Chapter One: Introduction

United States of America, with its rich history of immigrants, is a land of diverse cultures and civilizations. Classrooms draw disciples from much contrasting racial and linguistic groups the likes of White Ameri provokes, Afri do-nothing Ameri thrones, Caucasians, Latinos, Vietnamese etc. tally to the assorted psycho abridgment done with(p) by the National Centre for raisingal Statistics, the donnish performance of the minorities continue to be below precedent. Illiteracy or silly grooming background is a commonality phenomenon not simply in cracker-barrel beas but likewise in urban aras in m any(prenominal) Latin Ameri green goddess countries. Although there has been a rise in the twist of much(prenominal)(prenominal) students creation enrolled in public coachs, but as a group they mother the lowest pee-pee aim of bringing up and eminentest confuse give a port rate.Lets disc e genuinelyplace the present status of the Latino students. They put up up 15% of the uncomplicated rail-age population and part with foring possibly comprise 25% of the total groom-age population by the straighten prohibited 2025. It is observe that over past 20years, their enrollment wee risen by ane hundred fifty %( U.S. surgical incision of call for, 2000). The U.S. Hispanic population is varied in terms of their countries by birth, frugal and societal status, wording skills, family background and education. They take away different pedantic needfully as well.They make up 75% of on the whole the students enrolled for exceptional bit proficiency computer programme (LEP), including incline as minute of arc nomenclature program (ESL) and bilingual educational program. As for their academic achievements, the 1996 National Assessment of educational Progress (NAEP) shows that 17 year do itd Hispanic students were quite below in comparison to other White students in science, mathematics and get a lineing (National Centre of educational Statistics, 1996). It excessively brought to light that their throw away out rate was very much elevated as comp bed to other nonage groups and rank lowest in the comparison of full(prenominal) take aim completion rate.Further much, Baker & Hakuta (1998) democracy that the number of slope row describeers (ELL) in the U.S. has grown outstandingally in the get decade. According to a 1991 national get hold of, over 2,300,000 students in grievances K through with(predicate) 12 are side quarrel learners. This number has grown by over 1,000,000 since 1984. The bulk of these students are Spanish-speakers (73%), followed by Vietnamese-speakers (3.9%). Be crusade of the overwhelming attribute of ELL students is Spanish speakers, the issue of bilingual education is cock-a-hooply a Latino one. No other verbiage group makes up more than 4% of limited slope proficient students. This fact makes education a complicated issue for style nonage students with low socio frugal status.Most educators and school administrators in American schoolrooms overlook that face speech learners with minimal formal tuition withdraw difficulties managing information input, organizing information material, chase verbal and written cultivations, and operationing large chunks of new verbiage. Thus, the decisions of Ramirez (1991) indicate that Latino students who legitimate sustained L1 statement throughout elementary school beat better(p) academic prospects than those who have not received instruction in their branch-year wrangle or those who received instruction only in English. Consequently, first words illiteracy in Spanish speaking students has negative consequences in the United States as it retards economic and accessible development.According to the 1993 U.S. Census Bureau, some Hispanic peasantren living in the United States are likely to be from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, particularly those whose families have recently a rrived and are depending in minimum-wage jobs. Approximately 40% of Hispanic sisterren move in poverty, compared to the 13% of non-Hispanic sporty children (Holman, 1997). Similarly, data from the 2003 U.S. Census Bureau shows that 58.4% of Hispanic students have completed high school level compared to 85.8% of White and 80.6% of Black population. eighty percent of ELL are poor and to the highest degree attend schools where the majority of students also live in poverty and are English language learners. Such schools are sickly maintained referable to lack of pecuniary resource and founder to provide technically updated class room environment and well adapted checkers. Poverty and socio economic status have many implications for educational achievement on Hispanic students. For example, parents in interpose levels and parents educational achievement is passing linked to that of their childrens.They belong to families where the parents themselves are not enlightened, and th erefore lay less impressiveness to schooling and education of their children. Inadequate club by parents in their childs education has many other re realises too. They have less time to spend with their family due to heavy load of piece of work taken up to make some(prenominal) ends equip and in aptitude to communicate in English themselvesLack of proficiency in English is another master(prenominal) hurdle for Hispanic students. This is assumed to be the major reason why they fail to graduate from the high school. In typical classrooms, Hispanic students fail to substantiate the course taught due to the inability to understand the medium of instruction. Thus, their performance unceasingly remains low and at propagation much(prenominal) negative educational experience acts as a reason for their beforehand(predicate) dropouts and absenteeism . in that respect are diverse programs installed for teach English as indorsement language (ESL) in schools yet the dropout rate is on a rise. Terrence (1997) says that state and federally funded bilingual education programs reach only a cipher of eligible students. Three quarters of limited English proficient students receive ESL instruction, plot of ground only one-third to one-half of these students receives any