Is language education is important in our life?

Language education is important part of the globalized world (Block& Cameron, 2002). During the language studying process people are faced with different challenges in order to achieve new opportunities in life. It was quite interesting to learn that, even in language education of genders there might be inequalities which are based on different factors such as: cultural background, workplace, economic status and others.

Language education was investigated with different researches. For instance, Pavlenko and Pillar investigate deeply the issue of the language education on the immigrant women in the USA. They claimed that the classroom participation plays an pivotal role in acquiring foreign language. In schooling process is based on classroom gender interaction (staying invisible). During the interactions in the class among immigrant adults, immigrant males were more active and more participative during the classes but females stayed shy and invisible. Also teacher used to shape a wrong assumption about particular community members which may slow down some immigrants’ encourage and speed up other. For instance, girl from Bosnia with European appearance might be assumed as member of the English speaking world rather than girl from China with Asian appearance (Pavlenko & Piller, 2008, p.61). The authors states that in classrooms besides gender discrimination there were discrimination by the group of learners (migrant or minority). Discussion topics which are close and familiar for dominant students and encourage the participants and involve in studying process and others might feel themselves as “rara avis” (white crow). 

“What hindrances might immigrant women face outside the classroom while acquiring a foreign language?”

Immigrant women in the USA face different hindrances in their new host country one of them “is the” lack of language proficiency or even the absence of foreign language knowledge. In acquiring foreign language they faced with:

Ø Lack of daycare, inconvenient location of the English as Second Language (ESL) courses and transportation difficulties (absence of own car) caused problems for women who live at a distance.

Ø Gender discrimination at home. Husbands did not allow their wives to attend the ESL because of fear. Fear of not being smart as their wives, which might affect on men’s image.

Ø Lack of education and too many household responsibilities.

These kinds of challenges limit and border future achievements the workplace. Proficiency in several languages raises the number of opportunities in labor market and also the salary. For instance language education faster an immersion process in the western society and start a relationship with western “chivalrous”(men) (Pavlenko & Piller, 2008, p. 61).

The power of education is obvious. For immigrants it opens doors to high society in order to provide for your family and yourself with food and all necessary items. For others it shuts the borders between Asia and Europe and increases the opportunity to create a family. Studying languages increases options and benefits in life. For that reason let’s do our best to be multilingual people!

References:

Block, D., & Cameron, D. (Eds.). (2002). Globalization and language teaching. Routledge.

Pavlenko, A., & Piller, I. (2008). Language education and gender. InEncyclopedia of language and education (pp. 57-69). Springer US. Retrieved from: http://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007%2F978-0-387-30424-3_5