English 345: Tuesday, November 8

            As I read the texts for today’s class period, I found Chapter 11 of Kuma to be a direct answer, or plea for more awareness in the least, to the problems discussed in Harklau’s article, “’Good Kids’ to the ‘Worst’: Representations of English Language Learners across Educational Settings.” I found Harklau’s point that too little is known about ESL secondary students to be so true, in both research and otherwise. As I have research various topics related to this group of students, I found that the majority of research has been focused on ESL students in the elementary context. Many people have focused on the literacy practices of this group, perhaps because other native-speaking students at the elementary school age are also still struggling with literacy. Yet, a paucity of research exists on the reading and writing practices of ESL secondary students even though this group carries with it issues very distinct from their elementary school counterparts, including the identity issues exacerbated simply because they are adolescents.  

            This lack of knowledge of ESL secondary students was glaringly apparent in Harklau’s article. One teacher states, stigmatizing their ability to communicate in two languages: “It must be like somebody who’s very bright and has a stroke. And can’t express themselves” (50). The lack of knowledge about language acquisition and bilingualism behind this quotation, which was spoken by a college educated person, highlights the stereotypes that fill the heads of most monolingual English speakers in this country. Yet, one cannot necessarily blame the teacher for this way of thinking. He or she could, of course, educate him or herself about such topics as language acquisition. However, most research shows that teachers in the U.S. are extremely inadequately trained to handle this student population. Without proper training for all teachers, this problem will, unfortunately, persist.

            What should be done? What should these teachers/administrators/other people working with ESL students know? Well, first off, they should read Kuma Chapter 11 to gain some background on language, language policies, and the standardization of English. Most have no idea that “standard” English has nothing to do with it being better “linguistically” than other dialects: “A standard variety, thus, gets its prestige owing to social, political, and economic factors and not linguistic ones” (242). Most also have no idea about the significance of a student’s first language in acquiring second language literacy. The students features in Harklau’s article had already been in the U.S. for at least six years, but I especially wonder about students who arrive in the U.S. and are immediately placed in secondary schools. With the lack of research and the lack of teacher knowledge in that particular arena, I can imagine what it must be like for them to attempt to learn.