ORGANIZATIONAL RESOURCES TO SUPPORT ENGLISH ACQUISITION

Literacy Connect is a non-profit enterprise in Tucson that helps children and adults in the arts and literacy, primarily in English. Literacy Connect, in partnership with other organizations, provides training courses for volunteers who tutor and teach English to low-literacy individuals from immigrant backgrounds (Literacy Connect, 2017).

The Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) is a non-profit organization that uses English teaching programs to promote access, equity, and mutual understanding. CAL accomplishes its purpose through promoting dual language education and providing ELL assessments to over a million students (Center for Applied Linguistics, 2017).Center for Applied Linguistics

4646 40th Street, NW

Washington, DC 20016-1859

Website: http://www.cal.org/

The University of Arizona’s Center for English as a Second Language (CESL) provides high-quality teaching training and English language programs. The Center supports immigrants in the acquisition of English as their second language through a partnership with their homes. The center takes excellent value for cultural diversity when delivering its services (University of Arizona, 2014).

Location: College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

Address: 1100 James E. Rogers Way, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA

Phone: +1 520-621-3637

Website: http://www.cesl.arizona.edu/

English Language Learning

As institutions and communities continue to handle and deal with increasing number of immigrants in the United States, it is critical to understand that cultural belief on education, participation styles, and value of education on teaching and learning cannot be ignored. Cultural differences make communication, participation, and interaction between learners and their tutors difficult. Existing literature highlights certain sociocultural influences on English Language Learning.

To illustrate this, Gauvain (1995) conducted a research where he discovered three subsystems (sociocultural influences) that determines the organization and direction of cognitive development based on culture. These included; cultural values that guided members activity goals, the history of culture that helped guide on how to satisfy cultural values and goals, and higher-level structures that instantiated cultural values and goals. However, this has been disputed in some cases due to its lack of a solid ground to support the findings.

An instructor, Barzallo Yolanda from CELTA Cambridge (2017) identifies sociocultural issues during learning as individual/home customs and traditions whose social elements do not agree with English. ELL learners find it difficult to start learning customs and traditions that are different to their own.

Home language plays a role in shaping one’s identity, which supports them value their culture and heritage (Underwood, 2017). Therefore, the use of home language connects one to their community while at the same time increasing their verbal fluency (Barzallo, 2017). However, in some homes, the use of English language at home is discouraged (Underwood, 2017). As a result, one loses motivation to learn English in School, which impairs the effectiveness of the learning process and outcomes.

Bilingual learners should be encouraged to utilize their first language during classroom interactions, with tutors providing materials needed to boost their native language communication. The process of acquiring English through learning should be done gradually with parental-tutor partnerships. Much as parents do not want their children losing their cultural identities, they should encourage them to practice English as a second language from home by buying them English materials (August, Shanahan, & Escamilla, 2009). Combination of home language use and bilingualism education is essential for the overall success of English language learners (Wharton, 2000).

References

August, D., Shanahan, T., & Escamilla, K. (2009). English Language Learners: Developing Literacy in Second-Language Learners—Report of the National Literacy Panel on Language-Minority Children and Youth. Journal of Literacy Research, 41(1), 432–452. doi:10.1080/10862960903340165

Barzallo, Y. R. (2017, December). Sociocultural Influence on ELL Students: Identity & Learning Issues. Study. Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/sociocultural-influence-on-ell-students-identity-learning-issues.html

Center for Applied Linguistics. (2017, December 12). Area of Impact. Retrieved from Center for Applied Linguistics: http://www.cal.org/

Gauvain, M. (1995). Thinking in Niches: Sociocultural Influences on Cognitive Development. Human Development, 38(1), 25–45. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1159/000278297

Literacy Connect. (2017, December 12). Stories that Connect. Retrieved from Literacy Connect: http://literacyconnects.org/

Underwood, S. (2017). Bilingualism and Home Language Use. smore. Retrieved from https://www.smore.com/6nuah-bilingualism-and-home-language-use

University of Arizona. (2014). Welcome to the University of Arizona’s Center for English as a Second Language (CESL). Retrieved from Center for English as a Second Language : http://www.cesl.arizona.edu/#sidr-0

Wharton, G. (2000). Language Learning Strategy Use of Bilingual Foreign Language Learners in Singapore. View issue TOC, 50(2), 203–243. doi:10.1111/0023-8333.00117