English Language Learner Challenges
Culture: Is this the U.S.?
By: Manuel R. CortezRodas
Culture is a challenge that English Language Learners face when embarking on their educational path in the United States of America. Culture in the United States is unique, complex, and diverse. It goes beyond ethnic identity, multiculturalism ,and socioeconomic status. ELL's in the U. S. who are developing their communication skills are, at the same time, going through a cultural development. This development can be looked at in the following 5 categories:
- GEOGRAPHY: The main borders in the United States are two oceans, and two countries. Geographically the U.S. could be defined as between: Atlantic Ocean, Mexico, Pacific Ocean, Canada, at least for the 48 States that are land-connected. There are sierra mountains, great plains, bayous, swamps, coral reefs, rivers, lakes, coast lines, and valleys. Geographical culture in the U.S. is one step that ELL's must develop in their educational path.
- DIVERSITY: The population of the U.S. is diverse; from City, County, State, and country of birth, to beliefs, faiths, languages, and generations. No two towns are alike. They may be similar, but they will have some minor difference that makes each one unique. ELL students may come from a place that in the U.S. is considered as mono-cultural, but even mono-cultural societies develop diversity in their own terms and definitions.
- SOCIETY: The United States is more than radio, movies, t.v., and internet social networking. Society in the U.S. is in constant change just as time is too. The cultural experiences that English Language Learners experience will be varied based on the time, and place, where they experience them. The development of their cultural enrichment in the U.S. is a tool that ELL's should develop in their educational path.
- EDUCATION: Whether public, private, traditional, or charter, education in the United States is varied. Each education style offered in the U.S. is indeed a culture of education. How the student behaves and interacts with teachers and students may differ from the educational style the student is familiar with. The student has to learn the role they have in education in addition to the responsibilities and expectations that the school will demand for their students to succeed.
- PRECONCEPTIONS: The student should reevaluate any preconceptions about life in the U.S. Students can become aware of some aspects of U.S. culture through a variety of mediums including: press, media, imagery, politics, athletics, social networking, and many others. Even if mediums communicate with accuracy, what is perceived as a concept of U.S. culture, these concepts may not be representative of actual culture in the U.S.
An English Language Learner faces the challenges of living, learning, and adapting to culture in the United States. They are also deciding if they will retain their own culture, adapt the new culture into their own, accept the new culture, or develop a concept all their own. Addressing preconceptions students may have about life in the U.S., while learning how culture in the U.S. is defined and constantly changing, can be a helpful tool for an ELL student to develop.
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