Culture & Language Issues

in the Classroom:Preparing

Teachers for Diversity

Anthony SchulloGlenbard North High School

Adrian PerezBartlett High School

*http://cunysps.wordpress.com/2011/02/15/culture-and-the-beauty-of-diversity/

What percentage of Non-White students ages 5-17 are in school?

1 2 3 4

0% 0%0%0%

1. A. 74%2. B. 26%3. C. 42% 4. D. 15%

0

30

“I Am America”

History of Culture in the U.S. Immigration Act of 1965: ended all quotas. Immigrants today:

- Central Asia (40%)- Asia (25%)- Caribbean (10%)

http://salempress.com/store/samples/us_immigration_history/us_immigration_history_history.htm

Benefits of Cultural Diversity

Influenced by respective cultures.- Trends with Asian American students.

Values complement learning.

Examples?

http://poplicks.com/2006/11/greatest-asian-american-hero.html

Difficulties of Cultural Diversity Fear of new language;

dropping old language. Creation of distance from

parents. Minorities fear that being a

good student means becoming “White”.

Examples?

http://www.cartoonstock.com/directory/c/cultural_diversity.asp

Responding to Cultural Diversity

History of assimilation (conforming to the social norms).

Multi-cultural education = the variety of strategies used to teach students of different cultures.

The Goals:1. Recognizing2. Valuing3. Utilizing4. Linking

*Teachers respond using methods of culturally responsive teaching*

http://www.jaha.org/edu/discovery_center/push-pull/peopling_pa01.html

Accepting Cultural Diversity

Students must know that you care by:- Devoting time to students- Demonstrating interest in student’s life- Involving all students in learning activities

http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi2513.htm

Accommodating Interaction Patterns

Accommodation without assimilation. The challenge?

- Teachers must help students learn the “culture of schooling” including: norms, procedures, and expectation for success.- This MUST be done while honoring and valuing their home culture.

http://www.schoolbriefing.com/789/school-improvement-turning-around-low-performing-schools/

Building on Students’ Backgrounds

How would you build on the diverse background of

your students?

Diversity in Numbers: Urban Schools

Non-White groups referred to as the “cultural minority”.

Urban centers referred to as “Gateway Cities”.

The challenge: teaching students to learn English as well as content.

By The Numbers

Hispanics, African Americans, and Asians- combined- make up the majority of population in

half of the top 100 largest cities in the United States

(Macionis, 2009).

Minority students make up more than 90% of the

student population in Detriot, the District of

Columbia, Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles

(Kober, 2006).http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/05/three_cleveland_schools_lauded.html

How many different languages are spoken in the United States?

0

30

1 2 3 4

0% 0%0%0%

1. A. 50 Languages2. B. 120 Languages3. C. 605 Languages4. D. 440 Languages

Language Diversity ELLs (English Language

Learners) – students whose first language is something other than English and need assistant in reading, writing, and speaking in English.

Approaches to ELL students include:- Bilingual maintenance language programs- Immersion programs- Transition programs- ESL (English as a Second Language)http://www.meridianschools.org/Parents/ELL/Pages/ELL.aspx

Government Responses to Language Diversity

1968: Bilingual Education Act 1974: Lau v. Nichols English Acquisition portion of NCLB. Presently moving away from the

preservation of native languages.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:No_Child_Left_Behind_Act.jpg

Bilingual Maintenance Using their first

language while teaching English.

Students received a great amount of instruction in their native language.

Gradually assimilates them to English classes.

http://www.kidactivities.net/category/DiversityMulti-Cultural-Book-List.aspx

ESL & Immersion

Emphasizes rapid transition to English.

ESL is the most popular in schools that includes:- Content-based ESL

OR- Pull-out ESL

http://www.teachersofcolor.com/2009/04/incorporating-cultural-diversity-in-the-classroom/

Transition Programs Maintain their

native languages until students acquire skills to succeed in an all-English setting.

The goal: proficiency!

http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_7716425_address-diversity-classroom.html