I will say that I have had a considerable amount of experience with non-native English speakers. They ranged from individuals who knew absolutely no English to individuals who were efficient speakers. With teaching I believe that Math is probably the easiest to teach to English Language Learners because numbers are universal and Math concepts are universal. I plan on teaching Science which does involve a lot of reading and vocabulary comprehension. This will be a challenge for non-native speakers because there are going to be a lot of Science terms that are unfamiliar.
I think a critical part of teaching science to ELL students is ensuring that I am able to present the information in as many ways as possible. For example providing visual, audititory and kinetic activities that ensure that even if the ELL students are not able to capture all the information, they have a few other means of different ways to learn. I look forward to really ensuring that my lessons cater to all of my students and being that we are in a huge ELL community this will make me challenge myself in creating appropriate instructional plans.
Ortega (2011) mentions that it is hotly debated whether students should be taught grammar and vocabulary directly or approximate in the “natural language meaning-making process” (p. 8) while in the classroom. I had ELL students in my Student Teaching 1 semester and noticed that all of them are different in their learning. I had the luxury of having an aide specifically for special needs and ELL students which really helped when I was going over more complex concepts. When I would engage with the ELL students and explain to them a concept, I would use the appropriate vocabulary in English but also ask them what the equivalent was in their language. This not only gives them a mental recognition of the vocabulary but also shows them I am trying to meet them halfway which will encourage them to progress. I have dealt with a good amount of non-English speakers so I am very patient with ELL students and speak slowly so they have time to translate in their heads. I look forward to sharpening these skills through this course.
Hi Jerome! It is wonderful that you have the experience of working with non-native English students because you already know what do to and what to expect in those situations when you lead your own classroom. I do agree that Math would be the easiest subject to teach for ESL students because Math is such a universal subjects, numbers are what we pretty much have in common with all cultures. It is great that you plan to have many ways to provide the necessary learning material for all types of learners because you never really know how a student learns unless you take the time to learn about them. According to Wright (2015), once teachers have basic information about the home countries, ethnic and cultural groups, and languages of their students, they can obtain further information by searching the Internet. The knowledge that you obtain from research into a child’s background would help in their learning and understanding process in any new language.
ReplyDeleteHey Elizabeth. So I am a big advocate for incorporating a students culture into the lesson(if I am able to). For example I taught a lesson during Student Teaching 1 this past semester about hurricanes, typhoons and cyclones. They are the same weather system but occur in different parts of the globe. A student from Taiwan and a student from India were in the class. We talked about their experiences with typhoons because those are both areas that are effected by these storm systems. We briefly discussed what cities they were from and their experiences with typhoons. This not only gave them information that was tangible to their life experiences but also gave the other students an opportunity to learn about another country. This type of teaching is needed considering that the number of ELL students is rising. Wright(2015) states that "the growth rate of ELL students far surpasses the growth rate of the total student population. (p. 7)
DeleteReferences:
Wright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition
That is great way to get their background about where they are from. By having a common subject (such as hurricanes) your culture as well as theirs, gets to compare one and other and also learn from each other. One can only get so much information about an ESL student when it is just about educational material, it has so much more meaning when you take the time to see how their life was before coming to the states. It is stated in the text "Teachers can learn about the history and educational system of the home country of a student born outside of the United States, as well as any difficulties there that may have caused the student's family to leave their country and come to the United States" (Wright, 2015, p 24).
DeleteHello, Jerome.
ReplyDeleteIt is nice to know that you have had experience with English Language Learner students. During our class we are taught various strategies that help us cater to the students individual needs. English Language Learners all learn in different ways and it essential for a teacher to know his or her students. The key to success for an ELL student it making them feel welcomed and comfortable (Wright 2015). It is up to the teacher to create a nurturing environment for the students. Because these students coming into class have received a cultural shock, and they proper assistance in adjusting to this culture.
Reference:
Wright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition.
Hey Shirin. I agree making students feel comfortable is one of the most important aspects in the success of ELL students. Learning another language is already incredibly daunting but having to learn another language and 4-5 different subjects is even more daunting. With my Spanish ELL students Ill try and say some words and phrases in Spanish while teaching just for reference. This also keeps me on my toes and trying to diversify my lessons. Wright (2015) says that "the growth rate of ELL students far surpasses the growth rate of the total student population." (p. 7) This means that more teachers are going to need to get more comfortable learning about other students and their origins so they can create efficient lesson plans that cater to ELL students.
DeleteReference:
Wright, Wayne. Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, 2015. Print. Second Edition
Great work. I think this entry allowed you to exchange good ideas with two classmates and I see already good points being made such as the importance of including learners' culture to help them make connections between the content of the class and their lives.
ReplyDelete