Enhancing Literature for students of English as second Language - Research Paper Example

? Enhancing Literature for of English as second Language of English as a second language require special attention when it comes to being given instructions as they may be at the same level of comprehending English as students who use English as their first language. Research shows that education is a long prescription and a short on description and this statement holds true for literacy instructions given for English language learners or students who use English as a second language (ESL). ESL students will represent a wide range of cultures and language skills and are the easiest to take note of in schools as they are enter into classrooms without knowing how to have a conversation with other students in English. These students will remain silent in class as they are trying to adjust in the new environment and culture and this silent period presents a time of great discomfort for the students as they feel as if they do not belong. Teachers working with these students will require theories and conceptual models and frameworks that are aimed at ensuring that the students easily adapt in the new environment and that their learning goes on smoothly without language barriers affecting their success in education (Jimenez and Gersten, 1994). Teachers will require to incorporate comprehensive input, cognitive academic language proficiency and the natural language approach in the effort of making ESL students learn without language barriers interfering with their success. Research reveals that there needs to be a considerable amount of guidance and innovative ideas that will enable ESL students to adapt in the new environment and learn English, and this will make the classroom conducive for learning (Jimenez and Gersten, 1994). Teachers are required to enhance the approach they use to educate ESL students so as to make their classrooms conducive for the great numbers of ESL students. There is a general increase in the number of ESL students in the United States classrooms, and this means that there are cases when teachers without training on how to teach them attend to these students. Teachers can be asked to teach students of Non-English backgrounds , and this presents a milestone as the students may not be able to read and write well in their native language or in English hence the need for special attention and programs aimed at improving the literacy learning skills (Jimenez and Gersten, 1994). Thus, teachers are faced with the task of building literacy, develop writing expression ability and enhance the growth of the English language for the student at the same time. This is extremely challenging for teachers, and even the most experienced ones may have problems in simultaneously building these capabilities. Factors Affecting Second Language Acquisition There are various factors that will affect students’ ability to acquire a second language despite the fact that students will have varying patterns, speed and acquiring styles. Some students will easily take off and become quickly conversant without much effort and for others this will present a huge challenge. Some students will continue to struggle with learning English despite being engaged in constant and lengthy periods of being exposed to the language being learnt (English). Learner characteristics or personal traits affect the ESL students in their effort to acquire literal efficiency. These are the characteristics that are specific to an individual and they will include attitude, motivation, personality, learning styles and attitudes. Research shows that self confident students and those that have sociable personalities will have the courage to attempt verbal communication with other students and these interactions will make them to adapt easily to the new environment (Reid, 2002). Learner characteristics will affect how the student responds to instructions, which will influence the student’s ability to learn. Situational or environmental factors are concerned with issues that are external to the student and will cover the teaching style, class and school setting, and the quality and extent of being exposed to English (Cumming, 2006). ESL students will be exposed to other English speaking students , and research shows that constant exposure to people of the target language greatly assist in acquiring the language the constant interaction will make the students learn from the English speaking counterparts and this fastens their learning. Lastly, prior language development to a great level determines how well, and fast a student will acquire English as a second language (Reid, 2002). Research shows that a substantive linguistic and cognitive development in the native language has a great role to play in acquiring a second language. Thus, the time students have been exposed to their native language will determine their ability to acquire a second language. Challenges in Acquiring English as a Second Language Not all ESL students will go into the classroom ready and confident enough to accept the challenges posed by the new environment and learn to speak English. Not all students will have the competencies or already established speaking one language and are focused on acquiring a second language. Research shows that many international students will come from diverse backgrounds and their parents may be of different nationalities meaning that this offers a greater danger as they may have been used to different mother tongues (Brownlie, Feniak and McCarthy, 2004). In other cases, many young students may have moved between many countries and encountered people with different mother tongues and these challenges will pose a great challenge and presents potential challenges for language development (Reid, 2002). Therefore, complex linguistic histories present a milestone for the students as they are confused and are not sure which language to associate and interact with due to the many that they have encountered. Students who have not acquired competency in a primary language are faced with an uphill of developing a second one despite being exposed to the target language. These students will have difficulties in vocabulary and literacy development and will have problems being actively involved in class, and this prevents language development. Achieving a Delicate Balance In order to achieve the desired results where ESL students are able to easily acquire English as a second language, the art of balancing is required where the instructor is supposed to challenge the students without frustrating them and ensure that those who require more attention are given more of it but also ascertain that all students are attended to. Teachers will have the challenge of ascertaining whether a student has difficulties in learning English due to lack of comprehension or are not exposed enough to English (Jimenez and Gersten, 1994). Research has shown that ESL students feel frustrated when they are not able to grasp things they are taught in an