Learning English is Rocket Science: Challenges for Latino Immigrant Students

Since the early seventeen hundreds, the English language has been the most dominant in the United States territory and has been taught to non-native speakers ever since. Today, although it is not the official language, English has been the de facto language and is considered to be necessary. Latin American immigrants are the most prevalent immigrant group in the United States and English as a Second Language classes are provided, but different methodologies of teaching English, have evicted Latin American cultures and the Spanish language throughout generations. When teaching English as a second language, teachers may focus on assimilation, multiculturalism, bilingualism, etc…, but the difference could be the erasing of an entire culture/language while adapting entirely to the United States culture, or learning how to adapt while keeping a native culture alive and in the home of the student. The reality is that knowing English is necessary at this point in time to functionally live in the United States, but while learning the language, for the students in school, they should not be marginalized for speaking or practicing their own culture. I argue that in class for English as a Second Language, it is necessary for the students to be immersed in English in order to better learn it. However, they also need accomodations in their other classes in order to be able to continue their education without being excluded in or out of the classroom. The cultural norms of the United States can affect the way in which English as a Second Language is taught to students, and how the students in turn think about their own language and culture. It is important that bilingualism be the objective for these latino immigrant children in the United States public school system