MEDIA COMMUNICATIONS
Division of University Relations
403 Olds Hall
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824-1047
MEDIA CONTACT: Geneva Smitherman
Department of English
(517) 353-9252 or
Lisa Acheson
University Relations
(517) 355-2281
3/14/00
SURVEY REVEALS ENGLISH TEACHERS UNPREPARED FOR LANGUAGE DIVERSITY IN U.S. CLASSROOMS
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The results of a national survey issued today finds that English teachers are not prepared to cope with the diverse students who make up the language arts classrooms across the nation.
The three-year study, "Language Knowledge and Awareness Survey," was funded by the Conference on College Composition and Communication (CCCC) and the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).
The survey was led by Geneva Smitherman, University Distinguished Professor of English at Michigan State University and chair of the CCCC Language Policy Committee, and Victor Villanueva, director of composition at Washington State University and former chair of the CCCC, who collaborated with others from the CCCC Language Policy Committee.
They found that although the majority of teachers have come to accept the idea of language diversity, acceptance of that diversity is not being translated into classroom practice nor into the preparation of teachers by colleges and universities.
"It seems like ages ago when I was called upon to argue on behalf of the children and their language in the King case in Ann Arbor," Smitherman said. "The federal court decided to hear me. Now I need teachers to hear me, or at least hear what these results suggest, that our understanding of language variety is still not being sufficiently translated into classroom practices that affirm students' abilities."
Smitherman said that nearly a third of the teachers reported not having had a course in language diversity in college while nearly all respondents (95.5 percent) stated that a course in language diversity was necessary for anyone preparing for a career in teaching.
Based on their research, the professors found that a significant number of teachers had not received any kind of training they themselves believed necessary. They also found that the teachers were unaware of the published positions of their professional organization about the legitimacy and richness of language diversity.
"I'm not surprised when the public in general still thinks of 'good English' and 'poor English,' and I think 'poor' really is a telling word," Villanueva said. "But I continue to wish that teachers could understand better that the more students know about language, including its varieties, the more likely they are to succeed as writers, as competitive workers and as politically active citizens."
The study showed that those teachers who had taken college courses on language diversity reported that the least important course for future teachers was "African American English" and "American Dialects." Yet, according to Smitherman, it was the teachers who had taken those two courses who showed the most positive attitudes concerning language differences and bi/multilingualism. This suggests that these courses convey information about language that has the strongest positive impact on language arts professionals.
Smitherman and Villanueva also found that attitudes about language diversity were related to the educational level and racial/ethnic background of those surveyed. As an example, significantly more People of Color (i.e., African, Asian, Latino/Latina and Native Americans) disagreed with the statement that students whose primary language is not English should be taught solely in English.
Based on the survey by the CCCC research team, the professors believe that teachers must become knowledgeable about the vast amount of research that demonstrates the legitimacy of various dialects and languages and that suggests ways teachers might teach Standard English without belittling other dialects and languages. Some of their recommendations include:
* Teachers should become familiar with methods for meeting the language needs of all students.
* Teachers should remain distinctly conscious of their covert attitudes toward their students' language and the impact of those attitudes upon the academic achievement of their students.
* Teachers should recognize the overall benefit, for all students, of learning a language other than English and of knowing more than one dialect of English.
* Teachers should remain apprised of new findings in linguistics and composition studies pertaining to the teaching of Standard English to speakers of other languages and dialects.
* Teachers need to be made aware of the principles embodied in the "Students' Right To Their Own Language" policy and the "National Language Policy."
* A "Students' Right" document for the 21st century should be developed, one that would reflect the last quarter century's advances in research on language and linguistic diversity.
The research team used a random sample drawn from the membership of the CCCC and the secondary school section of the NCTE, both leading language arts organizations that have advocated "policies of respect" for the country's many languages and dialects. A total of 983 teachers responded to the study that was initiated in 1996 and completed in 1999.
Copies of the "Language Knowledge and Awareness Survey" are available by contacting Smitherman at (517) 353-9252 or at [email protected]. Villanueva is available at (509) 335-2581 or at [email protected].
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