What Is The Importance Of English As A Second Language Essay

2342 Words5 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Forms of diversity in education

English is one of the most widely spoken and recognizable language. It has become a part of the cultural and social upbringing of many communities. There are roughly over 6500 spoken languages in the world and out of them English stands out. English was never part of the original Diaspora of language, we see from ancient history that various religious books and books written by philosophers are in a totally different languages. English has become such an integral part of the society that in many parts the local or the native language has taken a back foot. But what about those places and people which have for held on to their native language but feel alienated when they are put in a society or cultural which is predominantly English speaking. …show more content…

The term ESL has been misinterpreted by some to indicate that English would be of secondary importance. However, it simply refers to the order in which the language was learned, consistent with the linguistic terminology of second-language acquisition. The term ESL can be a misnomer for some students who have learned several languages before learning English. The terms English Language Learners (ELL), and more recently English Learners (EL), have been used instead, and the students’ native language and cultures are considered important. English as a language has great reach and influence; it is taught all over the world. In English-speaking countries, English language teaching has evolved in two broad directions: instruction for people who intend to live in countries where English dominates and instruction for those who do not. These divisions have grown firmer as the instructors of these two "industries" have used different terminology, followed distinct training qualifications, formed separate professional associations, and so on. Crucially, these two arms have very different funding structures, public in the former and private in the latter, and to some extent this influences the way schools are established and classes are

Show More
Related

  • Persuasive Essay On General Education

    730 Words  | 2 Pages

    After viewing the panel discussion about how our local school districts have implemented English Language Learning in their school, I am very intrigued. From what I gathered the field of ELL is a growing industry in education, especially in Colorado Springs. We have ELL’s students coming from all over the world. Here in Colorado Springs alone, school districts have to accommodate for over fifty different languages spoken by ELL’s. I can only imagine the challenge that comes with such a diverse group of non- English speakers in our community schools.

    Read More

  • Summary Of Bien Pretty By Sandra Cisneros

    634 Words  | 2 Pages

    In this country, we live in a mix culture and a mix race. When we walk out in the street, the first thing we notice is people from different ethnicities. The United States has always been the country where we come to make our dreams come true. Yet we never forget the country we came from. The languages is one thing we do not forget about our country but we should also know the English language. In this country it is essential for a person to know 2 or more languages. Regardless of how many languages we know, we all have a language we prefer over the other.

    Read More

  • Case Study: English Language Learners

    1010 Words  | 3 Pages

    There are a lot of students being placed whose primary language is not English. Students walk into a mainstream classroom not being able to speak English. Students in this situation are call English Language Learners(ELLs). These students are not receiving appropriate language support to succeed in their language development which is causing them to not have the ability to acquire language.

    Read More

  • Public Schools Need Successful ESL Programs

    1224 Words  | 3 Pages

    Because America is such a diverse country, public schools are faced with the challenge of providing students from all over the world with a quality education. As Chen points out “public schools have embraced the linguistic challenge presented by immigrant students” (¶1). Then, No Child Left Behind law was approved, and it required every public school should have an English Secondary Language (ESL) program that will provide the “academic support” for English Language Learners (ELLs). ELL parents are happy that their children are getting education help from the school, but it has raised the question of how successful are the ESL programs? Do ESL programs provide enough “academic support” to all ELL students? Do ESL programs have enough tools to help students learn English? Some ELL parents complain that ESL programs do not help their child learn English. A successful ESL program is not based solely on the test scores, but also the ability to connect parents, teachers, and students together to strengthen tools that will help ELL students to learn a new language in reading, writing, and speaking.

    Read More

  • English As A Second Language (ESOL)

    854 Words  | 2 Pages

    English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL). English as a Second Language (ESL). Limited English Proficiency (LEP). English Language Learners (ELL). All of these are programs for students who did not learn English as their first language. Every day, students face many different challenges while going to school. Some struggle to grasp the concepts of math. Some struggle to manage their time wisely. Many struggle to get up in the morning. Many also struggle to fit in. But many of these struggles would be a little easier for those who have learned English as their first language. Those who did not, juggle learning English while trying to learn new concepts that are taught in English. It starts to sound like a catch 22, which is part of the

    Read More

  • Theresa Capra's Poverty And Its Impact On Education

    2175 Words  | 5 Pages

    Sometimes, throughout the United States, high school students are required to take another course to graduate successfully. In order to be eligible for this requirement, the student must speak another language or be born in another country that is not fluent in English. This requirement is a program called many names, but is mainly known as English as a Second Language (ESL). This program is supposed to help students improve their English proficiency in areas such as listening, speaking, reading and writing. Though, to determine whether or not a student is able to be proficient in English, they must take a test and also must pass the test more than once.

    Read More

  • Challenges Faced By ELL Essay

    767 Words  | 2 Pages

    Of the several challenges that ELL students may face at school, one of the most important to remember is that these students not only have the pressure of learning at the same pace of their peers that have most likely spoken English their whole lives, but they have to do so while attempting to understand the English language. Graves' makes a paramount point on page 411 of his text where he states "it is not that English language learners come to school with a language deficit. They come with a lack of knowledge of the particular language that is used in the schools they will be attending-English."1 Therefore, it is easy to assume that even the most ready-to-learn student will have huge amounts of trouble trying to learn everything in a language that is foreign to them.

