English Language Learners, Strategies for Success
Today's classrooms are filled with students of diverse cultures and ethnic backgrounds. With that comes multpile languages. Think of how a student must feel when walking into a school that primarily speaks an unknown language. How terrifying that must feel to the young learner! Try to put yourself in that postition; think of how the inability to communicate effectively can make you feel out of place and scared. As a teacher, we need to make sure we are doing everything possible to give every student and their family a voice in the classroom. When teaching the English Language to students in our care, we need to make the most of every moment and also be respectful of their individual needs. Make sure you are making your students feel appreciated and valued. Take note of their backgrounds and assets they bring to the classroom community. Create an environment that supports them rather them singles them out. This goes beyond having texts available in a student's native language. Yes, that is important, but we can do so much more! Be proactive with your lessons and integrate a student's culture into a lesson. Be aware of their lives and communicate with their family. Also, collaborate with the ELL specialist assigned to your school. They can be a great resource!
We always think of differentiating instruction, and this needs to be no different when adapting our instruction to help students who are more familiar with another language. Not only do we need to think about translating appropriately, but we need to think of how the content translates across different cultures. Think of test questions that deliver a reading comprehension question. Have you composed the question with vocabulary only familar to your native region? Be mindful that even with translation, some things can still be quite difficult to understand.
Give your students a proper amount of wait time to answer a question; do not rush them to quickly respond. Speak clearly and not too quickly. This does not mean you need to shout at your students!
Please be respectful at all times! Give your students multiple ways to deliver their answer and/or products of learning in the classroom. A little creativity can go a long way!
No comments:
Post a Comment