Immigration and Cultural Identity

Immigration and Cultural IdentityThis research paper focus on the many concerns about adult immigrants perceptions of their own pronunciation problems and the many challenges faces at times speechmaking with a evince. People ar pushed and sometime hale to learn position as a common lyric in the United States. However, what should adult immigrants attitude towards incline as Second phraseology (ESL) be? And in what ways should we as immigrants learn it?Immigrants from different soil converge upon the United States in searching for a better livelihood for family or simple to fulfill a long life dream. Jamaican group is no exception with a combination of dialect, such as Patios/Creole speech communications. Many if not all adult immigrants apprentice comprehend that pronunciation of warning American incline play a section in their communication disruption that lead to consequences of speaking with a outside accent.As I will show shortly, the combination of Patios/Cre ole language is so thick and distinctive, it separate from the dominant English language or we should say, the universal language (English).A couple of months ago, my uncle who is only a fewer months old here in the United States, was unfortunately suffer a stroke that affected his left arm and left foot and was put in a nursing home for rehabilitation. When visited him at lunch or dinner time, the nurses always appear transparently and confused when they serve my uncle his food, because he would always reply me noh like this yah food, it nuh occupy noh tase. I can in any case relate to recently arrive Jamaican immigrants having a communication breakdown with their American associate.In the case of Jamaican Patios/Creole, specific language difficulties were identify as accents and the social effects along with interaction help played a design in how immigrants assimilate in the United States. Immigrant learner like myself in like manner tends to produce a target-like variant ( e.g., me noh nuh nutten) in one and only(a) context and a non-target like variant (e.g., I dont know nothing).harmonize to University of Toronto Press Incorporated (Tracey M. Derwing), This study concerns adult immigrants perceptions of their own pronunciation problems and the consequences of speaking with a foreign accent. Interviews were conducted with 100 intermediate proficiency ESL students (58 of whom belonged to a plain minority). Over half the respondents felt that pronunciation played a role in their communication problems.Jamaican immigrants leave behind a outlandish where they are the majority to one where they are the minority. Their language and settlement in the United States are compounded by discrimination based on cultural differences and are often stereotyped as having poor language and communication skills if a dialect being defined by its pronunciation, phrase and grammar.Tracey M. Derwing (Journal article by University of Toronto Press Incorporated) further states that When asked whether they had been discriminated against because of accent, two thirds said no, alone when asked if people would respect them more if they pronounced English well, the majority agreed.English continue proven to be very challenging, it is not easy learned, oddly for adults. It is proven to be most difficult languages because it is so irregular. For example, base infinitive broadcast, quondam(prenominal) simple broadcast and past participle broadcast. Immigrants find it difficult to learn Standard American English especially when pushed and sometime forced to learn English as a Second language (ESL). Example, our immigration system, Bloomberg-Businessweek listed, PRO linguistic process SKILLS EQUAL SUCCESS (by Havovi Cooper). One of the few immigration laws that makes any feel to me is the one requiring immigrants to learn and speak English before they can detect citizenship.Concerning adult immigrants attitude towards English as Second words (ESL), the U.S. is a country that has been built on immigration and immigrants bring their own tillage and belief systems into a new society. I must say, people are most comfortable with what they al fudge know and believe in. People instinctively defend and embrace what is theirs, whether it is a tangible piece of dress legislation or an intangible cultural belief, people are not ready or willing to open-up to invasion of their culture by another.Laurie Olsen, (jstor.org) wrote, learning English is not just a bailiwick of coding an alphabet, learning vocabulary, and earshot subtleties of accent. For immigrants students, the seemingly straightforward task students in a schoolroom with a teacher helping them understand and learn to use English is imbued with the weight unit of social and political complexity that goes far beyond simple the matter of acquiring a second language. Learning English is at the fondness of a national debate over what it means to be a diverse society and to i ncorporate immigrants from around the world (Crawford, 1992). The intensity of this polarized political debate reverberates throughout the classrooms of this nation where immigrants try to discover and understand their quad in their new land.Most immigrants would like to mastery of the Standard English language in hope of finding employment and will also serve as a stepping-stone that will enhance their life. The question is in what ways should we as immigrants learn it? Speaking for myself, as immigrant it takes determination and courage, solely there are many avenues to learn English language as well as a teacher-led program in a classroom. You have to learn as you go (self-teach), meaning you can learn from friends, families, conversation heard on the street, community centers, playground or in your community church. According to website, literacy.uconn.edu, indoors these pages, youll find easy access to a wide assortment of literacy ideas customized for classroom teachers of students who are learning English as a second language (ESL) or English as a foreign language (EFL).(Roger Reed) states that, The subject area Institute for Literacy (n.d.) stated that English as a Second Language (ESL) programs are the fastest growing area of state-administered adult education programs. Demands for ESL command continue to increase while federal expenditures for ESL and bilingual education have decreased (Board on Children and Families, 1995). This contradictory response has created years-long waiting lists for ESL programs across the country. there are other programs that allow individuals with limited English proficiency (LEP) skills an probability to acquire the English language.Immigrants may ask, what the one social consequence? When ricochet on what my uncle says to the nurses each time they serve him food, they did not correct him, they may not understand his language, some may find humor or they find it embarrassing, If the situation is clear, the mean ing and use of the vocabulary pronunciation and grammar gunpoint also becomes clear.In conclusion, whether English is turning into a global language, immigrants accent and pronunciation of words will continue to be undesirable things for both(prenominal) learning and teaching. It may continue to be the focus of many debates and controversies among immigrants and educators if a dialect continue being defined by its pronunciation, vocabulary and grammar, as well as its accent.