The Struggle to Learn English

Learning English: What we really know

Being from the background of language learning with having nearly completed a Bachelor’s Degree in both English Language Learning and Spanish Language Education, I feel that I have some solid knowledge from which to explain the best practices for language education as a whole. I do not mean to say that I am an expert in the subject, nor do I think that I cannot learn more in the field, but I do have a strong feeling that I have dedicated the last four and a half years of my life to becoming somewhat of a specialist in the discipline, and if I cannot effectively evaluate the methods being used around me then who will. I came to this position after a series of interviews with students at a local elementary school that are going through the process of learning English right now. Their names are  April Htoo, T’be Tha and Eh Taw Bo, and from the opinions they shared in the following interviews I believe that educators can take a lot.

The Best of the Best

ELL, or English Language Learning, is a subject that we can find all over the nation in different school districts and at different levels. Students that do not know English, the native tongue of the United States of America, are not exclusive to any one region or state in the country, but the practices of these states and districts in the nation are unique. For example, the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) has a rigorous set of standards to classify students within Nebraska as ‘English Proficient,’ including an annual examination given to all ELL students know as the ELDA, or English Language Demonstration Assessment (West, 2011). This test, in conjunction with the standards presented before the schools, are rigorous measures to ensure that students are provided with the best education and care that can possibly be given before the school district and Nebraska ‘set them free’ into the English speaking world. On the other hand, we can look at the policies as they refer to ELL in California. In June 1998, Proposition 227 was passed by the California electorate, or those people voting in California. This proposition mandates that English Learners be placed in structured English immersion, which is another way to describe the traditional ELL classroom, for a period not normally to exceed one year, and then be transferred to mainstream classrooms taught overwhelmingly in English (California State Legislature, 1998). Since this law passed in 1998 it mandates that students get one year of English Language Education, and then are placed in what we in the ELL discipline call mainstream classes, those normal subject classes you and I take daily with native English speakers, without any additional support. In my opinion this is obviously the wrong way to handle the learning of English, but I am not adamant about the ELL management of Nebraska and Lincoln Public Schools being categorized as the best either. Striking a balance between the two is the most important issue for our students and their futures. As T’be and April both explain in their interviews, learning English was made easier for the both of them because the teachers were there to help them with pronunciation, among a host of other skills, and because they were fully immersed in the language in their environment at school (Htoo, 2011; Tha, 2011). We as a population should develop an atmosphere where students are both given the necessary supports to learn the language from their educators, and are provided with the immersion they need to acquire the language by being around the native speakers of the language. We should not seclude them, but we should not leave them without help.

What lies ahead?

A wonderful question with no real answer. In working with my students at Park Middle School I have seen the capabilities of young minds and how they more often than not go far beyond of what we feel they are able. Students, no matter what age, have a capacity for learning that is far greater than what any test or pencil and paper examination can measure. Giving non-English speakers the tools and opportunities to learn English in school is one of the greatest things we can do as a society, but what is even greater is the chance to let students of non-American descent, in the traditional sense of the term, learn in both their native tongue and in English. If I were to describe a best practice, it would be dual-language immersion or bilingual education. Both are employed by teaching students in more than one language throughout a single school day. If we were able to take students from a Spanish speaking culture and put them in math classes that were instructed half the time in Spanish and the other half in English, or were able to place Karen students in classrooms where half of the subjects were taught in their native languages and the other half in English we would have a generation of Americans that are bilingual in a diverse group of languages. Not only would this help increase our students’ academic acumen and their abilities to function at higher levels in society, it would greatly improve our relationships and communication across cultures. I know that this may not be possible for all school districts in all languages, but we can dream, right?

How the students see it

No matter how we move forward in English Language Education the most important thing is keeping our focus on the success and the futures of the students. In the following video you will see portions of the interviews I conducted with the Karen students at Park Middle School, but looking past the interviews and the answers you can see what the students really symbolize: having a bright and successful future. You hear Eh Taw Bo say he wants to learn “everything” and April explains that “having English is like having freedom” (Bo, 2011; Htoo, 2011). These are very powerful messages and should be taken to heart not just by educators, but by all humans alike. Keep the kids in mind, help them be everything they can be and our futures will be just fine.

References

Bo, Eh Taw. Personal communication. 18 November 2011.

California State Legislature. Proposition 227 - full text of the proposed law (Proposition 227). (1998). Retrieved from State of California website: http://primary98.sos.ca.gov/VoterGuide/Propositions/227text.htm. Retrieved on 4 December 2011.

Htoo, April. Personal communication. 18 November 2011.

Martin, J. N., & Nakayama, T.K. (2009). Intercultural communication in contexts (5th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Tha, T’be. Personal communication. 18 November 2011.

West, Cindy. Personal communication. 10 March 2011.

Karen: A lady or a language?

What’s in a name?

