How can language teaching methods be adapted for learners from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds?

To adapt language teaching methods for learners from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, educators should provide resources in various formats (digital, print, audio) to ensure accessibility, use culturally relevant content to enhance engagement, and implement blended learning models for flexibility. Engaging families and communities, offering financial support for educational resources, and providing additional language support services like tutoring can further support students. Tailoring instruction to meet diverse learning needs, promoting collaborative learning, integrating low-cost or free technology tools, and offering emotional and social support through counseling and mentorship are also crucial.

Gursahani's comment about English as a tool for students' future resonates with me. In Finland, basically every student is guaranteed several years of EFL education. However, the attitudes students have learned towards the language affect their performance. It seems to me that students coming from backgrounds that place little value to understanding foreign languages tend to view English as something they can delegate to tools like translators and (increasingly) AI. When I meet them at upper secondary level, it's already a challenge to help them see how understanding language and culture can open new possibilities. Many of them have struggled with English for years and approach my course from a pass/fail perspective.

In the Brazilian context, social and economic factors play a significant role in determining whether an individual has exposure to a second language and the extent of that exposure. Public schools currently lack comprehensive language education programs, further accentuating the divide among social classes in terms of access to second language proficiency. Therefore, advocating for impactful changes becomes imperative, particularly in the realm of teacher education. Educators must receive thorough preparation to effectively teach English as a second language, especially for individuals coming from less privileged backgrounds.

There is no forum or opportunity to practice English in daily life This is a common occurrence with many people as they learn English in school, private courses and at university but do not have a situation that will afford them the opportunity to actually use the language. This creates a hurdle that cannot be easily overcome unless the community comes together to create a forum for young adults and children to practice the English language. I have observed this in my years of teaching English. Unless a person is part of a more higher level in society where English is often spoken, those who are middle to lower income levels do not have a chance to practice what is learnt and soon forget English.

I'm not sure assessing learners' backgrounds is where most of the effort should be spent. It is important to know your students and their attitudes towards the subject you are teaching, as well as any strengths and challenges they have regarding learning. Knowing that a student comes from a poor family does not necessarily mean that the family discourages education. Similarly, students whose families do not support their learning might find support elsewhere. For instance, it is often cited that people who play video games usually have a decent grasp of English. That in mind, I would try to assess students' strengths and weaknesses. Attitudes usually come up in conversations, but a simple quiz could work at the beginning of the course.

This can easily go wrong based on stereotypes or misconceptions from the colonialistic mindset which we all have been affected by. Most studies have been done by a dominant culture & race. I have had conversations with people of all socioeconomic backgrounds. In my experience, this is not necessarily true. Having money and social capital doesn't transfer to intelligence or advanced skills. There is access to e-books free of charge. Let's leave the judgment outside of the classroom and use the UDL style. I converse with wealthy individuals who do not have a vast vocabulary or advanced language skills. Relating the lessons to pre-lived experiences is important. But teach everyone high levels of the target language, then we will close the gap.

In order to teach language to learners from diverse backgrounds; Provide different levels of difficulty and complexity within tasks,?allowing students to choose work that best suits their needs and abilities.

Design assessments that consider the diverse learning experiences of students. Avoid relying solely on traditional exams and explore alternative assessment methods, such as projects, presentations, or portfolios, which may better showcase a student's language proficiency. Be open to adapting teaching methods based on feedback and ongoing assessment of students' needs. Flexibility is key to ensuring that the approach remains responsive to the diverse dynamics within the classroom.

It is hard to say that learning one's socioeconomical background will completely help the teacher's language teaching methods. Yet, understanding certain factors about the learner, for instance, literacy level, aims and golas for following the target language, and what kind of barriers the learner faces when learning the target language could be useful for the teacher to have an easy approach for the learner.

I agree that teachers should tailor their learning environments to each student's individual needs, offering extra resources or support to those who need it and challenging advanced students with more advanced content. But I would like to also add that it is important for teachers to use culturally appropriate resources that honour and represent a range of viewpoints and life experiences, creating a welcoming and encouraging learning environment where all students feel valued and supported. By emphasizing these elements, teachers can help close the socioeconomic divide and foster a sense of community in the classroom, setting their students up for success both inside and outside the classroom.

