other voices: cultural sensitivity in the classroom

The Other VoicesSTRATEGIES FOR WORKING WITH ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS

Maricruz Avitia/Christina HelselMarch 9, 2009

Read. Think."What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of

differences, their attraction and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing

differences and peculiarities, by eliminating different civilizations and cultures, progress weakens life and

favors death. The ideal of a single civilization for everyone, implicit in the cult of progress and

technique, impoverishes and mutilates us. Every view of the world that becomes extinct, every culture that

disappears, diminishes a possibility of life."

::Octavio Paz::

Introduction: Establishing Norms

Proposed meeting norms: The meeting will begin and end on time. We will stayed focused on the topic. We will eliminate all distractions (e.g., cell

phones, grading papers). We will respect everyone and their

opinions. We recognize that we are in a safe

environment.

Remember: The only assumption we can make is that we are all focused on the same objective—our students and

their needs.

Introduction: Our Purpose

Essential Questions: How do we demonstrate cultural sensitivity and

appreciation of diverse cultures inside and outside our classrooms at PAE?

How can a foundational understanding of second language acquisition guide our instruction and classroom management with classes of diverse learners?

How can I establish English as the language norm in the classroom while valuing the native languages and recognizing the developing English proficiency of my second language learners?

Introduction: Our Purpose

Objectives: Recognize that language is a part of students’

identity and cultural capital—and reflect this understanding in classroom practices.

Demonstrate awareness of the second language acquisition process and second language learners’ needs in daily practices.

Use practical strategies for establishing English as the language norm in the classroom without devaluing our students’ diverse identities or ignoring their language abilities and needs.

Introduction: Anticipation Guide

Agree Somewhat Agree Somewhat Disagree

Disagree

1. I think the United States should adopt English as the official language so that English would be the only language used by state and federal agencies—including schools.

2. My great-grandparents came to this country and no one helped them learn English. This is what today’s immigrants should be doing.

3. The more time students spend soaking up English in the mainstream classroom, the faster they will learn the language.

4. Students should be strongly encouraged to speak English immediately.

5. “We will be able to achieve a just and prosperous society only when our schools ensure that everyone commands enough shared background knowledge to be able to communicate effectively with everyone else” (Hirsch, 1987).

Understanding Our Language Learners

Factors affecting rate of language acquisition:

First language literacy skills Prior educational background Attendance in school Innate cognitive ability Cultural/family background Personality and motivation Family support/expectations of the child Sense of identity in the classroom Learning style

Culture Shock &Cognitive Processing

What Causes Culture Shock? To understand culture shock, it helps to

understand what culture is. Genes determine how a child looks and

acts. However, the surrounding environment plays a big part in how a child behaves. A big part of the environment is culture. Culture is made up of common things that members of a community learn from family, friends, media, literature and even strangers. When a child moves to a new culture that is different from his own, it can be difficult to adjust to the new surroundings. The child may encounter unfamiliar weather, food, people, schools, values and language.

How Does it Feel? One child’s adjustment to a new culture is

not necessarily like another’s. In some situations, children are excited about their move.

Though they may feel a little sad about leaving important people and places behind, they think of the move as a new adventure, or they’ve heard great things about the place that will become their new home. Some children stay this way. But, difficulties adjusting often may not show up right away. As the time goes on, the excitement can give way to frustration and they have trouble understanding their new surroundings.

Children Experience Culture Shock in Different Ways o Not wanting to be around people who

are different from them, including those who speak a different language

o Sadnesso Lonelinesso Anxietyo Trouble concentratingo Feeling left out or misunderstoodo Developing a negative and simplistic

view of the new culture.

Barriers & Stress Associated with Learning a New Language Not being able to understand what

people are saying. Not knowing how to make people

understand what they try to say. Speaking a language they are not

completely comfortable with and thinking that people who speak that language will tease them when they stumble over words

Being teased because of their accent or stereotypes

Not being familiar with all the vocabulary

Other Concerns with Acculturalization Children feel pressure to fit in at one time or

another with the new culture.

Children feel like they need to change everything about themselves, so they can stand out less. This threatens their fragile egos, limits ethnic identification, and slows identity development.

Children feel like they have to give up their own identity—including their beliefs, friends, and language.

Teen Brains:Under Construction

Teen Brains Period of Growth and Change Similar to the brain development that occurs

during the first three years of life Although the teen brains do not change in size,

still going through amazing period of development It is the reason why teens don’t always

understand the consequences of their actions and why they seek out dangerous and tilling situations

While there are many different areas of the brain involve in growth period, the one often called the CEO or the brain’s conscience, is the prefrontal cortex (PFC)

PFC (Prefrontal and Cortex) The prefrontal cortex is responsible for making good judgments, setting priorities, planning ahead, organizing, anticipating consequences and controlling impulses and emotions.

Adolescents have difficult time remembering a series of directions.

Is responsible for language and abstract thinking.

Adolescents have more difficulty generating words and expressing themselves.

