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Be Informed About The Phases of Acculturation and Recognize Signs (within our students)

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Be Informed About The Phases of Acculturation and Recognize Signs (within our students)

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1. Honeymoon – marked by enthusiasm and euphoria as students are stimulated by the novelty of their new situation.
2. Hostility – characterized by irritability and negativism as the excitement wears off, difficulties become realized, and self-confidence slips.
3. Crisis – typified by a deep sense of homesickness and/or hostility. Students may feel a sense of isolation and loss of control.

4. Humor – enthusiasm begins to return, especially if new language skills are acquired. Students will see the humor in their mistakes and stop being critical of themselves and of their adopted country.
5. Adjustment – characterized by gained biculturalism, and by a willingness to mentor new students. Culture shock subsides as students gain proficiency in the new language, become more familiar with their environment, and achieve greater success in their intercultural interactions.

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English Language Learners / Dual Language Learners / Multicultural Education Support - Language Lizard Blog

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Have you noticed that about halfway into the school year, new ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) students, who once seemed excited and energized, seem to hit a wall? Students who once were bright-eyed and cheerful come to school looking listless and detached. More than just the mid-year doldrums, they may be in the crisis stage of the powerful phenomenon of culture shock.
What is culture shock?
In the 1950s, a diplomat named Karl Oberg first used the term " culture shock" to describe the difficulties both he and his fellow expatriates experienced as they adjusted to their new lives overseas. He suggested that people depend on cues given by their familiar groups to define who they are and to support their self-concept. Without these cues, people are prone to anxiety and frustration, which can lead to physical ailments.
The stages of culture shock:

Honeymoon Adjustment

Hostility Humor
Most people move through a U-curve of culture shock stages. These include:
1. Honeymoon - marked by enthusiasm and euphoria as students are stimulated by the novelty of their new situation.

2. Hostility - characterized by irritability and negativism as the excitement wears off, difficulties become realized, and self-confidence slips.

3. Crisis - typified by a deep sense of homesickness and/or hostility. Students may feel a sense of isolation and loss of control.

4. Humor - enthusiasm begins to return, especially if new language skills are acquired. Students will see the humor in their mistakes and stop being critical of themselves and of their adopted country.

5. Adjustment - characterized by gained biculturalism, and by a willingness to mentor new ESOL students. Culture shock subsides as students gain proficiency in the new language, become more familiar with their environment, and achieve greater success in their intercultural interactions.

By understanding the culture shock experience, and its inherent stages, teachers can better support the experience of the immigrant children in their classrooms. After all, educators don't just work to help ESOL children build an "interlanguage" between their first and second languages, but also work to build an "interculture," or a learner's bridge from a child's first cultural understanding toward a second cultural knowledge. The more scaffolding and support children have from their hosts or community, the faster they can bridge the misunderstandings.
What are symptoms of culture shock?
Be alert for signs of culture shock in your students. Symptoms can include flashes of anger over minor frustrations, excessive sleepiness, unexplained crying, changes in appetite, withdrawal, aches and pains, and even depression. Helping students manage culture shock can be crucial to maintaining individual and classroom morale. The key to overcoming culture shock is to give students the tools to adapt to their new life and to help them retain their appreciation of their native culture and family traditions.
How to help your ESOL students:

Teach students about culture shock. Knowing what to expect can give students a sense of recognition and control.

Encourage students to continue learning their native language. Make a dual language book library in the classroom and encourage students to borrow materials to share at home. Because knowledge transfers from one language to another, the more students read in any language, the faster they will connect to new content and skills. Also, as young students often excel at language learning, reading together with parents can help ease the detachment some immigrant children feel at home because their parents may lag behind in acquiring English. This disconnect can add to a student's level of stress. Making an excuse to cuddle up with a book can re-energize sagging spirits.

Establish and carefully explain classroom routines to newcomers. By doing this, you create a classroom culture that students can settle into quickly, thus reinforcing their sense of safety.

Plan for projects where students can teach you and their classmates about their culture. This will foster a feeling of mutual respect in the classroom. Each member will feel she has something valuable to contribute to your promotion of global understanding.

Help students connect to activities that might interest them outside of school. Art classes, sports teams, and hobby programs can help students feel part of a new community network.

Encourage students to find or form support groups with other students who may be at the same point in the U-curve of culture shock.

Allow time for reflection. Teach students vocabulary for feelings. Using pictures of children showing different emotions can be helpful in teaching expression. If students are old enough, let them journal. You might encourage them to compare and contrast their old life and their new life. Also, have students explore how to handle frustrating situations and to examine moments of success.

Teach and model conflict resolution skills. Have students role play scenarios, so when difficult real-life situations occur, they will have the tools to react in a healthy way.

Periodically remind students how to get help at your school if feelings of homesickness become overwhelming.
Colleen Miller is a University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Masters of ESOL Education student, where she is working on a thesis of the impact of Culture Shock on adolescents. She taught high school English in Japan for two years, and has been employed by Howard County, Maryland, as a secondary English teacher for 10 years. © Language Lizard, LLC.

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How to Help Students Survive Culture Shock

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Have you noticed that about halfway into the school year, new ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) students, who once seemed excited and energized, seem to hit a wall? Students who once were bright-eyed and cheerful come to school looking listless and detached.

