We have to take into consideration what it is like for those
individuals that are ELL and how they live day by day slowly learning a
completely new language. And those that only speak one language and they come
across someone that is learning different languages. It is becoming very common
to see students that are bilingual and it important for future and current
teacher to understand when you have a bilingual student in the classroom. Just
as they are learning a different language from us, we are learning about their
background and cultures. According to Wright (2015), "some schools in the past, ELLs were typically assigned to English as a second language (ESL) teachers or specialists who either pulled students out of their classrooms or went into their classrooms a few hours a week to provide instruction and support, or who taught self-contained ESL classes all day or for one or more periods a day". It benefits
the students and teachers because it gives the teachers a chance to learn about
the students’ cultural background and it gives the student the feeling that
their teachers care about where they come from. Taking these students out of the classroom also affects their education because it takes so much time out from their learning time from their classroom. Although ELL students' knowledge and understanding are no less than the students who only know one language, pulling them out of the class causes a misunderstanding from those who are not ELL. Those who are not ELL begin to think that ESL students need more help or not smart enough for regular teaching methods, which is not the case. According to Wright (2015), "ELLs are entitled to equal access to educational opportunities. This means they are entitled to (1) high-quality language instruction to develop proficiency in English and (2) high-quality academic instruction across the content areas". I am fluent in both English and
Spanish, but I did learn Spanish as a second language. So I am very confident
that I will provide the necessary materials and knowledge for my ELL students.
Wright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners:
Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second
Edition.
Great video! It must have been very beneficial to learn English and Spanish growing up as a child. I took Spanish in classes in High School but had teachers who just kind of forced the material on us instead of trying to encompass different methods of teaching us the language. I love that you are passionate about teaching ELL students in particular. I had a few ELL students in my first Student Teaching semester. What you stated in your bio section about ensuring as educators that we really take the time to cater to this group of students. This means trying to accommadate ELL students by altering lesson plans to fit their needs as well. I would provide written instructions, visual instructions and usually asked if they understood what my mentor teacher was teaching. One thing I took away from the article "What Research Says About Immersion" by Tara Williams Fortune was that "Inadequate teacher preparation and lack of ongoing support and ESL training are the biggest hindrances when it comes to non native ESL educators." (Fortune, 2017)
ReplyDeleteJerome,
DeleteI do recall that many students in high school just went to their foreign language class just to receive their credit and the teachers were only their to force certain material to their students. And that is what is wrong with some schools, they focus too much on just providing the learning material but they do not focus the meaning behind the material or the way they are presenting to students. If an educator does not take the time to listen and understand the students, what makes you think they will be motivated to actually learn. The text says "Understanding student talk is essential to teachers' ability to analyze what students know, how they understand, and what teaching methods would be most useful" (Wright, 2015, p 29). I have always believed that if you ignore the students needs, the student will ignore the teachers expectations.
Agreed. If we took the time to actually incorporate more personalization in lesson plan students will be able to retain information more efficiently. Another thing I noticed that Wright (2015) mentions is that "ELLs tend to be segregated into overcrowded schools with the poorest resources." (p. 5) I know at my high school we did not have that many resources and would make all of our ELL students go to the trailer classrooms for the entire day. They would not go to the same classes as we did and the work was brought to them. This was absolutely detremental to their education. So providing an inclusive and efficient lesson plan for ELL is paramount.
DeleteWright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners:
Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second
Edition
Hello Elizabeth! So cool that you have family from out of the country and can speak another language. I wish that I was bilingual and had family from around the world! I think being bilingual comes to be such an advantage when you are going into the field of teaching. Especially in Houston, where there are many different cultures and diversities in a classroom. According to Wright, "A growing number of immigrant students come from indigenous groups within these countries and have their own unique languages and cultures" (2010, pg. 10). I think that it is super important to keep in mind as a teacher that even though someone may look like a specific race, does not mean that they all share the same language and culture. Reasons why it is so important for us to learn and get to know our students.
ReplyDeleteHarlie,
DeleteIt is never too late to start learning a new language! Even with a couple of words that you know in a different language would make a huge difference. Im so glad that you brought up the fact that many people do think that just because you look a certain race it means you know that language. That is so important! When I was younger, many teachers would automatically think that I was from Mexico only because I looked I was from there. Little did they know, it may be the same language but two completely different cultures from Mexico to Colombia. According to Wright, "They are disadvantaged when schools do not recognize, value, and incorporate these differences" (2015, p 19).
It is clear that you feel a responsibility to contribute to students’ learning of new languages, as well as their continued success in their native language. Through the after school program you are involved in you are able to display that not only ELL teachers play a role in students learning a new language. Wright (2015) agrees with this sentiment and understands that all educators play a role in the success of English language learners (Wright, 2015, p. 2). As a future science educator I will also be tasked with fostering the success of ELLs, so hearing the firsthand experience of students like you and others who learned languages other than English at a young age is important. Going to Colombia also helps aid in your relatability to students who are a part of that culture, so that you can use their and your cultures as resources (p. 3).
ReplyDeleteReference:
Wright, W. E. (2015). Foundations for teaching English language learners: Research, theory, policy, and practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon Pub.
Brandon,
DeleteI do feel the responsibility to be so involved with my students learning when the are ESL because I kinda know how the feel when no one understands what they are going through or how they learn. I remember when I visited Colombia, I only knew a couple of words in Spanish. And no one over there actually took the time to be patient enough to help me understand what people were saying. People would just see that I did not understand and would tell my mom to tell me certain things. And that is an experience that I will always have with me and will help me understand my ESL students. According to the text, "Knowing the student's home language or languages allows the teacher to provide primary language support that can accelerate the student's acquisition of english and comprehension of academic instruction" (Wright, 2015, p 17).
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteBrandon. I absolutely agree. Of course providing proper instruction of English is important but also encouraging students to continue to progress their native language. I agree with Wright (2015) that all educators play a role in the success of English Language Learners. (p. 2) Ensuring that ELL students are properly learning English, properly learning the subject content and also still advancing their native language is no small task but is a necessary one as educators of ELL students.
DeleteReference:
Wright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners:
Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second
Edition