Learning English as a Second Language - Term Paper Example

Learning English as a second language Introduction English is a language that is nowadays used in many countries all over the world. Learning it is therefore very helpful because it makes communication between people simple. Most people learn English from a young age either in schools or when growing up with their peers or families. However those planning to learn it at a later stage should not be discouraged because it is possible to learn it in many ways such as private tutoring, online learning or even interacting with people who know English very well. There are many views from people about English as a second language. Most see it as a difficult idea to learn it at later stages but it is not, just as discussed in the introduction. It has been observed that learning English is a step in the right direction. The advantages will be shown subsequently. Analysis of the Matter; There are many reasons as to why one should learn English as a second language. I will explain it in two dimensions which are to a larger extent and a smaller extent. It is true to say that few people do not want to learn English as a second language; they have a right not to do so. People started learning and adopting English mainly to gain the academic excellence, to search for better employment opportunities and to understand the cultural changed they endured in order to cultivate better relations with the natives. It became imperative for all the immigrants and other foreign settlers in America and as well as, in other English-Speaking countries to acquire English as a second language in order to bridge the social gap. It was estimated that during 1990, there were approximately 25.5 million people in America ranging from age 18 and older who used to speak second language at home which was not English. The rate was grown from 17.9 million a decade earlier (Chisman). Such non-english speaking residents were found out to be immigrants in America who were trying to learn the new language but they were more comfortable in speaking their native language at home. On the other hand, many of those immigrants were either born in America or they were living in the country from many years. However, it was found out that many of the adults found it difficult to cope with the change in language and it was difficult for them to adopt the linguistic change. With the passage of time, these adults were motivated to learn and adopt the new language for their own ease. It became imperative for them to learn English in order to get new jobs and to explore unlimited educational opportunities in United States of America (Chisman). It was observed that with the passage of time the number of non-English speaking residents was growing tremendously every year and with that, the demand for English to be taught as the second language has suddenly increased. This rapid increase in the number of immigrants provoked the idea that English should be taught as the second language in schools to all those people who face difficulty in understanding the language in their everyday lives. The demand for English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes rapidly increased all over the country (US Department of Education). Steps to Learn English as a Language for Students: Learning a different language is always a new experience for many people. However, due to the international significance and status of English as a widely spoken language; it has become highly important for the people especially students to equip themselves with the knowledge of English. To gain academic excellence in American schools and universities, it is important for international students to develop the understanding for this language. Learning English requires patience and practice. Sometimes, international students think that it is impossible for them to gain excellent command over this language as it appears to them as an alien language. This concept is mostly prevalent in those students who learn English as a foreign language. Grammatical errors and wrong sentence structures are evident in their spoken or written language. It is imperative for teachers to make the language learning process easier for the students. Teachers can indulge the students in different class discussions, increased social interaction, by giving them written assignments, asking them to follow daily reading schedule and by motivating them to learn English in a playful manner. On the other hand, students can develop their command over the language by understanding the fundamental rules on how to use the correct grammar, by learning easy vocabulary and by practicing new words and formulating new sentences with group members and with the students who are nationals (Bliss). Social Challenges Faced during Learning: International students are often faced with numerous social challenges during their learning English as a second language in their academic sphere. These students are sometimes placed in lower ability groups due to their standardized score in either English or Mathematics. The placement of students in lower ability groups de-motivates them in expressing their skills and as a result, they fail to prove their ability and enthusiasm as compare to native students. Such students never move from lower ability group to higher ability group and they always remain a step behind than the native students in classes (Genesee et al.). Higher dropout rates have also been observed in foreign students as compare to the dropout rates of native students. It was observed that the dropout rates for Hispanic students in America for the students falling between the age group of 16-24 was 43.4 percent as compare to the native American students. Similarly, the dropout rate in Canada for ESL students was found to be 74 percent (Crandell). There are different reasons for high dropout rates: The growing number of ESL students in classes. Difficulty in understanding the curriculum. The fear of poor results Peer-pressure Mostly, ESL students lose interest in acquiring higher education due to several barriers. Financial barrier is one of the biggest barriers faced by the ESL students. This is due to their poor language skills which hinder their way in acquiring a sound employment opportunity. The second barrier in learning the language is the interaction of ESL students with the native speakers. It has been observed that ESL students avoid close interaction and communication with native speakers which is mainly due to their embarrassment and awkwardness in speaking English in front of them. It has been also noted that international students do not possess enough knowledge on other topics and interest that normally