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Practical Tips for Helping ELL's in the Class

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Practical Tips for Helping ELL's in the Class

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1. Learn their names (take time to learn how to pronounce it properly and teach your class too)
2. Post a Daily Visual Schedule
3. Assign a peer partner (someone who truly wants to help others out and if possible, someone who speaks their language)
4. Invite their culture into classroom (have student share/teach their peers things from their culture)
5. Use materials related to your ELLs' cultures (this will help the child feel connected)
6. Help your ELLs follow established rules (model, use visuals and reward systems to communicate your expectations in a positive manner)
7. Teach students about culture shock. Knowing what to expect can give students a sense of recognition and control.

8. Encourage students to continue learning their native language.
9. Help students connect to activities that might interest them outside of school. Art classes, sports teams, and hobby programs can help students feel part of a new community.
10. Encourage students to find or form support groups with other students
11. Allow time for reflection. Teach students vocabulary for feelings. Using pictures of children showing different emotions can be helpful in teaching expression. If students are old enough, let them journal.

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An important first step in helping English language learners (ELLs) succeed is making them feel welcome in the classroom.

This will:

increase their confidence

make them feel more comfortable in the class

build a foundation for positive relationships with you and their peers.

Here's how you can get started!

The ELL student population includes students who were born in the U.S. and students who have immigrated from another country. For ELLs who have recently arrived in the U.S., they will face the challenge of learning a new language in addition to adjusting to an unfamiliar cultural setting and school system.

On a daily basis, ELLs are adjusting to new ways of saying and doing things. As their teacher, you are an important bridge to this unknown culture and school system.

In the same way that ELLs go through stages of English language learning, they may also pass through stages of cultural accommodation. These stages, however, may be less defined and more difficult to notice. Being aware of these stages may help you to better understand "unusual" actions and reactions that may just be part of adjusting to a new culture.

Euphoria: ELLs may experience an initial period of excitement about their new surroundings.

Culture shock: ELLs may then experience anger, hostility, frustration, homesickness, or resentment towards the new culture.

Acceptance: ELLs may gradually accept their different surroundings.

Assimilation/adaptation: ELLs may embrace and adapt to their surroundings and their "new" culture.

It is also common for students who are learning a new language to be 'silent' for a period of time, when they are listening to the language around them without speaking yet (much as a young child listens to language first before learning to talk). This is considered the first stage of language acquisition.

Patience and creating opportunities for small successes in speaking with you and peers can help build students' confidence. In addition, keep in mind that students' silence could also be a sign of respect for you as an authority - and not a sign of their inability or refusal to participate.

Students may also have experienced trauma or face different kinds of hardship in the U.S. You can better prepare yourself for this possibility by:

Learn more from the following:

This award-winning documentary highlights how the Dearborn, MI public school district is helping its immigrant students succeed. Learn more about this project and see related videos.

Getting to Know Students

Learn how to pronounce students' names correctly

Don't forget to smile and use positive body language!

A lot of communication happens through expressions, body language, and tone. Smiling and using positive body language can go a long way in making students feel welcome and comfortable, particularly if they are newcomers, as seen in the vignette shared by a teacher below.

Build relationships with students

Veteran teachers of ELLs always point to building relationships as the most important step in their work with ELLs. Not only does it increase engagement and support students' later academic success, it also provides invaluable information that can inform your instruction and family engagement.

In addition, it can help build bridges with students who may have particularly unique experiences, such as children in migrant farmwork families or Indigenous students.

See more ideas on how to build these relationships from the following:

Video: Showing students you care

Corpus Christi teacher Christine Price talks about the importance of showing students you care early on.

Identify students' strengths and interests

It's important to remember that ELLs bring lots of strengths, talents, and rich experiences to the classroom. Getting to know students' interests can help:

build rapport

engage students in learning

find connections with new friends.

Families are also an important source of information and are often happy to talk about the activities that their child enjoys. They may also appreciate the fact that their child's teacher is taking an interest in the child's strengths and talents. (This is especially true in special education settings.)

Teacher Omar Salem describes a student who not only sings and dances but manages her own YouTube channel and edits all of the video she posts of her performances.

Video: Using parent letters to get to know my students

Albuquerque teacher Clara Gonzales-Espinoza asks her parents to write her a letter at the beginning of each school year telling her about the child's personality, interests, strengths, and anything else they think she should know. In this interview, Clara speaks more about this strategy and its impact on her relationships with parents and students.

Ensure that students have information about activities and clubs

Make sure that students have information about extra-curricular activities, sports, and clubs related to their interests. You can also encourage them to start their own club within the school.

ELL educator Christine Rowland notes, "Many students find involvement in school clubs and teams to be extremely helpful, as they are often experts in these areas, and they can provide a space where they more easily feel they belong."

Welcoming Students' Language and Culture

Invite students' cultures into the classroom

Encourage ELLs and their families to share their culture with you and your class. Show-and-tell is a good opportunity for ELLs to bring in something representative of their culture, if they wish.

Invite students and families to:

share photographs, visuals, or meaningful artifacts such as flags or mementos

tell a popular story or folktale using words, pictures, gestures, and movements

share information about important holidays or celebrations.

Looking beyond the classroom

Imagine that you are walking into your school for the first time as a parent.

What do you see on the walls?

If your first language weren't English, would you see signs in your language?

Would you see flags, maps, or books representing your home country?

Would you see your child's work on display in the hallway?

If you think more could be done to make families feel welcome, consider:

sharing some ideas with colleagues or administrators and taking small steps that you can point to as successes

looking for opportunities to celebrate all families and their languages, customs, and cultures, whether in the classroom or at a school-wide event

keeping a lookout for a special part of their lives that other families might appreciate getting to know.

