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Teaching ESL Students in the Mainstreamed Classroom
By Cynthia L. Wallace
With more and more children
immigrating to the United States, chances of having an ESL student mainstreamed
into your classroom are likely. Now the question is what to do? As a general
education teacher, you may be feeling overwhelmed and dismayed. However, this
article was written with you in mind. After reading this article, you should
have the following:
o
Information
regarding second language learning acquisition
o
Practical
suggestions on how to communicate with your ESL student from the very first day
o
Making
preparations to include ESL students in the classroom
o
Helpful
teaching strategies for ESL students
Information Regarding Second Language Learning Acquisition
It is important to know
some basic fundamentals of second language acquisition before ESL
students come into the general education classroom. This section will give a
brief overview as well as correcting some common myths of second language
acquisition.
There are basically four
stages when acquiring a second language. By being aware of children’s
developmental stages in second language acquisition, teachers should be able to
adjust their expectations, while providing opportunities that allow for student
growth and development. The four stages are as follows:
1.
Preproduction;
children are beginning to take in and understand the new language; however,
they are not able to reproduce it.
2.
Early
Production; children are beginning to understand portions of what is being
said, and comprehension is beginning to develop; one-to-two word utterances may
be made at this time.
3.
Speech
emergence; children are increasing their sentences, as well as continued
comprehension is taking place.
4.
Fluency
on an intermediate level; children’s comprehension is very good and speech
reflects more complexity (ability to analyze, examine, justify, and explain)
Teachers need to remember
that there really is no such thing as an "ideal" language. We all
have our ideas of such "perfection," but those ideals are subject to
regional, cultural, and other influences. The English language has many
variations, idioms, dialects, and other factors that influence the individual
of what the "ideal" speech may consist of.
The three most common myths
that I will briefly discuss are as follows:
o
children
learn second languages quickly and easily,
o
the
more time students spend in a second language context, the quicker they learn
the language, and
o
all
children learn a second language in the same way
Teachers need to remember
that at the very least, learning a second language is as difficult for children
as it is for adults. Children do not have the same type of memory techniques
and other learning strategies that adults may have. It may take as long as six
years before a child understands instructional language in the classroom,
although it may take a shorter time for a child to understand casual or
conversational language. However, if children from another culture have strong
literacy skills, then teachers can teach literacy through content instruction
or in the students’ first language. Research has indicated that ESL learners
will progress in concepts as well as in second language acquisition.
Just as there are different
cultures and customs, so there are different speech and language patterns. The
way children learn their first language is also a factor. The more
technologically advanced the culture, the more likely children are taught
through language. Children from lower socioeconomic levels, different cultures,
or where technology is not a factor, usually learn through nonverbal means such
as observation or practice. The author of the article believes that due to the
impact of technology on a culture, children will be taught through language
rather than by observing somebody at work, or as an apprentice.
Effective instruction for
children from culturally diverse backgrounds requires a variety of
instructional activities, as well as teacher sensitivity to the child’s home
culture and its behavioral patterns. Recognize that ESL learners use a
different cultural-based experience pool that is very different from most
Anglo-American teachers experience pools. Teachers will find it helpful to
provide students with background experiences, vocabulary, or knowledge before
beginning lessons where cultural-based learning pools may differ. Adapting
materials or assessments for student comprehension should be made if language
capacity is not where it should be in order for ESL students to be successful.
Teachers should strive not
to base their expectations on negative national, cultural, language or any
other stereotypical differences, as they can be very damaging to ESL learners’
self-esteem. By applying general principles of good teaching to all students
with activities that stimulate curiosity, interest, and enthusiasm for learning
will go a long way in helping ESL students acquire cognitive academic skills as
well as basic interpersonal language skills.
Suggestions on How to
Communicate with ESL Students from the Beginning
The first thing to keep in
mind when communicating with the ESL student in your general education
classroom from the very first day is to make your communication comprehensible.
Some ways to provide
comprehensible input include the use of drawings, gestures, actions, emotions,
voice variety, sketches, and pictures. By adding other types of visual and
kinesthetic support will give more meaning to your words.
When necessary, repeat your
actions using the same simple structures and actions. Remember to simplify your
message and keep the ESL student’s attention focused. However, do not insist on
maintaining or making eye contact as you speak. This is considered rude in many
cultures. When speaking, use a slow-to-normal pace, using simple sentence
structures and high-frequency words. Limit the use of pronouns, as they are too
vague for the ESL student.
Ask simple yes and no
questions or break down more complex questions instead of asking open-ended
ones. Use visual cues when asking questions and accept one-word responses or
gestures such as pointing or nodding. Remember to be patient, even if it means
repeating the message. Make sure that your face, body demeanor and posture
reflect your patience. Don’t jump in too quickly or provide words if ESL
students are struggling in their attempts to communicate. Encourage the ESL
student to respond by allowing extra time or to draw or act out their answers.
Model correct pronunciations, but avoid the tendency to over correct. This can
cause much embarrassment for the ESL student.
Allow the student to use a
bilingual dictionary for words that cannot be acted out. Write down messages as
well as speak them so that ESL students may have visual input as well as
auditory input. You might want to make a list of the phrases that you want your
ESL student to learn and to understand, then find someone who is bilingual in
the ESL student’s language so that they can work on those phrases.
Making Preparations to Include ESL Students in the Classroom
One of the ways that
teachers can make preparations in anticipation of ESL students joining the
classroom is to have pre-established routines, effective room arrangements that
encourages student participation and acceptance, and by providing a safe
environment to assure student success. Routines provide structure and a sense
of belonging; effective room arrangements provide needed opportunities for peer
interactions, while safe classroom environments support the acceptance of
differences and taking risks. An example of an effective room arrangement includes
the grouping of student desks that encourages group or peer interactions.
