Fueling Engagement
Communication and cultural barriers exist as a very relevant issue within the community at Canal Alliance and the topic that I have been researching, as well as a dominant theme throughout “Oaxacalifornia.” Major differences in language and culture in the Canal are why institutions such as Canal Alliance exist and are able to provide services like ESL and job/skills training. The Canal is already so isolated from the rest of Marin physically, and the communication barrier only helps to marginalize its residents even further. The only time most residents of the Canal come in contact with people from other parts of Marin is when they are working under or providing services for them, which means a power imbalance is created that probably highlights cultural differences even further.
“Improving Classroom Participation of ESL Students: Applying Culturally Responsive Teaching Strategies” by Dianbing Chen and Xinxiao Yang is an article that can be connected to communication gaps in a way that goes deeper than just language barriers. The article follows a study surrounding three adult students from Asian countries that took part in ESL classes that utilized different teaching strategies. Many ESL programs ignore the home culture or targeted language culture of many of the students in the class, which typically leads to students being less likely to connect and become involved with the classwork and their own improvement. Here is an excerpt from the introduction of the article that I believe covers how intertwined cultural respect and comprehension have to be in the learning process:
“Culture can serve as a way to enhance the motivation of learners because it can create culturally responsive teaching, which is characterized by respect for diversity; engagement of the motivation of all learners; creation of a safe, inclusive, and respectful learning environment; teaching practices that cross disciplines and cultures; integration of culturally responsive practice into all subject areas (Wlodkowski & Ginsberg, 1995), and the promotion of justice and equity in society (Phuntsog, 1998)”
Being aware of cultural responsiveness is especially important when dealing with adult students, as both this study and Canal Alliance do, because it is far more difficult to keep adults motivated and engaged compared to children learning English. Many adult ESL students face socioeconomic and other cultural challenges in their day to day lives, so a comfortable and familiar environment and a safe learning space can drastically change receptiveness.
My topic demonstrates the ways in which cultural responsive teaching strategies can positively effect classroom participation, so I can draw the connection that these strategies would also help participation in the census. If Marin Census 2020 and Canal Alliance weren’t as involved with the Canal community as they currently are, I’m sure that there would be a significant difference in people who are even aware that the census exists or what is really is used for. Similar to the teaching strategies explored in my article, students need to feel comfortable enough and have some context to grasp on to in order to really absorb information. This applies to information about the census as much as it does English words and phrases in an ESL class. Just stating facts about census importance would not hold nearly as much weight as explaining potential personal consequences and benefits created by census information. Census results will impact the Canal community that I work with in ways that could reach basically all aspects of their lives. New services in the Canal could be made possible if population numbers call for them, which means new and/or better schools, hospitals, childcare centers, and senior centers. In addition, accurate census data could shape federal funding for key programs such as Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Section 8, and others. The same information can be provided to a group in different ways and lead to totally different levels of understanding and care. Giving context and even real potential situations could make targeted groups far more responsive to census information.
I have learned so much about effective communication as a whole during my time at Canal Alliance so far. I don’t speak Spanish, and and the students I am working with speak very limited English, so we have had to get creative in how we communicate. There is a lot of repetition, as well as body language such as pointing at words or images and using big, expressive motions to try to get an idea across. This might sound like a difficult environment, but it has actually led to many students, as well as myself, to drop any self-consciousness and let our walls down more. While that doesn’t really fall into any set “strategy” of culturally responsive teaching per say, the way I communicate with the students has definitely fueled a more comfortable, judgement free, and responsive environment.
