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This video is from Reading And Beyond's English Language Learner Advocacy program (ELLA). In the video, parents on ELLs talk about the importance of parent and family involvement in a child's education and the value of being familiar with the ELL classification process.

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This guide gives tips for ELL parent involvement like meetings with parents and asking for help from administration. We should provide parents with a list of information that can be useful and help their family. It also talks about Title III Parental Requirements for ELLs and provides links for additional information.

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Working Together to Support English Language Learners

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Working Together to Support English Language Learners

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This research brief from 2016 talks about what engagement is and why it is important, why family and community engagement matters, and how schools can engage families and communities. It includes Epstein's Framework on parenting, volunteering, communicating, learning at home, collaboration, and decision making.

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Supporting ESL Students in a Remote Environment

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Supporting ESL Students in a Remote Environment

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Since Covid-19, there have been more and more virtual classes. This pandemic has not only hindered the learning of English speakers, but also ELLs. As teachers we need to meet multicultural students' remote learning needs. This article gives 5 ways to support ESL students' academic achievements in a remote environment. Including using home-based activities and encourage familial involvement.

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Texas A&M International University Online

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Students who speak English as a second language (ESL), also called English language learners (ELL), are the fastest-growing population of students in K-12 schools, according to the National Education Association. By 2025, a quarter of all students in U.S. classrooms will be ELLs.

When it comes to remote learning, these students require the same high-quality instruction as other students, but with special support related to their needs as English language learners. Researchers expect some form of remote learning to continue after the COVID-19 pandemic has passed: The RAND Corporation found 30% of schools are considering some form of virtual or hybrid instruction in the future. It's therefore imperative that educators support ESL students' remote learning needs - not just presently but also in the future.

Educators may want to consider the Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction with a Specialization in Bilingual Education program to equip them to meet multicultural students' remote learning needs. Here are a few ways educators can support ESL students' academic achievements in a remote environment:

1. Accommodate for face-to-face interaction

James Cohen that these students depend on face-to-face, daily interactions in their school environments to improve their language skills. Without those in-person conversations, their learning can suffer.

However, dialogue can still happen in remote settings with the use of video and translation apps. Apps like Flipgrid help teachers host video conversations, while video software like Google Meet, Microsoft Teams and Zoom for Education offer the option to add captions and translation to videos. For students who can't access the internet live, YouTube recordings of lessons could be uploaded and viewed at a later date.

2. Use home-based activities as opportunities

The best approaches to ESL learning in a remote environment are collaborative, not condescending. Connecting with families and the student's home environment fosters this collaboration.

Just as a science teacher could encourage remote students to take an outdoor nature walk as a chance to reinforce concepts learned in the classroom, educators of ESL students can frame daily home activities as chances for learning. Resilient Educator suggests an approach that takes into account a family's cultural traditions: ELL students "already serve as translators for family and friends, engage in adult level negotiations for non-English speaking family members and strive to live up to academic and cultural expectations. Exploring opportunities to use these daily activities and bilingual learning platforms serves to strengthen community engagement."

3. Embrace self-directed learning

Self-directed learning is related to the strategy above in that it accounts for the realities that students encounter during their virtual learning. Allowing ELL students to chart their own course is important because they may be learning on a different schedule than they would in a classroom. Students might be sharing computers or other technology with family members. Flexible lessons that students can view at different times (or use offline) will help accommodate these schedules.

Additionally, flexibility in how ELL students complete assignments - allowing for a mix of written, verbal, and other types of work - will help keep students engaged at their own pace. EdWeek suggests teachers embrace TikTok, Instagram, Flipgrid, Quizlet and other digital tools to find one that fits student needs.

4. Nurture a culturally responsive relationship

Research suggests that educators who "change the mindset" from one oriented purely toward ESL students' language acquisition to one that embraces cultural dialogue and community orientation benefit students' success more. Resilient Educator notes linguistic specialist Mari Haneda has found "it is important to consider what these students are doing each day in their own communities outside of the classroom in order to set up effective learning communities."

Partnerships between educators and communities should consider those communities' cultural values and practices and understand how those will shape students' learning.

5. Encourage familial involvement.

When children are learning remotely, their home and familial environments matter more than ever. Under remote learning models, families may have more contact and, therefore, can supervise students' learning better than teachers.

Schools must communicate effectively with the families of ESL students. This could include conveying school information in languages other than English. It might also include asking family members to volunteer their time with the school, whether speaking to the class or assisting with activities. But above all, it involves putting the student's family first: organizing meetings around their schedules, respecting their cultural traditions and celebrating their strengths rather than criticizing perceived deficiencies.
Learn more about Texas A&M International University's online Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction with a Specialization in Bilingual Education program.
Sources:

Chicago Tribune: Remote Learning Presents Unavoidable Challenges for Some Students

EdSurge: Remote Learning Is Here to Stay

EdTech: How to Support English Language Learners During E-Learning

Education Week: Ten Strategies for Teaching English-Language Learners Online

National Education Association: English Language Learners

RAND Corporation: Remote Learning Is Here to Stay
Have a question or concern about this article? Please contact us.
Resilient Educator:
Five Ways to Engage Parents of ELL Students
How Teachers Can Help ELL Students Create a Community

WeAreTeachers: Real Teacher Tips for Supporting Your English Language Learners in Remote Learning

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Supporting ESL Students in a Remote Enviornment

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Students who speak English as a second language (ESL), also called English language learners (ELL), are the fastest-growing population of students in K-12 schools, according to the National Education Association. By 2025, a quarter of all students in U.S. classrooms will be ELLs.

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As a General Education teacher, it is important to support the ELLs in your classroom. This article gives us 12 different ways to support and encourage those students who are learning English. For example, make the instruction visual, communicate with the ESL teacher, learn about their cultural background, etc.

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Listen to this post as a podcast:
A note on terminology: The acronym ESL is used less often now in schools than it used to be, because we recognize that many students who are learning English already speak several other languages, so English would not be a "second" language. I use it several times in the post because schools sometimes refer to the teachers as ESL teachers, and the term is still widely used as a search term for this topic. My intent in using the acronym is to make this post easier to find online.

