Language and culture's influence on English language learner academic success

¶ … multicultural and multilingual societies, schools play a huge role where both linguistic and cultural resources are either strengthened or devalued. In spite of the significance of language in education, debate on schooling minority language speakers usually focus on one issue, whether other language instead of the dominant one should be a means of instruction. Although resolving the issue is essential, particularly for individuals speaking minority language, the limited focus on only the means of instruction tends to hide many other language decisions in schools that shape experiences for multilingual learners (DeJong, 2011).

In the past, immigrants to the U.S. were able to succeed economically without having to attend specialised programs in schools. They were able to work in jobs requiring little language since the economy mainly focused on agricultural and industrial work. However, today's immigrants must attain high levels of English literacy in order to overcome poverty in the current service economy, which calls for high language levels and continuous collaboration and interactions with others. Thus, simply putting newcomers in English speaking setting would not properly prepare such individuals to engage fully in nation building. Specialised educational programs are needed to ensure that language as well as academic needs are met for English language learners. Thus, schools are obliged to resolve language barriers, which give way to marginalization of linguistic minority (Samway and McKeon 2007).

Part 1

What influence does culture have on a student's success?

When a student's performance is compared between oral and literacy, it is evident that literacy comes out on top. One of the factors that is responsible for this is the exposure of the student to content that is in question in their native tongue. This improves the English language learner student's performance in English. Research done in this area has indicated that better performance and improvement in a language that is not the native tongue is seen when native language is used in the academic preparation (Samway and McKeon, 2007).

For most students whose culture, language and curriculum match, the required learning principle is in place and favours them, unlike the students who do not have these factors matching. Thus, where a student comes from a background socially and culturally as that which the curriculum adopts, he/she has an advantage over other students in benefiting from the school's curriculum (DeJong, 2011).

Is Bilingual Education Best for English Language Learners?

Yes, it is. When a student has been exposed to an idea in their native language, they tend to comprehend it better than the students who lack experience with the concept (Samway and McKeon, 2007).

What are the program models designed to develop bi0literate competence?

French Immersion Programs- these began in Canada and children from early education were taught all subjects in French even though it was not their native tongue.

Heritage Language Acquisition-this is helping someone acquire their native tongue when they have been majorly exposed to a different one.

Bilingual Education for The Deaf-this is the use of sign language as the first language of the student.

Integrated Bilingual Education: two-way immersion (TWI) (DeJong, 2011).

What are the program models designed to develop proficiency only in the societal dominant language?

Standard Curriculum- this immerses the minority language students in the dominant language.

European School Model (DeJong, 2011).