Language. A simple and silly word that can encompass so many modes and methods of communication around the world. What is a language? A set of symbols? A series of characters set in a prescribed order? Sounds with meanings attached? Each of this definition can be correct, or incorrect. It all depends on where one originates and which culture they call “home.” As defined by Webster’s New College Dictionary (2005), Language is “all of the vocal sounds, words, and ways of combining them common to a particular nation, tribe, or other speech community” (P. 805). Knowing this to be true from the standpoint of a born and bred American, it should be obvious to anyone in the United States that English is the language of the nation and the community, yes? In reality, no. Although English is predominantly spoken here and it may be considered by the majority the most ‘important’ language, the fact of the matter is that we as a country speak many languages that originate from many nations, tribes and communities around the world. 

Looking critically at language from the point of an American is simple: we speak English and that is all. In fact, through multiple searches for definitions on Google, including bilingual American, bilingual America, American bilingualism and American multilingualism there were zero results returned (Google, 2011). Looking critically at language from someone that considers themselves from outside of the American culture, such as a Karen child that is present in the community, issues become somewhat more complicated: when does one speak English, when does one speak Karen and how would one know? Issues of language use and identity are present in cultures across the country, but none more present than in those cultures that share a native language that is different from that of the majority language. This is what the students of Park Middle School that are part of the Karen culture here in Lincoln must deal with every day. As a former cooperating teacher of mine, Vicki Sommerich (2011), has put it, “the constant struggle and the push and pull between a mother tongue and a dominant tongue tends to dominate their lives,” in reference to the Karen students. 

After looking into the Karen community of Lincoln, and particularly in the US, it is apparent that one of the most important concepts of intercultural communication present in their lives is that of the use and issue of language. More specifically, the concept of bilingualism/multilingualism and how it presents itself to the young individuals of the Karen culture, more often than not the first-generation US citizens, and the concept of code-switching between languages and among company. These issues can be difficult for adults that speak multiple languages to balance as them move in and out of their daily lives, but in the way that children must do the same it can be a daunting task. Ultimately it is imperative to see how these negotiations between languages and between cultures form and shape the identities of these young men and women in our community and in what ways we, as educated citizens, can work to better the lives of the Karen.

Kolik jazyků znáš, tolikrát jsi člověkem.

You live a new life for every new language you speak.

If you know only one language, you live only once.

- Czech proverb (Ager, 2011)

The Karen and The Language

As Martin and Nakayama (2009) point out, people that are bilingual are those that speak two languages and those that speak more than two languages are considered multi-lingual. As per some information provided to me by Cindy West (2011), an English Language Learning (ELL) Instructional Coach for the state department of education, in the state of Nebraska students that do not speak English as their first language are no longer placed in an ‘English as a Second Language’ program, but rather an ‘English Language Learning’ program. Assuming that these students are learning English as their second language is more often than not incorrect as typically they are multi-lingual upon their arrival to the United States of America. Within the Karen students this can be easily cited. Since the Karen students are from a culture of Karen individuals and not from a nation-state of Karen, they speak languages in addition to Karen. These include Thai, Mong and often multiple dialects of Karen (Bo, 2011). Multilingualism is a very apparent piece to survival as a refugee in multiple countries, and it is not lost on the Karen either.

Additionally, code switching is a fantastic sight to behold among these young men and women. As we know from Martin and Nakayama (2009), code switching “refers to the phenomenon of changing languages, dialects, or even accents. People code switch for several reasons: (1) to accommodate the other speakers, (2) to avoid accommodating others, or (3) to express another aspect of their cultural identity” (P. 249). As I have been able to witness in the classroom with the ELL students in the past, code switching is a natural action for them into and out of their home/native languages. These students do switch for many reasons, including those presented above. Karen students will use their home language either to help explain a concept more fully to a peer that is presented in English (typically if he/she cannot understand the concept in English as well), to joke back and forth without the teacher understanding or simply to rebel against the establishment of English, although this does not happen much unless it is provoked. It is a wonderful experience to have students that can move back and forth so effortlessly in language, but at times it can be difficult to have them focus on English or to encourage their use of English outside of the ELL classroom while there are so many resources in their home language in their peers or families.

Lastly is the concept of students defining and negotiating their identities through the languages they speak. Unfortunately I have not had the opportunities as of yet to work with or speak with the students, but do have interviews set for the next few weeks with multiple students and a Karen liaison for the Lincoln Public School district. I hope to glean some insight as to how the learning and use of English and their home languages has shaped and developed their identities and what the process feels like to them, or did.

What to do, what to do?

If anyone has been through the process of learning a new language or lived in a foreign culture where you were immersed in the language, you can imagine how the lives of Karen students and adults feel every single day. Being pushed into a community where everything is new, the language is different and customs are strange can be difficult for a student studying abroad for those few months, but can be hell for a refugee living in a new place for the foreseeable future. The key to getting over all of the problems that come with adjusting to a new culture: learning the language and using it. English is the magic bullet here in the United States, but that obviously does not mean the native language should be forgotten completely. If anything, learning multiple languages is better for employment, health and the general quality of life. This is why as natives of the American culture it is important for us to be welcoming to the English language to those that are on the outside looking in. We should encourage multilingual literacy through our policy, rhetoric and practices. Asking that others learn English to function in the US will help them immensely, but asking of ourselves to learn other languages will increase efficiency, productivity and relationships among differing cultures in our communities around the globe. The Karen population around Lincoln exists and is growing every year. All we need to know is that if we were thrown into a new world, so to speak, wouldn’t we like a little hospitality? I know I would, so help them to learn the language without forcing it, help them to negotiate their identities without defining them and just help them live in the true effort of humanity.