You have a new student, and he speaks no English. His family has just moved to your town from Japan, and though he receives English as a Second Language (ESL) support, he will also be sitting in your room every day to give him more exposure to his new language. How can you be a good teacher to someone who barely understands you?

According to the National Center for Education Statistics, an average of 9 percent of students in U.S. public schools are English Language Learners (ELLs); that number is closer to 14 percent in cities. Although many of these students start off in high-intensity, whole-day English programs, most are integrated into mainstream classrooms within a year, well before their English language skills would be considered proficient.

How prepared are you to teach these students? If you're like most classroom teachers, you have little to no training in the most effective methods for working with English language learners (Walker, Shafer, & Iiams, 2004). So that means we have a problem here: Lots of ELL kids in regular classrooms, and no teacher training to ensure the success of that placement.

Below, three ESL teachers tell us what they know about the things regular classroom teachers can do to improve instruction for ELL students. These 12 strategies are simple, they are not very time consuming, and best of all, they will help everyone in your class learn better:

1. Make it Visual

"Avoid giving instructions in the air," says Melissa Eddington, an Ohio-based ESL teacher. "ELL kids have a harder time processing spoken language." So instructions - even basic directions for classroom procedures - should be written on the board whenever possible. Challenging concepts should be diagrammed or supported with pictures. And modeling the steps of a process or showing students what a finished product should look like can go a long way toward helping students understand. "Sometimes showing our students what to do is all they need in order to do it," Eddington says. Not only will this kind of nonlinguistic representation improve comprehension for ELL students, it will help all of your students grasp concepts better.

2. Build in more group work.

"Kids aren't just empty glasses that we pour stuff into and then at the end of the day they dump it back onto a test," says Kim, an ESL teacher who was the subject of my very first podcast interview. "If you really want the kids to learn, they've got to be engaged." That means less teacher-led, whole-class instruction, and more small groups, where students can practice language with their peers in a more personal, lower-risk setting. And if ELL students attend your class with a resource teacher, make use of that person: In most cases the resource teacher doesn't have to work exclusively with the ESL students; they can work with smaller groups that happen to contain these students, helping to improve the teacher-student ratio and give kids more time to practice.

3. Communicate with the ESL teacher.

Mary Yurkosky, a former ESL teacher in Massachusetts, credits much of her students' success to the strong relationship she had with the regular classroom teachers. "The classroom teachers were always talking to me about what they were doing in their classes," she says. "They made it so easy for me to support them: If a teacher was going to be doing a unit on plants, I could make sure we used some of that same vocabulary in the ESL class."

Ideally, this could be systematized, where ESL teachers could regularly get copies of lesson plans or collaborate with regular classroom teachers to build solid back-and-forth support, but "it doesn't have to be that much work," Yurkosky insists. "Just talk to each other. Talk about what's going on in your classrooms, invite each other to special presentations, share what your students are learning, and the words will naturally find their way into the ESL class."

4. Honor the "silent period."

Many new language learners go through a silent period, during which they will speak very little, if at all. "Don't force them to talk if they don't want to," says Eddington, "A lot of students who come from cultures outside of America want to be perfect when they speak, so they will not share until they feel they are at a point where they're perfect." Just knowing that this is a normal stage in second language acquisition should help relieve any pressure you feel to move them toward talking too quickly.

5. Allow some scaffolding with the native language.

Although it has been a hotly debated topic in the language-learning community, allowing students some use of their first language (L1) in second-language (L2) classrooms is gaining acceptance. When a student is still very new to a language, it's okay to pair him with other students who speak his native language. "Some students are afraid to open their mouths at all for fear of sounding stupid or just not knowing the words to use," Yurkosky says. "Letting them explain things or ask questions in their first language gets them to relax and feel like a part of the class."

And this doesn't only apply to spoken language. If you give students a written assignment, but the ELL student doesn't yet have the proficiency to handle writing his response in English, "Don't make them just sit there and do nothing," Eddington says. "Allow them to write in their first language if they're able. This allows them to still participate in journal writing or a math extended response, even if you can't read what they write." There has even been some evidence that allowing second-language learners to pre-write and brainstorm in L1 results in higher-quality writing in L2 in later stages of the writing process (Yigzaw, 2012).

6. Look out for culturally unique vocabulary.

"For most of these kids, their background knowledge is lacking, especially with things that are unique to American or westernized culture," says Eddington. It's important to directly teach certain vocabulary words: "Show them videos of what it looks like to toss pizza dough, show pictures of a juke box or a clothing rack - things that are not common in their own language."

One way to differentiate for ELL students is to consider the whole list of terms you're going to teach for a unit, and if you think an ELL student may be overwhelmed by such a long list, omit those that are not essential to understanding the larger topic at hand.

7. Use sentence frames to give students practice with academic language.

All students, not just English language learners, need practice with academic conversations. Sentence frames - partially completed sentences like "I disagree with what _________ said because..." - show students how to structure language in a formal way. Keep these posted in a highly visible spot in your classroom and require students to refer to them during discussions and while they write.

For this kind of language to really sink in, though, Kim says it has to become a regular part of class. "They won't do it if it's not the norm in the class, because they'll be embarrassed to use it among their peers," she says. "But if they can put it off on the teacher and say, Oh, well, you know, Miss Kim makes me talk like this, then they don't look as hoity-toity as they would otherwise."

8. Pre-teach whenever possible.

If you're going to be reading a certain article next week, give ESL students a copy of it now. If you plan to show a YouTube video tomorrow, send a link to your ESL students today. Any chance you can give these students to preview material will increase the odds that they'll understand it on the day you present it to everyone else. "That kind of thing is wonderful," Yurkosky says. "The kids feel so empowered if they've had a chance to look at the material ahead of time."

9. Learn about the cultural background of your students...

Our second-language populations grow more diverse every year. Taking the time to learn the basics of where a child comes from - exactly, not 'somewhere in the Middle East/South America/Asia/Africa' - tells the student that you respect her enough to bother. Kim remembers one time when she had to set the record straight about the diverse South American population at her school: "I was listening to the teachers talking about the 'Mexican' kids in our building," she says, "and I was like, 'We don't have any Mexicans.'" Not taking the time to at least correctly identify a child's country of origin, much like not bothering to pronounce their name correctly, is a kind of microaggression, a small, subtle insult that communicates hostility toward people of color. Make a commitment to be someone who bothers to get it right.