See more ideas in the following:

Video: What happened when the students realized the Yemeni flag wasn't on stage

ELD Specialist Diana Alqadhi tells the story of some students who realized that the Yemeni flag was not featured prominently enough on stage before a school show.

Invite students' languages into the classroom

Label classroom objects to allow ELLs to better understand their immediate surroundings. These labels will also assist you when explaining or giving directions, and it gives peers an additional opportunity to learn some words in their classmates' language.

Start with everyday items, such as "door/puerta," "book/libro," and "chair/silla."

You may wish to ask students who can write in their first language or family members to help you with this project.

You can also invite students to teach the class some words from their home language.

Learn more about the resources available in students' home languages

Students benefit from support in their home language - what Dr. Fred Genesee calls their " most valuable resource." You have may have access to learning material in students' languages, or you may be able to find resources that support those languages.

Language access for multilingual families

In addition, it's critical to understand what language access resources you have available through your school and district, particularly for communication with families. Keep in mind that all families have a legal right to information in their home language. Family liaisons, interpreters, ESL teachers, or administrators may have more information about what language access resources are available in your district.

Video: What Do School Districts Need to Know About Language Access?

This helpful overview about what language access means for school districts is a great introduction to the requirements, best practices, and funding streams related to language access in public education. This interview features Dr. Jennifer Love, the Supervisor of Language Access and Engagement in Prince George's County Public Schools, Maryland.

Video: Language Access for Multilingual Families

What does appropriate language access mean for multilingual families? This interview also features Dr. Jennifer Love.

Ensure your students see themselves reflected in the classroom

Ask yourself if students can see representations of their culture, race, gender, and other aspects of identity reflected in your:

classroom materials and library

lesson plans and activities

classroom visuals (both in-person and virtual).

In addition:

Success in the Classroom

Encourage your students

Some ELLs may not answer voluntarily in class or ask for your help even if they need it. ELLs may smile and nod, but this does not necessarily mean that they understand. Offer one-on-one support and encouragement as much as possible. For convenience, it may be helpful to seat ELLs near your desk.

Assign a buddy

Identify a classmate who will make a good buddy for new students - someone who is friendly, patient, and a good communicator to be a buddy. This student can make sure that the new student understands what he or she is supposed to do during class activities. It is helpful if the peer partner knows the ELL's first language, but not necessary. However, remember to never use another student as an interpreter in any situation.

Learn more about ways to increase peer interaction and collaboration in these related strategies.

Ask the class how they can help welcome new students

Ask students to brainstorm ways to help ELLs in particular. You may wish to make a list of ideas on how to welcome new students at the beginning of the year so that students have these strategies in mind if a student comes with little advance notice.

Be vigilant about health issues, dietary concerns, and allergies

Students may have specific health issues or dietary restrictions due to health, cultural, or religious reasons. Be sure that you learn all essential information you need to know about student health and diet from parents or guardians. For ELLs, be sure to confirm and clarify this information with the help of interpreters.

If you learn information about a student that would be helpful for other staff to know, particularly regarding health or food allergies, talk with administrators about how to keep the child safe. In addition, be sensitive to cultural or religious norms, such as fasting for religious reasons.

Keep an eye out for signs of culture shock

Moving to a new country and leaving a familiar life, relatives, friends, and language behind can be traumatic for children in the best of circumstances. Those challenges are compounded if children have experienced trauma, violence, or upheaval. Learn more about how culture shock can impact students in the classroom and affect student behavior so that you recognize signs if newcomers act out.

Encourage students to take ownership of the classroom culture

Ask students to answer the following questions through drawings or written responses.

How can I be a good classmate to others?

What are examples of unkind or disrespectful behavior in the classroom?

To support ELLs in their discussions of these questions:

Encourage students who speak the same language to discuss their ideas in groups.

Provide scaffolded materials such as graphic organizers, sentence stems, and sentence frames.

Use a picture book to talk about different kinds of behavior with students.

Create a shared set of classroom expectations together

Return to your earlier discussion of what a respectful classroom looks like.

Brainstorm ideas on possible class rules based on that discussion.

Streamline the list of class guidelines or rules.

Add any rules or guidelines that are missing.

In order to establish appropriate consequences for disrespectful behavior, you may wish to come up with ideas with the class or determine those consequences yourself.

Post the final list classroom rules in the classroom.

Translate the rules into ELLs' native languages so that they can keep the list handy and share it at home.

To see an example of this proces in action, take a look at ELL expert Carol Salva's process for developing a community contract each year.

Help your ELLs understand expectations for the classroom

ELLs may need some extra support in understanding expectations for classroom behavior. Helping them understand these expectations can avoid misunderstandings, discipline problems, and feelings of low self-esteem.

At the same time, it's important to remember that students bridging two cultures may need guidance which behaviors are appropriate in which setting (such as eye contact, physical proximity, etc.). If you have questions, talk with a cultural liaison in the school to learn more about appropriate responses and ideas for helping students navigate a new culture. You can also learn more about cultural norms of your students, particularly related to schooling, to help inform your approach.

Here are a few strategies that you can use in class:

Use visuals like pictures, symbols, and reward systems to communicate your expectations in a positive and direct manner.

Physically model language to ELLs in classroom routines and instructional activities. ELLs will need to see you or their peers model behavior when you want them to sit down, walk to the bulletin board, work with a partner, copy a word, etc.

Be consistent and fair with all students. Once ELLs clearly understand what is expected, hold them equally accountable for their behavior.

