Importance of Cultural and Linguistic Awareness

The United States has more immigrants than ever before. As a result the number of students requiring cultural and linguistic sensitive education has also increased. Meaning educators have to meet more diverse needs in one classroom than ever before. When creating assessments, curriculum standards, and implementing teaching strategies if cultural and linguistic differences are not taken into account students may not be able to access the curriculum to the fullest. If content is not geared to meet students’ cultural needs and interests, student motivation and performance will also decrease. Assessment data will not be valid because cultural and linguistic biases will inhibit a student’s understanding of the questions and assignments. As a result student scores will not be a true representation of a student’s knowledge and capabilities. Eventually overtime, if a student puts in effort and continues to struggles to access the curriculum and does not perform well due to cultural barriers, a student may become frustrated and eventually give up. Cultural and linguistic awareness is essential to creating meaningful and effective lessons. All students deserve the right to a meaningful education that will prepare them for the future. Eliminating cultural biases and implementing effective teaching strategies will allow students to reach their fullest potential.