Once you have the country straight, take things up a notch by learning about students' religious and cultural practices. If he is a practicing Muslim, he should be told if one of the pizzas you ordered for the class party has sausage on it. If she comes from a culture where eye contact with adults is viewed as disrespectful, you'll know not to force her to look you in the eye when she's talking.

10. ...but don't make a child speak for his entire culture.

In her podcast interview, Kim shared a story about watching a teacher ask a new Iraqi student how he felt about the war in his country, right in the middle of class. "That's not cultural inclusiveness," she explains. "I've seen teachers do this and then pat themselves on the back. The students' English is limited so they can't express themselves very well, and they don't want to 'represent'; they just want to be there." If you anticipate a theme coming up in your class that's going to be relevant to one of your students, have a conversation with them in advance, or check with your ESL teacher to see if they think it's appropriate for in-class discussion.

11. Show them how to take themselves less seriously...

By modeling the risk-taking that's required to learn a new language, you help students develop the courage to take their own risks, and to have a sense of humor about it. "I tried to say the word 'paint' ( pinta) in Portuguese and instead I said the word for 'penis' ( pinto). They all roared with laughter while I stood there with a What?? look on my face," Yurkosky says. "When they explained what I'd said, I laughed so hard! I told them that laughing was fine because sometimes mistakes are really funny, but ridicule is never okay."

12. ...but always take them seriously.

One of Kim's pet peeves about how teachers interact with English language learners is the way they often see students' efforts as 'cute,' missing the whole point of what the student is trying to say. "A student will be desperate to communicate, and the teacher will get distracted by the delivery and miss the message," she says. "That's painful for me to watch." It bothers her when teachers mistake a lack of language for a lack of intelligence or maturity. When a child can't express themselves as well as they would in their native language, it's far too easy to assume the concepts just aren't in their heads.

"It breaks my heart when I hear teachers say (ELL kids) don't know anything," says Eddington. "These are brilliant kids and they know a lot. They just can't tell us in English yet." Make a conscious effort to see past the accent and the mispronunciations and treat every interaction - every student - with the respect they deserve.

"They're doing twice the job of everybody else in the class," Kim adds, "even though the result looks like half as much." ♦

Further Reading

The ESL/ELL Teacher's Survival Guide is one of the highest-rated books on teaching English-language learners available. In addition to offering an overview of the research on second-language learners and best practices in teaching ESL, it also includes a whole section on teaching ESL in the content areas and another specifically geared toward teaching ELL students in mainstream classrooms.
References:
Walker, A., Shafer, J., & Iiams, M. (2004). "Not in my classroom": Teacher attitudes towards English language learners in the mainstream classroom. NABE Journal of Research and Practice, 2(1), 130-160.

Yigzaw, A. (2012). Impact of L1 use in L2 English writing classes. Ethiopian Journal of Education and Sciences, 8(1), 11-27.

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12 Ways to Support English Learners in the Mainstream Classroom

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Advice from three ESL teachers on the things regular classroom teachers can do to help English language learners thrive in mainstream classrooms.

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Duolingo is a great app to help students with their language skills. You can practice vocabulary, pronunciation, and grammar in this app.

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Duolingo is the world's most popular way to learn a language. It's 100% free, fun and science-based. Practice online on duolingo.com or on the apps!

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This article is a very good because it gives tips and tricks on how a teacher can help parents connect with their child's education. It gives them ideas on how to incorporate other languages into their lessons and give the parents resources.

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All parents can be helpful in their children's literacy development, regardless of their language, education, or literacy level. Parents who speak little or no English can contribute to their children's education in valuable ways. English language learners may benefit when they develop solid literacy skills in their first language before learning to read in a second one. Through Spanish, they are developing key language and literacy skills that may enable them to become excellent readers in English.

What are the important differences between the English and Spanish languages?

There are important differences between English and Spanish. Your awareness of these differences will help you to better teach English to your ELLs. For example:

Spanish-speaking ELLs may have difficulty distinguishing one English sound from another when they listen, speak, read, or write – especially the sounds that don't exist in Spanish. They may have trouble learning the 15 English vowel sounds because Spanish only has five. Beginning ELLs may not hear the difference between cat and cut, call and cold, or tin and ten. They need to hear the vowel distinctions from you before they are able to produce them on their own.

Discover more Spanish-English tips to help your ELL make connections between the two languages.

What if my students' parents speak only Spanish and don't know how to read?

Even if your students' parents cannot read, there are many ways they can develop their children's oral language skills and support their literacy efforts. Here are a few ideas:

Storytelling

In Hispanic families, oral storytelling is often more of a natural activity than reading a bedtime story together. By telling stories, parents are developing their children's vocabulary and oral language skills. Parents can also encourage children to add to stories or make up their own.

"Read" wordless picture books

Wordless picture books tell stories through pictures. This can be a fun way for parents and children to sit down together with books and talk about stories. Children can learn how stories progress, make predictions, and develop a love for books.

Say rhymes and sing songs

Rhymes, songs, and chants can develop oral language skills such as intonation and word stress.

Read more ideas on how to make word play fun:

Make frequent trips to the public library

You might be surprised at how many parents of ELLs do not understand that public libraries in the United States are free and for everyone. Try coordinating an informal "field trip" to your closest public library with parents (and possibly children) early in the school year.

Get ideas on introducing parents of ELLs to the public library, and more!

Engage in meaningful conversation

For oral language development, it is important that parents engage their children in meaningful conversation. Whether at the dinner table or at the grocery store, parents can ask children questions that require more than a simple yes or no answer.

Read more on how to engage your child to help develop oral language (also available in Spanish):

Watch educational children's television programs together

There are a number of wonderful children's television programs that promote English language and literacy development. This can be a great way for both parents and children to learn English together.

Learn more ways television can be used as an educational tool.

What if my students' parents read only in Spanish?