Post a daily schedule. Even if ELLs do not yet understand all of the words that you speak, it is possible for them to understand the structure of each day. Whether through chalkboard art or images on Velcro, you can post the daily schedule each morning. By writing down times and having pictures next to words like lunch, wash hands, math, and field trip, ELLs can have a general sense of the upcoming day.

Finally, remember ELLs can make unintentional "mistakes" as they are trying hard to adjust to a new cultural setting. They are constantly transferring what they know as acceptable behaviors from their own culture to the U.S. classroom and school. Be patient as ELLs learn English and adjust - and remember that you will learn a lot from this experience too!

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How to Create a Welcoming Classroom Environment for ELLs

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An important first step in helping English language learners (ELLs) succeed is making them feel welcome in the classroom. This will: increase their confidence make them feel more comfortable in the class build a foundation for positive relationships with you and their peers. Here's how you can get started!

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How this research changed my knowledge or practice in teaching ELLs

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How this research changed my knowledge or practice in teaching ELLs

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This research will change my practice in teaching ELL's because I will be better equipped to help a student when they are going through the transitioning phase by simply being informed about them and recognizing which stage they might be at. Also, by using this research I can apply practical strategies in my future classroom for my ELL students.

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I found this area in regards to helping ELL students cope with cultural transitioning important because it's in my nature to help others as much as I can and when I can. I feel that I can somewhat relate to some of the transition process because I have experienced some of it as an adult, but in the context of moving to a new city instead of a new country. It was hard for me to adjust as an adult, so I can only imagine what it's like for children.

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Question #3: How can I help ELL students cope positively when going through cultural transitioning (acculturation)?

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Question #3: How can I help ELL students cope positively when going through cultural transitioning (acculturation)?

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One of the ways to tease out ESL needs from Special education needs is to observe particularly the non linguistic aspects of the child:

gross motor skills

fine motor skills

pattern of play and choices made

who they seek to socialize with and

how successful they are at socializing

drawing

making things

& compare these to how the other kids are doing. Make lots of factual and non judgemental observations; be aware of and challenge your 'working hypotheses' about the child.

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by Judie Haynes

Many popular beliefs about second language acquisition are perpetuated in our society. The following statements are related to six key concepts of second-language acquisition. Check the ones you think are true.

□ My newcomer should be referred to the child study team. He is often disruptive in the classroom and kicks and hits other children. There is something wrong with him aside from not knowing the language.

□ The more time students spend soaking up English in the mainstream classroom, the faster they will learn the language.

□ Children who have the ability to memorize grammar rules and complete pages of grammar drills will learn to speak and write English more quickly.

□ Children learn a second language faster and more easily than teenagers and adults do.

□ The emotional state of the learner doesn't interfere with the acquisition of a new language. As long as English language learners (ELLs) receive instruction from classroom teachers, they will learn English.

□ Students should be strongly encouraged to speak English from the first day.

Did you guess that all the above statements are false? To provide a successful learning environment for English language learners, classroom teachers and administrators need to understand six essential concepts that are directly related to the statements listed above: culture shock, comprehensible input and output, language acquisition versus language learning, the optimum age for learning a second language, the affective filter, and the silent period. As we explore these concepts, we will also look at classroom scenarios that exemplify each belief.

Culture Shock
True or False? My newcomer should be referred to the child study team. He is often disruptive in the classroom and kicks and hits the other children. There is something wrong with him aside from not knowing the language. FALSE.
Newcomers who act out in the classroom are most likely suffering from culture shock. Anthropologist Kalvero Oberg first used the term "culture shock" in 1960 to describe the feelings that people have when they move to an unfamiliar culture. What does culture shock look like in immigrant children? They may become withdrawn and passive or they may be more aggressive. The greater the difference between the student's new culture and the student's primary culture, the greater the shock (Levine & Adelman, 1993). Newcomers have usually left behind family members, friends, teachers, and pets. They are no longer surrounded by a familiar language and culture. Children often do not have the full support of their parents because the parents are experiencing culture shock, too. In the following example, Eduardo, an ELL from Mexico, shows his frustration with his new environment.

→ Eduardo, who is a Mexican newcomer at his elementary school, hits and kicks his classmates. He is frustrated and cries easily. One day, the only other Spanish-speaking student in his class was absent and Eduardo couldn't communicate at all. He threw himself on the floor and screamed. His anger and unhappiness were apparent. His teacher feels that there is something wrong with him beyond the language barrier.

While Eduardo was very affected by his new environment, every child reacts differently to moving to a new place. Most English language learners go through four stages of culture shock before they become comfortable with their new language.

1. Euphoric or Honeymoon Stage. During this stage, newcomers are excited about their new lives. Everything is wonderful and they are having a great time learning about their environment.

2. Rejection Stage. At this stage, the differences between the new culture and the old one become more apparent to newcomers. They reject their new surroundings because there is so much that they do not understand. ELLs can feel overwhelmed and may seem sleepy, irritable, uninterested, or depressed. Students at the rejection stage may refuse to learn the new language. Some students may become aggressive and act out their frustrations like the students in the next example.
→ Ilya, a 10-year-old boy from Russia, clings to his mother's car door and screams when she drops him off at school. Eight-year-old Amir from Lebanon gets sick every day before lunch and has to go home. Rosa, a six-year-old from Puerto Rico, runs wild in her 1st grade classroom because she doesn't understand the classroom rules and expectations.

