English Language Learners by Dr. Lorraine Valdez Pierce, Essay Example

Language teaching and learning are two separate branches of development in education that is currently given specific attention to especially by experts who desire to improve the ways by which the young students coming from different nations, backgrounds and lifestyles are given  a better chance in life through improving their language literacy. However, because of the increase of population of immigrants in major locations in the United States, the need to improve the procedures of teaching students about English language literacy has become even more necessary at present than it has ever been in the past.

Dr. Valdez Pierce points out that there are three specific areas that need to be given attention to when new students are being assessed in relation to their capacity to use the English language. These three points include language, culture and previous educational background. The area in language involves the concept by which the students are assessed only on the way they use English; however, Dr. Valdez Pierce mentions how this approach is impractical especially when it comes to measuring their actual level of literacy in utilizing language. It is then expected that somehow, there are instances when the need to reconnect the utilization of English language with the students’ utilization of their native language. This approach makes it easier for the teachers to establish connection on what the students are actually literate about and translate it into how they are going to develop literacy in the English language.

The aspect of culture on the other hand includes classroom behavior and parental involvement in the education of the students. Relatively, the students have already developed a particular concept of what education is and how its systems entail to help them develop literacy. Carrying this particular understanding towards the current system of education that the students are being introduced with especially in relation to language development should be able to help establish a good foundation on how the English language is to be instituted as a basic subject to establish good essence of literacy among the non-English speaking learners.

The aspect of previous educational background includes how much parents are involved in the studies of their children. Most likely, such willingness to assist the learners with the students affects the overall behavior of the learners towards school and the system of teaching they are presented with. It is expected that with the teachers’ involvement in the process that the students become more inspired to respond to the teaching process they are being presented with.

Overall, the discussion gives much more value to the application of the Native Language Assessments for Accountability as somewhat more effective in determining the actual level of literacy that the students are capable of being worked with. Through imploring the concept of de-segregation and how well it is able to provide a distinct impact on how the students view themselves as to how they learn their subjects, the central attention on the language-leaner is being given specific concern. This aspect of assessment includes non-written exams which are more traditional. Along with this is the ideal process by which the students are being given the chance to be taught according to procedures that specifically speak to their level of competence. One of which includes kinesthetic activities which makes it easier for students to respond to classroom lectures and language activities. It has been observed that being involved in the process of learning allows students to retain a larger value of the lessons in their memory. In the aspect of teaching language, such process includes a distinct concern for what the students are able to respond to especially when it comes to activities that makes it easier for them relate to the lessons presented to them in class and apply such lessons in their actual living system.

References

ColorinColorado. Assessment of English Language Learners. http://www.colorincolorado.org/webcasts/assessment/. (Retrieved on June 25, 2014)