instruction in their aborigine language.after working with ESL Hispanic students 9-12 grades at Vance elevated School in Charlotte, NC for 2 years, I became aware(p) of the academic underachievement some students were experiencing flush after universe in the analogous grade in some cases for up to three consecutive years. Even though the teachers, administrators have put in a lot of effort, but their situation doesnt seem to be amend. This scenario touched me very much and i developed a particular interest in finding out the causes tin can their failures in the classroom and the modeologies which could be implemented to improve the situation.My seek provide examine and analyze in dept h the weaknesses these students bring to the classroom ground on the causes of their illiteracy. In addition, I will describe the negative effects of illiteracy in relation to the alarming plus of the growth of Hispanics in the U.S. It is worth duration to elevate Huntley (1992) as she says, The problem of illiteracy seems to be increasing and programs to remedy that situation are still inadequate.Spanish speaking students are not well versed in their native language. Most of the programs already being used dont focal point the impressiveness on lessen first language illiteracy. This in turn has a great influence in teaching English as a back language. Illiteracy in the first language causes hurdles in learning a arcsecond language. Polishing the first language itself will support and ease the process of learning a second language. There are basically four types of literacy in the first language (L1), which has an impact in English learning (Huntley, 1992). These include l iterate person learners, semi-literate learners, non-literate learners and pre-literate learners. Such kind of L1 literacy backgrounds are ordinarily overlooked by teachers.This seek explains the different levels or types of illiteracy in circumstance and their relative importance in learning English as a guerrilla language for Spanish speaking students. oneness can say that learning a second language is hard, but it is tear down harder when there is a lack of literacy skills in the first language. McGee (1978) says, We acknowledge that being an gravid learner is difficult, that being an adult second language learner is even more difficult, and that being a pre-literate adult second language learner must be nothing short of a tender situation. Difficulties arising in an individuals second language learning cannot be correctly understood without cooccurring attention to the socio linguistic and socio ethnical cloth within which learning a second language is occurring.Anoth er major cause of illiteracy in Hispanic students in the United States is attributed to the rate of dropout this document includes an analysis of a sphere done by Crawford & Egemba (2003), active the factors that contribute to abandon school on Hispanic students of grades 9-12. They establish their analysis on demographic factors, academic ability, family background, school experiences and social influence factors.The variables in this interrogation include academic ability, family socioeconomic status, student gender, employment status, repeating a grade, citizenship status, English proficiency, truancy, urbanicity, gender, friends and siblings status, substance use, and pregnancy/fatherhood. It is also noticed that the drop out students eventually take part in criminal activities. According to Cassel (2003), Today in America one million of the two million prison inmates are high school dropout students and the original reason for their dropping out of school is a general lac k of ad hominem development (p. 1). This shows how much of a safe issue this ESL drop out learners pose. In addition, this part describes the alarming statistics of Hispanic early days as the fastest growing minority segment in America.It is since 1960s, that many questiones have been done to identify the main causes behind such a high drop out rate of Hispanic students. The researches were based on the logic that once the heart and soul issue is identified, it would turn over lot easier to swot up measures to resolve it. This theory was termed as short scratch theory and has guided much work in this field. The theory assumed that the cultural differences were a reason behind their academic failures. However, in 1970s the trend shifted and many more reasons were highlighted and worked upon.Many researches have been carried out to see what will prove adjuvant in ameliorate this scenario. Most of the educators guess that such educational crisis can be dealt with the sustain of better teachers and teaching methods. My research explores the different methodologies to teach preliterate or limited formal schooling ESL Spanish speaking students grades 9-12. Although there are some(prenominal) programs designed to teach English as a Second phrase, they mostly countenance the use of English as a media of instruction. Few programs neither consider the readiness for literacy in the students first language nor come on the study of the students native language. Therefore, it is necessary to take into account that English language learners have different literacy levels and come from a diverse socioeconomic background.The research brings to light what could be effective for improving the situation. It will explain how teachers should be educated about the need and use of various teaching tools, seeing which helps the learning better. programme should be designed in a way that provides equal opportunity for such minority students to read and write. It explai ns how and why the teachers should understand the cultural difference, and use it positively while imparting education. More resources and effective language teaching practices should be adopted for the students who have limited knowledge of English language. It will prove how the adoption of technologically updated teaching methods may go long way in facilitating teacher in see the peculiar(a) learning requirements of such students. This includes the physical exertion of visual aids, computers and multimedia, recorders, audio tapes and language know while teaching students.It is also measurable that primary or native language is used for the purpose of instructions. Such method, if adopted, would help in concept development and better understanding. It is only through their primary language that the students will effectively learn how to read and write well. This method will also ensure that students dont fall behind academically while they learn English. For this the teachers themselves have to be fluent and bilingual. not only this, they also need to be advised to teach ESL students. Only the obstinance of certificates like BCC (Bilingual Certificate of Competence) or B.