adopted by different sectors making it one of the most used languages in the globe. This has been attributed to its effective nature, easy learning and rich history. However, conservative groups exist who argues that there should be global language since it may cause the emergence of superior cultures. Nevertheless, it is evident that different cultures ranging from the early polish immigrants, the African American community, the advertising and media will greatly benefit from the globalization of the English language. This will prove in the end that English is indeed a global
In order to visualize the “global” as an adjective in the collocation “global language”, a study has shown the numbers of people speaking the language. According to them, there are about 6000 languages in the world and not surprisingly English is at the top of the list of most dominant. In the world there are 375 million first-language speakers, approximately the same number of second-language speakers and about 750 million foreign-language speakers (David Graddol, The Future of English? A Guide to Forecasting the Popularity of the English Language in the 21st Century. British Council, 1997). According to magazine Economist, more than one billion people speak some form of English. These numbers could make people think that English is really conquering the world which can be both positive and negative.
Sign language is a language for the people who are challenging in hearing and listening. Despite common misconceptions, sign languages are complete natural languages, with their own syntax and grammar.