CTE Brown Bag Lunch
Friday, March 6, 2009
“How to Better Support Students with Language / Cultural Challenges?”
Gaining academic literacy in a second language is a long and arduous process to say the least. It
is rife with challenges at so many levels: cultural, social, intellectual, linguistic, and more. English
Language Learners (ELLs) at the university level must navigate all the paths for success that their nativespeaking peers do, plus the additional challenges they face as linguistic learners. VCU’s ELLs come from a
wide variety of backgrounds, native cultures, educational preparations and experiences that make it
difficult to characterize them as a group or talk about their attributes and needs in a homogenous way.
While there is no “typical” ELL student, the following profiles may be helpful:
English Language Learner Profiles
1. Foreign students
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Internationals who earned a minimum score on the Test of English as a Foreign Language
(TOEFL) to be admitted to a U.S. college. Granted a student visa by the U.S. Immigration and
Naturalization Service
Usually strong students – “highly motivated, intellectually sophisticated, and self-disciplined.
Many represent the educational elite of their home countries, coming from middle-class, uppermiddle class, and sometimes wealthy families who may have sent them to the best primary and
secondary schools available. They are often risk-takers who are not satisfied with the
conventional educational experiences available at home and are willing to throw themselves
into a strange culture and an uncomfortable language to achieve their personal objectives”
(Crabtree & Weissberg 2000).
Will usually self-identify and seek language support.
May struggle with cultural issues and American rhetorical expectations.
2. U.S. Residents
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Immigrants, refugees, permanent residents
May not be well-educated in their home language. Often have experienced interrupted
schooling.
May have attended American primary and/or secondary school and received ESL services.
May have conversational skills approximating those of native speakers, yet weak academic
reading and writing abilities.
May struggle with cultural issues and American rhetorical expectations. May not be prepared for
college-level academic challenges. May be first generation college students.
May be more interested in assimilation and “covering” their English language learning status
than seeking help.
VCU Focused Inquiry Language Resource Center
Wendy Nugent 2009
3. “Generation 1.5”
A new appellation for a diverse group of English language learners entering U.S. colleges in growing
numbers:
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Often American born and educated yet speak another language at home and with family.
Share characteristics of both first and second generation immigrants
Often not literate in their home language.
Many have graduated from a U.S. high school, but demonstrate weak academic English skills.
May have struggled academically but not ever received ESL services in school.
May suffer language and cultural identity issues: might call themselves “bilingual” when they are
not truly fluent in their home language, or designate themselves as “native English speakers”
when English is actually their second language. May not identify with ELLs or seek language
development support.
May be resistant to ELL identification or language support.
(Harklau, Losey & Siegal 1999.)
4. Non-standard Speakers of English
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Non-immigrant, native English speakers of diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds who may
speak a non-standard dialect of English.
May struggle with oral fluency and rhetorical conventions, and show significant mechanical
difficulties in composition. May or may not self-identify as needing assistance with Standard
English language skills. Do not identify with ELLs.
May feel strong identification / pride of minority or regional culture and dialect.
What we do know is this:
1. It takes a very long time of intentional study (5-10 years) to become fluent in academic skills in a
second language (Collier 1987).
2. Some ELLs come to university with little knowledge about academic culture and scholastic behaviors.
3. Some ELLs experience difficulties at university due to cultural differences. (Gender bias, interaction
with authority, resistance to group work, concepts of shared knowledge and plagiarism.)
4. ELLs need additional help understanding and navigating existing support systems (English Language
Program, Office of International Studies, Academic Advising, Campus Learning Center, University Writing
Center, University Counseling Center, Resident Student Association, academic departments, declaring a
major, etc.).
5. ELLs need help identifying their own strengths and weaknesses, and help seeking out appropriate
support and intervention to gain the skills they need to succeed in their classes.
VCU Focused Inquiry Language Resource Center
Wendy Nugent 2009
6. ELLs learn language (and content) best when supported in a social relationship (peers, teachers,
mentors, advisors, counselors).
7. ELLs need opportunity to take risks in a safe environment in order to gain proficiency and improve
their skills.
8. ELLs often lack the reading and listening comprehension skills necessary to discern the purpose of
tasks of their assignments. (They may be able to decode content, but miss important clues given in oral
directions, or misunderstand written directions.)
9. What may look like disengagement in an ELL student may be misunderstanding or a lack of
comprehension.
10. ELL students may be too embarrassed or frightened to admit that they don’t understand something,
even to their peers.
11. ELLs may not have as much opportunity to practice oral English as you might assume.
12. ELLs might have strong Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) but weak Cognitive Academic
Language Proficiency (CALPS). Therefore they appear to “speak” English very well, but have poor
academic literacy skills (Cummins, 1979).
What do English language learners need?
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Clear, organized instruction
Focused and intentional modeling and scaffolding
A variety of modes to give and receive information (listening, speaking, reading and writing
tasks)
Safe learning environments in which to take risks
One-on-one support; strong peer and mentor relationships
Formative feedback and the opportunity to redo assignments
Time and patience, diligence and encouragement
VCU Focused Inquiry Language Resource Center
Wendy Nugent 2009
Works Cited
Collier, V. P. Age and Rate of Acquisition of Second Language for Academic Purposes. TESOL
Quarterly 21 (1987): 617-641.
Crabtree, R., R. Weissberg, and D. O’Hair. ESL Students in the Public Speaking Classroom: A
Guide for Teachers. Boston: Bedford / St. Martin’s, 2000.
Cummins, J. Cognitive/Academic Language Proficiency, Linguistic Interdependence, the
Optimum Age Question and Some Other Matters. Working Papers on Bilingualism 19 (1979):
121-129.
Harklau, K., K. Losey and M. Siegal, eds. Generation 1.5 meets College Composition: Issues
in the Teaching of Writing to U.S.-Educated Learners of ESL. Mahwah, NY: Lawrence
Erlbaum Associates, 1999.
VCU Focused Inquiry Language Resource Center
Wendy Nugent 2009