Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad

The Connection Between Language Acquisition and Ethnic Identity

And How Teaching Practices Can Help

Carolyn Hart 8/15/2012

Carolyn Hart EST650 Professor Carolyn OMahony

Introduction to Study The connection between acquiring a second language and ones ethnic identity has been a topic of interest to me for the past several years. As an undergraduate at Michigan State University, I made a conscious decision to make myself more marketable in the job field by acquiring a minor. I chose to acquire the minor of Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, or TESOL. By acquiring this minor, I expected to encounter an extension of my current focus (Language Arts) and learn more about various intervention techniques and data collection strategies so that I may properly aid students who fall under the category of ESL. While this did turn out to be true, I discovered that in order to truly be an effective ESL teacher, it is essential to not only be an effective data collector, but a human who is sympathetic towards the psychological ordeal that one experiences when attempting to fully acquire a new language. The psychological aspect of my TESOL studies was the part that truly gripped me. I steered my TESOL route away from merely intervention strategies, and took a class route more grounded in the psychological and identity aspect of my minor. In doing so, I was greeted with rich case studies that demonstrated just how someones ethnic identity can be threatened just by communicating in a manner other than their native tongue. In fact, most nuances in language acquisition can be traced to someones decision, unconscious or otherwise, to hold on to their ethnic identity, or their willingness to strip their identity away.

Carolyn Hart EST650 Professor Carolyn OMahony

A Korean-American Case Study Because of my new TESOL focus, I developed a case study surrounding a Korean-American family that eventually acted as the groundwork of this inquiry project. The first portion of the case study looked at two Korean adults, Sun and John, who have spent a significant amount of time (over 27 years, and over 10 years, respectively) living and working in America. However, their English proficiency is strikingly low, considering how long they have been living in an English speaking country, and considering that they began learning English as a foreign language while living in Korea. This phenomenon is seen frequently, particularly in adults who already have a strong ethnic identity that has a strong correlation to their native language. A study conducted in 2005 stated that learners who had achieved a high degree of accuracy in pronouncing the second language were sometimes perceived as being less loyal to their ethnic group than those whose second language speech retained a strong foreign accent (Gatbonton, Trofimovich and Magid). In other words, because both Sun and John identify as Korean, they feel that being overly proficient in English could be misconstrued as being disloyal to their Korean ethnicity. This notion of a conscious decision to stay loyal to their Korean ethnicity by rejecting as much of the English language as they can (while still being a functional member of an American society) suggests that perhaps language is a part of ones ethnicity that they can control. This idea led me to the next member of this case study

Carolyn Hart EST650 Professor Carolyn OMahony

Suns twenty-three year old son, Chris. Chris has a Korean mother and an American father, and was born in the United States. However, despite his ethnic hybridity, Chris looks predominantly Asian. Because of this, Chris remembers being regarded as the Asian kid as early as kindergarten. Chris was raised to be speak both Korean and English fluently, and did so until he reached school level. However, Chris felt a lot of disdain towards his label. As he could not control the way that he looked, he turned to a part of his label that he could control his language. Chris began to reject the Korean language, and now, at twenty three, is no longer bilingual. He can pick up a few key words here and there, but he could no longer hold a conversation in Korean. This situation happens often in school-age children who come from a multi-racial, and/or multi-ethnic, background. According to a study by Kelleen Toohey, conducted in 2000, classrooms are organized to provide occasions upon which some children look more and some less able, and judgments are made which become social facts about individual children (Toohey, 2000). This case study opened my eyes to how much power a person has over their own language acquisition, and how much of this power is at the mercy of how they identify themselves. It drove home the fact that language acquisition is so far beyond reaching benchmarks it is truly a psychological battle, a request that a new country gives to a person to undo a crucial element of who they are. Therefore, I wanted to explore this topic further, and research how ESL teachers across the world handle this situation. What steps do they take to ensure ethnic identity is not threatened? Thus

Carolyn Hart EST650 Professor Carolyn OMahony

began the inquiry project that I sent forth upon my acceptance to the Fulbright-Hays Group Project Abroad.

