Abstract

In this exploratory essay, the student selects a language and literacy politic in which they support or challenge with course reading and outside information. The purpose of this essay is to show the student’s understanding, use writing strategies taught in class to demonstrate the ways in which language and literacy has developed.

Common Core shapes Language Development in English Language Learners

            How do we develop language? Well, language development starts from our babblings as a baby. As toddlers, we start to recognize the sounds of our native language: pitch, intonation (deepness) and volume. Toddlers should then start to create basic sentences with no grammatical structure. When a child starts to go to school, the child’s vocabulary, grammar structure and understanding  of speech and language is expanded. A child is then able to create adult like conversations. Language development varies for each children, but this should be the ‘normal’ development of language. Once a child enter school in the United States of America, they must reach common core state standards. What is common core? Common Core are academic standards that enlist skills and knowledge a student should know by the end of each grade. Common core standard varies in each state, it ensures that all students have skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in college and their career. Then what about students who don’t speak English, what is expected of them? Well, they are known as English Language Learners or ELL for short and/or English language as a second language (ESL) students; they must conform to common core standards. Common core standards positively shape the language development of ESL and ELL students because they are acquiring skills to be successful in education and the work field; they are given equal footing to native English speakers.

Who is charge of creating common core standards? Well, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) and National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) worked together with other authors to write down common core standards on the website, www.corestandards.gov for all to see, which is spilt into categories and grade levels.  In the article, Applications of Common Core State Standards for English Language Leaners states curriculum of what students are expected to know by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and the Council of Chief State School officers that take account of nonnative English speakers. In Professor Paula Wenner Conroy’s article of Typical Language Development and Second Language Acquisition, writes her findings of how ELL students change their language development in order to adopt academic language (standard English) from her experience of teaching. In Rosina Lippi-Green’s English with an Accent, Green she compares language development to blue prints. Sociolinguist Walt Wolfram, challenges prejudice of accents by using an experiment finding, in his article, Challenging Language Prejudice in the Classroom to defend his argument of language prejudice are taught in schools due to the teaching of academic language(standard English). Dr. Elena Stakanova uses a research finding of 85 students in Southern Federal University, Russia who were spilt into two groups; one taught traditional methods of English and the other group who are taught ‘sense-making’ techniques. Even though, the research takes places in Russia it can be applied to this essay because it involves students who are learning English. Many of these students shared the same struggle. All of these sources are used to help support my argument, common core standards positively impact the language development of ESL and ELL students.

Since the overall goal of common core is to prepare students’ success in college, career and life. How exactly are students benefiting? In the common core standards website, it states, “The Common Core focuses on developing the critical-thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills students will need to be successful”. So, what? How can this apply to ESL and ELL students who have a handicap of not knowing the language or those who do not speak academic standard English? Well, common core standard have taken into account that there are many students who come from diverse backgrounds. “Additionally, the development of native like proficiency in English takes many years and will not be achieved by all ELLs especially if they start schooling in the US in the later grades.”( Applications of Common Core State Standards for English Language Leaner, 1). This is true since, after the age of 5 it becomes difficult to grasp language. This is due to the fact, at the age of 6 months to 2 years it is known as the prime years of language development because toddlers play with sound, imitate intonation, sounds, repetition of words and phrases.

Common core encourages discourse work in the classroom. It allows ESL and ELL students to participate in group discussion and group work; it allows them to practice speaking English, but not to point they speak perfect English. This can result in “..learners are afraid of making mistakes, experimenting, ex-pressing original ideas”.(Stakanova, 30) If the ESL and ELL student is anxious to speak due to them being insecure and lack motivation, then they are placing a ‘hold’ on their language development. It cause them to not want to improve. But this won’t stop them completely from not speaking. Since they have peers around them. Peers are ether classmates or friends, they too impact your language development. Since humans are social animals, it is often less likely for the ESL and ELL to stop talking completely. They will adjust and speak in their own form of English. It may not be academic language, but at least their communicating. They are still able to develop their language by expressing themselves in another form of English. Meaning, that they are improving their critical-thinking skills and listening skills which are enlisted in common core. As any other animal, we humans fight for our survival. ESL and ELL students will then adjust to speaking in academic language, but not in a fast pace. Thanks to common core, “Standard 10 defines a grade-by-grade “staircase” of increasing text complexity that rises from beginning reading to the college and career readiness level”. This shows that skills are not fast pace, but rather paths to achievement. This will also help ESL and ELL students to remember more words, which increases their vocabulary. This will also be useful later in the future, when they go into the work force, when they are able to give multiple responses for multiple situations.

When we develop language, we also develop an accent. In Rosina Lippi-Green, English with an Accent, she compares language development to blue prints of a sound house. She states, “Children are born with two things: set of language blueprints wired into the brain, which gives them some intuitive understanding of very basic rules of language”. She then goes onto, stating that children’s language development is impacted by the people around them such as our family. This will then become our native tongue. Then what about people who speak two languages? Well, they will have another sound house for that language. In this case, “She has two houses to build at once. Sometimes she mixes materials up, but then sorts them. Maybe she builds a bridge between the two structures. Maybe a connecting courtyard”. In other words, people have the capacity to speak in more than one language. In this case, ESL and ELL students are able to adjust to speaking in academic language since common core is giving them a helping hand. But this also has a setback, for ESL and ELL students who speak in an accents because accents are portrayed inferior to standard English by society. This can be seen in Walt Wolfram’s Challenging Language Prejudice in the Classroom, where he argues that language discrimination are taught in schools. He used an experiment conducted by Marilyn S. Rosenthal who asked children to pick the box they believed was nicer; one box spoke in standard English[Steve] and the other spoke in African-American English[Kenneth]. This is used to defend his claim that children should be taught different accents in order to stop prejudice of accents. This can be seen when a child explains themselves of why they didn’t choice the box that spoke with an accent, “Cause Steve is good, Kenneth is bad”(Wolfram, 27). Then why do children view accents as bad. Well, children are taught from right to wrong, and if a teacher tells them an accent is bad, children are to believe the teacher. Then, how does this affect ESL and ELL students who are learning academic standard English? As Green states, we all have sound houses for each language we speak, since ESL and ELL are learning English they are more likely to develop an accent. Well, the only accent accepted by common core standards is academic language, it may not be seen as an accent but in its own right it can be seen as an accent or dialect. Since this is a form of English, but this form is accepted by society. Since children are taught to get rid of their accents, ESL and ELL students may be at a disadvantage and will have to fix or rebuild their sound house to fit the structure of standards English. Wolfram wants to get rid of prejudice of accents by teaching children to be tolerant of accents. However, in common core students have to speak in academic language, it will be won’t be much of difference if common core changes this because we have to first change the perspective of people. Even if we change the way someone thinks of accents, there will still be stereotypes and discrimination. Then what about ESL and ELL students? Won’t it be better to teach them standard English than not? Since standard English is indeed favored in the work force, we are able to give them equal footing to native speakers but ESL and ELL will be an advantage since they develop the skill of code switching. Where they are able to communicate and connect with a greater group of people who may not speak academic standard English or English at all.

How does common core positively shape language development in ESL and ELL students? Well, students are able to create multiple sound houses. These sound houses may not be perfect, but common core will guide them. It isn’t usually for people to make mistakes, common core encourages the usage of academic language in discourse work and in writing. It gives ESL and ELL students practice. Especially for those who aren’t able to speak English at home. Common core is an outline of skills and knowledge of what students are expected to learn. It gives ESL and ELL students a new set of rules, skills, and knowledge which all expand language development in ESL and ELL students.