If your ELLs' parents are fully literate in Spanish, there are many ways they can help their children learn to read. First of all, they can do everything in the section above. In addition, they can:

Read books in Spanish

Just as English-speaking parents can read books with their children in English, Spanish-speaking parents can read books with their children in Spanish. If some parents are not accustomed to reading with their children, introduce them to children's books and model different ways they can read together. Visit our families section for more specific suggestions. You can print out Spanish versions of each page and hand them directly to parents.

Read bilingual books

Bilingual books are a great way for ELL students and their parents and family to enjoy books together. In addition, they can both improve their reading skills along the way.

Homework help

If parents do not speak English, they may feel powerless when it comes to helping their children with homework. Let parents know that there are a variety of ways they can help:

Direct help

There are probably many ways that parents can offer direct homework help, whether it's teaching numbers and letters, practicing reading, or helping with projects. Keep parents abreast of your classroom activities and homework, and point out specific ways that they can help out from home.

Keep tabs

Parents can keep in touch with teachers to make sure their children are finishing their homework. They can ask their children if they have any homework and make sure they set aside enough time to do it.

Provide good work space

Let parents know how important it is for children to have a clean, quiet work space to read or do their homework. Even if it is a simple table and chair, children will concentrate better with a defined place to study.

Find a tutor

If parents cannot directly help with homework, encourage them to locate a tutor to help their children and answer any questions. Often times there are volunteer tutoring programs at local elementary schools, high schools, libraries, and after-school programs. An aunt, uncle, neighbor, or older sibling might also be able to help.

Starting a home library

Regardless of their language or literacy level, parents can help their children develop a special collection of books at home. Here are some tips for parents:

Pick a special place in the house

Designate an area so that your child knows where to find his or her books. Buy, make, or clear off an area for a simple bookshelf. Even a board or cardboard box will do.

Find quality books

There are a number of ways to build up your home library. An obvious way is to make frequent trips to the public library. You can also buy books from bookstores and school book fairs. You can often find books for little cost at used book stores, thrift stores, and garage sales. Another way to develop a collection is to encourage family members and friends to give books to your children as presents for birthdays and other occasions.

Learn more about starting your own library:

Multicultural books

Watch children's author and literacy advocate, Pat Mora, discuss how her family stories have enabled many Hispanic children to see themselves reflected in books.

This video is also available on YouTube.

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Empowering ELL Parents & Families at Home

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All parents can be helpful in their children's literacy development, regardless of their language, education, or literacy level. Parents who speak little or no English can contribute to their children's education in valuable ways. English language learners may benefit when they develop solid literacy skills in their first language before learning to read in a second one.

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This video gives great examples on how to help a fellow classmate who is learning English as their second language. It gives students a different perspective on school and how it is important to connect with other peers.

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ESL Student Support Strategies (ELL, LEP   & Bilingual)

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The findings of this study were that teachers improve Bilingual student's education through a multitude of ways.

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The many components of a successful English as a second language (ESL) program became apparent to me watching students thrive in a neighborhood public school with an ESL program teeming with diverse students-an English learner (EL) population of close to 60%, students from 16 different countries, speaking 13 different languages. In other schools, ELs may be marginalized, but in this school, they take center stage, literally and figuratively. The ESL teachers provide professional development for content teachers, EL needs are a focus of administrative meetings, and ELs lead activities that are showcased to the community. Students who exit the ESL program, and some in the program, are enrolled in advanced courses. Newer students find comfort in their language groups, but after a year or two they can be found speaking their first language or English to new friends. The students in this ESL program go to college and find employment at high rates.

Teacher-student collaboration is the unique characteristic of this neighborhood public school. Welcoming environments are commonplace, so students take risks and build trust with teachers. ESL teachers are advocates for the ELs and have heightened awareness of student needs. Teachers know something about each of their students' families, languages, living conditions, problems, and accomplishments. They also have knowledge of language theories and cultural pedagogy practices and when to apply them. Successful education programs such as this involve complex systems with multiple moving parts. Which components of these programs did students themselves think were most effective? What was moving the students of this ESL program to succeed? Recent graduates share their perceptions of effective ESL program components in this qualitative study.

Student-Centered Pedagogy
Using student-centered and culturally responsive lessons has been found to advance ELs toward their goals. Instruction is influenced by social, cultural, and historical factors (Lavendez, 2011). Teaching students cannot be separated from context. The element of control that teachers possess cannot be denied when observing teaching through this sociopolitical context. Teachers are assisting students in making meaning in their own social and political environments, not the teachers' (Lavendez, 2011). For this to be successful, teachers need to be aware not only of their own biases but of the history, cultures, and capabilities of their students. English language skills are improved upon when students speak about matters on which they are knowledgeable (Waxman and Tellez, 2002). Teachers must be aware of their students' knowledge and needs in order to build curriculum and plans.

Gay (2010) advises that instruction should be focused on teaching "to and through students' personal and cultural strengths, their intellectual abilities, and their prior accomplishments" (p. 220). Garcia et al. (2012) build on the concept by placing the emerging bilingual identities of the students at the center of the educating process.

A Web of Collaborations
ESL teachers developed relationships in school with the administration, content teachers, bilingual counselors, tutors, and support staff. Nieto (2002) explains that positive changes come about when individual teachers and administrators work toward sharing power to provide educational success for students.

Trust plays a prominent role in the relationships among students and their teachers. This trust allows for social capital to be accrued. Social capital is "the economic value of a person's behavior, attitudes, knowledge, and cultural experiences" (Spring, 2012, p. 94). Roessingh (2006) states, "bonding and bridging social capital are critical in nurturing high levels of trust within and across the school and immigrant communities" (p. 566).

Theoretical Framework
Freire's (1998) model acknowledges students learn most effectively when they are making their own meaning and have knowledge about their own needs. Student empowerment increases when teachers assist them in obtaining knowledge that can transform their circumstances (Nieto, 2002). Ladson-Billings (1995) provides structure to apply these theories. She defines culturally relevant teaching as using the student's culture as a basis for helping the student to understand themselves and their social interactions and to conceptualize knowledge.

Research Methods
Student perceptions of effective ESL program components were examined through open-ended interviews. To analyze the data, the researcher synthesized, coded, and identified emerging themes. Themes were compared to theories and previous research.

