Mexico shares a border with the United States of America, but the country still faces numerous challenges with limited proficiency in the English language (ICEF, 2016) . While compared with other Latin American nations, Mexico ranks below them for English ability. The MCO (Mexican Institute for Competitiveness) found out that only five percent of the population speaks and understand the English language even though it is the official business language in the country (ICEF, 2016). There is a global demand for the English language as there is a shift in world economies as countries like India and China experience exponential growth while taking a leading role on the global stage (ICEF, 2016) . According to an article published by the ICEF monitor highlighting a study conducted by the British Council in 2015 found that Mexico’s language-learning market accounts for approximately 21 percent of the Mexican population which is about 23.9 million people (Labree, 2017) . Beyond Latin America, it is estimated that there are 1.5 billion English language learners globally making it the most studied language in the world (Labree, 2017) . Mexico’s economy is increasingly inclined to the United States, and Mexico’s government launched a plan that was aimed at teaching the English language to every school child, even those in kindergarten. Presently, the 21 states in Mexico, as well as the Federal Districts, are offering English in elementary schools while experimenting with various teaching methods (Labree, 2017) .
In order to compete in a global economy and improve our standards of living, there is the need to have the ability to speak English in this day and age (Fullan, 2003) . This thesis reports the thorough findings of a study that is aimed at establishing successful teaching strategies for English learners along the United States and the Mexican border and how such can be replicated in both schools and governmental institutions. Emphasis is placed on the establishment of a global economy that is in demand for English skills in most occupations, and the language is also used in the decision-making process in both life and career choices. Also, central to the research study is the exploration of teaching methodologies that are capable of providing a foundation in the practice and theory of English language teaching.
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I contend that lack of support from both the United States and the Mexican government is a central factor in the failed progress of learning the English language that straddles both countries as well as the lack of committed leadership and cooperation among interested parties that is also responsible for the lack of progress. I would like to state that cooperation and good leadership among interested parties play a higher role in the achievement of a common goal.
To assist in the improvement of teaching strategies along the United States and the Mexican border, there is a need to understand the leadership of both countries, policies, and procedures as well as the structure of academic institutions that borders the two countries.
Problem Statement
Many Mexican students are faced with complex educational histories that span the geographic boundaries of the United States and Mexico. This mainly occurs when families migrate between Mexico and the U.S. in search of education and economic opportunities. This is also experienced when individuals move between Mexico-based and US-based branches of the facility. Even though such individuals bring with them a history of the English language instructions in Mexico, the U.S. teachers are not conversant with the previous English language training and vice versa. This creates a daunting task for U.S teachers for there is a need to understand the long-term language acquisition process that such individuals experience in order to develop the appropriate educational responses.
Many transnational students are concerned with the attainment of English proficiency skills irrespective of whether they intend to stay I the United States or Mexico. Ten percent of adults in the United States have limited English proficiency skills, and this makes them unable to secure jobs that have the capacity to provide the much-needed income to sustain a family. In Mexico, English proficiency has been identified as a way to upward economic mobility as the economy of the U.S. and Mexico are entangled. The lack of adequate literacy skills and educations leads to millions of individuals in both countries struggling economically.
The purpose of this study is to address the knowledge gap of the Mexican teachers along the U.S. and the Mexican border as well as the recommendation about effective teaching strategies along the U.S and Mexico border that could lead to a better collaboration U.S. and Mexican English teachers that could lead to many Mexican citizens learning the English language so as to advance economically.
Purpose Statement
The objective of this paper is to examine effective teaching strategies for English language learners along the United States and the Mexican border. The nature of the study dictates the use of instructional strategies and procedures among students in the U.S. – Mexico border that will be used as a powerful tool to facilitate narrowing the achievement gap of English language learners. The study conducted by Carmen Pompa in the comparing English vocabulary instructions for English language learners form a U.S and Mexico border in three elementary schools provided evidence that diverse teaching models are an essential component in English proficiency achievement of English language learners in students who are located along the U.S. and Mexico border. More extensive and enduring methodologies for effective instructional strategies and procedures for English language learners through a culturally diverse and responsive environment. The goal of this paper is to also focus on how teacher along the U.S. – Mexico border can be empowered to make the best educational decisions for their students and by also lessening their frustrations through professional learning communities that will help to monitor learning and teaching at the pre-service and in-service level which is at the core of caring in education.
Research Questions
What are factors that inhibit the acquisition of English as a second language in students living along the United States/Mexico border?
What strategies are teachers using for ELL students in the classroom to assist in overcoming language barriers?
Significance of the Study
The findings of the study will illustrate how effective teaching strategies for English language learners along the united states and Mexico border plays an important role in addressing the knowledge gap by helping students develop and experience appropriate pedagogical responses. There is a strong relationship between household income, the level of education attained, occupation and the access to English language learning. The English language justifies the need for better employment opportunities that require high levels of proficiency in English. Globalization requires developing countries to be at the forefront to train their workforces so that they successfully respond to the changing needs and demands of businesses that use the English language to communicate. The teaching strategies should be focused on student-initiated learning strategies where students have to be in charge of their learning processes as well as be given the ability to find opportunities that are tailored at enhancing their proficiency in English. Administrators will be guided on what should be emphasized by the teachers in the teaching strategies so as to improve students’ performance in the English language. For researchers, this study will be beneficial as it will help them identify important areas in the educational process that are yet to be explored.
References
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