native students possess. As a result, due to their limited knowledge and frustration, their conversation is limited to academic issues only. Such students show least involvement and participation in class discussions due to their poor knowledge, little command over language and cultural variations. ESL students are often observed sitting silent in classrooms with minimum interaction and interest with the surroundings. Similarly, the same gap has been observed between teacher-student relationships as well. ESL students have been seen talking little in class with their teachers, face difficulty in understanding their teachers as they speak fast or they do not use any visual aids for making things easy to understand for students or if they use native “slangs”. All of these reasons result in making them feel inferior, embarrassed, frustrated and de-motivated. Therefore, lack of interest in participating in extracurricular activities and little emphasis on developing close relations with native students and teachers are evidently clear in the learning attitude of ESL students (US Department of Education). Social Benefits: It has been observed that learning a different language always open the doors of understanding a different culture. It plays an important role in developing and enhancing social relations with the native students and people. It helps the international students or the immigrants to adjust themselves according to the norms of new society. Secondly, it helps the students to learn in an environment where they feel confident and learn different linguistic skills. The learning of new language enable them to understand different other cultures and people from different backgrounds. It enables them to cultivate new relationships, enhance confident and allows them to develop racial tolerance while meeting people from different backgrounds. Scope of Learning English: To begin with the larger extent, it is worth noting that we are now living in a ‘global village’, there are more interactions going on each second and to a higher percentage the language used is English (Prahl). Working knowledge of English is important in many fields such as medicine, computing and engineering. Without gaining an excellent command over the language, it is difficult for the employees and for the non-English speaking people to obtain sound financial independence. Getting a job in an English speaking community is easy when one has English a second language. In so doing, employment opportunities come around very easily. Trading and business is thriving nowadays. One cane import items from china to Africa or from the United States to Russia. With the use of English as a medium, trading and business become simple. International Tourism is often practiced by many people today. English as a language comes in handy because it helps in maintaining communication with tour guides and agencies that provide these services (Abbott). In the area of technological innovations, English is often used to a larger extent. This involves the use of programmers in computing, user manuals in electronics and other gadgets, and also the social networks such as twitter , facebook and yahoo, just to mention but a few. Foreign students and non- English speaking people can improve their language skills by developing interactions with the English speaking people over the internet. This would help them to learn different words, phrases and accents that can help them in future. Lastly, many contracts being entered into are written in English and therefore knowledge of English will aid in understanding the contents of the contract. Conclusion: English is an international as well as an influential language which is widely spoken all around the world. It is accepted as a most common acquired language. However, English is thought to be a difficult language to master especially at later stages of life. This, to a smaller extend may sway people so as not to learn it. There are other languages that are coming up and becoming famous. An example is the Chinese language because most products are mainly labeled in Chinese. French, Spanish, Swahili are also some of the languages being used nowadays. Because we are living in a global village, one may learn any of these languages as a second option. If not, anyone may be lucky to get a translator if necessary (Yasmin). Almost all the literature and sciences are translated into English for the general understanding of people all around the world. In conclusion, it is evident that the use of English is very common in this world hence learning it as a second language becomes very advantageous because from the above explanations, it opens doors to greater opportunities. Interaction with new people in the society is also improved. This helps in creating co-existence in our daily lives. Hence, it can be concluded that English is the simplest and the easiest language in its learning and understanding which is widely spoken and understood by majority of people all around the world regardless of accents, pronunciations, use of vocabulary and terms used. Works Cited: Abbott, M. Identifying reliable generalizations for spelling words: The importance of multilevel analysis. The Elementary School Journal 101(2), 233-245, 2000 Bliss, W.B., “Meeting the demand for ESL instruction: A response to demographics,” in Leadership for Literacy, ed. F.P. Chisman and Associates (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1990): 171–197. Crandall, J. Improving the Quality of Adult ESL Programs: Building the Nation’s Capacity to Meet the Educational and Occupational Needs of Adults with Limited English Proficiencies. Background Paper Prepared for Project on English as a Second Language Service for Adults. Washington, DC: Southport Institute for Policy Analysis, 1993. Genesee, F, Paradis, J and Crago, M. Dual Language Development and Disorders, Paul Brookes Publishing, Baltimore, USA. 2004 Prahl, S. English as a Second Language and Naturalistic Learning, 2007 Esack, Y. English as a Second Language for Students and Adults: iuniverse, 2004 Chapman, D. Teaching English as a Second Language: Trafford publishing, 2011 Chisman, F.P. Jump Start: The Federal Role in Adult Literacy Education. Washington, DC: The Southport Institute, 1989. U.S. Department of Education.. Adult Education for Limited English Proficient Adults. Washington, DC: Office of Vocational and Adult Education, Adult Learning and Literacy Clearinghouse, 1995. U.S. Department of Education. Office of Educational Research and Improvement. National Center for Education Statistics. Statistics in Brief: Participation of Adults in English as a Second Language Classes: 1994–95. NCES 97- 319. Washington, DC. 1997 Read More