I have always believed that teaching language should deal directly with learners' lived realities from the very beginning. The teaching of new words and concepts should be based on what learners already know and are familiar with and deal with on a daily basis, and this is easy to arrange once the socioeconomic make-up of a mixed class, for example, is assessed. It does require more work on the teacher's side, but it provides a rich source of materials. In a mixed class, for example, different realities can be taught and practiced, so giving students a wider range of vocabulary, teaching them to compare, use opposites, create different but complementary frameworks within which to acquire reading, speaking, listening and writing skills.

I once helped a student answer a question regarding culture during another teacher's class. Their perspective of culture was highbrow theatre and art. They wanted none of the above and so they had difficulty answering what kind of cultural activity they would like to see in our city. When asked, the student told me that they like exotic snakes and realized that they would like to attend a snake exhibit. This became the core of their answer and I later heard they finished the course with more enthusiasm. It is important to understand individual students. One cannot meet everyone's interests and skill level without sufficient preparation. Generative AI may help with producing tailored materials. Smart learning analytics may help as well.

Know your audience.. and meet them halfway, ultimately.. student autonomy, motivation and dedication, will determine if they will succeed in the classroom and life. If your classroom and students don’t have access to tech, for example, focus on group and speaking activities. Don’t rely on the internet and use analog methods.. or for comparison, in my case, my students all have smart phones, computers, and access to fast reliable internet. So I approach my class using project based learning through the medium of google classroom and its related tools.

From my perspective, the classroom should be a welcoming place for the learner. This should be the place where the learner can open up and ask for the teacher's help without any hesitation. For this, the teacher needs to understand the learner's competence in the target language. Based on this, the teacher needs to address each individual's learning barriers, adapting language teaching methods.

Understanding the broad strokes of a student's socioeconomic background does not guarantee that you are able to address their individual needs and interests (for instance, interest in exotic snakes is probably a bit niche). It is regardless helpful to know that different backgrounds give students different strengths and attitudes - and some of these attitudes can be challenged and improved with positive learning experiences and a supportive environment. Students might discover strengths they did not believe they had. There are many varieties of English and thus many ways to speak English correctly. E.g. typical expressions in AAVE might seem like mistakes from a BrE perspective. I try to remember this when assessing native speakers.

Language is a key component to cultural expression. Being true to linguistic expression is important to portraying and conveying the core essence of a people through how they communicate. Ethical practice is key to ensuring the identity of the people and the individuals within that society are best conveyed to the global audience in this fast growing world we live in

Why does it matter to match how you teach with where your students are from? Well, it's a big deal for teaching languages right. When you match how you teach with where your students are from, it helps them get more excited and do better in learning the language. It's like giving them cool stuff to learn that matters to them. Also, it lets them take charge of their learning, making them feel more confident and less worried. And hey, fair feedback helps them know how well they're doing. For teachers, being flexible in how they teach means they can be more creative and helpful. It also means they can help make things fair for everyone and respect all the different ways people speak and live.

Man sollte aufpassen, dass man den sozio?konomischen Hintergrund nicht automatisch mit bestimmten Faktoren (wenig literarisiert, wenig Weltwissen...) assoziiert. Auch wenn bei Studien dies herauskommt, muss das nicht für jeden einzelnen Teilnehmenden mit diesem Hintergrund zutreffen. Wie ich in der Entwicklungspsychologie gelernt haben, suchen sich intelligente Personen trotzdem M?glichkeiten (Stadtbibliotheken, Kontaktpersonen au?erhalb der Familie...) und k?nnen deshalb aus diesem Schema fallen. Würde ich diesen Teilnehmenden mit meinem "Wissen" pauschal begegnen, k?me ich zu falschen Schlüssen und die Betroffenen würden sich doppelt diskriminiert fühlen. Mehr individuell auf Teilnehmende schauen, w?re meine Empfehlung.