One of the many ideas addressed by the position statement article was the concept of learning English as a second language. Not only is learning English a challenge for the student, but it can often be a struggle for the teacher of this student as well. The article states the need for teachers and parents working together to "help children strengthen and preserve their home language and culture while acquiring skills needed to participate in the shared culture of the school." According to the article, studies show that a strong foundation in the mother language will greatly benefit the success of the child in the second language ( in this case, English). Parents can really help their children if they put a strong emphasis on learning to speak and read fluently, regardless of the language.
It also addresses the tendency for teachers to confuse deficit and difference in the case of a non-English student. "Competence is not tied to any particular language, dialect, or culture." I feel like this is so true; while they may be at a disadvantage now, with the right instruction, their ability to communicate in multiple languages really gives them the potential to thrive. We as teachers can not misinterpret their struggle with the new language as a lack of intellect. Instead, in what ways can we help English-learning students?
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| Here is one great example of an ESL tool! |
I really liked your post this week! I think it is very true that many times we might think of someone as behind or slower then the rest but it might be just a matter of difference, like you pointed out with ESL students.
ReplyDeleteI love this statement: "We as teachers can not misinterpret their struggle with the new language as a lack of intellect". It is very true. We have to be very thoughtful about how we instruct our children and not allow ourselves to categorize students based on their deficiencies.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is interesting that a good foundation of a first language can help students with the success of learning a second language. The ESL example reminds me of a picture that I saw when I was learning Spanish. This is a good example because it shows both the word and what it represents.
ReplyDeleteI really liked your over view of the position statement. Learning how to better benefit second-language learners is becoming a large priority with the growing Hispanic and other minority populations. I was very surprised when I read that having a strong foundation of the mother language helps to learn the next. This was a shock and something I will keep in mind when and if I have children learning a second language.
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