3. Regression Stage. English language learners are frustrated because they cannot communicate and are bombarded with unfamiliar surroundings, unreadable social signals, and an unrelenting barrage of new sounds. They are homesick and miss their family, friends, and familiar sights and sounds. They spend their leisure time socializing with friends who speak the same language or listening to music and watching videos from their home country.
Teenage newcomers often feel angry and helpless because they have had no say in their families' move to the United States. They have lost control of their environment because they don't speak English. Student essays give us a further glimpse of how newcomers feel when they first come to the United States. One student exclaimed, "I didn't want to leave my country. My parents decided to come here. I didn't have a choice." Another asserted, "I miss my friends and school. I had to leave my grandparents behind." A third student complained, "I eat lunch alone every day. I don't have any friends in this school." Newcomers in this stage of culture shock need time and patience from their teachers.

4. Integration Stage. At this stage, newcomers start to deal with the differences between the old and new cultures. They learn to integrate their own beliefs into their new environment and begin to find ways to exist with both cultures. Many immigrant parents become alarmed at this stage because they do not want their children to lose their primary language and culture, such as the Nakamuras in the next example.
→ The Nakamuras are a Japanese family with four children. They came to the United States for a five-year job-related stay. Because the nearest Japanese school was over an hour away, the children were enrolled in the local public school. Mr. and Mrs. Nakamura did not want their children to become "Americanized." They did not allow them to socialize with classmates after school or join any school groups or clubs. The children were required to come home every day to complete a few hours of homework assigned by the Japanese Saturday School. Needless to say, the children never got past the integration stage, and they were never comfortable with American culture.

5. Acceptance Stage. Newcomers are now able to enter and prosper in the mainstream culture. They accept both cultures and combine them into their lives. Some students will adopt the mainstream culture at school and follow the values of the home culture outside school. During this stage, many immigrant parents make it clear to their children that they do not want them to abandon their primary language and culture. Their concerns are valid, as demonstrated by the family in the following example.
→ Guadaloupe and Francisca, two sisters from Venezuela, feel pulled between American and Venezuelan cultures and are angry that their parents restrict them from participating in after-school social activities. Guadaloupe was not permitted to attend a school dance and Francisca was not allowed to go to a sleepover party. The girls are also losing their native language. When family members come from their home country, they can understand what is said in Spanish, but they can no longer speak the language.

Comprehensible Input and Output

Students do not simply "soak up" language. Learners must understand the communication that is conveyed by their classmates and teachers. Comprehensible input is a hypothesis proposed by Stephen Krashen (1981) that is widely recognized by today's researchers and practitioners. He suggests that English language learners acquire language by hearing and understanding messages that are slightly above their current English language level. For example, an English language learner may understand the phrase "Put your book in your desk." By slightly changing the phrase to "Put your book on the table," the speaker scaffolds new information that increases the learner's language comprehension. To do this, the teacher must provide new material that builds on the learner's prior knowledge. When newcomers spend most of their day in a mainstream classroom, it is especially critical for them to receive comprehensible input from their teachers and classmates. If teachers use a lecture style for instruction, the English language learner will not receive as much comprehensible input.

Research shows that English language learners need opportunities to practice language at their level of competency (Pica et al., 1989, 1996; Swain & Lapkin, 1995). When ELLs are able to refine their English skills with their English-speaking peers, this process is called comprehensible output. Many researchers assert that comprehensible output is nearly as important as comprehensible input. Cooperative learning groups are one way for newcomers to receive ample input and output. A small-group setting allows ELLs to have more comprehensible input because classmates modify or adapt the message to the listener's needs. There are more opportunities for oral practice and for repetition of information as peers help newcomers negotiate meaning. Student conversation in a small group is centered on what is actually happening at the moment as the task is completed. Feedback and correction for ELLs are nonjudgmental and immediate. In the next scenario, one history teacher's cooperative learning groups helped his ELLs soar.

→ English language learners in the 7th grade were placed in Mr. Garcia's American History class. He divided the class into cooperative learning groups and the ELLs blossomed. They were assigned tasks in their small groups that were at their level of English language ability. Many of these students felt that this was the first time they were really a part of the academic life of a content class. Mr. Garcia observed that his ELLs worked much harder in their content-area subjects so that they could be an active part of their group.

Language Acquisition and Language Learning

Krashen (1988) makes an important distinction between language acquisition and language learning. Children acquire a second language through a subconscious process during which they are unaware of grammatical rules. This process is similar to how they acquire their first language. They get a feel for what is and what isn't correct. To acquire language, the learner needs a source of natural communication. Young students who are in the process of acquiring English can get on-the-job practice by communicating with their classmates.

Language learning, on the other hand, is not communicative. This type of learning comes from direct instruction about the rules of language. Learners have conscious knowledge of the new language and can talk about what they know. They can memorize the rules of the language and perhaps succeed on a standardized test, but they still may not have strong speaking or writing skills. The next example shows how ELLs can perform in the classroom but fail to translate that success into English comprehension.

→ Yiming is a 4th grader who attended "cram" school in the evening. She learned to read and write by rote memorization. She could sound out words phonetically, fill in grammar pages, regurgitate information in English, and speak without an accent. With this kind of performance in the classroom, Yiming's parents were surprised when her teacher told them that her reading comprehension was low and her creative writing was unintelligible.

The Optimum Age for Language Learning

This statement is more complex than it seems. In reviews of controlled research (Collier, 1988; Samway & McKeon, 1999) where young children were compared with teenagers and young adults, the teenagers and young adults learned a second language more readily. Children under the age of 8 may outperform adults in the areas of social language and pronunciation because they usually have more occasions to interact socially. The requirements for communication are lower for younger students because they have less language to learn when they interact in a school setting with their peers. Teenagers and adults, on the other hand, have acquired language learning and study skills. They use both acquisition and learning strategies to become fluent in their new language. Compare the English language learning of Priyanka and her younger brother, Nahir.

