Benchmark - Synthesis and the Research Gap
Globalization has resulted in a significant interaction among people from different races, countries, and backgrounds. The result has been the growing need to learn international languages to share more information easily. However, the learning of an international language like English may present certain challenges. One of the biggest challenges can come from one’s ethnic background. Individuals from distinct ethnic backgrounds starting to learn English may encounter significant difficulties in pronouncing words correctly. English learners as a second language can encounter several difficulties with the language and may take several years to learn without gaining mastery. Different studies have shown that a person’s background can impact one’s learning process. However, previous literature has been limited to exploring how one’s social and cultural factors impacts learning English as a first language. This paper synthesizes previous literature to show the common findings that ethnic background impacts the learning process and the conclusion about considering ethnic background and diversity to improve learning. The gap in research was identified by considering how a person’s ethnic background can impact the pronunciation of certain words.
Common Findings Addressed in Each of the Articles
The common findings from the articles were that different factors impacted one’s social and ethnic background affecting the learning of English as a second language. The social learning theories identified that the surrounding of students like their parents, characters on social media, friends in their group, religion, and other members of their social group could impact the education of students (Edinyang, 2016). The sociocultural techniques also impact the neurocognitive and metacognitive processes of learning (Eshghavi, 2020). African American and Hispanic students were especially found to encounter multiple challenges when pronouncing some words due to the challenges from the social backgrounds and strong accents (Eshghavi, 2020). The other factor was identified as a student’s geographical knowledge and informal processes that impacted their learning. Students that saw the intrinsic usefulness of geographical knowledge by relating it to their backgrounds experienced a general improvement in their learning (Kitchen, 2017). Tongue twisters were also identified as a social learning technique as they could be taught in one’s background. The use of tongue twisters was found to be beneficial to students (Mu’in et al., 2017). Cultural interference was identified as one of the main challenges for learning a second language (Bacala, 2017). The analysis of seven black educators revealed that different factors like their race, accents, communication, and communication impacted the process of learning a language. Smith (2020) identified that the given cultural factors led to a difference in the English legitimacy, especially regarding the tone, delivery, and linguistic context and content. The study further revealed that racial and background factors could influence the learning process, especially in the pronunciation of some words. Apart from simply pronouncing words, one’s ethnic background influenced the learning of other second languages.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The analysis of previous literature also revealed how mother tongue as an ethnic factor could impact the learning of the English language through the pronunciation of some words. According to Hu (2015), Chinese immigrants could not pronounce some English words correctly, and speaking English remained a massive problem. Manuel (2017) identified the impact that Bantu languages have on the vowel pronunciation of students. The research identified that the speakers encountered multiple challenges when trying to pronounce some English words. Saptia (2014) also identified how Javanese, Banjarnese, and Dayaknese learners are negatively influenced by their backgrounds when speaking English. It was identified that there were distinct features in the supra-segmental ideologies like intonation and stress that impacted voice speech and quality. King (2017) also identified that the reality of living in a multilingual and multicultural society is that languages might collide and overlap, leading to challenges in pronouncing some words. African American and Hispanic students were especially found to encounter multiple challenges when pronouncing some words due to the challenges from the social backgrounds and strong accents (Eshghavi, 2020). The given studies showed that learners encountered several problems when pronouncing some English terms or when they encounter new vocabulary that could be difficult to pronounce.
Conclusions to be Drawn
The conclusion to be drawn was that improving learning ESL should critically consider how one’s ethnic background. The studies identified that different approaches for implementing ethnic backgrounds through the process of language learning could improve language acquisition. The consideration of ethnic backgrounds may involve providing more time and resources to the learners, like the frequent use of the oxford dictionary (Saptia, 2014). King (2017) identified that people should always be prepared with the language skills required for a multilingual society and be sensitive to the cultural needs of other people.
