ual education. As with practically any academic pursuit, a students success or failure in reading comprehension is highly dependent it seems on their cultural background. On the language in which classroom materials are both written and spoken in, the students proficiency in both their first and second languages, and on the cultural content of the classroom materials. Likewise, a students attitude and motivation plays a very important part in their success in learning a second language. Students with more positive attitudes towards the people, and the culture they are being integrated into are more successful. In Richard Rodriguezs essay entitled ARIA, he explains What I needed to learn in school was that I had the right- and the obligation- to speak the public language of los gringos.(Rodriguez 531) When comfortable that they have the right to learn another language, students gain the positive attitude, as well as the self esteem that is so badly needed to succeed. Another unexpected source of support comes from Deborah Tannen in her essay entitled Conversational Styles. Americans are often proud that they discount the significance of cultural differences: We are all individuals, many people boast. Ignoring such issues as gender, and ethnicity becomes a source of pride: I treat everyone the same. But treating people the same is not equal treatment if they are not the same.(Tannen 549) By discounting the cultural differences such as language, students are not being treated as equals, as they are not being allowed to learn English. A perfect example of this is shown every day in the classroom when children slip into their desks, and pull out their English books. Also, how much the student perceives the need of the new language can have a great impact on how willing they are to learn it. In terms of his own advancement in perhaps obtaining a job where it may be necessary to know English, or meeting some other goal, which is ...