A sample was selected of 14 graduates from an ESL program in 2019. Interviewees included students from eight countries, speaking six different languages. They had resided in the U.S. from one to seven years.

During the interviews, students were guided to think about their experience in their ESL program. The questions were derived from categories of academic instruction with a concentration in culturally responsive pedagogy, use of first language, collaborations among stakeholders, and relationships with teachers. These categories reflect the framework mentioned above (Cummins, 1990; Freire, 1998; Ladson-Billings, 1995; Krashen, 1984; Nieto, 2002).

This qualitative analysis took a grounded theory approach (Creswell and Poth, 2018). Each student response was analyzed to identify if students were proposing that the ESL program component was effective, ineffective, or in need of improvement. Their responses were coded.

Results of the Study
All 14 students were able to describe how their relationship with their EL teacher influenced their success. Student participants stated that teachers provided resources for academic and personal needs. They were given opportunities to share their cultures and use them as a bridge for learning new material. They avoided discipline problems and found help for family members. The EL teacher helped them move through this new education system. Often this help came in the form of connections with other stakeholders. This collaboration with other stakeholders was an influential component to success. The collaborations involved many stakeholders in the program, including ESL and content teachers, staff members, administrators, community partners, counselors, and parents. The students' responses about collaborations strengthen the idea that interrelationships support ELs.

Findings:
1. EL teachers provide support for navigating school norms.
Many students discussed how they avoided discipline problems with the help of EL teachers. A male from El Salvador recalled, "One day a guy pushed me. She helped me a lot. She said what I need to do. She go to the office with me." In this case, the teacher was helping the student to understand how the school handles discipline issues. He smiled as he continued, saying she was a "good teacher" and he liked her because she helped him to "not do something wrong." Students such as this one look for a trusted adult, preferably one who speaks their language, to guide them to make the right decision. There were many examples like this, where the student may not have understood the protocol to handle awkward or delicate situations. These situations have the potential to cause embarrassment, or worse, punitive actions. In cases such as these, the student seeks a credible adult to guide them through. In many cases, their EL teacher is this person.

A female participant originally from Honduras enthusiastically recalled numerous times her EL teachers helped with problems. "Two of the ESL teachers helped me. I didn't want them to do something. I told them to only let them know what kind of problem I was having. I can trust them more than my other teachers. So, they are like my other moms. I know I can tell them my problems. It is good to have a person to tell your problems."

These moments represent common situations that arise in high school but are new to ELs. Having a trusted person in their corner allows them to feel confident to continue with their learning while adjusting to social norms. This participant continued to describe occasions-academic, disciplinary, and personal-where she felt space was available for her to discuss issues without fear. The idea that she could trust her teachers was important for her to succeed.

2. EL teachers connect academics to student culture and community.
EL teachers were said to be skilled in using lessons as a bridge to understanding students' cultures and communities. One student participant discussed using Vietnamese culture as a vehicle to guide instruction: "When I think about the past that I live in Vietnam, it helps me to learn and grow more than what I am doing today." She shared discussion topics which focused on Vietnamese culture. Two other Vietnamese students mentioned "sharing" and "community" in response to inquiries about culturally responsive instruction. Another Vietnamese participant stated, "I share how I love it (culture). When I share, she shared back. I learn from her culture. I learn, too."

A student from El Salvador exemplified this concept: "I feel more good when she (ESL teacher) talked about my country." Another student participant, from China, echoed this sentiment. She related, "I know my country very much. I can talk about my country and other people are interested. I am very proud of my country. I learned many things in my country. I learned before I came here." It takes a generous amount of time for these relationships to be cultivated because teachers must get to know students and their backgrounds well. Teachers are able to provide these connections because of time allowed through scheduling by the administration.

3. Administrators invest in teacher- student collaborations.
Interview data demonstrated EL teachers partnering with their students to give them support. The teachers grew to know their students' histories and their goals for the future. In order for these understandings to develop, administrators must provide time for teacher and students to get to know each other. This often occurs when rostering students with the same teacher for extended semesters. This time allows teachers to gain understanding of students so that when they need encouragement, it is genuinely provided.

Students often stated that the EL teacher instilling confidence was instrumental in creating a successful experience. A student participant said, "I remember my ESL teacher told me one word, 'confidence.' I need to have more confidence to myself and speak English. That was important to me. I was shy all the time." Similarly, a participant from the Congo gave more specific information about how his ESL teacher instilled confidence. He said, "First of all, in many ways, ESL (classes) changed me. They improved me how to read, how to speak English, improved me how to feel confident. When I came, I can't take a book and read in front of many people. I thought with my pronunciation, they will laugh about me. Right now, I can read the book with confidence." Administrators have an important role in this collaboration. They can schedule time for these relationships to be forged.

4. EL teachers collaborate with content teachers to advance student learning.
Participants were asked about a time when their EL teachers worked with other teachers to help them with a problem. Students explained that this happened when they encountered issues in their content classes. A participant provided details about how students perceive this action: "They (EL and content teachers) work with each other for helping the students to understand. To do the math if they don't understand. They gonna connect them with a math and ESL teacher. Because ESL teacher understands ELL students more than other teacher. They can help us because they understand us." Another participant summed up the need for collaboration: "You need motivation from everyone. Not only the (ESL) teacher. Everyone, to push me up. This is important."

EL teachers do this by giving information to other teachers about how to scaffold instruction, provide accommodations, or conduct community outreach. This adaptability of the EL teacher is necessary when considering the rigidity of the school systems many inhabit.

5. EL teachers collaborate with other stakeholders.
Students were asked about how their EL teachers worked with parents, representatives of parents, or community partner members. Community leaders and bilingual assistants are often representatives of parents. Student responses referenced their parents' connections with these stakeholders. One said, "When report cards are coming, they (bilingual counselors) talk with my parents." Another mentioned grades as a topic for bilingual counselor and EL teacher collaborations. She said, "My ESL teacher talked with my counselor if I got a lower grade. They will talk with the counselor to move you up, make you motivation." Bilingual counselors are often the liaison between teachers and parents who do not speak English.

