Abstract
The rise of the English language and its wide use globally made it a necessity in schools worldwide. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), English is taught alongside Arabic, with the former now gaining dominance and perceived as the lingua franca in a country where 88.52% of the population are foreigners. This causes issues in diverse educational contexts whereby English educators may subsequently ignore the cultural capital of English language learners, for example, leveraging on students’ first language in the classroom to aid in instruction. This study explores how English teachers’ lack of cultural and linguistic reflection in class hampers learning a second language and is especially critical when labeling a student as having a disability rather than a difference. Utilizing semi-structured interviews with nineteen schoolteachers in public and private schools in the UAE, results indicate that schoolteachers rely on traditional assessment to differentiate learners, and few depend on other culturally-responsive measures and adaptations in class. The study calls for action from the groundwork, practitioners, curriculum developers, and governmental entities to reconsider the potential implications of language, identity, and the everyday learning of second language learners.
Presenters
Sana Al MaktoumAssistant Professor, Education, Zayed University, Dubayy, United Arab Emirates
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Learner Diversity and Identities
KEYWORDS
Second language learners, Culturally responsive teaching, Disability, Difference
