brianmodelski14-weuhz

By: Brian Modelski

The modern-day classroom is changing. I remember as a student that many of my school buildings had around 1-2 English Language sections per subject to support English Learners. However, as I graduated from college, those sections nearly doubled and closed to triple. Many large waves of migration, especially from Ukraine and Russia, have reshaped the cultural landscape of the student population. In my building, I have taught up to four sections of EL sheltered history. At the freshman level, we have offered up to five sections of Human Geography with classroom sizes of around 25 students each. The sophomore and junior sections are around 3-4 sections, further impacting the desire, need, and demand for EL-certified teachers. 

With the rise of these populations, I have witnessed the cultural shock the students have faced. Newcomers arrive at the Newcomer Academy and are supported primarily in their first language. However, there is a major cultural shift. Many of the students have immigrated in the past five years, and have lacked the basic content and academic skills that their peers have. Culture shock can cause psychological stress and anxiety as students transition from one culture to the next (Saylag, 2014). Though there is language support in the classroom, most of my students shut down when presented with a lot of English. The process of learning content while learning a language can be extremely overwhelming, oftentimes leading my students to shut down or stay distant from school. I have faced a rise in absenteeism among students. Some students get homesick and have a hard time adapting to a new school environment.

The major effect of this transition for students is the lack of cultural capital. Cultural capital is defined as the form of knowledge and skills that is passed from one generation to the next  (Chih-Hao & Utsumi, 2024). The students entering my classroom might have a great skill set for school subjects, but may lack the means of expressing it in their secondary language. Therefore, they might be placed in sheltered courses where the rigor may not meet their academic needs. Some students may not be challenged. Plus, transitioning as a newcomer can be difficult financially. Hummelstedt et al. (2026) share how students with working-class parents often are less supportive of their children and have a distant relationship with the schools. Most of my students come from a household where the parents work multiple shifts. This can create a sharp contrast between parent involvement and my students’ academic growth. Finally, cultural capital has unwritten rules, which are social cues that most students pick up over a lifetime. Many of my English learners struggled with academic work ethic and communication. I often do not get asked many questions. Most assignments that are given at home do not get turned in. As an educator, I have had to adjust my instruction to adapt to the cultural needs of my students. 

To assist, schools can focus on fostering positivity and inclusivity so students cannot only adjust to the language but also to the school’s cultural norms. This past year, I supported my district in constructing film clips that can support EL families and students to learn more about how to adjust to school cultural norms. I made videos on how to access the Learning Management System, how to register for athletics, how to find the proper school bus, how to pay for cafeteria meals, and even how to use the nurse. These videos are designed to reduce the cultural capital gap and improve the social support system for all English learners. 

References:

Chih-Hao, C., & Utsumi, Y. (2024). The impact of international internships on Japanese undergraduates’ English achievement: perspectives on cultural capital theory. Education & Training, 66(7), 890-906. https://doi.org/10.1108/ET-04-2023-0124. 

Hummelstedt, I., Kosunen, S., Holm, G., & Mikander, P. (2026). Teachers’ (mis)recognition of pupils’ cultural capital and their navigation of schools’ middle-class normativity. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research, 70(2), 422–435. https://doi.org/10.1080/00313831.2025.2492052. 

Saylag, R. (2014). Culture Shock an obstacle for EFL Learners. Procedia – Social and Behavioral Sciences, 114, 533–537. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2013.12.742.