Preparing English Learners for a Multicultural World

Implications for Language Teachers

Abstract

Amid the existing challenges facing minority groups, multicultural citizenship can be a solution to their full integration into a diverse world. Multicultural citizenship is an approach that recognizes community members’ native cultures by educating all students (especially minorities) about the knowledge, skills, and values needed for them to assimilate into their current or new cultures. Some of these minority groups include English learners (ELs), who might have difficulties fitting into the dominant culture due to their limited English proficiency or cultural background. In this article, the author highlights the key role of schools and language teachers in helping ELs develop as multicultural citizens in a diverse world. Within a multicultural citizenship framework, it becomes incumbent upon teachers at all levels to instill in students a balance of cultural, national, and global identifications. Multicultural citizenship helps students become literate citizens who reflect and act morally in an interconnected, diverse, and global world. The study pinpoints that citizenship education help students to develop thoughtful and clarified identifications with their cultural and global communities. The paper concludes with practical suggestions for promoting multicultural education in the language classroom.