→ Seventeen-year-old Priyanka and 7-year-old Nahir arrived from India one year ago. Nahir speaks very fluent social English. His accent is near native. He has made an excellent social adjustment to his 1st grade class and has many friends from different backgrounds. Because he had just begun learning how to read in his native country, he has limited language literacy skills in his first language. Despite his fluent social English, he is experiencing difficulty reading and writing in English and is not doing well in his content-area work. Priyanka, on the other hand, is shy and does not speak much. She has only a few friends and they all speak Gujarati, one of the major languages spoken in India and Pakistan. Her spoken English is heavily accented. Priyanka was an excellent student in India, and she continues to study diligently. She is very successful in her academic studies in the United States and is receiving good grades.

The Affective Filter

Although comprehensible input is necessary for language acquisition, it is not sufficient by itself. The learner's emotional state or affective filter can interfere with acquiring a new language because it involves public practice and speaking in front of others. These skills require that the learner take a risk. This risk can produce embarrassment and anxiety that can block the learner's ability to process new information (Krashen, 1981; Krashen & Terrell, 1983). To counteract students' affective filter, classroom teachers can create an effective learning environment for ELLs that helps them integrate into the life of the school. They can provide a classroom experience that is nonthreatening and demonstrate to their students that they understand their needs. The key is to make ELLs feel welcome and comfortable so that their affective filter does not impede their learning. In the next example, Ms. Lautz helps one of her ELL students become acclimated to the school environment.

→ Ms. Lautz immediately pairs her new English language learner with a buddy and encourages her students to become friends with him. She arranges for classmates to stay with the newcomer at lunch, hang around with him on the playground, and help him on the school bus. She also encourages her ELL to participate in extracurricular activities such as sports and music programs.

The Silent Period

Most new English language learners will go through a silent period during which they are unable or unwilling to communicate orally in the new language. This stage may last for a few days to more than a year, depending on a variety of factors. The silent period occurs before ELLs are ready to produce oral language and is generally referred to as the preproduction stage of language learning. ELLs should not be forced to speak before they are ready. Teachers shouldn't embarrass these students by putting them on the spot. ELLs need time to listen to others speak, to digest what they hear, to develop receptive vocabulary, and to observe their classmates' interactions. This silent behavior does not mean that students are not learning; however, it may be that they are not ready to speak.

Teacher instruction is an important factor in how long the silent period lasts. If the teacher provides hands-on activities and encourages students to interact in small groups, ELLs will be able to participate in the classroom sooner and be more confident about speaking with their peers. Teachers should not assume that young ELLs would not be embarrassed or shy when attempting to speak a second language.

Another factor that may influence the length of the silent period is the child's personality. If the child is shy or self-conscious, he or she may be reluctant to speak. On the other hand, an outgoing child will speak more readily and will advance more quickly from preproduction to early production. There are also cultural factors to consider. Students, like Arlana in the next example, do not like to make mistakes and will not speak until they have a good grasp of the language.

→ Arlana, a Muslim student from Lebanon, is in the 2nd grade. She has frustrated every teacher she has worked with since kindergarten. She rarely speaks in English and she has been in school in the United States since the age of 3. When she does respond to her teacher's questions, she whispers. She doesn't talk much to classmates and spends most of her time outside school with family and other Muslim children. Arlana understands oral directions, and she reads and writes on the 2nd grade level. Nothing her teachers have done has made her comfortable about expressing herself orally. Her teachers encouraged her parents to arrange play dates for Arlana with her native English-speaking peers. Her parents were also encouraged to seek professional help for Arlana, but the family moved at the end of 2nd grade and her teachers never saw a resolution to her reticence to speak.

Although this is an extreme example, girls from some cultural backgrounds are not encouraged to speak. Being very quiet in the classroom is often viewed as culturally appropriate behavior for girls.

Native language also plays a role in students' willingness to talk. If the sound systems between their native and second language are similar, students will usually speak earlier.

Differences in language styles among social classes also influence how quickly students speak. Urban middle-class parents tend to speak more, teach verbally, and give oral instructions to even very young children. Newcomers from less industrialized countries teach their children by showing them what to do. They are less likely to verbalize their instructions.

Should mainstream educators know the factors that affect second-language acquisition? If the above beliefs are not dispelled, educators cannot provide an optimum learning environment for English language learners with rich language acquisition opportunities and supportive teachers and classmates.

* * *

Let's take another look at these beliefs and review what we learned from this chapter:

A newcomer who exhibits disruptive or odd behavior may be suffering from culture shock.

English language learners need comprehensible input. They cannot learn English by "soaking up" language in a mainstream classroom.

To acquire a new language, children need a source of natural communication. Memorizing grammar rules will not help them learn to speak and write English quickly.

Children do not learn a second language faster and easier than adults. Their only advantage is in pronunciation.

The emotional state of English language learners affects how they acquire a new language. ELLs need a comfortable environment in which to learn.

Newcomers will go through a silent period during which they will not speak. They should not be forced to speak until they are ready.

In this first chapter, we looked at six beliefs about second-language acquisition and explored the key concepts that disprove these beliefs. We examined the concepts of culture shock, comprehensible input and output, language acquisition and learning, age differences, the affective filter, and the silent period. Implications for teachers' instruction were also discussed. Each concept was illustrated with a classroom scenario.