all English setting classroom, and this has to be dealt with so as to ensure equal opportunities to learn for all students irrespective of the cultural background (Jimenez and Gersten, 1994). Many ESL students may not understand what their teacher or instructor is teaching , and this frustrates them because they could be having an idea but are unable to express it in the new language they are trying to learn (Reid, 2002). With restructuring and refinement teachers have the potential of ensuring that their teaching styles come in handy in enabling students acquire English as a second language, and this can be done through various instructional practices (Jimenez and Gersten, 1994). Vocabulary development is the first practice and will involve checking the students’ understanding of new vocabulary in stories learnt in class and giving the students the chance to use the learnt vocabulary in different scenarios. This will make the student conversant with how different vocabulary is used and this fosters development of the second language. Mediation and feedback is the second practice, and this is aimed at encouraging the students, which will motivate them to learn more. This can be done by giving the students questions that require a response in English. The effect of this will be seen when the students are able to express their ideas in English and the teacher should constantly encourage the students by giving feedback on their responses and constantly ensuring that they are stimulated to expand their response (Jimenez and Gersten, 1994). When the students are able to express themselves, they will feel comfortable as they see that their efforts are gaining fruits as they are be able to engage in a conversation. Thirdly, ensuring that students are able to express their ideas both verbally and in writing also comes in handy in ensuring that acquiring English is easy for the ESL students (Jimenez and Gersten, 1994). Students should be encouraged to consistent language, which is aimed at mastering the language. In order for the practices to be effective, they must be consistent and comprehensive and ensure that there is constant interaction between students and teachers as this gives the chance for clarifying issues that are difficult to grasp (Brownlie, Feniak and McCarthy, 2004. Social interaction will also play a crucial role in acquiring English, and this is because when the ESL students interact with their English speaking counterparts they are able to learn from them through constant conversation, which heightens their ability to learn. Students will face different learning challenges and teachers need to be innovative in their teaching practices when dealing with ESL students. There has been the notion that ESL students perform poorly , and teachers have failed to recognize the fact that it is their duty to ensure that all students benefit from their lessons irrespective of their linguistic or cultural history (Reid, 2002). Many ESL students have been denied the opportunity to compete fairly with English speaking children as they are left behind when strategies to ensure smooth learning practices are not put in place. Lesson pacing is important when dealing with ESL student and will involve ensuring that the teacher moves at a pace that will allow all students to participate in the class. Giving room for the slow students to grasp what has been taught plays an integral role in ensuring that they comprehend what is being taught. Giving room for questioning is also advised as it will allow the student top ask for clarification of things they found hard top comprehend. Giving room for discussions and forming groups composed of students from various backgrounds helps in ensuring that the students interact with each other and this will be instrumental to their learning. Conclusion Simply exposing ESL students to the target language (English) does not guarantee that a student will acquire proficiency in the language. Academic competency is a long process that will require practices that will ensure that grammatical proficiency is achieved. Interpersonal communication n and being able to engage in a conversation through expressing ones ideas is the root top learning a language as it give s the person the confidence and motivation to earn more so as to fit in the new environment they finds themselves in. Teachers should encourage active involvement of ESL students in classroom activities, and this will ensure that all students have an equal chance to participate in class activities, hence, gives them the confidence to express their ideas (Jimenez and Gersten, 1994). The low performing students should be given first priority as there is no need of only impacting knowledge on the top cream of the class and leaving other students behind. Research shows that giving challenging tasks and allowing for interaction and discussion goes a long way in ensuring that ESL students are at par with their English speaking counterparts as they are able to correct each other (Jimenez and Gersten, 1994). The teacher should provide support to the students by constantly encouraging them and helping them to organize and relate information. The teachers should provide adequate background knowledge when giving students tasks. The tasks should be challenging but ones that the students can complete sop that it does not result to frustration when they are unable to complete them. Collaborative learning should be encouraged , and this will help in ensuring that all students benefit from one another and are able to correct each other when they make mistakes. Cultural diversity should be respected and ESL students should not be told not to speak their native language, and this is because proficiency in their native language is instrumental in acquiring a second language as the students have already established themselves. All education personnel need to recognize and assume responsibility of ensuring that ESL students are given a fair opportunity to learn by ensuring consistency in the programs set to help these students gain literacy competency. Reference Brownlie, F., Feniak, C. and McCarthy, V. (2004). Instruction and Assessment of ESL Learners: Promoting Success in Your Classroom. Vancouver: Portage & Main Press. Clegg, J. (1996). Mainstreaming ESL: Case-Studies in Integrating ESL Students Into the Mainstream Curriculum Bristol: Multilingual Matters. Cumming, A. H. (2006). Goals for Academic Writing: ESL Students and Their Instructors Language Learning and Language Teaching. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Ferris,D. R. AND Hedgcock, J.M(2004). Teaching ESL Composition: Purpose, Process, and Practice. New Jersey: Routledge. Jimenez, R. T and Gersten, R. (1994). A Delicate Balance: Enhancing Literature Instruction for Students as a Second Language. The Reading Teacher Vol.47, No.6. Reid, S. D. (2002). Book Bridges for ESL Students: Using Young Adult and Children's Literature To Teach ESL: Volume 7 of Scarecrow Studies In Young Adult Literature. Michigan: Scarecrow Press. Read More