Reserch that Benefits Children & Families:Uplifting Stories

"If they come to America they better learn to speak English!" 

      This is a statement I have heard far too many times. Yes, we all need to speak a language we can all understand but, let's do it in a way that works in a positive manner. If I could research anything right now, it would be all that second language learners go through as they navigate their "new world." 

      One article I reviewed discussed language anxiety which many ESL students experience in their daily school lives. The primary sources of language anxiety, are communication apprehension, fear of negative evaluation, and test anxiety (Zheng, 2008). As we are well aware of, any type of toxic stress, such as language anxiety, learning a completely new culture, and so-on is detrimental to brain development causing all types of issues not only during school but into adult life as well. These young children are going to grow up and be our society's future making it imperative we do right by them as well.

     Because I am not a researcher I would be negligent in suggesting a research project. I would have to learn much more before even entertaining such an idea. However, I do see the benefits of such a study resulting in a positive outcome for both the children and their family. These benefits would also reach out to the teacher, policy-makers, and the society as well. Understanding second language learning in not only the academic sense but the personal sense as well, will be a more inclusive and positive learning experience. The child will develop a strong self-concept as they learn, helping in both their school career as well as their future success. Teachers who better understand what goes on behind the learning of a second language both academically and  personally will develop a more inclusive learning environment which meets all the students' needs. To even better understand the various cultures' within the classroom will aid in class management as the views of those cultures in education and behavior is better understood.  

      The area of the learning of a second language while attempting to navigate our American classrooms has always been my passion as I watch these students struggle to try and "fit in". I am excited to learn all I can in the area of research and, maybe, one day change their struggles.

                                                   

Resource

Zheng, Y. (2008)  Anxiety and second/foreign language learning revisited. Canadian Journal for New Scholars in Education. 1(1)1-12.