Another example might be to place student materials such as pencils, markers,
and scissors near the students. Having common materials within student reach
helps to eliminate distractions and confusion as well as cutting down on
traffic problems. Smiling often is also encouraged, as it provides ESL students
with needed reassurances and security. A smile means basically the same thing
in all languages.
Joining professional organizations
dedicated to the Bilingual/ESL student, developing good relationships with
Bilingual/ESL instructors, and starting or joining a support group of general
education classroom teachers are excellent ways to learn more about ESL
students, their needs, the latest research, and the most effective teaching
strategies. By being prepared and knowing where to go to for support a good
teacher can become an even better one.
Helpful Teaching Strategies for ESL Students
One of the most important
things to consider when teaching students, including ESL learners, is to be
sensitive to and work with students’ individual learning styles. It also might
be helpful to research other cultures and their teaching techniques, as the ESL
student may not be used to our teaching strategies. By learning about different
cultures, you also help to break down barriers by teaching that we all come
from different places.
Many educators use tape
recorders for listening centers in their classrooms. Why not encourage ESL
students to record words, phrases, or sentences and then play them back? Or
have other students record vocabulary or phrases for the ESL student to
practice.
Any story or poem that is
repetitive or has predictable patterns is good to use when reading to students.
To encourage interest and cultural understanding, find poems or stories in the
child’s native language and have them translated. When teaching reading, teach
learning strategies such as looking at the headings, pictures, bold-faced
print, skimming the text, and making predictions. Demonstrate these reading
strategies by reading a selected text and thinking out loud.
Index cards make perfect
teaching tools as they can be used to make flash cards, concentration games,
matching games, word order practice, pair work, information-gap activities, and
sequencing games. Keep lists of words on the board or in a student-made
dictionary or file, so students will have visual cues to refer to when needed.
ESL students can also keep picture journals while the rest of the kids are
writing in their journals.
There are many lesson plans
and ideas for ESL learners on the Internet. Web sites can provide needed
information on ESL/Bilingual teaching strategies, the latest research, and
materials that work best for ESL learners. Some of the sites that I found to be
the most helpful include:
o www.member.aol.com/Lingoteach/index2.html
o www.englishtown.com/master/teachers/guide/
o www.teacher.scholastic.com/professional/specialneeds/lepstudents.htm
o www.ncbe.gwu.edu/classroom/index.htm
o
www.tesol.edu (professional organization)
Compile a collection of ESL
teaching strategies, lesson ideas, and other areas of interest. Then organize
the information to where you can reach it when needed. I keep a notebook that
is organized by topics, such as: lesson plans, classroom management techniques,
and effective ESL teaching strategies. You can further organize the lesson plan
ideas and lessons into several levels or categories such as: beginner,
intermediate, and advanced. When planning lessons to include ESL learners, ask
yourself these following questions:
o
Is the
lesson "visible"? (so that ESL learners can learn meaning or concept
through visual objects)
o
Do I
have any props or other kinds of objects to help make vocabulary more concrete?
o
Am I
allowing for student pairing/sharing?
o
Am I
assessing knowledge in more ways than verbal/written response?
Also during lesson or theme
planning, be sure to integrate the use of technology. By using computers in the
classroom, opportunities will be available to ESL learners to preview lessons,
review previous lessons, and email other classes when researching their
regional areas, or doing other kinds of research. Children need to be able to
learn how to use the tools and build skills by playing games that a computer
provides. The use of computers helps to hold ESL students accountable while
providing skills necessary to be successful in the classroom.
Summary
There are basically four
stages of second language acquisition. Many common myths and fallacies
surrounding ESL learning may interfere with the teacher’s ability to be
supportive and accepting of culturally linguistically differences. By being
aware of students’ developmental stages and knowing some of the falsehoods that
exist, teachers are able to provide ESL learners more effective teaching
strategies that are based on reliable research rather than false expectations
and assumptions.
From the very first day
that an ESL learner is mainstreamed into the classroom, a teacher can provide
comprehensible communication. This equips the student in feeling welcomed and
accepted in the classroom. Forms of comprehensible communication that a teacher
can provide include the use of drawings, sketches, gestures, and actions.
There are many ways that a
teacher can prepare to help ESL students adjust to the classroom. Some
practical ways include the use of pre-established routines, effective room
arrangements, and a warm, welcoming environment. Having a support system and
knowledge of where to go for additional resources also helps the teacher
prepare for the ESL student.
Using computer technology,
getting to know a child’s culture and background, and compiling a personal
resource of ESL lesson plans are just a few of the teaching strategies a
teacher can utilize when working with the ESL student. By being aware of
students’ individual learning styles, teachers help ESL students learn academic
and cognitive skills while learning functional language.
Teaching ESL students in
the mainstreamed classroom can be challenging, and perhaps overwhelming. By
being sensitive to children’s cultural and language differences, teachers can
be effective, supportive and encouraging. After all, these children contribute
a great richness of diversity and cultural heritage to the overall classroom
learning environment.
It is hoped that this
article has provided some valuable research, ideas, helpful hints, and
effective teaching strategies that teachers can use when an ESL student joins
their classroom. There is a wealth of knowledge available for teachers of LEP
or ESL learners. It’s just a matter of knowing where to look and who to ask for
help.
John
Kaighn is a Registered Investment Advisor with Jersey Benefits Advisors and
writes articles on various business and investment information, ideas and
opportunities. For more information
about this and other topics you can visit http://www.johnkaighn.com/and http://www.jerseybenefits.com/
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