Needs of Immigrant Adolescent Youth - Essay Example

Running Head: Name: Course: Institution: Instructor: Date: Table of Contents I. Overview....................................................................................................................3 II. Issues Faced by Immigrant Youth..............................................................................4 III. Personality Development and Theories.......................................................................5 IV. Linking Development to Learning...............................................................................6 V. How the Issues Affect Learning...................................................................................8 VI. Conclusion....................................................................................................................9 Overview The middle phase of learning is a very critical stage in the growth and development of a student. This phase is characterised by mental, physical and emotional changes in the student’s life and learning should be able to accommodate these changes. Students in this phase of learning are in their adolescent years and thus their learning can be hampered by the bodily changes. Immigrant adolescent youth are the most vulnerable as they have an identity crisis which might develop into a fear of the environment thus harbouring their studies. Adolescents are young children between the ages of nine to fourteen and this stage comes before the teenage years. During this stage, the youth experience changes within their bodies either mentally, emotionally or physically. Immigrant adolescent especially the girls are the most affected by the body changes for they are subject to discrimination by the host society. They therefore find it hard to cope with student life which requires socializing and carrying out group activities. As the social learning theory states, the environment is a major participant in adolescent development where the youth learn through cognitive skills (Moore & Ohtsuka 1997). This papers aims at identifying and discussing the issues faced by immigrant youth towards their personal development and link them to the learning environment. Adolescent youth develop peculiar skills that should be identified by their teachers to enhance their learning abilities. Issues faced by immigrant youth Early adolescents suffer from a number of issues that may hinder their development. To begin with, the adolescent period is characterised by physical development where certain aspects of the human body change depending on their gender. Apart from experiencing personal issues within their bodies, immigrant youth a number of issues within the external environment which they frequently interacts with. Communication presents itself as a problem since the youth are not able to communicate effectively with their peers (Fischer 1999). This makes it difficult to understand their sentiments and other verbal expressions. Examinations are set in English where the students are supposed to answer using the English language. For the immigrant youth, poor grammar results to attaining a failing grade due to lack of proper written communication. In this perspective, learning becomes quite a challenge to the immigrant youth. Immigrant youth are faced with the task of overcoming racism within their immediate environment. In the new environment, racist remarks are a common phenomenon and they have to handle it if they are to prosper. Due to their race characteristic, they cannot be able to camouflage and blend in perfectly with the other students. The immigrant youth have unique characteristics which are notable within the environment. Depending on the notions associated with their specific race, the immigrant youth experience different levels of difficulty in assimilating with the society (Anthony 1997). Racist remarks have an adverse effect on the immigrant youths because they lack a sense of belonging which affects their concentration in class. They develop worries and are conscious about their environment to avoid being physically attacked or other harms. Their unique characteristics might eventually lead to isolation which inhibits the development of cognitive skills. These skills are necessary where the students are able to informally learn about their surrounding environment. Isolation could also lead to the suffering of mental illnesses that will disrupt the youth’s learning. Immigrant youth are unable to develop social skills which are necessary for the development of human beings. According to Giddens (1997), cognitive skills enhance the understanding of the immediate environment and make quick decisions on how to react to it. The skills contribute to learning through engaging in extra-curricular activities which provide a breather from academic matters. Personality Development and Theories Physical development relates to the ability of the youth to control and coordinate their bodies to achieve a balance between their emotions (Coleman 1980). Physiological differentiation between boys and girls are evident during the adolescent phase of growth. Adolescent youth become curious and begin socializing with members of the opposite sex as they strive to learn more about each other. However, immigrant youth may feel alienated because of their unique development which makes them distinct in the host environment. They have to concert more effort if they are to fit in the society and socialise with other members of the society. Issues such as racism and tribalism are likely to lower their self esteem for they do not fit in the society. The adolescent stage is characterised by cognitive development where the adolescent youth develops senses for their surrounding environment. Adolescent youth are able to understand their surrounding environments, solve problems, increase their thinking capacity and process information in order to make sound decisions pertaining to their lives (Shipley 1998). During this stage, the adolescent youth is able to learn more as they strive to develop their newly acquired skills. This is further facilitated by increased curiosity about their surrounding environment and creating their own identity. Immigrant youth similarly develop the cognitive skills which enable them identify their uniqueness in the society. Shipley (1998) views that for healthy cognitive development, adolescent youth engage in social activities where they encourage each other as well as stimulate their thoughts. Being social is very crucial for cognitive development which the immigrant youth may be unable to achieve. Psycho-social development