How much do you know about the cultural and linguistic backgrounds of your English learners? According to one researcher, this knowledge plays a key role in successfully teaching students for whom English is a second language.
In her article published in 2000, Arlette Ingram Willis says, “Effective literacy instruction builds upon the cultural and linguistic backgrounds, ways of making meaning, and prior knowledge that all children bring to the classroom. Such instruction also acknowledges the important role of culture in language and literacy learning. Understanding and respecting the array of different cultures and languages represented in their classrooms helps educators adopt strategies for teaching literacy that will encourage and support student achievement.” In other words, it is as important to know the student as it is to know the subject matter.
