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How Culture Affects on English Language Learners’ (ELL’s) Outcomes, with Chinese and Middle Eastern Immigrant Students

 

EQ: What are immigrant English language learners’ main challenges related to English literacy acquisition?

 

Just like at Kingsbridge International High School this study proposes that parents are likely providing little to no support at home for school work.  In addition, these students also have large needs in the area social-emotional needs and culturally in their academic and non-academic experiences here in The United States.  In addition, my Middle Eastern and Muslim Students from all over the world face negative stereotypes regarding their Muslim Religion.  This cannot and should not be underestimated in their readiness and ability to learn.  Here we should consider Maslow and his hierarchy of need.

 

Literacy indeed occurs within a culture and community but that is not the only driver in terms of challenges we need to consider when looking at cause our ELL learners here in New York City.  There are many differences in learning styles that tremendous disruption and challenges to students lives.  For instance, many of our children are not used to the facilitated Danielson Rubric dominated learning style demanded of teachers in New York City.  Rather these children are accustomed to teacher/student -centered teaching.  Teacher-centered classrooms are the norm and they have trouble adapting and indeed have never experienced group work, and project-based learning.

 

Added to this we should consider that many of our students’ parents have mobility barriers for parents that are culturally based in the Muslim Religion. The parents also have little or no knowledge of the language and or the strategies used in western schools. Parents roles because of work and or situation also results in a reduced role in children’s literacy acquisition.

 

As teachers, we need to provide more culturally relevant, communicative, and scaffolded oral literacy activities. Culturally relevant text can also assist us in bridging the gap between school and home literacy. That is texts that are relevant to parents of certain cultures often promote interaction at home. In addition, as teachers, we must recount what we have done the previous day.  Also by offering students lecture notes, handout packages, class debates, case studies, cooperative testing we can move the learning agenda forward.  Lastly, teachers can explore the idea of allowing children the opportunity to grapple with a topic in their native language before trying to express those thoughts in English.  I can tell you that this results in better outcomes in my classroom at Kingsbridge High School.

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