Over 10 percent Among students in the United States – more than 5.1 million children and counting – have learned English (ELLs). And although ELLs do not learn differently from their local-English-speaking peers, they have special educational needs. In a new country, a new language, and a New culture. But not all teachers know what to do or how to help these students.
So we talked to an expert and asked for his advice on how to help English language teachers. Colin Lecampot, a 25-year veteran, is an English language development teacher at Summit View Elementary School in the Highlands Ranch, Colorado.
Here are the things he believes his English language students would know if the teachers knew.
We have a lot to contribute, but we need time to be comfortable.
“Most of my new students have gotten really good education up to this point,” says LeCompte. “They have a lot of background knowledge that they want to share, but they’re not where they’re ready.” It’s understandable চলে moving to a new country, learning new customs, finding expectations:It’s too much. Students need time to process a certain amount of grief to get used to their new situation and, for many, to leave their lives. “The key is to be patient, and not force them to do uncomfortable things,” says LeCompte.
We want our teachers to “drink” us.
“It makes a lot of sense for my students when their teachers have an effective knowledge of their cultural background and where they come from,” says LeCompte. He explains that it is important that ELLs know that we respect their culture and do not need to change it. As an example, there are Asian students at LeCompte who take an English name because they are worried teachers will not be able to pronounce their name. “I pushed that back,” he said. “I’m telling them we’ll work hard to get your name right.” When he meets his students, such as Google Translate to learn more about their language and Google Maps and Google Earth to learn more about their own country, he goes a long way in showing his students that he has invested in them as individuals. Goes 6
If we connect to a subject, we open up.
Involving students is sometimes the hardest part of the job, especially with older kids. But when conversations are about things that are personally meaningful to them, they tend to be open. “My students like to talk at home about their previous school, their family and their friends,” Lecampot said. “The more we can talk to our students, the more we can help them build their skills.”
Building relationships with your ELL students is especially important. Ask them about their interests, their plans, their goals. Spend time, when possible, interacting with them one by one. Creating a classroom environment that is warm, comfortable and acceptable is more important than academic instruction.
Learning programs such as TCM’s language power A great tool to provide A meaningful opportunity for students to make personal connections by sharing their experiences with themselves, their families and languages and celebrating their home culture and language.
We need help navigating cultural differences in the classroom.
American schools can look a lot different from the school our ELL came from, and there are some things to be accustomed to. LeCompte reports that his students are sometimes surprised at how much interaction there is with peers in the classroom and how much our students talk. They wonder why we have holidays and why we don’t go home for lunch. All of these at the same time try to understand how social interactions work, understand our sense of humor and try to understand some of the subtleties of our language, such as satire. They need our support to navigate classroom culture because they are learning to adapt.
Every day, we face more challenges than our peers.
Our ELLS carries a much greater cognitive load — that is, the amount of information that working memory can hold at one time তুল than our native speakers. In addition to the important task of learning a new language, they are learning grade-appropriate educators as well as processing social, emotional, and cultural experiences. It’s a lot like the description of a female dancer doing what men are doing just behind and in the heels. We need to support our students as they work through these demands and make sure our expectations are met. They may need more downtime and obviously one more support after another.
Even though my parents don’t speak English, they really want to get involved.
“There’s a big misconception that ELL parents don’t care,” LeCompte says. “But these parents, like their children, are learning new systems and new school processes.” In fact, most of her students’ parents have high expectations of their children and are concerned that going to school is different from what they are used to. The key is communication. It is important to prioritize helping The family feels welcome and forms a partnership with them.
Just like all kids, we just want to be included and have fun.
It is normal for ELL children to gather together. After all, there is safety in being with your own small group. But, LeCompte explains, it is really important to integrate English language learners. Although all his students are learning a new language, this does not mean that they have everything in common. Just like all students, there are many more aspects of who they are. Help your students connect with children with similar interests. Assign a friend for the first few weeks to help new students connect with someone outside of their circle. Assign mixed teams to the class as often as possible. Finally, encourage community and relationship-building for All Students in your classroom.