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Key Concepts of Second-Language Acquisition

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by Judie Haynes Many popular beliefs about second language acquisition are perpetuated in our society. The following statements are related to six key concepts of second-language acquisition. Check the ones you think are true. □ My newcomer should be referred to the child study team.

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How this research changed my knowledge or practice in teaching ELLs

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How this research changed my knowledge or practice in teaching ELLs

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This research changed my practice in teaching ELL's because I now know some practical strategies of what to do now to help support students when in their silent phase. Burns' feedback also helped me in looking out for non-linguistic aspects of the child to see if they need Special Needs services.

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I found this area with Kindergarten ELL's or and ELL's particularly interesting because I didn't know what to do if a child goes into a silent phase. I also always wondered about perhaps mistakingly referring a student to Special Education services when in fact it would just be a typical phase in the child's language acquisition.

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I also need to be aware that ELLs in Kindergarten may have Special Education needs and I can have mistaken this for them being in their silent phase. I realized that ELL’s exhibit traits of exceptionalities just like English speaking learners. it is often hard to determine the nature of the ELLs’ exceptionality before they are fully fluent in English because characteristics of learning a second language may mimic characteristics of some learning exceptionalities. Therefore, I must be cautious and use my best professional judgement in observations when students are in their silent phase.

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When the Kindergarten ELL uses their first language or goes into their silent phase, I can have strategies as well to help them.

When children use their first language, I can:

• respond positively to children’s attempts
• respond by affirming the children’s attempts to communicate
• respond using a combination of gestures, words, and tone of voice
• speak with families to learn a couple words in the children’s first language

• display and highlight writing in a variety of languages

When children go into their silence phase, I can:

use movement, music, and visual representation

observe children’s physical movements (e.g., standing close to something they may want

provide hands-on manipulative experiences

have concrete objects available for children to hold and explore (e.g., snow, when engaged in an inquiry about snow)

have children point to picture symbols to express their needs

invite children to participate by pointing to familiar objects in shared reading texts

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Question #2: What are some strategies I can use when Kindergarten ELL’s are in their silent phase?

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Question #2: What are some strategies I can use when Kindergarten ELL’s are in their silent phase?

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How this research changed my knowledge or practice in teaching ELLs

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How this research changed my knowledge or practice in teaching ELLs

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This research broadened my thinking in terms of communication with parents and resources available for teachers. I did not know that we had translators available within the WCDSB. I also learned that there are other ways that I can help myself like finding someone within the school or community to help translate.

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I found this area of communicating with ELL parents interesting because I thought that Google translate might not always be practical or accurate when trying to communicate with a parent. Therefore, I wanted to know if there were other ways or solutions to this scenario.

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As I was reading this article, I picked up a few important points:

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As I was reading this article, I picked up a few important points:

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1. Regular, multimodal(written notes in agenda, email, phone calls) and open lines of communication are important
2. Seeing if my board offers bilingual workshops is a great way to help parents connect with the school community

3. Encourage ELL parents to volunteer in the classroom as well as at school events
4. Connect ELL parent with a parent buddy system (pairing parents of similar backgrounds together)
5. Create opportunities for parents to engage in sharing their home cultures and their own expertise because this will foster a positive attitude to ELL children about their first language and learning experiences.

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While reading this paper on "Effective methods of parent-teacher communication for teachers of english language learners", I realized that in order to reinforce positive relationship building with an ELL parent, there is also the form of non-verbal  communication that can help when communicating to a parent in addition to the simple verbal communication. Using gestures such as waving hello/goodbye, smiling, nodding head yes or no, thumbs up are all ways to non-verbally communicate in addition to verbal communication between a parent/guarding (of course, keeping in mind certain cultural differences and doing research ahead of time if any of those are offensive to a culture).

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When doing Activity 1.7, I realized that using already made available Board resources are one way of effectively and accurately communicating with parents. For example, within my board, reaching out to someone at the Newcomer Reception Centre can help if I don't have anyone who speaks the specific language at my school or within my community. I also discovered that we also have a WCDSB community website dedicated to many topics and amongst them are ESL. I'm sure there are also important documents that are translated in certain languages from the Board.

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For members of the Waterloo Catholic District School Board and invited guests.

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In this article I read, I summarized the important points below:

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In this article I read, I summarized the important points below:

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1. Find a bilingual interpreter(e.g.,school employee, parent liaison, family member, friend, or community member) that can translate for any type of communication with parent/guradian.
2. Find a way to translate written communications that you send home.
3. Learn some of the language yourself(e.g.,greeting, common words/phrases)
4. Get parents in touch with bilingual staff within school/board and encourage them to reach out to other bilingual parents.

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English language learners (ELLs) benefit just as much from their parents' involvement in their education as other students. Some Hispanic parents may feel apprehensive about getting involved because of their limited English skills, lack of familiarity with mainstream culture and the public school system in the United States, and other reasons. Below are some ways to reach out to parents of ELLs and increase the likelihood of their participation.

Use their preferred language

This is an essential place to start. Without a common language, very little communication can take place. Here are some ways to build an ongoing relationship with parents by reaching out through their native language.

Find a fully bilingual interpreter.

Whether a school employee, parent liaison, family member, friend, or community member, this person can translate for parent-teacher conferences, back-to-school nights, PTA meetings, and regular communication. It is best to find an adult and not rely on the student as the translator, as this practice can disempower the parent.

Translate the written communications that you send home.

Find a way to send home personal notes and materials in Spanish. This will keep parents in the loop on issues such as report cards, school events, and homework. Try to offer complete translations in a straightforward Spanish that parents can understand.

