Hello! Most of the time I try to use the language of my students to acclimate to my English counterparts, especially in grammatical terms. Therefore, if they can not understand the process, at least they can see what it is not.
Megan
Maria Rosario,
Excellent, always start with the familiar first. You can always give them another word that is proper and popular to elevate their vocabulary. Write the new words on the board next to the familiar words. You can also make this a bulletin board.
Arlene Muller
Use simple everyday words that would be easily understood by ELL students. If one uses words that are not familiar to most ELL students, the instructor should make it a point to give the meanings for everyone's benefit.
Stewart,
Wonderful, using laughter and fun to be a part of your lesson plan. The students need to feel safe to make mistakes and safe to learn in a classroom. I like your leadership in not being critical. Self esteem is boosted with positive comments from the instructor. Having students sharing and expanding on answers is a wonderful tool for learning.
Arlene Muller
I treat all my students equally in my classroom. I make it a point in my instructional time to invite all my students to participate in the lectures. Asking open ended questions to the entire class and never singling out an individual. Sometimes I will ask them explain or give more detail in their responses or have another student expand on that student's thought. Engaging my students in conversations regarding the lecture material, allowing them to express themselves and not criticize them for their responses but to use those responses to further discussions. One thing I have found that helps contribute to their learning as well as my own is letting them know and see that laughing and having fun can be a learning experience.
Paula,
Your technique to create an atmosphere of safety will help your learners feel it is OK to make a mistake. Students learn better in a safe, comfortable and non threatening atmosphere. Use short exercises to elevate their self esteem and confidence. I acknowledge your technique because your level of caring will always show in your voice.
Arlene Muller
I work with learners in the classroom as well as in the clinical setting. But in each setting it is a one-on-one interaction. I find using a smile and a relaxed tone of voice helpful for my learners. I think it makes them feel safe.
Earle,
I love your attitude! Yes, I agree with you when you state that there is more than one way to understand and complete the assignment. Each student usually uses two learning styles to understand a concept.
Arlene Muller
I try to work with all of my students and try to be cognizant of their individual learning styles and levels. I let them know the goals of the assignments but also let them know there is more than one way to get there.
Benjamin,
Yes, once again your understanding is true. The tool in learning is often repetition. Teaching occurs when the student has learned the concept, word or definition. Using a 3x5 card and asking the student to answer the questions. What did you learn today? What is still confusing? You start class the next day by going over the material that is still confusing.
Arlene Muller
I have an unfair advantage, since I have an MS in math, and teach math and science courses. From my experience, math and science are extremely universal, and I do not see any statistical advantage for the students who are born with English as their native language. The only obstacle I find is in my pronunciation. When I introduce key terms, I often repeat words many times, since I am forced to teach the words in English for consistency.
Sandra,
Yes, you are on the right track. Learning is repetition until the student understands the concept. One idea is to have the students answer two questions at the end of class, What did you learn today? What is still confusing? You can use a 3x5 cards or just a half sheet of paper. You then make time the next day to go over the confusing items and concepts.
Arlene Muller
The enviroment is always warm and with open communication. Students should always know we have a passion for what we are doing nd have time to hear what they have to say. I always do a recap on a daily basic to insure they are on the same page as me and they understand what i have talked about. Sometimes we assume they understand because we have been over this time and time again. We have to remember this is all new to them,like babies.
Thomas,
Yes, you will find that learning moves to a higher level when you can increase the student's participation.
Arlene Muller
Thanks for a great idea to incorporate into the "one-minute topic" that I usually use for impromptu speeches. I like the idea of having them write the topics.
Thomas,
Excellent, I love your idea in having the classroom belong to your students and not just your arena. You are then making the learning environment more comfortable and allowing them to find their voice. I also believe in the exercise of writing in journals. May I also suggest that you create a verbal assignment that is equal to a journal assignment. Have students write topics (check topics) and place in a jar. Then have students speak on the topics for 10 to 15 seconds. Start the exercise from their seats then move to a standing position. The time is also increased until they can speak for 60 seconds.
Arlene Muller
I encourage them to find their own voice regarding a particular subject and give them positive feedback. I teach English Composition and Oral Communication, which are often scary subjects even to native speakers. ESL students, often in the minority in my classes, can easily fall through the cracks within the classroom setting through a combination of their sense of not being good enough and a variety of cultural attitudes, particularly regarding teachers being figureheads not to be questioned.
To alleviate their anxieties and bring them into any discussion, I like to elicit their ideas in order to make them feel comfortable asking questions and coming to their own conclusions about whatever topic we’re discussing. If they’re writing in their journals, I might encourage them to initially freewrite about a topic in their native language from a cultural, as well as intellectual, perspective. This lends value to their individual voice and often generates some good small group and class discussion later. The result is that the course objectives are often met because students have more confidence when they see that the class isn’t exclusively mine but theirs as well.
LE,
Sounds like you have found a system that works. Yes, small groups and especially two person teams allows the student to feel comfortable in a safe learning environment. This style of learning works well with adults because they learn when they feel safe and comfortable to make mistakes. I applaud your efforts to keep assignments simple and direct. All students have the ability to learn under the right circumstances.
Arlene Muller
My classes often contain several students from various countries. These students have varying language skills. I have found that I can use the social groups to create effective learning teams. In one case, my class contained 4 students from Angola and I noticed that they worked together very closely and interpreted for each other. My typical class structure includes team assignments. So, I made sure to create two, two person teams with the students from Angola and leveraged the availability and knowledge of the students successfully. Working in small groups seems to help students with weaker language skills. It is also something that I have noticed most of my adult learners appreciate. So, I try to incorporate a lot of team learning activities. I also try to keep the assignments and vocabulary used in the classroom very simple and direct. This helps to improve the level of understanding.
As I mentioned in your individual reply, I felt you were very open and passionate about sharing your cultural experiences with your students. This allows you to create a "safe space' for your students to learn. Your students have the added advantage of knowing you have walked in their footsteps. Do you find that they ask more questions, because you have shared your experiences?
Arlene Muller
Facilitator
