Literacy in Second Languauge

All schools must be prepared to encounter challenges surrounding students from diverse backgrounds; many of these students many not be proficient in English. At present, the effectiveness of various programs for language minority students is controversial. Depending on the community and the resources available, decisions about language programs should be made at the local level.

Urban communities where there is a high percentage of Hispanics and/or other foreigners are in need of bilingual education in its public schools. As a result of immigration, the number of Limited English Proficient (LEP) students in these schools has risen.

English Language Learners lack of knowledge of the English language is a major stumbling block, which affects their reading as well as their ability to grasp concepts. For this reason, is it important for educators to look at out of school literacies practices students are engaged in outside of school and find multiple approaches to develop their literacy in the English language. Literacy practices among culture communities vary. A few studies have been conducted that examined out-of-school literacies, many of which were not mediated by parents, that involved other forms to compensate for the limited English and construct meaning. (Haneda p.338-339).

Successful programs for language minority students are ones that enable students to develop academic skills while learning English. In addition to these goals, programs should also embrace the culture of the student. English Language Learners often are discriminated against and feel that their way of talking and or expressing themselves is wrong. When students feel valued, confident and are given the opportunity to use out-of-school literacies sine then engage already “to express their personal feelings and opinions, seek and exchange information, maintain and develop social relations, construct desirable identities for themselves, act as a language brokers for the family and improve their English” (Haneda p.440). Teachers should not solely engage in literacy practices that focus instruction on decoding and subskills but instead look at the whole. Not everyone learns at the same pace. Haneda, provides four literacy practices for all learners to become critical literate; “code breaker, text participant, text user, and text analyst and critic (p.341).

As educators we need not to underestimate our students learning ability based on preset notions on a particular culture and or because of their inability to communicate “correctly” in the English language. Because we are human and we are made different by our experiences, we lean not only through reading text but through active meaningful interactions. Learning takes time; therefore, teachers must give students enough time to learn about a subject. When teaching writing, teachers must demonstrate everyday writing, focus on their content as well as providing the use of technology. One must make sure the English Language Learners do not feel alienated in the class. Other procedures should be used to foster learning and writing with English Language Learners, like allowing them opportunities to write in their first language and providing visual aid.