Other students mentioned examples of community partners helping with classroom assignments to further student success. One referred to receiving help with her graduation project: "I always went to after-school program, Migrant Education. Lots of students go after school to get help. Migrant Education helped me to do my Nepali project. He heard of my history. The history of Mao. I researched and did a presentation." Community partners provide an opportunity for ELs to get help from people who know their languages and cultures.

6. Students network for their future with EL teachers.
A participant from Vietnam described a time when his EL teacher helped him to make higher education plans with his parents: "My ESL teacher tell me about my future. We talked for an hour. She told me to tell my parents. They don't want me to go to college. They want me working. I want to go to college. The problem was solved because she gave me advice. I talked to my parents. You can make money with your brain. You can think. You are smart." Talking with parents about continuing education can be overwhelming for any student, especially one new to the country. The teacher supplied him with information about how college can help to attain wealth. These new ideas hold more weight when they originate from the teacher, especially since teachers are held in high regard in some cultures. Many parents of ELs require them to work because they may not understand or trust that college may lead to higher-paying jobs.

Student-teacher relationships are essential in allowing students to feel successful. EL teachers in particular help students to navigate cultural norms and systemic expectations. This leads to increased trust in the system and confidence to continue learning. Students cited feelings of confidence, pride, connection, and comfort directly related to relationships with EL teachers.

Practical Implications and Strategies
Participants' perceptions of positive experiences included their EL teacher in an array of situations: academic, social, and goal setting. Students gained understanding of how to figure out new educational and social systems while building confidence in their abilities to use their language skills to plan for the future. Often collaborators were people who spoke the same languages or shared the same ethnic backgrounds as the students. EL teachers set up collaborations and made space for exchanges. These webs of collaboration between EL teachers, their students, and other stakeholders are the heart of successful ESL programs. The themes that emerged support critical pedagogy, which expresses the idea of student empowerment increasing when students obtain knowledge that can transform circumstances (Nieto, 2002). This idea confirms that a teacher's position is not neutral, and student-centered and culturally appropriate activities empower students. Students learn more easily when there is an element of comfort, which allows them to receive learning messages more clearly (Krashen, 1984).

Students learn more effectively as teachers become aware of students' strengths and accomplishments (Gay, 2010). Building relationships where teachers know students' backgrounds and needs takes time. When teachers have the time to build rapport and create caring atmospheres that accommodate the cultures and languages of their students, then success is accelerated because confidence improves.

Culturally responsive teaching is a strong element when building positive relationships between teacher and student. Using culturally responsive learning throughout academic instruction results in students reporting positive feelings when sharing cultural identities. This sharing of culture is one of the bridges that helps to lower the affective filter and exemplifies how learning cannot be separated from the sociopolitical context (Lavendez, 2011; Nieto, 2002). EL programs should utilize community partners, bilingual counselors, and bilingual members of the school community as a wealth of resources for students. Community involvement results in power transfer in relationships (Lavendez, 2011). The ability to succeed in school is a power that is transferred to students with the help of community partners who may have navigated the educational systems themselves and share the students' cultures. Students overcome academic barriers when they have access to multiple sources. EL programs need to involve community partners in decision making and in academic discussions. Programs need to create space and time for these partners to work with students and feel welcome as indispensable members of the school community.

Implications of this research include the need for EL teacher training courses that accentuate the importance of being advocates for students. ESL teachers need to be aware of organizations and connect students to them in the school and community. Training programs should make new teachers aware of the skills needed for advocacy so that they are prepared to involve themselves in the profession as more than teachers of academic skills.

References available at www.languagemagazine.com/references-success-from-the-student-perspective.

Aimee Davis is an ESL and English teacher at Furness High School in South Philadelphia. She also teaches graduate courses in social foundations, ESL, education research, and communication. She received her EdD in school leadership from Widener University. Her research interests include ESL programs, student perceptions, effects of culturally responsive instruction, promoting student leadership, and first language use in the classroom.

Brenda Gilio, associate professor and director of the Center for Education at Widener University, served as the chairperson of the dissertation committee on which this article is based. Dr. Gilio is a faculty member in the K-12 Educational Leadership Programs. Her research agenda focuses on leadership for school improvement.

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Success from the Student Perspective - Language Magazine

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The many components of a successful English as a second language (ESL) program became apparent to me watching students thrive in a neighborhood public school with an ESL program teeming with diverse students-an English learner (EL) population of close to 60%, students from 16 different countries, speaking 13 different languages.

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It is important to make personal connections with the families of your ESL students. Listed are strategies and examples on how to achieve this goal.

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The following strategies offer tips for building relationships with the families of English language learners (ELLs), getting to know their strengths and stories, and creating a welcoming environment.

Supporting immigrant families

For related ideas, see the following:

1. Learn about your ELL population

A. What you need to know

Learning about your ELL families provides an important foundation for everything else you do at the school. Even basic information about students' ethnic and linguistic backgrounds, or the situations from which they have come, can help you match students with the appropriate services and programs.

B. Reflection

Answer the following questions about your ELL families using a KWL chart:

What do you know about your ELL students and families?

What do you want to learn?

Who on the staff works most closely with your ELL families?

What would be valuable for your school-wide staff to know?

C. Strategies

If you do not yet know this information about your ELLs, find out:

What countries your families come from

How many of your ELLs were born in the U.S.

What languages they speak (which may be at least two or three!)

If families who speak the same language, such as Spanish, come from different countries or different regions within the same country

The educational background of families and the school system of their countries

If any of your ELLs are refugees or students with interrupted formal education

If your families have experienced war or another traumatic event such as a natural disaster.

In order to learn more about your ELL families:

Start with your ELL/bilingual educators. These individuals are an important resource whose experience working with ELL students and families can benefit the entire school community - and they will appreciate the opportunity to share their expertise!

Find out what resources are available from the district and community. This may include helpful background information as well as a network of interpreters.

Enlist a knowledgeable staff member, community member, or parent. If you find such a person, examine his/her background as it relates to what you need. For example, you may know a Somali young adult who is bilingual but doesn't remember Somalia. He may be more helpful as an interpreter than as a liaison for Somali families who have just arrived in the U.S.

Ask the families. You may want to include some questions in your home language survey or a very basic questionnaire that ELL parents fill out with an interpreter during student enrollment.

