Wardhaugh indicates that there is a problematic need in the field to reverse expectations about the capacity of this approach to instruct in practicable and usable linguistic ability. The author takes exception with traditionalist ideas the argue "the single paramount fact about language learning is that it concerns, not problem solving, but the formation and performance of habits." (Wardhaugh, p. 21) The linguistic theorist rejects this principle as failing to acknowledge many of the more abstract contextual factors relating to the applicable usage of language. Particularly, the impact levied by culture, by regional dialect, by accent, by generational difference, by distinctions between formal, informal or slang usage and by a host of other even less tangible effectors cannot be introduced simply through the use of habit-forming drills or other techniques which rely singularly on rote practice.
Kanno & Varghese (2010) contribute research that does endorse this more integrative approach, which may be characterized also as modernist in its interest in egalitarianism. Contrary to the softer standards implicated in the modernist ideology described by Howatt & Widdowson, Kanno & Varghese assert that a conceptual broadening of what is implied by an ESL program is required. Here, the research indicates that a critical problem in the grammar school and primary education approaches to instructing English is in their failure to address the extremely broad spectrum of difficulties faced by students attempting not only to navigate the educational system and learn a new language but also to navigate a broader cultural with a wide variance of challenging and unfamiliar customs.
To this point, Kanno & Varghese assert reference Bourdieu's cultural reproduction theory, which their article reports is responsible for the alternate socioeconomic trajectories of those with the capacity to acclimate and those lacking the necessary education, support or resources. Accordingly, the article by Kanno & Varghese contributes not just this theoretical perspective to the broader research endeavor, but also contributes that argument "that what inhibits ESL students' access to and participation in four-year college education is not simply their limited English proficiency but also the structural constraints unique to this population, their limited financial resources, and the students' own tendency to self-eliminate. Based on our results, we call for a shift in higher education policy from one focusing narrowly on remediating ESL students' limited English proficiency to a more comprehensive set of policies that address the structural and economic, as well as linguistic, factors that together inhibit ESL students' college access and participation." (Kanno & Varghese, p. 310)
This difficulty is only compounded by the challenges which are incumbent upon educational institutions attempting to retain ESL populations. As the study by Booth (2009) contributes to the research, there are particular difficulties in socioeconomic adjustment that will generally compound the challenges not simply of learning but even of remaining reenrolled in schools. Thus, those students who are not provided with the proper preparation where ESL education is concerned are far more likely than members of the native English speaking population to be too greatly imposed upon by the combination of academic difficulties and personal life responsibilities. On this point, Booth reports that institutions such as Community Colleges in particular have struggled to balance the priorities of rigorous and meaningful education and the demand to retain immigrant students. Accordingly, the artibce by Booth tells that "retention is a problem in all higher education settings, but is especially important for community colleges because of their 'open door' policy. Community colleges enroll the highest proportion of new immigrants. Most come from low-income families, and more than half, are employed full-time (Boswell, 2004), creating very challenging odds for retention." (Booth, p. 1)
This places a considerable imperative upon the teachers of ESL students at preparatory levels because it would appear, within the scope of the literature reviewed here, that there is a direct relationship between the lack of adequate preparation for ESL students and their confrontation of greater proportions of difficulty in college and beyond. The text by Flood (2003) offers a handbook which connects the many different strands of English education that stretch across pedagogical approaches and levels of educational attainment. According to Flood, there is has persisted something of a failure on the part...
This article is of value to the present research for its identification of some critical research promoting the integration of vocabulary acquisition strategies into more traditional modes of language development instruction. Laufer, B. & Rozovski-Roitblat, B. (2011). Incidental vocabulary acquisition: The effects of task type, word occurrence and their combination. Language Teaching Research, 15(4), 391-411 This article by Laufer & Rozovski-Roitblat (2011) adds to the recurrent discussion -- often featuring contributions
Phonetic reading methods are actually older than the whole language approach: "The traditional theory of learning established in the 19th century draws on the notion that children need to break down a complex skill, like reading, into its smallest components (letters) before moving on to tackle larger components (sounds, words, and sentences). Phonetic reading instruction applies this theory; children are taught to dissect unfamiliar words into parts and then join
, 1997). Relevant to ESL students and teaming between ESL teachers and mainstream teachers, the St. Paul, Minnesota. school district has replaced assigning ESL students to a full-day ESL track or having an ESL teacher regularly pull them out of class. Instead, mainstream and ESL teachers co-teach in the same classroom. With this approach, the school district has nearly closed the achievement gap between English-language learners and native speakers, based
Stereotypes have proven dangerous because they prevent communication, create barriers the mutual recognition of humanity between individuals of different groups, and have been used to justify violence, or the denial rights and opportunities to certain individuals Where do most of the new words in English come from today? Most of the new words today are of foreign extraction. What are pro-mimics? What does it have to do with teaching? Using mimicry is one
For such crucial areas as writing instruction, the simple use of email can prove to render this effect. To the point, one article indicates to us that "writing in itself is often considered a process that involves four main stages i.e., planning, drafting, revising and editing. These four steps seem to be applicable for paper-based writing as well as for e-mail writing. They can be integrated to form the
They also use language to negotiate with parents and teachers for pocket money and extra time for assignments respectively, and so on. All these contexts can be used to provide students with a familiar and supportive environment of learning. The most important element that emerges from this chapter is the fact that students can no longer be seen as homogeneous automatons, who learn language in precisely the same way. Human
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