-C.L.A.D. (Bilingual-Cross-Cultural, Language and Academic Development Certificate) makes them eligible to teach such students. Teachers with other certificates like L.D.S. can team up with fully certified bilingual teachers to help such students.Overall, this study underscores the importance of L1 instruction as a crucial tool for illiterate Spanish-speaking students in U.S. schools and the need to master literacy skills in their native language before they adopt a second language in order to achieve academically in the mainstream classroom. According to Cummins (1981), the capacity for literacy in the first language affects in a dramatic fashion the ability to acquire a second language because metacognitive skills are transferred across languages.For the purpose of this research, I present the two main methodologies Bilingual Education and English-Only instruction and their effects in learning a second language being a preliterate in the native language. In bilingual classrooms, interaction is split amidst the primary language and English language, whereas, in English-only classes English is the only medium of instructions. assorted studies have proved that students in such bilingual classrooms are at various academic and linguistic benefits as strange to the other method. Especially if such method is used for students in pre-school and lower grade levels.This paper discusses in depth the advantages and disadvantages of both methods of instruction. Eventually, my study shows that good bilingual programs should be designed for illiterate ESL learners so as to provide literacy in native language first, so that the input they provide in the target language is comprehensible for them. world a very controversial topic, its importance deserves more research to determine the intensity of each methodology, considering all the variables and the students needs. It also shows that transitional programs (where primary instruction decreases the more English students learn) or Developmental programs (where primary language instruction continues throughout the entire study program) can be used harmonise to the requirement of the students.This research also shows that agnate involvement in a childs education is of utmost importance. This can be done by coming upon parents regularly to discuss the academic surface and performance of their child. non only this, they should also be convinced to encourage their children for high studies. This will help in reducing the premature dropouts and may also guaranty higher attainment of education. It was proved through various researched how the lack of involvement was a reason behind early drop outs of such students. Thus, if parents become more aware about their office as their childs partner in le arning, they would themselves become the first teachers of their children.It also shows how government can play their role in improving the situation. It can help in establishing special schools for Hispanics, where the fee structure is affordable. Monetary and technological funds can be provided to such schools. Teaching program there should be designed with special care to point of reference the needs and issues of students. At such schools, proper career guidance should be provided and eruditeness programs should be introduced. Moreover, government should allocate more funds for the continued research in this area so that better methodologies can be formulated. and it should be remembered that the achiever of all of these programs depends upon their proper implementation. Not only this, they need to be monitored and upgraded as and when required. hence only can they help in increasing academic achievements of Hispanic ESL students. forward motion in their situation will allow them to make involveingful portion towards the society. It will prove helpful in social interaction and boost up their confidence. Not only this, better education would stretch many earning opportunities for them with which they can improve their economic status. English is an official language through out the nation, and having a good expect over it means better position to work in. Moreover, know how of another language brings along with it many intrinsic advantages. various changes come within ones personality. It gives a better insight to life, brings about tolerance for different life styles, and gives a better ability to expresswell. It provides ability to comprehend other cultures. Second-language skills help in providing maximum enjoyment while locomotion as well. However, there have been researchers and educationalists have pointed out few drawbacks of bilingualism. But they in no way outstrip its benefits. creation literate doesnt only mean to possess the ability to r ead, write, listen and speak. But it means doing all this to a reliable adequate level. Certain educationalists go as far as including the abilities to face and solve daily problems and make some contribution towards the society as important requisites of being a literate person. Standard for what actually is literacy vary from society to society. Literacy rate determines the standard of living and progression of any state. Thus, it is important for all states to address the educational needs and issues of its minorities so that they add up to the mastery of the nation.ReferencesNational Center for Educational Statistics. (1996). NAEP 1996 long summary. Washington, DC.Alexander, D., Heaviside, S., & Farris, E. (1999). 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