Note: Remember that your ELL population is not homogeneous. The child of a migrant worker from Mexico and the child of a teacher from Mexico probably won't have the same educational and economic needs. Learn what you can about each child's unique circumstances to the extent possible.

D. Example

An administrator from Minnesota wanted to better understand the needs of the children who were arriving at her school directly from Kenyan refugee camps. She wrote a grant that enabled her to travel to Kenya and visit the camps from which they were coming. What she learned at the camps was not only helpful for her; it was helpful for the entire staff. Based on her experience, she was also able to prevent some major misunderstandings around discipline issues. (Related video: Understanding Student Background, Dr. Cynthia Lundgren)

Resources

2. Integrate cultural traditions of your ELL families throughout the school

A. What you need to know

Becoming familiar with and including the cultural traditions of your ELL families within the larger school community not only enhances your ability to create a welcoming and respectful school environment - it has practical considerations as well. These include:

Scheduling: Scheduling around important cultural or religious holidays will help prevent large numbers of students from missing important instruction time, exams, and school events.

Classroom opportunities: Familiarity with ELL families' cultural traditions will provide teachers a base from which to build upon ELLs' background knowledge, create educational opportunities for other students, and foster a sense of respect among students for their peers.

Improved communication: Learning about your ELL families' traditions may help avoid miscommunication or cultural blunders that can damage a budding relationship.

B. Reflection

What are your ELLs' cultural behaviors and values? Which celebrations and holidays do they observe? How does your staff feel about the changes in your school population? How do they feel about working with ELLs?

C. Strategies

Avoid scheduling important events such as conferences or tests on major holidays and celebrations that large numbers of students are likely to miss.

Share these dates with the entire staff.

Share information about cultural celebrations with teachers so that they are able to positively support them and incorporate them into lessons. Even a simple memo that explains why students will be out and offers some ideas for follow-up activities will be helpful. (Encourage teachers to start with children's books, which often have background information and activities, such as these titles about Ramadan, Chinese New Year, and Día de los muertos.)

Learn about, recognize, and celebrate special events or holidays throughout the school.

Invite parents to share food, activities, and music at school events and in the classroom.

Encourage students to share traditions in school assemblies, talent shows, potlucks, and fairs.

Offer food that reflects the cultural influences of your families on the cafeteria menu.

Be mindful that students who are fasting may be less energetic in the afternoon. If possible, avoid school-wide parties or food-centered activities during these times.

Notes: Staff may resist the changes happening around them, and they may be uncomfortable discussing those changes. Such was the case of a school custodian in Minnesota who asked a receptionist "why they (the Muslim students) get special days off and we can't even celebrate Christmas." Dr. Lundgren explains the importance of having an open, non-threatening conversation with the entire staff that acknowledges the challenges of serving a new ELL population and explores steps the school can take to address those challenges. (Related video: Cultural shifts, Dr. Lundgren)

You may find it helpful to bring in a neutral, outside party who specializes in cross-cultural education and communication in order to help moderate these conversations if they seem particularly fraught with tension. An open dialogue with a professional will give your staff the tools they need to adjust to the new reality and create a more positive, welcoming environment for everyone in the school.

D. Examples

Storyteller Lucía González remembers a storyteller-in-residence program she led at a Colorado elementary school. The program was going to culminate with a Spanish-language story hour for the Latino families at the school. On the night of the event, the weather was bad, and few people had arrived as she was getting ready to start. Seeing the small crowd, the principal turned to her and said, "Don't worry if they don't come, because usually they don't come." At 7:00 p.m., however, the parents began to arrive, led by the excited children who had heard her stories. (Related video: A dream come true - The Storyteller's Candle, Lucía González)

A group of Muslim students at Forest Heights Collegiate Institute in Ontario approached principal Jim Woolley about finding a place to pray within the school. After working with an immigration settlement worker and local imam, the school reserved a classroom in which students pray on Friday afternoon after the school is closed. They use the classroom and then lock the door when they finish. According to Mr. Woolley, it doesn't cost the school anything and it doesn't require supervision. "We trust them," he said (D'Amato, 2011).

3. Create a welcoming environment for families

A. What you need to know

A welcoming environment can make a tremendous difference for all families, including ELL families. Entering a friendly, vibrant atmosphere lets families know that the school is "an integral part of the community" (Houk, 63) and that they are valued members of that community. This is especially important for immigrant families who may be intimidated by the formal school environment and the English language needed to participate.

Another way to think of this is to keep your ELLs visible. ELLs are often treated as an invisible minority, but ELLs and their families should "see themselves" throughout the school:

On the walls, through student work and photos

In the classroom, with books and lessons that incorporate their experiences and traditions

In school-wide cultural activities

In the faces of staff and volunteers who come from similar backgrounds.

B. Reflection

Imagine that you have arrived in a new country where you don't speak the language and where you will be enrolling your child in a local school. Think about arriving at the school for the first time, only to discover that no one at the school speaks English. Imagine the feeling of leaving your child in the hands of people with whom you can't communicate. Now envision, instead, that someone who speaks English greets you at the door, and you see a picture of an American flag in the front hallway. What might you be able to accomplish as a parent in the second situation that you wouldn't in the first?

C. Strategies

Make sure parents know how to get into the building, especially if doors are usually locked during the school day.

Post signs in multiple languages.

Display student work on the walls.

Display student and family photos on the walls.

Display the maps and flags of your students' native countries.

Display a large map in the front lobby where parents can mark their native countries with a pin.

Enlist a bilingual morning greeter to welcome students and families.

Ensure that your bilingual staff and volunteers are visible throughout the building.

Create a parent room (such as a lounge or classroom) with bilingual information and magazine subscriptions, a bulletin board, a lending library, and a computer (Houk, 58, 63).

Include bilingual books in the school library and classrooms.

Consider playing music in the front entryway or lobby.

Encourage teachers to create a welcoming environment within the classroom.

D. Example

At Lincoln Options School, in Olympia, Washington, there are photos of the entire school community - students, staff, and families - to greet guests in the front lobby. Each year, the school hires a photographer to attend its annual back-to-school barbeque and take informal photos (Houk, 9). In addition, student work is posted throughout the building (16).

