Mod 11 Mid-Course Reflection and Self-Assessment

Language as a system of learning functions as a means for understanding the culture, the norms and values, and the shared history of the people of a particular society or country. What this means is that language is not about understanding the grammatical rules and patterns of expression. Instead it is a tool that allows us to perceive and communicate about the reality we experience, and since that experience is often grounded in our social experience, language becomes both a structured means of expression created by the culture, and a learning tool to probe the depth of that same culture.

The relevance of including culture in your curriculum
As noted above, there is an integral even symbiotic relationship between language and the culture that gives birth to that language. In any classroom of any country, the exploration process of the home culture is based on first being competent in that language, and then becoming a master in that language. In the classroom, teachers and students explore the culture through the curriculum. This means that without competence in the language that is being used, there can be no competence in understanding the material presented in the curriculum. And while you can have competence and even mastery of language without a similar competence or mastery in a particular subject. You cannot have competence or mastery of any subject without a similar competence or mastery in the language.

Cultural sensitivity is the idea that it is important to recognize that the cultural values and experiences of non-native language learners are often not aligned with the cultural values and experiences of those in the new country. This non-alignment can be evident when trying to communicate with a non-native language learner and has in the past been the cause of implicit biases against the non-native language learner. Such biases can negatively impact the non-native language learner’s ability and even desire to learn the new language. Cultural sensitivity is about removing those biases and providing a safe environment that focuses on making connections and encouraging collaboration in the language acquisition process so the non-native language learner feels he/she is both valued and appreciated and is thus empowered to dive deeper and deeper into the complexities of the new language.  

Home language and its relationship to a child’s academic progress: generally speaking, for non-native language learners, of they have a greater proficiency in their home language then they already have the foundation for greater cognitive thinking and greater academic success. If they are not proficient in their home language, they will have two barriers to overcome to become successful students: 1) learning a new language; and 2) learning the nuances of academic thinking and achievement. It is also important to note that a non-native language learned may be fine communicating in a social context, but be unable to communicate in an academic context in tehri home language.

Creating familiar linguistic routines are important for helping non-native language learners acquire a new language. Of particular importance a regular routine for learning and applying new vocabulary, pronunciation, and learning and applying rules of grammar to help organize thinking. 

The impact of learning a 2nd language on all content areas depends upon two factors: 1) the level of non-native language proficiency; and 2) the level of cognitive ability and experience with each content area that is being taught. If a non-native language learner has a solid foundation in math and science, for example, succeeding in a non-native language math or science course be easier since math and science concepts are generally not based on the social norms and values of the new country. The challenge for non-native language learners in ELA and History classes will be in understanding the nuances of expression in the new country, the social context, and the historical background. To fill in these gaps will require a more focused approach to learning the new language. 

Scaffolding is a useful and necessary approach to help non-native language learners bridge the gaps in terms of the nuances of expression, the social context and historical background noted above. Properly used, scaffolding meets students where they are, allows them to find success with modified material, and allows them to progress with a sense that they can master the material in front of them.  
 
High quality early childhood literacy strategies promote a safe learning environment for non-native language learners. Partially this is down by creating a physical space where the non-native language learners feel connected to their home culture. Thus they feel affirmed and values and are more likely to work on the academic tasks at hand. The same is true for adopting curriculum is sensitive to the home-country cultures of the non-native language learners. If these students can see themselves in the stories and articles they read and discuss, they will be more invested in the class.  

Structured speaking and listening provides ELL students with an opportunity to practice and ultimately master the use of oral language in multiple contexts. This strategy helps ELL student feel confident about their language acquisition progress, which leads ultimately to success in all of their academic classes.