Assignment 2 Reading review Michele Robb Course Number: EDUC-3 22! "ection #D: !$%%&' (ctober 2!) 2!

Dr* Carmina +rittain) author o, -(n .earning English: /he #m0ortance o, "chool Conte1t) #mmigrant Communit2 and the Racial "2mbolism o, the English .anguage in Understanding the Challenges ,or #mmigrant Adolescents3) contends that the di,,erences between the abilit2 to become 0ro,icient in English in Chinese and Me1ican immigrants rests largel2 on three ,actors: societal conte1t) school conte1t and student socio-cultural conte1t 40age 5* /he stud2 included interviews o, students in both cultures* 6er ,indings stated that the Chinese culture) attitude and 0erce0tions surrounding learning English allowed the students a better o00ortunit2 to become 0ro,icient than the Me1ican immigrants* /he common thread between the cultures was that English is di,,icult* (n 0age ) the Chinese immigrant7s res0onses towards learning English as -a barrier eventuall2 con8uered3) whereas the Me1ican immigrant7s res0onses were -learning English was hard3* #n both cases) having an accent was 0erceived as a negative thing that caused some amount o, discrimination towards the English .earner* /here a00eared man2 di,,erences in regards to learning English and the attitudes o, the students* Chinese immigrants believed it was vital to learn English and assimilate into the societ2 norms* /he2 believed that i, the2 did well in academics that were less ,ocused on English that the2 would com0ensate ,or their lac9 o, English s9ills 40rimaril2 math and science5* /he2 seemed to have a good attitude towards the E". classes and 0rograms designed to hel0 them become 0ro,icient in English* /he ,amil2:communit2) largel2 assimilated within the -white3 societ2) 0ushed ,or the students to become English 0ro,icient) have English ,riends and become a ,ull member o, the communit2 as a whole* Me1ican immigrants) while having man2 o, the same challenges as Chinese immigrants) a00eared to have a more negative attitude towards the E". 0rograms) school and learning

English* /he students7 res0onses were more centered on 0articular teachers and their treatment o, being intellectuall2 in,erior to the rest o, the class due to the lac9 o, English* ;hile Chinese immigrants 0ushed ,or increase 0er,ormance o, language) the Me1ican immigrants were man2 times ,rustrated with not being allowed to use "0anish in ever2da2 s0ea9ing* Man2 res0ondents also noted that the2 saw little reason to learn English as the2 did not ,eel at home here in the United "tates and wished to return -home3* /he author stated man2 cultural 0erce0tions in regards to the two* Un,ortunatel2) # have witnessed man2 o, these* #n m2 own communit2) we have a ver2 diverse 0o0ulation* /he elementar2 school # wor9 at is 0redominatel2 Asian* <ust a ,ew 2ears ago) due to school closures) we doubled our school 0o0ulation* /he demogra0hic shi,t caused it to now be e8ual in A,rican American) Asian and 6is0anic with the smallest demogra0hic Caucasian* #nterestingl2) the attitude towards the new students b2 teachers and 0arents was negative due to the language and testing scores* ;hile the 0redominatel2 Asian schools are considered high achievers) ,amil2 involved and behaviorall2 sound) our other schools that are mostl2 6is0anic are seen as schools to avoid* # believe that societal 0re=udices are causing cultures to 0er0etuate attitudes* Until we start treating all cultures with e8ual res0ect) we will not be able to change attitudes towards and b2 English .earners*