NYSTCE English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Practice Test

Acculturation primarily involves adapting to the customs of a new culture. This process encompasses the ways individuals or groups adjust their cultural practices in response to the influence of a different culture, which may include adopting new behaviors, beliefs, values, traditions, and social norms. While learning a new language is often a component of acculturation, it is just one part of a broader adjustment process. Similarly, developing emotional ties to a new community and unlearning one’s native customs can occur during acculturation but do not fully encapsulate the primary focus of the process, which emphasizes the adaptation to and integration of new cultural customs and practices. Hence, the correct choice highlights the central aspect of acculturation—how individuals learn to navigate and adopt the customs significant to their new cultural environment.