The Importance Of Language And Intercultural Learning

Part One, Language and Identity, includes personal essays that explore the struggles of two individuals with issues of identity connected to the languages they were raised to

Many of their learning needs are similar to those of other children and young people learning in our schools. However, these learners also have distinct and different needs from other learners by virtue of the fact that they are learning in and through another language, and that they come from cultural backgrounds and communities with different understandings and expectations of education, language and learning”. (NALDIC, 1999).

After reading the book to the children I will engage the students in a classroom discussion that aims to uncover what they might know about their own cultural background. Questions posed could include, “do you know where you were born or where your mum and dad were born”, “do you speak any other languages at home and what is that language, can you say something to us in your home language?”. These questions aim to uncover the diverse cultures within the classroom and by engaging in a group discussion the students learn about each other and learn that they all have different experiences and cultures. According to Fellows and Oakley (2014) reading stories to children provides the ideal context to develop oral language which can be further enhanced with educator led discussion (pg. 90).

By welcoming the diverse languages and religions of the world, America is considered a melting pot of both cultural and ethnic identities. In the essay about bilingualism “How to Tame a Wild Tongue” by Gloria Anzaldúa she writes, “So, if you want to really hurt me, talk badly about my language. Ethnic identity is twin skin to linguistic identity - I am my language. Until I can take pride in my language, I cannot take pride in myself” (172). Anzaldúa believes that her ethnicity and language are what make her who she is. Therefore, by insulting her language, she is insulted as well. Her identity is “twin skin” with how she speaks. Linguistic identity is the ability for a person to speak freely in any language and ultimately their identity is shown through shared language. The things that define a person are their actions, their behavior, the way they walk, and the way they talk. A person’s culture has a heavy influence on their identity throughout their lives. To disrespect an important part of their culture, their language, is to disrespect the person on an extremely interpersonal level. The person would be, therefore, discouraged from speaking their native language. Anzaldúa shows that her language constitutes who she is; it binds her to the existence of her identity therefore a person’s language defines his/her identity.

Educators in an intercultural classroom need to support and allow the other children in the class to explore these cultural routines. It creates feelings of pride and cultural identity to young children after sharing important aspects of their home with their friends and teachers at school.

I learned that many words we use in modern times have been adapted or taken from different cultures (gee and hayes). It was interesting to look at all the words we use, and find out their origin. I consider myself as a culturally aware person, however, working as a teacher’s aide in a very culturally diverse school, I did learn that some of the children from different cultures are seen as lazy or ignorant. In fact, this is because every culture is different and factors such as body language and eye contact mean different things. Non-verbal communication is just as important as written or oral, as it can assist in getting the message across when there is a language barrier. Anstey and Bull refer to ‘semiotic systems’ as the various ways in which meaning is communicated between people. As a teacher, my best approach to teaching will be to be aware of differences in children, and adapt lesson plans accordingly. I was made aware of multiliteracies which includes multimodal ways of learning through incorporating written, oral, visual, audio, gestural, tactile and spatial activities. I have enjoyed learning new ways to communicate, and realise that language empowers us and helps us to identify ourselves in

The students have a difficult time understanding cultural behaviorisms, especially when they cannot have it explained to them on a personal level. Learning language involves cognitive and academic development, and their first languages must be involved when learning a new one. Finding the appropriate level of challenging material for students who are trying to understand new concepts in a foreign language is also very difficult, since they must incorporate both the child’s first language, and the new one. (Ludhra 2008).