The other conclusion to be drawn showed the need to improve diversity efforts in language learning. Teachers play a critical role in learning languages and should prepare and equip students to be better communicators. The best approach to be taken by teachers to enhance the learning process is to appreciate the diversity of the students. Teachers can also identify strategies that the society can use and appreciate immigrant challenges. A more effective language learning would also entail having diverse teachers that can address the different language needs of students from different backgrounds. Throughout the world, people from different cultures should be ready to embrace cultural diversity and interact with different people from different backgrounds. Teachers should strive to acquire new skills as language specialists. According to Smith (2020), standardized English language that is acceptable in many social situations has often been unacceptable in multiple colleges in the United States. Accepting the diversity of the learners should be based on the need for diversity. The education and learning process should also be improved to benefit learners.
How the Studies Inform the Research Gap
The study of previous literature revealed a gap in literature where there was a gap in the literature in the study of how ethnic background influences the ability to learn the English language. There was a need to specifically identify the impact and the different effects that ethnic backgrounds impact learning. The previous literature only identified that how specific mother tongues like Chinese and Bantu impacted the pronunciation of certain words (Hu, 2015; Manuel, 2017). There is a need for research that identifies how ethnic backgrounds impact pronunciations. The research should also explore different factors in the learning process impacted by the differences in ethnic background. Additionally, previous literature did not clearly identify whether certain aspects of one’s ethnic background that could be advantageous or disadvantageous to pronunciation and the learning process of English words. There was limited research that explored how one’s background could limit the ability to pronounce different English words. Similarly, there was limited research that explored how one’s ethnic background could be advantageous and improve the ability to learn English words. The research will fill the gap in the literature by exploring how ethnic backgrounds could have pros and cons to language learning.
Conclusion
The analysis of previous literature provided an in-depth overview of the topic of how ethnic background impacts learning and the gaps in research. The common findings identified in the research were that a person’s ethnic background could impact the learning process. Different social and cultural factors were shown to impact a person’s ethnic background. A person’s mother tongue impacted the ability to pronounce certain words. The conclusions from the research were that improving the learning process had to consider the ethnic backgrounds of learners. There was also a need to solve various diversity issues in language learning. The analysis also revealed a gap in the literature with the need to further explore how ethnic backgrounds impact the learning process and pronunciation of words in the English language.
References
Bacala, F. (2017). Preliminary reviews to the interference of second language learning caused by first language and culture. Manuscript submitted for publication . https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/228459009.pdf
Edinyang, S. D. (2016). The significance of social learning theories in the teaching of social studies education. International Journal of Sociology and Anthropology Research , 2 (1), 40-45.
Eshghavi, M. (2020). A Convergence of Conceptual Frameworks: Neurocognitive, Metacognitive, and Social Cultural Techniques in Vocabulary Teaching and Learning. https://repository.usfca.edu/diss/531
Hu, C. (2015). Mother tongue interference in English language pronunciation of the Chinese immigrant in the United States. https://repository.usfca.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1229&context=capstone
Kitchen, R. J. (2017). How do Ethnic Minority Students Represent Geographical Knowledge? Exploring the Stories that Relate to Representations and Link with Post-14 Subject Choice. https://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.13858
King, L. (2017). The impact of multilingualism on global education and language learning. Cambridge English Language Assessment: Cambridge, UK . https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/Images/539682-perspectives-impact-on-multilingualism.pdf
Mu’in, F., Amrina, R., & Amelia, R. (2017). Tongue Twister, Students' Pronunciation Ability, and Learning Styles. Arab World English Journal (AWEJ) , 8 (4).
Manuel, P. H. E. (2017). The Impact of Bantu Languages on English Pronunciation. US-China Education Review , 7 (7), 345-351. https://www.davidpublisher.org/Public/uploads/Contribute/5a0e52dc7a120.pdf
Smith, P. (2020). "How Does a Black Person Speak English?" Beyond American Language Norms. American Educational Research Journal , 57 (1), 106-147.
Saptia, P. (2014). The Influence of Mother Tongue in Speaking English of The Third Semester Students of English Education Study Program of STAIN Palangka Raya (Doctoral dissertation, IAIN Palangka Raya). https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/148402698.pdf
