Flipper Lee

Professor Ogden
English 1A
June 20, 2015
Cover Letter
Dear English Language Learner,
I want to present a great tool for you to succeed in your study of a foreign language. I
understand there are many changes that you face as a foreigner. I suggest you learn about the
culture for additional learning to decrease the problems you face.
I did a lot of research on the relationship between culture and language. I found out that
learning the culture can lead to a big improvement in learning. I also found out it helps your
daily life for better assimilation.
I suggest you take time to read about the essay included in this letter. After reading this, I
hope it makes it easier for you to learn a new language.
Sincerely yours,
Flipper Lee

Week 5 Weekly Writing Assignment

Nelson Mandela said, If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his
head. If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart. The quote explains how
peoples first language that they grow up with is more comfortable and influences them due
to the intimate nature of communication. A person hearing his or her own language makes a
discernable connection with the speaker. However, as an English Language Learner (ELL) or
a student of English as a Second Language (ESL), I have experience with not understanding

the punchlines in jokes spoken in English. When a joke is translated to Cantonese, I

understand the meaning of it, but the humor is lost. Some people may say I just do not
understand enough English, but that is not always the case because language is also related to
culture. People who undertake learning a second language need to understand the culture in
its entirety. In this case, when a joke is translated to a persons native language, questions
about the culture and language must be applied with critical thinking. This shows there is a
relationship between language and culture. Another aspect of learning a second language
such as English is that there is different body language. When a teacher points to a student in
the classroom, students probably do not know who the teacher is actually calling on. Most
American students that I met would point to their heart. On the other, students in my native
culture mostly point to their face. This is the only example about the differences in body
language. In some countries like Greece, Russia, and areas in the Middle East, a thumbs up is
the same as putting up the middle finger in the United States. Overall, in order to understand
language, people must understand some of the background associated with a culture. Indeed,
students who study English as a Second Language (ESL) encounter cultural differences
which present challenges in developing their language skills.
There is a strong relationship between language and culture. Karen Risager, a teacher in
Roskilde University, Denmark, wrote a book, Language and Culture Pedagogy: From a
National to a Transnational Paradigm, which talks about teaching between language and
culture. She provides histories about the identity between language and culture. She gives
examples of how language changes when it moves to other countries, as English spread from
England to the United States. She also gives many examples of her strongest supporting idea,
linguaculture. This is crucial because the definition of linguaculture is a language that
includes past knowledge and local and cultural information. As Risager believes, learning a

new language is the same as learning a new culture. Overall, her book shows there is an
unbreakable relationship between language and culture.
Culture which accompanies the process of growing up is one element that forms a
childs identity. When children move to another country for a better education, cultural
differences affect their way of thinking. In order for them to adapt, they must form a new way
of thinking. ESL students are a great example that relates to changes in cognition. Brian
Crosson wrote an article in National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP)
about ESL students demands and challenges. He states the problem by dividing into three
parts, which are Personalization, Collaboration and Curriculum, Instruction, and
Assessment. The first part, personalization, most relates to the changes and effects on
childrens lives. One of his supporting ideas is the cultural changes. If children do not adapt
to a new environment that they are not comfortable integrating into, they will resent living
there. Because of this, it causes them to remain silent in learning spaces. This affection may
not be solved at a time when it is necessary to assimilate for educational purposes. Slowly,
the children are isolated in the classroom, which Crosson presents in two parts. He states,
There is a world of difference between a student who does not speak English and a student
who is illiterate in his or her native language. This quote shows the challenges are from
culture changes. If an ESL student never gets away from the native culture or language, they
most likely will not succeed learning a new language. Furthermore, CBS News talks about
ESL struggles and strategies in a video, which explains how teachers sometimes do not
understand ESL students because of the way they simply talk. Since language is related to
culture, we can say that ESL students accent and pronunciation belong to a culture that they
grew up with. It would be hard to change that aspect of their identity because accents are part
of a cultural identity. Thus, ESL learners face many challenges concerning the teachers lack
of comprehension and the students language performance.