490) Leaning about this specific program answers a side question to our groups topic question, which is: what tools are available to incorporate culturally diverse literacies? This reading and discussion has given me specific examples of what effective things I can do to link diverse literacies to standard english. It has also reaffirmed my position that other languages and cultural literacies need to be treated with equal value and respect to the one in which they are leaning in, because they are not just learning for school, they are learning for life, in which a knowledge of working standard english is important, but so is cultural and personal identity. This article specifically relates to an important concept not only in this course but in the program of building off of what one already knows as opposed to starting with the base assumption that they know nothing or that everything they know is

Many English language learner students have experiences and socialized outlines that are diverse from the mainstream body. Each student, whether or not they are labeled as an ELL, come from a different set of backgrounds, personalities, families, and beliefs. All three educators have recognized the trend in their classrooms and have embraced the multicultural teaching using culturally responsive instruction. This type of teaching method inspires educators to adjust their instruction to meet the learning standards of all students. They believe that students should have the experience to use both their native language and the second language to draw real-life connections. Teachers that support the background of both languages are helping student’s link together vocabulary and word development to strengthen language development. All three educators believed in the variation of reading; including materials, text books, supplementary programs and fictional books. The adaption of numerous reading styles can assist diverse students to become more effective and competent users of the English language. They also reported that not only is it

The world that we live in is a world represented through a variety of different cultures and languages that all come together in a common setting for children: the school. Through my scholarly involvement in my service learning experience for both my cultural and literacies courses, I was and am being exposed to a variety of different cultures and languages different from my own that have cultivated an appreciation for diversity within me. As a future educator, being aware and having knowledge of different cultures and literacies, while using culturally relevant pedagogy in the classroom will help to encourage academic success among all students and provide an equitable educational experience for everyone.

Around 6,000 to 7,000 languages are spoken daily around the world, but as time goes on the amount of people that know each language is decreasing. Schools should have foreign language class. Initially, students who are bilingual have a brighter future. At the same time, language class helps students overall in school. Following this, being fluent in more than one language may improve one’s appreciation and respect for others. At the same time, when considering learning a second language one may want to consider the few cons. Undeniably, if students study a foreign language,they will be better

Language, culture and individual personal attributes are all things we consider when describing what identity is and how it is influenced. Culture influences many aspects of an individual's life such as traditions, belief systems, norms, personal values and more. A language is a form of expression, it also reveals a person's origins such as what country they are from. Both culture and language shape a person's identity and can make an individual feel as though they belong. Translations by Friel not only does a great job of demonstrating the importance of language and cultural identity but also shows how easily both can be stripped from a society.

Why should people nowadays see languages as a big prize? A person speaks more languages have more opportunities are skewed to him because he benefits the profit comparing to a person who speaks only one standard language. It is time for globalization and its effects on children for speaking other languages as a must. In two articles “Aria: A Memoir of a Bilingual Childhood” by Richard Rodriguez and “Whose Voice Is It Anyway?” by Victor Villanueva, the two authors both expressed their opinions on native language and how the assimilation impacts a child. However, Rodriguez believed that the assimilation was beneficial for him as he had grown up in the English-speaking world and he disliked bilingual education which created many controversy.

In a time of globalisation, intercultural communication has become more significant than ever before. Language has always been one of the major obstacles to the contact between different cultures. Nowadays, English is considered as a lingua franca, which means ‘a language that is adopted as a common language between speakers whose native languages are different’ (OED, 2017). Many native English speakers then see no reason to learn a foreign language. However, language is much more than just a means of communication, it conveys thoughts, images, and ideologies. By learning foreign languages, people develop a deeper global awareness and understanding of other cultures. Therefore, multilingualism

Education is one of the most important factors in every person’s life regardless of where they’re from, their race, or their culture. Becoming educated not only makes life easier for us but also can help people become more successful in all things. However with so many people of various races, ethnicities and backgrounds in the United States it is difficult to create an education system that attends to each student’s individual culture. Ones own culture influences their actions and lifestyle, therefore this can create conflict if it is different from their schools cultural teaching style. Multicultural and multilingual classrooms have become the norm in many educational and professional settings throughout the U.S. because of changing immigration patterns caused by globalization (Institute for Educational Leadership, p. 2). For teachers today, it is essential to understand the role of culture and have the ability to interact interculturally in the classroom to create an effective learning environment. Analyzing cultural issues or differences can help teachers to understand some of the unconscious processes that shape individuals’ actions and interactions, as well as their language use and communication. “Teachers who understand cultural diversity…are more likely to be successful in their multicultural classrooms” (Samovar, Pg.2).