Chapter 3
This chapter had many great points
that will really open your eyes. I think it is very important that each of us
as future teachers understand how difficult it can be for students that are
learning the English Language as a second language. Not only do they have to
try to keep up with their Science, Math, English, and other subjects, they have
to learn a whole new language. This can be a lot to take in and manage for a
young child.
Another point I would like to make
that I was thinking about while reading this chapter is how this could affect
other aspects of their lives. Not being able to fluently speak our language
might make it more difficult to make friends. It is scary enough being the new
kid as it is. If they are attempting to speak to other children and say
something that is not correct other children may laugh or make fun of this
child. I think this is something we should all think about if we ever encounter
this situation in our own classrooms. Another aspect this may affect would be sports.
A child may be interested in sports and not feel comfortable joining the team. They
may not even know what the sport is or how it is played which may cause other children
to tease them. I also believe that bullying is becoming more prevalent in
schools and this is a special situation we should be aware of.
It may also not be so much the
language that they are learning, but the culture. We as teachers need to be
very carful in the things we say and do to never offend children. As this is
almost inevitable, making ourselves aware and educating ourselves will help
tremendously. Overall I think we just need to take this into consideration and
having some background knowledge on this subject would be greatly beneficial.
Danielle, I believe that you are right about the child who is learning English as their second language. This would be a lot for the child to take in because yes, they do have so many other subjects in their school that they have to learn too. The great thing is that there can be so many helpful options and tips for the student. The teacher can bring in an aide for the child to help them understand better, have other children that speak the language help translate as much as possible, include print in the classroom that is from the child's first language, and/or have the child create a story in their first language and have them share it.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you on your second point! I could never imagine moving to a new school, let alone moving into a school that I couldn't speak the same language. Learning to speak a new language is difficult especially when you are trying to impress people and make new friends. It does say in the book that to help make ELL students more comfortable is to make sure your classroom is predictable with routines, have a daily schedule, assign a classmate (ideally a bilingual student) as a buddy of each ELL student, and have activities should maximize the opportunity for language use. As a teacher, we should know when a child is being bullied, stop it, and better yet, prevent bullying as much as we can.