Adolescents use phrases like “I don’t know” or “whatever”, because they having difficulty searching for the words they want

Changes in Corpus Callosum

o This is a fiber system that relays information between the left and right hemispheres of the brain.

o The fiber system influences language learning.

o Fiber system grows more rapidly than other surrounding brain region before and after puberty, but growth falls off shortly after puberty, so the ability to learn a new language declines after the age 12.

Understanding Changes Adolescents undergo hormone

changes Adolescent brains undergo

developmental changes Some adolescents undergo major

cultural and environmental changes. LET’S WORK TOGETHER TO ACHIEVE

A GREAT, LONG-LASTING AND POSITIVE EXPERIENCE FOR

STUDENTS


Factors affecting rate of language acquisition:

First language literacy skills Prior educational background Attendance in school Innate cognitive ability Cultural/family background Personality and motivation Family support/expectations of the child Sense of identity in the classroom Learning style

Understanding Our Language Learners For the majority of Hispanics, the Spanish

language runs deeply into cultural and personal identities. Anzaldúa’s (1987) eloquent phrasing of this principle captures the language-identity fusion: “Ethnic identity is twin skin to linguistic identity—I am my language” (p. 59).

To relinquish Spanish either literally or symbolically (which many monolingual citizens of the United States seem to think is appropriate for integration into the country) is to relinquish a significant and powerful dimension of personal and social identity. (Johnson, 2000, p. 177)

From K. Gibson (2004). www.hawaii.edu/sls/uhwpesl/22(2)/Gibson.doc

Understanding Our Language Learners Learning is risk-taking Our students need to feel safe and valued if they are going to be vulnerable

enough to learn.


Discussion Questions: Why is it important for our students to

feel welcomed and valued in our classrooms? How do we promote this?

How will this connect to the value that they place on what we are teaching?

What are some ways we can take advantage of all students’ cultural and linguistic capital?

How can we support our ELLs through the stages of culture shock in our daily teaching moves?


How can understanding language acquisition help me to meet students’

needs? Overview of Proficiency Levels Basic (Level 1A or 1B) Low Intermediate (Level 2) High Intermediate (Level 3) Proficient (Level 4) Advanced Proficient (Level 4/5)


Basic Basic 1A

No formal schooling or interrupted schooling as well as those from pre-literate societies

Marginal literacy in both English as well as native language

May or may not speak some English Basic 1B

Pre-production and early production stage Generally respond non-verbally to simple commands and questions

Ex: Andres Ortiz


Low Intermediate Speech emergent stage Can comprehend short conversations on simple

topics Rely on familiar structures or utterances Comprehend simple passages, but guess at

more complex ones Can handle simple writing tasks, but may make

frequent errors Ex: Ivan and Yalianez DeJesus-Martinez,

Genesis Miranda, Erica and Mayra Mejia, Nilmarie and Archie Ortiz, Giovanni Negron


High Intermediate Can understand English in most settings with

repetitions and rewording Can comprehend factual, non-technical prose

and read literature for pleasure Show good control over most frequently used

grammatical structures; errors present Upon exiting, can write multi-paragraph

compositions Ex: Jessie Castro, Giovanni Gomez,

Estrellita and Lucerito Torres, Christina Castro, Lorena Alvaredo, Carlos Barahona, Angel Gonzales


Proficient Demonstrate adequate daily writing and

communication skills Have difficulty writing idioms, figures of

speech and words with multiple meanings Ex: Bryan Munoz, Genesis Santiago,

Christian Caraballo, Abel Melendez, Aracelis and Arielis Bernard, Drew and Duane Co, Bianca Sanders, Kaychla Umana


Advanced Proficient Can successfully participate in all English

course work without English language development support

Exited formally from ESL program Ex: Diana Beltran, Christopher

Caraballo, Alexis Gomez, Merci Reyes, Cassandra Colon, Karina Esparza, Gerardo Garcia Sauredo, Lasandria Rosado


Activity: Using the English Language Proficiency Checklist, determine which level could successfully perform the language tasks.

Example: “Identify and correctly use subject-verb agreement and past, present, and future tenses in writing simple sentences”

Answer: High Intermediate (and above)—This is a benchmark Low Intermediate students will achieve over the course of the school year and must meet to progress to the next level.


1. Basic2. Low Intermediate3. High Intermediate4. Low Intermediate5. Proficient6. Low Intermediate7. High Intermediate8. High Intermediate9. Low Intermediate10.High Intermediate

11.High Intermediate12.Low Intermediate13.High Intermediate14.Proficient15.High Intermediate16.High Intermediate17.Basic18.Low Intermediate19.High Intermediate20.Proficient

Wrap-Up

Students tend to disengage from class when they feel incapable or devalued

Expectancy + Value = Motivation (Brophy’s Expectancy-Value Theory)

How do we ensure that our second language learners believe that what we are teaching is valuable and that they are capable of learning it?

Wrap-Up

Reflection Questions: How do we demonstrate cultural sensitivity

and appreciation of diverse cultures inside and outside our classrooms at PAE?

How can a foundational understanding of second language acquisition guide our instruction and classroom management with classes of diverse learners?

How can I establish English as the language norm in the classroom while also valuing the native languages of my second language learners?

other voices: cultural sensitivity in the classroom

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