In the first unit of this course, you completed a Unit 1: Research Proposal assignment in which you proposed the research question and central issues that you wanted to write about in the course. Now, as we enter the final weeks of the semester, you will look over your previous proposal and update it. You will turn in a new, revised proposal for this assignment,
—–I’ve attached the essay below “
Write a brief research proposal for your topic for the Unit 3: Addressing Issues Research Essay. For this proposal, revise and/or rewrite your previous work from the Unit 1 proposal assignment.
This proposal should outline the issue you will address in your research essay, the audience affected, the context and scope of the issue, the main claims you will pursue, and the specific perspectives you will consider. The proposal should also name 3-5 sources that you will use to support your approach to the issue. From this proposal, a reader should be able to understand that you are listening carefully to a relevant conversation about an issue important to one or more actual communities.
Pei Li
ENGL 1302
2/11/2022
PROPOSAL: IMPACT OF LINGUISTIC INEQUALITY IN EDUCATION
Purpose of the research
This research aims at investigating the linguistic world and how inequality linguisticsaffects the quality of education.
Background of the research
Language is an essential aspect of a learner’s life. Teachers and learners should communicate in a language that establishes a serene rapport for learning. In the United States, immigration takes place in large numbers. Programs such as theUniversal Design for Learning (Kumar & Wideman, p.127), the English Language Learners program, and the English Language Proficiency have been introduced to help deal with language inequities andimprove the quality of education.
Thesis
Although effort has been put in place to enhance the learning of English by migrators in the USA, I believe the problem is yet to be solved. However, the gap course by linguistic inequality is yet to be bridged, and this is a vast claw back in the education sector.
Research questions
- How does linguistic inequality affect education in the USA?
- How can the problem caused by linguistic inequality be bridged?
Literature review
Better models are put in place to meet the students’ needs so that teachers can understand the linguistic practices of their students(Brown, p.176). Those in the English teaching professionmust comprehend these practices in specific(Brown, p.176). They need to understand how the students utilize language in their affairs on a quotidian basis and how they communicatewith family and friends. It is a prerequisite that through their support and patronage, they ease the fluency and knowledgeof the students in Standard English by being keen on their linguistic needs.
Countries with well-developed education policies have determined the policies themselves. In less developed countries such as those in Africa, external pressure has imposed these policies on them (Brock-Utne, p.773). English is a mother tongue in the USA, making it easier for children to learn through it. On the other hand, English is a foreign language mastered by a minority(Brock-Utne,p. 773). Children are forced to learn through this language, which neither their teacher nor they have got well. These policies create a linguistic inequality affecting the quality of education(Brock-Utne, p.774). The children who migrate to the USA are faced with the same challenge. How can quality education be delivered in a language that creates a communication barrier?
Despite the measure adopted to curb the language barrier in education, linguistic inequality still affects education delivered. What solutions can be proposed to curb this problem?
First of all, the English Language Learners program should be introduced in schools early. The education curriculum should ensure thatlearners start this program early to enhance exposure and a better understanding. The curriculum should offer this program as a mandatory course. This will enable learners to control their learning objectives and ensure they meet them.
The teachers should identify the students’ objectives to learn to communicate in the common language used to teach. The teacher should determine the English Proficiency Standards to aid them in delivering the course content adequately. Tutors should align the English Proficiency Standards with the learning objectives they seek to achieve (Council of Chief State School Officers, 2). The factors that a teacher can consider in the alignment of the goals with the standards include the age of the students, their existing English skills, and their language background(Council of Chief State School Officers, 2). This will help achieve the objectives faster and easier as the teacher will know the needs of each student.
Findings
Brown suggests that linguistics inequalities affect not only education but also socialization. Socialization is essential when a child grows up since it enhances many aspects such as communication skills, business skills, making relations, and socio-economic, among others. Thus, every learner’s individual needs must be taken into account to measure their proficiency in English or any other concerned language and how far they need to go.
On the other hand, Brock- Utne talks of foreign countries’ policies on developing countries. It would be better if such countries were given a chance to build their policies. This will come in handy as these teachers understand their students better, their needs, and their understanding levels. They are better positioned to know which policies will work best for them. Such measures will ensure the quality of education delivered is good.
Heller reflects on how linguistics is related to the hierarchies of power (Heller, p.121). She argues that the educated and the upper class’ language is seen as a standard against which other languages and ideologies are made substandard and intelligible (Heller, p.124). This promotes linguistic inequalities. Does she assert that most linguistic scholars have asked why language has been and is a ground for social inequality and differences (Heller, p.125)? In my opinion, language should be a bridge to kill social differences and inequality.
Conclusion
The linguistic inequality problem in education has existed for a long time since everybody is born with their mother tongue, but they have to be tutored through the same language. However, this barrier can be bridged by strengthening the existing measures and improvising new ones.
WORKS CITED
Brock-Utne, Birgit. “Language And Inequality: Global Challenges To Education.” Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education 42.5 (2012): 773-793. Web. 4 Feb. 2022.https://doi.org/10.1080/03057925.2012.706453
Brown, David West. “Micro-Level Teaching Strategies For Linguistically Diverse Learners.” Linguistics and Education 17.2 (2006): 175-195. Web. 4 Feb. 2022.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.linged.2006.08.001
Council of Chief State School Officers. English Language Proficiency (ELP) Standards. 2022. Web. 4 Feb. 2022. https://www.k12.wa.us/sites/default/files/public/migrantbilingual/pubdocs/elp/wa-elp-standards-k12.pdf
Heller, Monica. “Sociolinguistic Frontiers: Emancipation And Equality.” International Journal of the Sociology of Language 2020.263 (2020): 121-126. Web. https://www.degruyter.com/document/doi/10.1515/ijsl-2020-2090/html
Kumar, Kari Lynne, and Maureen Wideman. “Accessible By Design: Applying UDL Principles In A First Year Undergraduate Course.” Canadian Journal of Higher Education 44.1 (2014): 125-147. Web. 4 Feb. 2022.https://doi.org/10.47678/cjhe.v44i1.183704