Until next time…

References

Ager, S. (2011) The online encyclopedia of writing systems & languages. Retrieved on 30 October 2011. Retrieved from http://www.omniglot.com/language/why.htm

Agnes, M. (2005) Webster’s new college dictionary. Cleveland, OH: Wiley Publishing, Inc.

Bo, Eh Taw. Personal communication. 26 April 2011.

Google search (2011). Retrieved on 30 October 2011. Retrieved from http://www.google.com/search?q=define+language&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a#hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&tbs=dfn:1&sa=X&ei=L_-tTtqEGMHUgQf66anLDw&ved=0CCoQBSgA&q=bilingual+america&spell=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.,cf.osb&fp=cb48855914b3c510&biw=1366&bih=648

Martin, J. N., & Nakayama, T.K. (2009). Intercultural communication in contexts (5th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill.

Sommerich, Vicki. Personal communication. 24 October 2011.

West, Cindy. Personal communication. 10 March 2011.

Cultural Reporter Introduction: Getting to know the Karen

Looking at the term Karen once brought to me a sense of pure confusion. Why would we need to be focused on an entire group of individuals named Karen? Are these women marginalized because of the way their parents decided to label them? Was it some terrible mishap that lead their names to be their downfalls? Fortunately none of that is the truth of the matter, but the unfortunate facts are that the Karen (pronounced Kuh-ren) peoples are a cultural group from Burma/Myanmar that have taken up residence around the United States as refugees.

The Karen people have formally been a subgroup of the Burmese people since 1881 when the Karen National Associations were created by well-educated, Christian Karens to represent the interests of the Karen people to the British, the occupying colonial power of the time. Since that point the Karen people have been set apart and disenfranchised through different political and militaristic means due to differing factors in their culture, including but not limited to customs, religion and language. As of this day and age many Karen peoples have fled Burma in search of new homes due to the Burmese government and military violently forcing the Karen out of their homes and villages and subsequently setting fire to the structures. Many have chosen to cross the border of the country into Thailand where the Thai government has set up refugee camps for many of the remaining Karen. Many of the Karen people have accused the government of Burma of ethnic cleansing with respect to the Karen and the US State Department has cited the government for suspension of religious freedoms within the country. As of now many Karen have been relocated from their refugee camps in Thailand to refugee resettlement centers in the United States, one of which is Lincoln. While many refugees residing in Lincoln originate from the countries of Asia, the Karen people are the fastest growing refugee group in the state with the recent arrival of 400 Karen in May of 2011.

It is my wish to observe this culture and understand more of their customs and practices as I have had some limited interaction with Karen youth through my work in schools around Lincoln and find their way of life fascinating. Being newly relocated from a country to which they fled is a very scary and amazing life story to share, and I feel that anyone who has been able to endure a journey such as that and still make it to school everyday to learn deserves to have their past heard and documented. Looking around the internet for insight into the Karen I found that Omaha has the largest population of Karen peoples, Lincoln having the second largest, and that a new years celebration typically occurs in Omaha annually (dohsay1, 2009). This culture has its own unique practices, including traditional attire, language, food and a rich tapestry of history that one would be ignorant to not want to hear more about it from a first-hand experience. It is my hope to have the opportunity to get this information and be able to better connect with and understand a culture different from my own in the future.

In order to go about my research and find out about the experiences of the Karen I hope to conduct interviews with individuals that have some accounts of the Karen. In my past experiences at Park Middle School I had the opportunity to work with Karen students, some that had arrived the week prior to their attendance in the classroom, and was able to get to know them personally. I hope to return to Park MS where I will be able to sit down with some of my previous students and ask them questions regarding their culture and hear their first hand accounts. Additionally, in my research around the internet I found that a professor in the College of Journalism and Mass Communications at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln has started a series of stories entitled New Voices, focusing primarily on creating a website dedicated to understanding the refugee populations in Lincoln and writing articles regarding their cultures and practices (Karas, 2011). It is my hope to sit down with the lead professor of the project, Tim Anderson, and pick his brain for what he has come to know of the Karen during his time getting the New Voices website up and running. I do expect that through these two experiences my opportunities to make connections for more immersion into the Karen culture will present themselves and I plan to take them.

At this point I am excited and ready to begin my work in finding out the intricacies and inner workings of the Karen culture and I look forward to hearing first hand from a Karen individual how he feels being in the United States as a minority culture and how that affects him as a Karen person. Check early and often for my findings as I hope to shed some light on this often forgotten group of people.

References
- dohsay1. (Producer). (2009). Karen new year celebration 1948 omaha, nebraska 1 . [Web Video]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX7Nf8mQdeM
- Karas, R. (2011, June). Mosaic: lincoln's new voices. Retrieved from http://www.j-newvoices.org/site/story_print/1418/
- Kemmet, K. (2011, July 14). Workshop gives insight into karen culture. Retrieved from http://theindependent.com/articles/2011/07/14/news/local/13629422.txt