Influence of a dialect in teaching ESL

Influence of a dialect in teaching ESL. English is a dominant global language that is spoken as a native language in five distinct countries which include England, the United States of America, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. The language is equally used as an official language in some other various countries especially those who are British colonies such as in Asia and Africa. In such nations, English is usually taught as a second language to enable them to take part in different domains such as education within a particular country. However, considering that different countries bear unique norms of communication, research has shown that students encounter challenges in developing proficiency in English learning depending on their country of origin. Educational issues regarding dialectical differences have over the recent years received significant attention with concerns that educational programs do not explore them thoroughly. Focusing on Indian students who study in America, this paper will expound on the influence of dialect in teaching English as a Second Language.

Influence of a dialect in teaching ESL

Just like in the Caribbean, the entrance of the English language in Asia was as a consequence of British colonization. Since then, it has coexisted among the population alongside with other numerous local languages. It is for this reason that a majority of Indian students who study English in the US as a second language do not struggle much compared to those from other Asian countries such as China (Sirsa & Redford, 2013). Although this language as never been forced to the local masses, it has consistently remained a reliable means of social advancement. Over time, English has continued to gain acceptance as an official language for the elites, the government as well as the national press in India. English has been so rooted in the Indian culture such that there exist some words that have been borrowed from the Indian language. For instance, the term avatar was traditionally used for incarnations of the Hindu God, and yet the same connotation in English has become extremely popular especially with the emergence of the web in the way of online avatars (Sirsa & Redford, 2013). Pundit is also a term with Indian roots which is used to refer to the learned ones while in English it is an exalted title referring to a person who has achieved significant intellectual heights.