Learn some Spanish yourself.

Even if it is just some common words and greetings, using Spanish with parents will make them feel welcome. For starters, here are a few common classroom words and phrases in Spanish.

Put parents in touch with bilingual staff.

Give parents a list of names and phone numbers of bilingual staff in the school and district who they can contact to deal with educational concerns. Also encourage them to reach out to other parents who are bilingual or monolingual so they can share experiences and help one another.

Educate parents on the U.S. school system

To support their children's education, the parents of your ELL students need to understand how the U.S. school system and culture work. Listen to parents' concerns, answer their questions, and provide them with written materials in Spanish. Make sure that they understand things like:

How your school works

If necessary, review school hours, school holidays, school rules, school trajectory from pre-kindergarten through high school, and the school's administrative hierarchy.

Your school curriculum, standards, benchmarks, and materials

Consider that in many Latin American countries, the curriculum is very centralized. There is often one set of books. Uniforms are usually required. And rules tend to be the same for all schools across an entire country.

Teacher/school expectations

Explain that teachers hope and expect that parents will help with homework, find tutors, read books, tell stories, take their children to the library, visit the classroom, and become involved in the school.

Parent rights

Make certain that your ELL parents know about their rights regarding access to interpreters and translated materials from your school, free lunch programs, your school's ELL curriculum, supplementary school services that may be available to their children, and anything else that parents at your school have a right to know. If your school receives federal funds, provide information on the No Child Left Behind requirements of schools and the rights of parents. Learn about parents' rights.

Language programs

Work in collaboration with your school social service worker or guidance counselor, and explain the different language program options that your school has, why they work the way they do, and why the chosen program may be most suitable for their children. If parents have doubts, discuss their options and invite them to visit and observe the class.

Arrange home and community visits

Visiting homes and communities is a way to establish a relationship with parents who are working during school and after-school hours or who may feel intimidated by the school setting. Before doing this, however, make sure that parents are receptive to the idea and that your school district and union allow home visits by teachers.

It is often easier to resolve difficult issues face to face as opposed to over the telephone or through written communication. This way, you and the parents can anticipate problems and agree on how to solve them. When organizing home and community visits, try to:

Arrange for an interpreter to be present.

Respect the family's time constraints and choice of location - whether in the home, church, or community center.

Point out ways they can help with their child's language development, reading skills, and homework.

Welcome parents into your school

Here are some ways to involve Hispanic parents at school:

Host a Spanish-language back-to-school night

Host an evening event at the beginning of the school year for Spanish-speaking parents. Make sure ahead of time that a good interpreter will be in attendance. For this important first meeting, try to accommodate parents' requests for scheduling, transportation, and child care. Take this time to get to know them, communicate your expectations, and answer questions. Also find out the best way to maintain regular communication with each of these parents.

Arrange for a "tour" of the school

Within the first semester, organize a general school orientation session for parents of English language learners. With a bilingual facilitator, explain and answer any questions about things such as state standards, assessments, school expectations, language program options, etc. It would be helpful to actually walk parents around the school and introduce them to key people on staff. Some states, districts, and schools already do this.

Benefits of reaching out

Watch children's author and literacy advocate Pat Mora discuss the benefits to reaching out to Spanish-speaking parents.

This video is also available on YouTube.

Recruit volunteers

If parents are willing to volunteer their time, find out what their interests and skills are. ELL parents may be able to help with a variety of activities, such as cooking food for school-wide holidays, telling stories, teaching a dance, teaching a craft, or making a presentation.

Adult learning opportunities

Immigrant families may be unaware of the opportunities available to them. Another way to reach out to parents is to make them aware of learning opportunities for themselves. Somewhere in your community there are likely to be English and/or native language literacy classes for adults, family literacy projects, and parenting classes.

If your school has not compiled a list of these resources, ask your school administrators to do so. They should call your school district, city, county, library, park and recreation center, community college, and community-based organizations. Be sure to verify that families are eligible to receive the services offered regardless of immigration status. To be most effective, this list should be made available in Spanish and English and updated regularly.

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English language learners (ELLs) benefit just as much from their parents' involvement in their education as other students. Some Hispanic parents may feel apprehensive about getting involved because of their limited English skills, lack of familiarity with mainstream culture and the public school system in the United States, and other reasons.

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Question #1: How can I effectively support ELL students by communicating with parents besides solely relying on the use of translation technology such as Google Translate? 

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Question #1: How can I effectively support ELL students by communicating with parents besides solely relying on the use of translation technology such as Google Translate? 

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I learned that Kindergarten ELL’s use the following strategies as they acquire English as a Second Language:

1.  They use their first language

they attempt to communicate, but if no one else speaks/understands their language, they tend to give up trying

if others speak their language, they will identify those who they can go to for help

2.   No speaking at all (silent period either willingly or unwillingly can last a few days or more)

they may be actively observing, listening, learning, and communicating using non-verbal strategies

they may be whispering or speaking in a quiet tone, repeating what other children or adults are saying, as they explore the sounds of the new language

they may also be imitating reading and writing behaviours modelled by the teacher

they should not be forced to speak if they are not ready

3.     They use headlines and learned phrases

4.     They produce more complex structures and vocabulary

Students generally follow these sequence of strategies and they are all interrelated, but they don’t always follow this order. Individuals can vary on how long they use a certain strategy or if they even use it at all. For most children, they move back and forth between strategies. In the silent period, there are additional factors that can contribute to it, such as having a shy or self-conscious personality, child may have special needs, cultural factors, etc., so we must take these into consideration as well.