Teaching to Diversity: Teaching and Learning in the Multi-Ethnic Classroom

Ethel King-Shaw is a professor emeritus of curriculum and instruction at
the University of Calgary.

The author has a wide range of experiences teaching in North York,
Ontario, where the majority of pupils are learning English as a second
language, and as a teacher educator at York University. In this book,
she combines recent research findings on second-language acquisition
with successful methods of teaching students of diverse cultures,
languages, and proficiency in English literacy skills.

The first four chapters focus on the principles of second-language
acquisition. Short biographies illustrate the varied backgrounds of
children relating to culture, family situations, skills in the first or
other languages, and personality. Various approaches to language
teaching are based on the learning theories of Ausubel, Piaget, Rogers,
Krushen, and Vygotsky (Meyers is most influenced by Vygotsky).

The last six chapters provide practical suggestions, with an emphasis
on active learning and participation by the students. Suggestions are
given for motivating, interacting, modeling, adjusting for rates and
styles of learning, integrating language skills and learnings, and
direct teaching. These professional skills are applied to several
aspects of the program, such as listening to stories, shared reading,
discussion, and writing. The chapter on student publishing provides
superb suggestions concerning the materials and resources required for
many types of authored books and related activities. For best results,
an atmosphere of cooperative learning is recommended. There are even
suggestions pertaining to new arrivals at school.

This excellent book will be well received by ESL teachers. Although it
is theoretically based, major emphasis is placed on applications to
classroom practice. There are sufficient references for those seeking a
more theoretical explanation. The beginning teacher will find valuable
suggestions for launching a program, while the experienced ESL teacher
will find stimulating ideas on how to extend a program. No specific
reference is made to Native children, but many of the suggestions are
applicable.

The book concludes with a challenge to teachers to provide
intercultural, rather than multicultural, educational. In intercultural
education, “students are taught to look for similarities, or
universalities, among humans and then to develop an appreciation for
diversity by looking at the reasons for the differences.”