Resources

4. Make a personal connection with families

A. What you need to know

Getting to know ELL families helps build an important relationship based on trust, which in turn can pave the way to student success. This approach is most effective when the communication is personal and face-to-face (Hori, 40; Alford 85). While it will require additional time and effort, building a more personal relationship with ELL families early in the year will yield big dividends throughout the rest of the year (Hori, 40). It will also provide opportunities for the staff to see just how deeply ELL parents care about their children's education.

Indeed, as Dr. Lundgren notes, many ELL families have come to this country with the hopes of offering their children a better future, and they are eager to talk with their children's teachers about what they can do to help their child be successful. (Related video: A better life, Dr. Lundgren)

B. Reflection

What are the challenges in meeting your ELL families personally? What are some ways to facilitate more personal interaction?

C. Strategies

Hold a special back-to-school event or picnic for ELL families in which they have time to meet you, other school leaders, their children's teachers, and school staff.

Create a welcome DVD in multiple languages. This may even be a great student project!

Provide staff the opportunity to learn some common phrases in your families' languages, as well as cultural gestures.

Visit local neighborhoods to meet families.

Connect new families with a contact person who speaks their language as soon as they enroll in the school for guidance and information (Houk, 66).

Create an "ambassador" program in which students and parents are trained to give tours.

D. Examples

Educator Maricela Rincon in Las Cruces, NM calls a different parent every day to share something positive about his/her child. According to Rincon, some parents say, "This is the first time I've had a positive phone call about my child." While Rincon is enthusiastic about the calls, they weren't her idea - they were required by the school principal (Flannery, NEA.org). (Related video: Parent outreach in high school, Bobbi Ciriza Houtchens)

A group of school educators asked experts from a local university to help them learn more about their ELL community. After the initial conversation, it was clear that the school leaders assumed that the parents' lack of input, communication, and attendance reflected a lack of interest in their child's education. After getting some parent input, however, the educators discovered that the parents weren't enthusiastic about the school letters inviting them to events. They didn't feel that the events were planned with them in mind, and the letters seemed very impersonal. The parents didn't see the letters as the invitations they were intended to be. They expressed preference for more personal contact and invitations from the school, at least in the beginning of the year, in order to establish a strong relationship (Alford and Niño, 81-82).

This is an excerpt from a parent letter to the principal about her first visit to her child's school:
I was very surprised when we were not able to speak to Lupe's teacher, Mrs. Gibbons, individually. In Guatemala we all knew the teachers and the teachers knew the parents...We do not know anyone here nor does anyone know us...we would have liked to tell Mrs. Gibbons how much we value education (Amaya, 53).

5. Show that you value families' native languages

A. What you need to know

As the school leader, one of your most important roles is defining the terms of engagement when it comes to ELLs' native languages. Do you see those languages as a barrier or an asset? Do you see native language literacy and instruction as a crutch or a tool?

Unfortunately, the political climate often dictates district or state policy regarding native language support (Wright, 51), and important information regarding the value of native language literacy is often left out of the debate. Frequently, ELL parents themselves are the party most resistant to promoting their native language at home or in school because they believe it will hinder their child's ability to learn English. While this belief is entirely understandable, the research is clear that strong native language skills contribute to ELLs' academic success throughout their education - in their native language and in English.

What can you do to navigate this tricky terrain and encourage the continued development of students' native language skills, as well as biliteracy and bilingualism for all students?

Respect parents' intentions: It is critical to assure parents that you respect their wishes and goals for their children; you can do so by explaining that strong native language skills will help their children learn English. This reassures parents that you have their children's best interests at heart and that you view their native language as an asset, not an obstacle.

Encourage native language use at home: Don't miss any opportunity to encourage parents to use their native language, whether it's through reading (which will help their children's reading skills in English) or taking the time to talk to each other at home. Look for ways that the school can support this interaction by offering bilingual books, educational materials, and activities.

Professional development: Provide training to all staff on the importance of maintaining students' native language and ways in which they can support students' bilingual development. Understandably, many teachers still feel that the best way to help ELLs is to forbid native language use in the classroom. Often, in this case, the teachers have good intentions - they just need more information. There may also be some anxiety about not being able to understand what students are saying. The best way to address this issue is through good professional development with an expert in second language or dual-language acquisition. Not only will the staff learn strategies that will help them and their students, they will learn how to answer parent questions about this topic with confidence as well!

B. Reflection

What is the current attitude towards ELLs' native languages in your school? Is a student's use of his/her native language encouraged or discouraged in the classroom? Do parents know where to get information in their language? How do teachers approach this issue?

C. Strategies

Post information in multiple languages.

Discuss with parents the value of strong native language skills and being bilingual.

Encourage parents to read or tell stories to their children in their native language.

Offer parent sessions, workshops, and classes in parents' native languages (Meyers, 44).

Include books in students' native languages in the school and classroom libraries (Freeman, 42).

Make resources available to students in their native languages to support content learning.

Consider the possibility of adding academic coursework (such as Spanish Literature for Spanish speakers) or AP courses in students' native languages.

Hire bilingual staff and recruit bilingual volunteers to the extent possible.

Inform parents that they are welcome to bring their own interpreter to a school meeting.

Provide training to all staff on why maintaining students' native language is important and how to support students' bilingual development.

Offer staff guidance on how to respond to parents' questions and comments.

D. Examples

In Illinois' Evanston/Skokie School District 65, parents are continually encouraged to use their native language at home and read to their children in their native languages daily. Washington School, a two-way immersion school, offers a family literacy program funded with a state grant in which parents participate in afternoon and evening literacy activities at the school and public libraries. Parents also learn how to help their children with homework - all in their native language (Yturriago, 51-52).

At Webster Elementary School in Long Beach, California, the school library has a large collection of books in Spanish and Samoan, the two dominant languages of the school's ELLs. Parents are encouraged to borrow books and bring younger siblings to the library (Houk, 45-56).

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Connecting with ELL Families: Strategies for Success

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The following strategies offer tips for building relationships with the families of English language learners (ELLs), getting to know their strengths and stories, and creating a welcoming environment. Supporting immigrant families For related ideas, see the following: A. What you need to know Learning about your ELL families provides an important foundation for everything else you do at the school.