Academic Achievement and Acculturation in English Language Learners

The study focused on variables, such as acculturation and academic success, which have previously been studied with English Language Learners. The present study hypothesized that English language learners who are less acculturated to the dominant culture will not be as successful academically as their counterparts who are more acculturated. It was hypothesized that participants who lived in the dominant culture for a longer period of time, would have gained a greater acculturation to the dominant culture, and, thus, have higher GPAs than those with less exposure to the dominant culture. This hypothesis was confirmed by the present results. Current increases in the diversity of students and the number of English language learners creates the need for appropriate instruction. A lack of success in the educational system for minority populations is a concern in education which needs to be addressed.