Considering Ethnic Identity in New Zealand Before I set out to New Zealand, I was able to read a book that helped to highlight parallel similar ethnic issues as I witnessed while conducting my case study. The book is called The Space Between: Identity and Maori/Pakeha by Melinda Webber. In her book, Webber discusses some of the struggles she felt growing up as half Maori and half Pakeha. She begins by exploring the concept of hybridity being involved with two different ethnicities and struggling to identify yourself. Often times, the search for ones personal identity is limited by pressures from social groups, such as family members. Webber writes that identifying with one side of the family only might engender a sense of disloyalty this is especially likely for a child who is exposed to the physical characteristics, broader familial networks and cultural environs of both parents (p.22). In addition, Webber notes that although ethnic identity is a matter of a choice from a situational perspective, the reality is that possessing Maori ancestry is still perceived as requisite to any claim to being Maori (p. 18). The right amount of Maori ancestry can also begin a debate in a society which may ask Are you Maori enough to be considered Maori?.

Carolyn Hart EST650 Professor Carolyn OMahony

These pressures intensify when one ethnic identity is viewed in society as lesser than the other. For example, Maori people have struggled with being valued in a country where English is the official language. This can easily be compared to the struggles many ethnic groups feel in America, where being a white, English speaker arguably gives one an advantage. As noted by a participant in one of Webbers case study, I knew my mother did not want us to speak Maori. We knew that Maori was valued only in Maori society and outside of that society speaking Maori was frowned upon and that it would get you nowhere (p. 36). This demonstrates further pressures of claiming identity and demonstrates societys influence on ones identity. These pressures make it essential for ESL teachers to be aware of their students fragile identity and act accordingly.

Prior to Departure Developing the Interview As this case study was something that I worked on throughout my TESOL minor, I began to understand that the teaching English as a second language was so much more than intervention techniques. It was a lot more about transitioning a student into a new environment, in which their communication skills would be minimal, and thus, they would experience a very intense culture shock, as well as a shake in ethnic identity. Therefore, I wanted to construct an interview process that would allow the educator to talk about these concepts and discuss their methods (or, lack thereof) of helping this transition. I also wanted to be aware of the wording of my interview, as this topic is one

Carolyn Hart EST650 Professor Carolyn OMahony

that is very sensitive. After many redevelopments, my final interview questions were as such: 1. How long have you been teaching? What is your degree in? 2. What sort of precautions do you take when transitioning a student towards acquiring a language, so they do not feel as though their ethnic identity is threatened? 3. How would you respond to a student saying that ELL students who have not retained a strong foreign accent are disloyal to their ethnic background? 4. How do you, as a teacher, find the balance between incorporating each students cultural perspective versus putting a spotlight on their differences that they are uncomfortable with? a. An opportunity to compare and contrast, but being sensitive, not making them feel like an outsider 5. Can you think of any particular instances where you saw power imbalances in the classroom due to differences in language acquisition? If so, how did you approach this situation? 6. As a teacher, how do you find the line between teaching Standard English and allowing cultural variations to come in?

Carolyn Hart EST650 Professor Carolyn OMahony

The hope was that these questions would yield sensitive, thoughtful answers that would be perceived as non-threatening and non-accusatory. In addition, I hope that these questions would be successful in zeroing in on my areas of focus so that I could consider different practices present at home and overseas.

The Interviews: American Educators The American educators that I interviewed come from different educational backgrounds, are interested in different areas of educational study, and also teach in vastly different areas. However, they are all teachers who have I known and have completely won my respect. The first teacher I sat down with, Joslyn, is a third-year full-time music teacher working in a very highly privileged area outside of Detroit, MI. The particular school that Joslyn works in is a K-3 building. Joslyn has a full class of just ESL students; however, these students also come to her music class with their general education class as well. Joslyn discussed how she immediately saw major differences in their behavior in these two settings. She attempts to scaffold the students during their ESL class time to be comfortable with some of the material, so that they may better flourish with their general education class. She also brings in music from their culture so that they may feel as if their culture is valued, and that they may contribute something valuable to the lesson. However, despite these accommodations, Joslyn still witnesses completely different