ESL class may not lead students to success because it may not solve the problem
concerning culture. One of the ideas from an article Culture and Language Find Crossroads
at ESL school talks about how it is not enough if ESL students only focus on language skills.
They will not succeed in a foreign country without learning the culture. For this reason, there
are many second language schools and ESL classes that are developed. This becomes a safe
haven for ESL students. However, there are many common ESL problems in ESL classes. 7
Most Common ESL Problems and How to Solve Them (Busy Teacher website) states the
problems, one of which is how students speak more of their native language than English.
This appears to be ubiquitous in every ESL class. When a student finds another student who
speaks the same language, they use the language much more than the language that they
supposed to learn in class. After that, a new problem arises in which students become too
dependent on their native language. Students may use this reason for not understanding
material to ask others for help to complete the exercise. These two problems show that the
ESL class has become even worse or meaningless. The ESL class is not as helpful as some
would hope, leading students to meet with similar students who speak their native language,
and thus presenting a bigger challenge of learning the culture and the language well.
All the problems that are explained above show that the biggest challenge is learning a
new culture and language in order to excel in the English language. Of course the best way to
solve the problem for ESL students is to indeed learn both aspects. An explanation of the
problem from the article in NASSP shows that learning in an unfamiliar place leads students
to focus less on education. Before entering a foreign country, students can prepare for any
cultural changes by reading books about the culture. This provides psychological preparation
to afford those changes. In addition, taking an enrichment class based on the United States in
their native country may help to solve the problem. For the ESL class, students may spend
more time actively participating with the local students, such as in a club or sports activity.

Those activities offer a chance for ESL students to learn the background and history of the
country and make new friends. There may be additional classes that can be separate from the
mainstream classes so that ESL students can succeed and not feel like they are at a
disadvantage compared with native students. Additionally, the 7 Most Common ESL
Problems and How to Solve Them (Busy Teacher website) provides ways to solve these
common problems. As the authors of the book and article mention, there is an inseparable
relationship between language and culture. To sum up, ESL students who are able to learn
about their new culture could potentially decrease the challenges faced as an ELL.
Moreover, learning the culture of a language provides more for ESL students than just
the development of more skills. A question and answer forum from the Askville website gives
the idea that learning about other cultures helps people to learn about others and their way of
life. It helps to develop an ability to become friendly with those that come from a different
culture. One response on the website emphasized culture as a tool for people to connect with
others all over the world. In another example, an article called The Most Important Culture
Change You Can Make (Inc website) by Aaron Skonnard talks about how learning about
another culture aids in future success. One of the facts he discusses is that students should
...demonstrate [their] passion for learning. In other words, learning a culture shows the
person is fighting to improve themselves since every culture contains a vast array of
knowledge and history. Skonnard applies his idea into leadership to prove that people who
know about others cultures develop additional skills to seek higher truths than others do who
not. Overall, Skonnard describes how knowing about a companys culture helps people in
obtaining higher outcomes in their job prospects. Similarly, an article called 10 Reasons
Why A Learning Culture is Crucial To Your Organization (Motivated and Competent
website) by J. Wood also discusses the same idea of how learning and development go hand
in hand. He said learning culture is crucial. It affects the performance of the

organization. The author provides ten supporting ideas, all of which explain the possibility
of improvements if people in a company know about culture. To sum it up, learning culture
helps people relate to a great development for them to increase their quality of life in the
future. As a result, the evidence and research clearly show that language and culture should
be considered when teachers plan their lessons. Without this consideration, a strong
foundation is not laid for students, for both ESL and native speakers.
Learning about a culture has a big influence in the development of additional skills,
especially for ESL students. Of course in some special cases, people can succeed in a foreign
country without learning the culture. However, learning the culture provides a better
possibility of obtaining that success. Furthermore, the evidence and data show that
deliberately educating oneself on the foreign culture cultivates an enriching life. A good
suggestion for anyone that is an ELL or a foreigner in any country is that learning about the
culture leads to more success. Since having an understanding of a culture is helpful to many,
why doesnt everyone study the culture in which they hope to assimilate?

Works Cited
"10 Reasons Why a 'learning Culture' Is Crucial to Your Organisation - Motivated And
Competent." Motivated And Competent. 11 Mar. 2013. Web. 20 June 2015.
"7 Most Common ESL Problems and How to Solve Them." Busy Teacher. Web. 20 June
2015.
Corio, Larry. "ESL Struggles and Strategies." YouTube. YouTube. Web. 20 June 2015.
Crosson, Brian. "Content." 10 Things Every School Leader Should Know About ESL. Web.
20 June 2015. .

"Culture and Language Find Crossroads at ESL School." Boston.com. The New York Times.
Web. 20 June 2015.
"How Can We Benefit from Learning about Other Cultures? Is It Important?" Askville. Web.
20 June 2015.
Risager, Karen. Language and Culture Pedagogy from a National to a Transnational
Paradigm. Clevedon: Multilingual Matters, 2007. Print.
Skonnard, Aaron. "The Most Important Culture Change You Can Make." Inc.com. Web. 20
June 2015.