IndexActivity n. 1 Activity n. 2 Activity n. 3 Activity no. 1 The court case that led to the consent decree was that of the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) et al. v. Florida State Board of Education on August 14, 1990. The basis of the case was that LULAC believed that the state did not provide sufficient resources to students learning English. The consent decree is known as such because it requires every teacher in preschool, elementary education, and English education to be approved by ESOL. The bill also requires that all ELL students be placed in appropriate settings where they will receive help with their limited English. The impact this has had on teacher skills is that teachers are taught the importance of cultural differences. This helps classroom teachers manage English language learners and better assist their students. This creates the best possible learning environment for their students. LULAC's action is an example of what advocacy can accomplish because LULAC has noticed a lack of support for ELL students. Despite this lack of support, LULAC stepped up and helped create positive change for these students. ELL students are now provided with a classroom and teacher ready to support their needs to help them master English and perform better overall in the classroom. Now, instead of being held back by partial exams, ELL students have the ability to excel in the classroom. This relates to the goals of multicultural education because this is the essence of multicultural education. In multicultural education we want students from all over the world to be included and excel in our classrooms. For mathematics education majors, Theory and Practice of Teaching ESOL Students in School, TSL 4080, and 60 hours of ESOL training are required. The ESOL approval includes five required core courses. These courses are ESOL Applied Linguistics, ESOL Intercultural Communication, ESOL Curriculum and Materials, ESOL Teaching Methods, and ESOL Testing and Assessment. At UCF you are required to take the ESOL Infusion Template and complete a TSOL notebook containing work from their 25 ESOL Performance Curriculum and ESOL Fieldwork. The ESOL infusion model used in the UCF College of Education is a model that contains two courses. These two courses are ESOL Teaching Theory and Practice (TSL 4080) and Second Language Acquisition Issues (TSL 4240). The final product required to demonstrate skills is a TESOL notebook. Activity no. 2 The "dominant culture" in the United States is white American culture. This type of culture usually means that they are of European descent, Christian, and are part of the middle or upper class. The term dominant means that the white culture is the majority of the population. This also means that whites are generally favored and therefore have greater access to resources to aid learning and teaching. This is known as white privilege. The most widely spoken language in the United States is English, which is the language spoken by white Americans. A microculture is a social group that shares distinctive traits, values, and behaviors that distinguish them from the dominant culture. Because people from these cultures share different characteristics from the dominant culture, they are seen as minorities and often discriminated against. Because these cultures are discriminated against, they usually have less access to resources than the dominant culture. This affects students' intelligence and their future to advance in higher education. Language is a problemfundamental of diversity because language is a huge part of culture. Communication is key when it comes to growth and development, so when someone is unable to communicate with others they are often left behind. Cultural and linguistic groups have been greatly affected by racism and prejudice. At my high school where we went there were what were called the “walls”. The blacks stood on one wall, the Hispanics on the other, the entire courtyard segregated by color and creed. Even though the “walls” still exist today, the school is doing everything it can to facilitate the integration of students. These “walls” are overcome by different clubs and students coming together and learning more about each other's cultures. Bilingual education is controversial because teaching another language in the classroom is believed to distance oneself from American identity. It is also controversial because bilingual education can be very expensive and divert money from other resources needed in the classroom. A common stereotype for ELL students is that they fall into the “self-fulfilling prophecy.” This means that teachers have low expectations of ELL students and therefore the student underperforms because they were taught what was expected of them. Cultural competence consists of being able to respond effectively to students' different cultures and social classes and to have a productive relationship with students by understanding the different economic and cultural structure (Cushner, McClelland, & Safford, 2009). My definition of cultural competence is being able to recognize and understand various types of cultures and being able to effectively teach any type of student, regardless of their culture. Five ways to develop cultural competence are to avoid stereotypes, participate in diversity training and cultural workshops, help students understand cultural identities and that everyone is different, check books and films for cultural, ethnic or racial negatives before exposing them to students and sending home documents written in the parents' native language. Activity no. 3 My cultural heritage is a mix of a group of different ethnicities. I am mainly Italian, Polish and German. My grandparents, parents and I all spoke English first. My grandmother knows a little Italian and my grandfather knows a little Polish, but neither of them speaks the other language fluently. Apart from these languages, my entire family speaks and knows only English. As a result I don't have many cultural experiences. I was only taught English and can only understand English, so my use of the language was not very enriched. I took a Latin class in high school that helped me identify the root of many words and better understand the language as a whole. This also allows me to understand some Spanish, as many words have Latin roots. This is what has enriched my use of language the most. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay I am monolingual. I can only speak and understand English. I think this is a huge disadvantage. Spanish is a widely spoken language and is becoming increasingly important in the United States. Especially being a teacher, not being able to speak and understand Spanish is a disadvantage and can reduce my teaching opportunities. Yes, I believe English should be formally declared an official language of the United States. English has been our official language since our nation was founded in 1776. Changing English from our official language would cause chaos and overall harm our country. The time needed.