CULTURE, LANGUAGE, AND DEVELOPMENT
Differences in the ways groups think and act are more than a
matter of using different words or performing different actions for the same
purposes. Differences in cultures are more substantial than whether members of a
community eat white bread, corn pone, or tortillas. The behavior of people
varies, and the beliefs, values, and assumptions that underlie behavior differ
as well. Culture influences both behavior and the psychological processes on
which it rests. Culture forms a prism through which members of a group see the
world and create shared meanings. And a group's culture is reflected by the
group's language.
Child development follows a pattern similar to that of culture.
Major structural changes in children, such as language learning, arise from the
interaction of biology and experience. Such changes are remarkably similar in
kind and sequence among cultural groups. But the knowledge and skills--the
cultural learning--the child acquires at various ages depend on the child's
family and community.
Learning a primary language is a developmental milestone. However,
which language a child learns and the uses to which that language is put are
determined by the culture. As the ideas from a child's social world are brought
to bear through the guidance of the older members of the community, children
come to share meanings with their elders.
Classroom discourse presents children with the challenge of
learning new rules for communication. The use of formal language, teacher
control of verbal exchanges, question-and-answer formats, and references to
increasingly abstract ideas characterize the classroom environment. To the
extent that these new rules overlap with those that children have already
learned, classroom communication is made easier. But children whose past
experience with language is not congruent with the new rules will have to learn
ways to make meaning before they can use language to learn in the classroom.
When teachers and students come from different cultures or use
different languages or dialects, teachers may be unaware of variations between
their understanding of a context and their students'; between their expectations
for behavior and the children's inclinations. When children and adults do not
share common experiences and beliefs, adults are less able to help children
encode their thoughts in language.
TEACHING CHILDREN FROM DIFFERENT CULTURES
Teachers facing the challenge of teaching children from
different cultural communities are hard-pressed to decide what constitutes an
appropriate curriculum. If children from some groups are hesitant to speak up in
school, how can teachers organize expressive language experiences? If children
from some groups are dependent on nonverbal cues for meaning, how can teachers
stress word meaning? How can teachers test for mastery of the curriculum if
children do not speak a standard language or use the same styles of
communication? Cultural diversity makes it hard for teachers to assess each
child's developmental status, find common educational experiences to promote
growth, and measure the achievement of educational objectives.
Given the complex interaction between culture and development, is
it possible to design a developmentally appropriate curriculum? If that question
implies that the same curriculum can be used for all children, the answer must
be "no." However, the following developmental principles can provide a
conceptual framework for teachers trying to bridge the gap between children's
cultural backgrounds and school objectives.
