The Role of Culture in English Language Teaching: a Case Study of Schools of the Khasi Community in Semi-Urban Areas.

Purpose: To highlight the difficulties students have at school and at home when it comes down to learning a language which they aren’t acquainted to and the consequences of such, depending on their social background.

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).

The chapter “The Phenomenon of Uprooting” brings to light the significant impacts an English Language Learner experiences when first traveling to a new country. One of the initial stages that an ELL student generally comes into participation with is the “silent stage”. In this stage, an ELL student is unfamiliar with the newly introduced customs and languages, and thus ultimately remains silent for a period of time. However, during this time, an English Language Learner tends to develop a more enhanced ability to observe those surrounding them and acquire a deeper listening skill. In this time as well, an ELL student may be prone to the feeling of culture shock due to the fact that they were taken away from everything they were once familiar

“One of the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time”, Federico Fellini once stated that “A different language is a different vision of life” and I, in my turn tend to say that he was perfectly right. A person who speaks more than one language can experience multiple personalities, visions and reflections consisting which language is he speaking. High School students should comprehend the real benefit of speaking a foreign language. Being a multilingual myself and speaking fluently four languages and studying another two, I consider that I am qualified enough to persuade that my argument is strong, plausible and not ultimately-right. In the following paragraphs I am going to address the following three reasons why should other High School students learn at least one foreign language? Firstly, learning a new language enhances performances in the academic domain and makes you smarter. Secondly, knowing a new language is a high estimated and a very valuable characteristic in your professional CV. Thirdly, international travel is more pleasant through knowing a foreign language.

Being able to talk a foreign language is more than those who see it as mere practice but a “gateway” to understanding other cultures. Russell Berman’s article makes a claim that learning a foreign language enables us to better understand society by noticing “cultural difference” America has today. By doing so, it can come with many benefits such as learning the culture of other countries and “

In “Culture and Learning,” Sonia Nieto explains the tremendous culture and linguistic diversity is evident in our schools today. In the article, it expresses that the term “culture” can be problematic because it can mean different

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).

With culturally diverse environments, foreign students should have the option to learn in their language and English. When a student’s language is not kept alive, it could disappear. Some may say that the best way to teach un-native students is to teach them in only English, but cultures are diminished in this form. Students feel more comfortable when basic impressions teach the students in the way they lean at home, which is with their un-native language.

Language is the primary way to communicate, learn and express identity. Some language learners are successful by virtue of their sheer determination, hard work and diligence. However, there are other crucial factors influencing success that are largely beyond the control of learners. ' 'Second language is any language other than the learner 's native language or mother tongue ' '(Mitchell pg 5). To be successful in second language acquisition, there are various factors which act as barrier in the process of learning English as a second language.

At the heart of my teaching is the fundamental belief that every individual possesses a unique quality, and when encouraged, can contribute and enhance the learning environment of any classroom. As a teacher, it is my reasonability to foster learning while helping to empower my students to reach their fullest potential in developing their English ability. In each opportunity to interact with students both inside and outside of the classroom, I aim to motivate and involve each student to become a life-long learner of English. In addition to strengthening students’ academic development, I also aim for students to develop a greater enthusiasm for global communication and a deeper understanding of cultural awareness throughout the course of their study.

Based on those thoughts, my own interest in culture and its effects on teacher’s teaching, on students' understanding has been a growing one. I feel that I have always been intuitively aware of the many different cultural groups and environments that existed around me. I have also understood the need to use the language and the understanding of the group in order to live within it or along side it.

For all immigrants and refugees, language is an important tool in their new society for economic and social progress. To help non-English speaking immigrants in their road to success, English as a second language (ESL), became inseparable program for almost every colleges and universities in America. Increasing number of immigrants and refugees, from non-English speaking nations, requires more and more studies to identify challenges that these students encounter in their ESL education. Native language and culture of these newcomers were fixed subjects for studies and researches for many years. According to Niranji, Pathirage, Morrow, Walpitage and Skolits (2014) “international students often face several challenges due to cultural differences as well as psychological issues during the transitions”. Learning a new language is not a simple process; it is a complex procedure of development and transition which includes learning/adopting another culture and connecting with new society.

Culture. An elusive term that has found itself at the heart of many heated debates about the curricula used in our educational systems. Forasmuch as society now depends on diverse cultural education to teach children how to be multi-culturally conversant, it is not quite hitting the mark with regards to how children are taught and learn about the various ethnic groups. A rather substantial part of this problem is that the polysemus term “culture” seemingly indefinable to one interpretation, gives the overwhelming impression that teaching through its context is indefinitely impossible. Notwithstanding, society has yet to reach an even remotely consensual definition of the term culture, especially in relation to its purpose as an educational

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).

As one of the most important part in English language, grammar gets attention from many teachers around the world. Many researchers have even debated about almost every single thing of it. Meanwhile, for the learners, learning grammar often means they have to learn the rules and patterns of grammar and also have an intellectual knowledge of grammar. Many teachers believe that learning grammar intensively can help the learners build their knowledge, so that they will be able to use the language eventually. Unfortunately, in terms of learners’ success with languages, grammar has been seen to be a quite huge problem. The English grammar acquisition does not come naturally. The learners have to go to school to learn it, dig it deeper, and know every part of it in order to be able to use it well. Many learners have difficulty doing so, few retain the knowledge for long, and hardly anyone finds it very exciting. (Tabbert, 1984: p. 39). Thus, it can be said that by identifying such