Cultural Capital And English Language Learner Educational Outcomes

Abstract

Through researching cultural capital, I was able to identify how cultural capital is developed and its impact on English Language Learners’ educational success. The underlying guiding question addressed throughout this project was: How can teachers be informed about cultural capital and its impact on students’ educational outcomes? Although there is a vast selection of research in the field, there has been little resource creation and implementation in response to what research would suggest as it relates to a teacher’s role in cultural capital development. To assist teachers in increasing English Language Learners’ capital, an activity resource was developed. The intent of the resource is to provide teachers with activities that assist in increasing a learner’s cultural capital. The resource includes a variety of minimal material activities that can be used in a wide range of educational settings for Grades K-12 and Adult Basic Education. The ultimate goal of this project is to engage students in activities that acknowledge and celebrate their linguistic and cultural differences.