American Indian Communities

To some degree, Native Americans seem to have common culture with others such as African Americans in that they are strongly rooted in "storytelling traditions, the flow and structure of oral narratives, and the importance of oral traditions" (493). Studying these characteristics when observing a Native Americans writing skills may greatly benefit the teacher in locating the zone of proximal development of the individual student. It doesn't seem too far fetched to embrace the diversity of the cultures when trying to teach English to Native Americans. To deny students the roots of their culture makes the teaching process seem insignificant.