Carolyn Hart EST650 Professor Carolyn OMahony

behavior in these different classroom settings. Joslyn is not the only one who notices how quiet and subdued the ESL students are in their general education environment; the other students will sometimes point out that those students just do not talk. In addition, Joslyn recalls instances where the students would talk louder and slower to the ESL students. Although in their young age, Joslyn believes these actions to be innocent; however, they are still portraying a very powerful social implication that the ESL students are somehow less intelligent, and the class just accepts this lack of intelligence by simply writing it off as oh, they do not talk. Joslyn also teaches in a school environment where ESL students are instructed to only speak in English, and not in their native tongue. However, Joslyn wrestles with this rule, as these students are so young, and often very new to the American environment. Therefore, she does not correct grammar if it deviates from Standard English the important thing to her is, they are attempting to communicate, and with their young age (and the fact that it is music class, not grammar class), that it is something that must always be encouraged. The next interview was with Leah, a six-year kindergarten teacher who has a focus on Language Arts and an endorsement as a Reading Specialist. Leah works in a suburban school just outside of Lansing, MI. There are a handful of students who do fall under the category of ESL in her class each year; however, there is no formal ESL program at the school where she teaches. This fact, combined with the young age of her students, leads Leah to feel a big responsibility in creating the kind of classroom community that allows each student to feel able to express their individuality. Leah

Carolyn Hart EST650 Professor Carolyn OMahony

feels strongly against putting a student on the spot (i.e. Can you tell us what China was like?) but instead uses her knowledge in literacy instruction to provide opportunities where students can share their experiences and knowledge in an organic matter. For example, Leah incorporates read-alouds that highlights many different cultures and not just the cultures present in the classroom. She often asks students to respond to these stories, and thus, provides an opportunity for all students to comment about the culture (as well as other elements of the story). Leah approaches writing instruction in the same manner. She enjoys being able to guide students as they create original writing pieces about their own lives. Again, there would never be explicit instruction to talk about their differences in culture, but Leah encourages this if the student feels compelled to do so. By creating an open and honest environment, Leah allows students to interact with their own culture/the cultures of other people as the students feel compelled and comfortable to do so. As far as teaching Standard English, Leah does not correct students if their message is coming through, unless the lessons objective is to create writing/oral pieces that are grammatically correct. My final interview was with an educator named Robin. Robin worked as an educator through the Teach for America program, which looks to put qualified individuals in urban areas in hopes of increasing education results in these environments. Therefore, Robin worked in a very urban environment in New Orleans. Robin has a degree in psychology, educational psychology and educational technology, and certainly brings these perspectives to her teaching. There was a large population

Carolyn Hart EST650 Professor Carolyn OMahony

of Latino and Vietnamese students, and thus, there was a functioning ESL pull-out program. However, in Robins opinion this program was very ineffective, and she witnessed little progress in the ESL students English proficiency. In fact, Robin would often reteach some lessons in Spanish (which she is fluent in), because she felt that her students were slipping behind and failing to master the subject areas. Robin felt her goal was not to get them to acquire English, but instead she was more focused on mastery of subject mastery. In addition, Robin was very open and honest about the differences in language, as well as dialect. She let students lead discussions that surrounded these topics to see if they see the connection between these differences and ones identity.

The Interview: New Zealand Educators I conducted my interviews with my homestay hosts while living in New Zealand. I chose these educators because I not only got to witness their exceptional teaching practices, but I had plenty time to reflect with them about these practices while at home. I also discovered that with the potential sensitive nature of these questions, it was best to have already developed a relationship with the educators before embarking on this interview process. The first two interviews were done with Keri and Ted. Both Keri and Ted work in a decile one school - meaning that they work with students coming from a very low

Carolyn Hart EST650 Professor Carolyn OMahony

socioeconomic environment. In addition, both of their classes consisted primarily of Islanders and Maori students. Keri and Ted discussed on having these different ethnic groups can often create conflict. For example, some of these cultures are very patriarchal, and as a result, women and female peers sometimes find themselves at the mercy of frequent insults. In order to reduce these conflicts, Keri mentioned the importance of establishing a strong community from the beginning. Keri favors community building activities that focus on the differences that are found in every human being. She finds that if you steer the focus away from just ethnic differences and discusses all the differences an individual possesses different talents, different families, different experiences, etc. she is better able to drive home the fact that everyones unique characteristics makes the classroom a more well-rounded environment. Ted discussed the issue of language variation in his school. Because most of the students fall under the category of ESL, there are many misconceptions when it comes to what is Standard English. However, the administration has undergone a school-wide initiative of making speaking Standard English a main priority. Therefore, Ted discussed how he is encouraged to make students repeat sentences that are worded incorrectly, as it is not demonstrating the language of success. The goal of this initiative is to help students understand that the way they represent themselves is crucial. Therefore, they need to be aware of what is the most valued variation of the English language.

