Reflection on use of language

1. REFLECT:  Gonzalez cites, “They’re doing twice the job of everybody else in the class, even though the result looks like half as much.”  What do you think?

1.  I agree! ELL's come from many different countries, cultures, religious and/or social backgrounds. A lot of the time, they have to slow down to translate something in their head before speaking or writing it down. It may seem like they are slow or less capable, but they're doing more work than their American peers. I find that allowing them to use both their "home" language and English helps them understand the content and form their answers to questions.

2. Now What? I have one specific Arabic speaking student, form Syria, who is learning Biology. I translate lessons and assignments into Arabic for her and allow her to write her answers in Arabic and then practice speaking her answers in English with me. I find that this helps her understand scientific content/concepts while learning the English language. I know that she appreciates my efforts and she works hard to get the work "right". I also allow her to teach me some Arabic terms. I think that allowing her to teach me Arabic while I teach her science makes her feel heard and valued.