Bulldozing Stigmas (online reflection #4)

Reading through Robertson and Ford’s article on Language Acquisition for English Language Learners (ELLs), I couldn’t help but think about an insightful point from Randy Bomer: “...students need to learn ways of thinking about language...that will allow them to respect other citizens across differences” (2011). The key word from the aforementioned quote is respect. As future educators of ELLs, we need to establish on the onset of instruction that learning English does not allow for the denigration of other languages. Historically speaking, the lingua franca of English has long since held a prestigious banner over all the other languages. Due to its universality, and power (due to socio-political reasons), English has been thrusted on a pedestal as the language that is synonymous with social—upward—mobility. Although I agree English is the language of global business, educators need to come together to bring light to the fact that Standard American English (SAE) is simply a dialect. When educators realize this notion, and understand that there are other variants of English (e.g. Indian-English), we can bring the language off a pedestal, and meet our students—most coming from countries our current president likes to discriminate—and shed off stigmas and annoyances with students learning the language. Moving forward, let’s note a quote from Robertson and Ford’s article:

“Teachers often get frustrated when ELL students appear to be fluent because they have strong social English skills...”

Thinking about making the acquisition of English for second-language learners welcoming, what behaviors must an educator employ to manage instruction in an inclusive and respectful manner?

One of the most salient ideas from Robertson and Ford’s article is not going overboard with noting errors for ELLs. As the authors wonderfully delineate the stages of second-language acquisition, it is compelling and cathartic to see the complexities that a student from a different, linguistic background goes through in acquiring another language. To combat errors, and teacher-imposed vibes of depravity, a wonderful, and simple, behavior is to work side-by-side with students. Being able to authentically work with an ELL student on a correction phonetically, that is sounding out the words, allows them to see their educator as a person willing to guide them vocally at a pace that is respectful to their acquisition level. From my past experiences as a tutor in ESOL classes, I found the literacy strategy of reading aloud, similar to phonetic guidance, to be one of the most beneficial aids in creating a culture of inclusivity. I know, you’re probably thinking how is reading aloud, from the perspective of a native speaker of English, inclusive to ELLs? Aside from being a wonderful model, reading aloud to ELLs gives them the opportunity to see the most important feature of the English language: nuance. When ELLs are beginning fluency of English, most want to know the nuances to better help them in social situations. Regarding nuances, it’s important to highlight that every speaker, just like every dialect, has different nuances to their speech. From para-language in gestures to intonation, English will vary from student to student. This notion should be highlighted in instruction to help students, both first and second-language learners build a climate of respect for one another’s words. Regarding Bomer: “[respecting languages] creates more productive relationships...and makes stronger identities...” (2011). Educators should not get frustrated that their ELL students are great at communicating on a social level. As guides for empathy and respect, educators must continually look at the positives of our students and their language acquisition. Speaking of empathy, I really enjoyed the anecdote from Robertson and Ford when they spoke of speaking Somali with their students. It was sobering for me to read that an instructor, struggling with the acquisition of another language, chose to do so in order for them to feel less alone in their linguistic journey.

Would you be willing to learn a second language for your students? Yourself? Why not? Don’t let prestigious ideas of one language sway you from exploring the linguistic beauty of others.

References:

Bomer, R. (2011). Building Adolescent Literacy in Today’s English Classrooms.    Heinemann: Portsmouth, NH

Robertson, K. & and Ford, K. “Language Acquisition: An Overview.” Language Acquisition: An Overview | Colorín Colorado, www.colorincolorado.org/article/language-acquisition-overview#h-stages-of-language-acquisition.