Carolyn Hart EST650 Professor Carolyn OMahony

The third educator in New Zealand who I interviewed was my last homestay host. Raewyn works in a school with a student body that come from a much higher socioeconomic level. In addition, there is a smaller presence of ESL students; therefore, there is no formal ESL program. Instead, I noticed a lot of ESL students in Reading Recovery, which appeared to be helpful, as the Reading Recovery teacher is extremely practiced in differentiating instruction to best accommodate students needs. In addition, perhaps because of the lack of ESL students, there is no push for the language of success at Raewyns school. However, through Raewyns experience in teaching, she has formed her own opinions about this topic. For example, Raewyn recalled an example of an ESL student of years past, who had a parent (also ESL) who was insistent in speaking only in English. While this may be considered admirable in America, Raewyn noted that the student was picking up incorrect sentence formation and grammar from his parent. Therefore, an intense power imbalance was struck in her kindergarten classroom, and this student was regarded as unintelligent, which of course, was not actually the case. Because of this situation, and other situations similar, Raewyn does see the importance of the language of success. In fact, this situation is reminiscent of what noted by Marcyliena Morgans article The AfricanAmerican Speech Community: Reality and Sociolinguists, where she noted that officials at an American elementary school were accused of placing African-American children in learning-disabled and speech pathology classes and [holding them] at low grade levels because of language, cultural and class differences (p. 76). This gives

Carolyn Hart EST650 Professor Carolyn OMahony

support to Raewyns claim that the language of success is important; indeed, it would have helped these students avoid unfair treatment. However, does this approach risk students questioning the value of their own ethnic identity?

The Differences Overall, I was struck by the similarities in ESL teaching practices present in both the American and New Zealand schooling systems. For the most part, all of the educators whom I interviewed seemed very concerned with keeping an open and honest community in their classroom, allowing students to feel comfortable and able to express their feelings when needed. Perhaps the most striking difference was that the New Zealand educators were very concerned with the idea of the language of success. While American educators are only concerned with the usage of Standard English when the lesson objective directly called for it, New Zealand educators emphasize the importance of representing yourself in a manner that is widely valued at all times. American educators are certainly aware the importance of language of success, as evidenced in articles such as John J. Gumperzs article The Speech Community, where he writes the conflict in language loyalty may even affect mutual intelligibility as when speakers claim that they do not understand each other reflect primarily social attitudes rather than linguistic fact (p. 71). New Zealand educators strive to eliminate this conflict by emphasizing the importance of Standard English, while American students may find themselves stuck in this conflict more often.

Carolyn Hart EST650 Professor Carolyn OMahony

Another interesting difference I picked up on was overall, New Zealand educators seem more comfortable with talking about ethnic identity. After reflecting on choices for who to interview, I realized that all of the educators speak English as their native tongue. The American educators seem very aware of it, and thus, seemed more hesitant to discuss students from different cultures, as they were concerned with coming across as culturally sensitive. However, the New Zealand educators spoke about this topic in a matter-of-fact manner. As an American educator myself, who also speaks English natively, I sympathize with the desire to constantly come across as culturally sensitive (in fact, the process which I executed to ensure my interview was culturally sensitive is proof of this). However, this difference in approach does beg the question: what kind of social implication are we sending if we appear uncomfortable about talking about cultural differences?

Carolyn Hart EST650 Professor Carolyn OMahony

Works Cited Gatbonton, E., Trofimovich P., & Magid, M. (2005) Learners ethnic group affiliation and L2 pronunciation accuracy: A sociolinguistic investigation. TESOL Quaterly, 39(3), 489-511 Gumperz, J. J. (1968). The speech community. Linguistic Anthropology: A Reader, 66-73. Morgan, M. (1994). The african-american community: Reality and sociolinguists. Linguistic Anthropology: A Reader, 74-92. Toohey, K. (2000) Learning English at School: Identity, Social Relations and Classroom Practice. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters. Webber, M. (2008). The space between: Identity and maori/pakeha. Wellington: NZCER Press.