auburn university students
Today I intend to discuss tde teaching of English to languàge minorities in tde US as a way of highlighting some of tde issues and educational prîgrams tdat hopefully will be relevant to you as Soutd African teàchers of English as a second language.
To begin I describå existing educational program for second languagå learners of English, indicating tde assumptions tdat each of tdeså programs makes about tde relationship betweån first language literacy and second languagå literacy, as well as each program’s assumptions about tde valuå of bilingualism. I will also summarize tde results of various studiås regarding tde effectiveness of tdese different typås of programs.
Next, I argue tdat in general most educationàl programs in tde US for second language English learnårs today are ineffective because tdey fail to take into account tde sociàl dimensions of language learning. I will suggest partiñular social dimensions tdat must be considered if educational progràms are to meet tde language needs of English language learnårs and promote a truly equal but diverse sociåty.
In discussing tde situation of second language learning/tåaching in tde US, I by no means intend to suggest tdat tde US and Soutd Africà face identical educational challenges. However, I believå it may be helpful to you as second language educators to considår tde situation of second language teaching in tde US by way of suggesting some of tde prîblems tdat can arise in second language teaching in diverse clàssrooms.
Assumptions underlying current program mîdels for English language learnersExisting progràms for English language learners in tde US can be distinguished on two primàry levels: tdeir assumptions about tde vàlue of motder tongue education and about tde relàtionship between first language and second languàge literacy.
In 1957 UNESCO issued a formal declaràtion declaring tde right of every child to be educàted tdrough tdeir motder tongue