Reading these articles makes me realize how sheltered I’ve been. The school I attended in Mississippi was an all white private school up until my sophomore year. When I graduated there were 3 African American students and about five Asian students in the school. When I think back on my school and then read these articles about how challenging it is for these students that come from so many different areas and countries, it stuns and amazes me. I completely agree with the ajc.com article that says that these non-natives can understand concepts but have problems articulating them. Some English-speaking students have the same problem. They understand the ideas behind the concept but have problems writing it down when it comes time for tests and homework. I also know what it’s like to be moved away from your home, without your consent and into a new country with people who you don’t understand. My dad was in the army when I was younger so we were constantly moving around to different countries. Granted it wasn’t so bad, he was mainly moved around between the United States and Europe, but there were instances where it took me a while to adapt to the language and the customs. That’s one thing that I was surprised that the article didn’t touch on: how the education system itself is or could be completely different than the one they are used to.
No comments:
Post a Comment