refers to the ability of the adolescent youth to cultivate their unique personality in the society. Psycho-sociological theory was formulated by Erik Erikson who believed in sequential development of society. The most notable element in this theory is the development of ego identity which is the sense of self consciousness that we develop within a social context (Eriksson 2002). Ego identity enables the individuals to appreciate themselves and feel part of a larger society. They are able to interact with other individuals and share their thoughts and emotions with one another. Their ability to interact provides a background for the development of their cognitive skills that enable them make decisions logically. Linking Development to Learning Physical, cognitive and psycho-social developments play a crucial role in learning. For learning to take place, physical development is very necessary. The physical development allows students to appreciate the existing physical differences and increase their curiosity on the differences. Through curiosity, the student is able to learn a number on a number of topics that are not included in their curriculum. The students develop an own initiative through which they are able to undertake several activities without supervision. Cognitive development enhances the ability of the student to increase their knowledge without necessarily involving an instructor. Cognitive skills are important where the student has to learn on their own. These skills give an individual student the ability to increase their awareness of their immediate environment which is constantly changing. Through cognitive development, skills are developed which enable a student to make rational decisions through logic. According to Piaget’s theory on cognitive development, the mind undergoes frequent changes that allow it to link the past experiences to a current situation enabling one to make sound judgement (Giddens 1997). According to Vygotsky, cognitive learning was largely influenced by culture, language and social factors. He identifies that children are born with basic requirements for intellectual development which are developed through social interactions. He further stated that children are adequately involved in self learning practices where they explore their immediate environment and try to understand it with assistance from the wider society. Language was identified as the common mode of communication between the children and the adults as well as a tool for intellectual development (Matsueda 1982). Psycho-social development increases the student’s participation in the environment by being able to establish beneficial relationships with other members of the society. The students are able to establish an identity with which they are identified with in the society. These identities are important because they are suited to playing distinct roles within the environment. Involvement in a number of social activities increases the student’s knowledge on a number of issues thus opening up their minds. Such students are able to perform quite well academically and also in extracurricular activities (Howard 1950). How the issues affect learning Immigrant adolescents may face learning challenges especially due to language barrier. They have to learn the basic communication dialect in order to engage in mutually beneficial relationships for their development. With their basic intellectual ability, they can be able to identify activities that are socially acceptable in order to develop links with other members of the society. It is evident that the issues faced by immigrant adolescent youth can hinder their learning especially at an age where an individual attempts to discover who they are. A struggle with their identity becomes a major issue as they have to relate with other members of the society with whom they do not share common personalities with. Finding someone with whom to establish a meaningful relationship with either academically or otherwise proves difficult. They are bound to live a lonely life which is dangerous especially to children their age. The lack of a sense of belonging may result to the children engaging in socially unacceptable activities in order to get noticed. They engage in activities such as taking alcohol and other drugs that affects their health (Jensen 1972). Where the school provides transport means, the immigrant adolescent youth is bound to sit alone as no one wants to mingle with them. This further frustrates the child where they develop a negative attitude towards school. To them school becomes a nightmare where they lack individuals to associate with. This leads to the development of mental conditions which affects the child’s learning ability. The child performs poorly in their academics due to the hindrance of developing learning skills. Conclusion It is critical for the schooling community to identify and highlight the needs of immigrant adolescent youth. This will assist in their assimilation in the society and be able to develop learning skills like the rest of the children. Adolescents prefer their freedom and schools should create a free environment where the youth are able to engage in activities of their choice. The physical, cognitive and psycho-social development contributes towards the youth’s learning and the development of diverse skills (Matsueda 1988). These skills should be harnessed within the academic quarters irrespective of the student’s background. References Anthony, G 1997, Sociology, Polity Press, Cambridge. Becker, H 1950, Australian Outsiders; Studies in the Sociology of Deviance, Free Press, New York. Blankenhorn, D 1995, Fatherless Societies, Basic Books, New York. Coleman, JC 1980, The Nature of Adolescence, ISS, Den Hague. Eriksson, E 2002, Development in Adulthood: New Insights from the Unpublished Papers, Eriksson Instt, Chicago. Fisher, SE 1999, Addiction Research, Journal of Gambling Studies, p. 13, 207–236. Jensen, GF 1972, Parents, Peer & Delinquent Action: A Test of the Differential Association Perspective, American Journal of Sociology, 78: 562-575. Matsueda, RL 1982, Testing Development Control Theory & Differential Association: A Causal Modeling Approach, American Sociological Review, 47: 489-504. Matsueda, RL 1988, The Current State of Development & Differential Association Theory, Crime & Delinquency, 34: 277-306. Moore, SM & Ohtsuka, K 1997, Journal of Gambling Studies, 13, 207–236.ISBN 23457654 Queensland’s 1990, Census, Queensland. Shipley, PJ 1998, Psychologists in Development Paradigm. Stages & Transitions, New Delhi pub., Aston House India New Delhi Read More