Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id j7CFboG28755; Fri, 12 Aug 2005 11:37:50 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 12 Aug 2005 11:37:50 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <20050812153505.49741.qmail@web81410.mail.yahoo.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Terry Said <said@ameritech.net> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:11066] Re: Caribbean students and dialect differences X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 Status: O Content-Length: 3630 Lines: 116 I don't have a lot of students from the Caribbean but I do have a lot of students from India and Pakistan as well as countries from Africa where English is a major second language. What I see with these students is dialect differences. For example, Indian English is used to communicate with each other across the sub-continent, but it may sound very foreign to an American speaker's ear. The intonation in Indian English is quite different from that of American English. There are also differences in vocabulary and spelling. If students understand that there are dialect differences even though we are all speaking English this will help them understand better the difficulty. If students are told your English is bad or you don't speak English, they will often become defensive because in many cases they have had at least a part of their education in English, and are used to communicating in English in their own countries. I know there is information out there about these dialect differences, but I don't have any specifics. Terry Pruett-Said ESL teacher Michigan --- JUDITH SINCLAIR <j-p-sinclair@worldnet.att.net> wrote: > Dear Friends and Colleagues: > > > > Please know that we are very appreciative of the > many informative responses > we have received in the last few days regarding > language and Caribbean > students' success in work and school in the United > States, and we thank > everyone who took time to reply. It has been very > interesting to review how > various respondents framed our query. All replies > are worthy and helpful. > > > > In our opinion, this is a critical issue in American > education; one that > deserves continued interest and support. However, > according to what we have > seen in many multicultural, linguistic, and/or > multisocial studies, it is > often miscategorized or undervalued as a factor in > this population's career > and academic success. In our opinion, some of this > misunderstanding may > spring from the often-tempered relationship between > theory and practice, a > synaptic process with well-documented risks. Other > misunderstandings might > reside within the tension between current > behaviorist, cognitive, and > constructivist concepts of language and > "linguistics," as they emerge from > earlier Watson vs. Chomsky "manifestos." And, there > are other factors, as > well. > > > > Yet, overall, and certainly with respect to the many > fine responses we > received from you, it seems to us that we are > gaining ground in our > understanding of how to appreciate and treat > often-frustrated insular and > continental Caribbean students. It is our idea that > the interest and > knowledge gained in the last 100 or so years about > both insular and > continental Caribbean language and linguistics in > America as it relates to > students' success in school and in work will > continue to grow in import as > we look toward our new society, and the challenges > it provides to American > education. And, realizing that this interest is not > particular to our own > country, the new perspectives we American educators > forge will hopefully > serve the wider, universal interest in this subject. > > > > Thank you again, friends and colleagues, and please > know that we look > forward to our continued participation in the NIFL > community's exchange. > > > > Sincerely, > > > > Judith Peyton Sinclair, Ph.D. > Cognitive Psychologist in Education and the Social > and Behavioral Sciences > Executive Director > Sinclair & Associates International, LLC > Main Office: Washington, DC > > > > >
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Mon Oct 31 2005 - 09:49:17 EST