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Milford Public Schools ESOL Program |
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FAQFrequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions of students and parents.
How is it determined that a student requires ESOL services? Parents are required to complete a home language survey consisting of 3 questions upon registration in a Connecticut public school. If a language other than English is listed in response to two of the three questions, the student must be tested for English language proficiency by the ESOL teacher. The test administered in the Milford Public Schools is the LAS (Language Assessment Scales). The student's scores on the this assessment, a formal interview of the student's speaking skills along with teacher input determines his/her eligibility for ESOL services. This student speaks English very well. Why is ESOL necessary? Jim Cummins(1984) identified two levels of language proficiency: Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) and Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP). He discovered that a child may be proficient in BICS, but may have trouble in CALP. Language development is a process that develops over time. If you have ever studied a foreign language, you know how difficult and frustrating it can be. Imagine not only learning a new language, but taking classes in that language with native speakers. The language needed to succeed in academic subjects such as math, science,and social studies is more complex and less contextualized than the language needed to communicate socially with teachers and peers. Studies have shown that it takes 1- 2 years to become proficient in speaking a second language. However, it can take 5- 7 years to approach grade-level competence in academic skills. Why doesn't the ESOL student speak English in class? How long does it take? Many factors influence language development including age, previous educational experience, and cultural background. These students may go through what is called a "'silent period,' saying nothing (or very little) in the new language for periods ranging from several days to several months.(Samway and McKeon, 1999) There are also differences in learning styles and personalities. "Some children are outgoing and sociable and learn the second language quickly because they want to be like their English-speaking peers. They do not worry about mistakes, but will use limited resources to generate input form native speakers. Other children are quiet and shy. They learn by listening and by attending to what is happening and being said around them. They say little, for fear of making a mistake. (Mclaughlin, 1992) Should ESOL students speak their Native language in and/or outside of class? Yes, the students should absolutely be allowed to speak their native language. In Myths and Realities: Best Practices for English Language Minority Students; the authors describe a workshop they conduct to help teachers understand what their ESOL students do in class. They start off delivering the workshop completely in Spanish, then administer a test in Spanish. Most of the time, there are one or two folks in the group who either speak Spanish well or who have had enough formal instruction to piece together a bit of what's going on. Immediately, these folks become 'leaders' for the others, who turn to them for help in understanding what we are saying; (Samway and McKeon, 1999) When classroom teachers find their ESOL students speaking their native language, often they are doing exactly what the teachers in the workshop were doing - trying to negotiate meaning. Most teachers discover they can tell when the children are helping each other and when they are off task. How can I include the ESOL student in the activities of my class? For K-5 ESOL students, paraphrase; give clear demonstrations and examples of the answers you're looking for; allow children to communicate meaning in a variety of ways including drawing pictures and making posters; allow children to use bilingual dictionaries in class; allow them to use their native language; encourage them to write and talk about their cultures and countries. Assign a buddy to the ESOL student (on a rotating basis works best). The buddy helps the ESOL student negotiate daily tasks, such as recess time and lunchtime. This will also facilitate social interaction and language between the children. This also helps the other children in the class, as it reinforces their own language skills through modeling the language for the ESOL student. Where does the ESOL student sit in my class? Location in a classroom can be key for an ESOL student. The student should be in an area that is comfortable but also centralized, so that the student and his/her classmates know this student is an integral part of the class. Please, even if the child is doing different work from the other students, DO NOT put them in an isolated part of the room. Establishing a comfort level is critical to a newcomers school experience. How does the ESOL student interact/participate in classroom activites? Newcomers to the language may not understand a lot of what's going on in class; yet opportunites to demonstrate knowledge in a variety of ways give him a sense of belonging. Don't forget...he CAN communicate. You may not understand his language, but someone else in class might. A word of caution, however, do not burden the child who speaks the same language as the newcomer ESOL child with being the translator, it's tiring, difficult, and unfair to the bilingual child. Why is this student still in ESOL after many years? Children learn at different rates. Just as native speakers of English learn science, math, and social studies at different rates with varying degrees of success, ESOL children learn at different rates. According to ESL Standards for Pre-K-12 Students; Language occurs over time with learners moving through developmental stages and gradually growing into proficiency. Rates of acquisition are influenced by multiple factors including an individual's educational background, native language proficiency level, learning style, cognitive style, motivation, and personality. In addition, socio-cultural factors, such as the influence of English or native languge community in the learner's life, may play a role in acquisition (TESOL,1997). Most important is the distinction between social and academic language. The child may be fluent using social language, but have trouble with academic language. It is also important to remember that the language used in 5th grade is far more complex than the language used in 1st grade. As the grade level increases, so does the complexity of the language needed for success. How does an ESOL student exit the program? An ESOL student is no longer eligible for services once they have scored proficient on the LAS Links, administered in the Spring of each school year. In addition, the state of Connecticut requires that students in grades K-2 meet goal on the grade level DRA, and students in grades 3-12 meet goal on either the CMT or CAPT assessment. |
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