Many of our ENL students are doing double the work. They see the assignment in English, translate it to their language, answer it in their language and then translate it back to English! So, that's often double (or triple) the time! I see that a lot and one of our primary goals is to make it less complex for them. As they learn more English, the urge to translate EVERYTHING should go away.
Many of the tips that Jennifer Gonzalez mentions are fantastic for our ENL students. I think the mention of the "Silent Period" is significant. Aside from this year, we haven't had a vast number of non-English speaking ENL students. Sometimes the "silent period" lasts 6 hours or it can last a year! So, I think it's great to show educators that it's completely normal for a new ENL student to be silent and take the day-to-day activities in as they happen. We are at a disadvantage because New York says the HS ENL students need a certain amount of classes/credits to graduate. So, in my thinking, we don't have a lot of time to waste!!! But, the reality is - these students are driven, they can learn fast and they are such an awesome addition to our building!!!!!
Many of the tips that Jennifer Gonzalez mentions are fantastic for our ENL students. I think the mention of the "Silent Period" is significant. Aside from this year, we haven't had a vast number of non-English speaking ENL students. Sometimes the "silent period" lasts 6 hours or it can last a year! So, I think it's great to show educators that it's completely normal for a new ENL student to be silent and take the day-to-day activities in as they happen. We are at a disadvantage because New York says the HS ENL students need a certain amount of classes/credits to graduate. So, in my thinking, we don't have a lot of time to waste!!! But, the reality is - these students are driven, they can learn fast and they are such an awesome addition to our building!!!!!