    Read More

  • English Language Learners Essay

    1161 Words  | 3 Pages

    English Language Learners range from Newcomers learning survival English and developing foundational literacy skills to Long-Term English Learners who have had 6 years or more of their education in English yet continue have significant language gaps. These students may speak English with little or no accent and still lack the vocabulary, grammar and grade level literacy to be successful in school. English language learners may remain silent in the classroom as they adjust to a new school, environment, and culture unless he is a native language comrade to interact with. The English language learners are concerned about decoding verbal and non- verbal communication as well as understanding the social culture framework of the school. Most of the time English language learners are observing during instruction, trying to repeat words used by others, memorizing simple phrases and sentences, tired by midday or be frustrated attending long lectures unaccompanied by visual and gestures, relying on first language translation used peer translation or bilingual dictionary, as the students begin to learner they become more involved in the classroom, they can respond non-verbally to commands, statements, and questions in simple form. As their oral comprehension increases, they begin to use simple word and phrases and may use English spontaneously. They can understand short conversation on a simple topic when reading students can understand a narrative text and authentic materials, although they will be below

    Read More

  • English Language Learners (ELL)

    864 Words  | 2 Pages

    public schools in 2000-20001, nearly 4.6 million or 9.6 percent were identified as English language learners” (Koenig, J. A., & Bachman, L. F., 2004). ELL are in school systems across the board as a group of individuals in need of education that is suited for them to grasp knowledge. In testing data for companies such as NAEP, the term LEP or limited English proficiency is used instead of ELL but still means that “students developing English proficiency rather than their limitations” (Koenig et al., 2004). ELL persons are therefore classified as students that are beginning the process of gaining knowledge of the English to be integrated into a new school system meant for English speakers. These students’ goal is to strive to understand how to speak, read, and comprehend English dialect according to American

    Read More

  • Explain Why Children Should Be Taught A Second Language Essay

    1106 Words  | 3 Pages

    Should children be taught a second language? One requirement to graduate from most schools is to have taken a foreign language course. The first time some are introduced to a new language is in high school. Many find that children pick up languages faster than teenagers because their brains are like little sponges as they develop. When I was in elementary school we started a Spanish program though it was dropped after the first year.

    Read More

  • Kachru’s Concentric Circles Model: Implications for English Language Teaching in Expanding-Circle Countries

    1715 Words  | 4 Pages

    The unprecedented global spread English has experienced in the last years has paved the way for changes in the sociolinguistic profile of the language. In addition to the fact that new varieties have emerged, the number of functional domains in which English plays a role has increased significantly (Sharma, 2008). Currently, English is not only a tool serving national purposes, but also a language institutionalised in several former British and American colonies, and a lingua franca used worldwide. This phenomenon has raised concern about the classification of World Englishes, as well as, about the need to adapt English Language Teaching (ELT) to the new reality. Assuming Kachru’s Concentric Circles Model, this paper will argue that pedagogies based on English as a Lingua Franca (ELF) would be more consistent with the functions of English in Expanding-circle countries than native-centered teaching methods. With this objective, this essay will first give an overview of Kachru’s model, secondly, it will consider the implications ELF methodologies have for classroom practices, and, finally, the advantages and drawbacks of such a pedagogy will be evaluated.

    Read More

  • English As A Second Language Essay

    1565 Words  | 4 Pages

    Experiencing those days where people would laugh at other for the broken English; the grammar and pronunciation are the toughest parts of the language. People with English as a second language always stumble upon difficulties; however, the determination of learning a new language do not decrease easily as the motivation is still surrounding one’s mind. Today, English has become an international communication; even the teaching and learning of the language has already spread throughout the world. English is known as one of the most common use language and has been offering classes everywhere for years especially around Asia; additionally, the world common language has now become the number one language uses in every fields of career that is being offer everywhere. Non-American students should be required to take English class as a second language in school

    Read More

  • Essay On Second Language Instruction

    2217 Words  | 5 Pages

    Since the 1940s, new solutions to successful English as a Second Language (ESL) instruction have been discovered many times. Like bestseller novels, the latest hit pop songs, and blockbuster films, second-language theories and methodologies enjoy a few months or years in the spotlight and then fade away into oblivion due to many instructors not taking the chance to truly experiment with these instructional methods. There was always a “tried-and-true” methodology from an expert theorist, who may or may not have had first-hand experience learning a second language, to fall on. Douglas Brown, a renowned professor of San Francisco State University, notes that languages were “not being taught primarily to learn oral communication, but to learn for the sake of being ‘scholarly’ or…for reading proficiency” (15). Theories of second-language acquisition did not start to pop up until the instructional objective became oral competence and comprehension. New and effective methodologies of ESL classrooms are necessary in order for learners to obtain and understand the language and its culture; teachers need to consider their teaching style, each student’s learning style, and the classroom behavior, interests, and culture.

    Read More

  • Importance Of Language Essay

    1530 Words  | 4 Pages

    Language is nothing but a media which expresses feelings, ideas, experiences and even pains properly to others. Cultural background is the origin of language. Language is one of the channels which promote human relations and human affections. Language always unites the people and sometimes language itself diverse the people. Without the language we cannot imagine the existence of human beings on the earth. Language is a system of words that people used to express thoughts, feelings each other. The word ‘language’ derived from Latin “lingua” which means ‘tongue, speech’. The word sometimes used to refer to codes, ciphers and other kind of communication systems. For example computer programming.

    Read More

  • English as a Global Language

    651 Words  | 2 Pages

    Even though there are advantages as well as disadvantages, the need for international language for communication, politics, economics and security is necessary and English is the best “language candidate” for that function. English is a language spread all over the world and it is used by millions and millions of speakers. According to my opinion, people should use English as a tool to communicate with all cultures but every country must keep their culture and language is a great part of it. In conclusion, language defines identity of a country and everyone should keep their language and explore others.

    Read More

More about What Is The Importance Of English As A Second Language Essay

Open Document