Helping Emergent ESL Students Succeed in the Classroom: Cultural Factors to Consider and Strategies to Help

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Helping Emergent ESL Students Succeed in the
Classroom Cultural Factors to Consider and
Strategies to Help

• Lori Searfoss, ESL Teacher

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Disclaimer

• Loris comments are based on observations during
  20 years of travelling to Latin American
  countries and working in rural areas with
  families in conjunction with Habitat for
  Humanity as well as MA program (Latin American
  Literature and Culture) at OSU.
• Comments are based on personal observations of
  homes and conversations with adults and parents
  of our students in the US.
• All Observations are GENERALIZATIONS and do not
  apply to every student. They are GENERALLY true
  of poor countries in Latin America, specifically
  rural areas from which many Spanish-speaking
  immigrants come from.

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ESL students success on classroom assignments,
homework and school projects is significantly
affected by communication between the family and
school, parents education levels and
expectations, access to supplies needed to
complete tasks, and acquisition of developmental
skills. Often our Somali and Hispanic students
are the ones bridging the gap between their
family and school expectations and this can
result in frustration and poor academic
performance.
The Premise for Todays Discussion
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Consider families home countries
cultural/environmental norms For example

• Children should be seen and not heard in rural
  areas in Latin America.
• Parents may have low level of education. Home
  country may be poor.

Rural Guatemala
Rural Nicaragua
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Home country may lack modern aspects of American
homes.
These homes are in Los Robles, Nicaragua
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• This home in Los Robles, Nicaragua did not yet
  have electricity.

This family generates income by making furniture
the family income is about 40/ month.
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• Homes in both US and home country may lack books,
  newspapers, magazines, internet, English language
  television.
• Families may have limited or no experience with
  zoos, museums, educational TV shows, parks,
  restaurants, family outings, vacations, games,
  crafts.

Child playing in his yard in Palos Altos,
Bolivia
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Children laughing at camera flash. Los Robles,
Nicaragua

• Older siblings often supervise younger siblings
  while parents are working, busy, etc.
• Corporal punishment is the norm, including in
  response to school issues.
• Large families means limited time spent with
  children.

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Los Robles, Nicaragua

• This family has six childrenand counting.

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Outdoor kitchen, Palos Altos, Bolivia
Los Robles, Nicaragua
Familys Home Bathroom, Los Robles, Nicaragua
Los Robles, Nicaragua
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Home countrys educational setting may be
primitive.

• Education may not be mandatory.
• Schools may not be accessible in rural areas.
• Bench-style seats possible.

School in Sapecho, Bolivia
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School in Los Robles, Nicaragua

• Likely no learning groups, learning centers,
  independent work stations, partner work, posters,
  reference materials, etc.
• Teacher usually instructs, students repeat and
  memorize, not asked to participate
  individually.

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• No indoor gym
• No cafeteria
• Few books, supplies
• Parents have not be able to pay for uniforms and
  supplies education is not always free

School Yard, Los Robles, Nicaragua
Sitting on basketball court outside school, Los
Robles, Nicaragua
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Academic Support Considerations

• Do the parents read English?
• Do the parents read ANY language?
• Do the parents both work?
• Can parents help if the parents cannot read the
  homework?
• Is a parent home to supervise homework time?
• Do the parents understand the expectation to do
  homework?
• Can the parents communicate with the teacher?

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Also

• Can the homework be done independently?
• Is there a lot of reading required?

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• Are there pencils, sharpeners, erasers and paper
  in the home? If so, are they accessible?
• Do students have fine motor skills to operate
  scissors, glue, markers, etc?
• How long will the homework take?

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At-Home Project Considerations

• Are there school supplies at home? A computer?
• Is there money for supplies?
• Materials for projects can be expensive.
• Does the family know where they can purchase
  supplies inexpensively?

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• Is there a place to work on projects at home?
• Can the project be safe-guarded from younger
  siblings?

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• Does the family know what/where a library is and
  how to use it?
• Do they have transportation to the library?
• Is it close enough to walk?
• Is it safe to walk?

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• Does the family have more than one car?
• Do they live close enough to walk to
  library/stores?
• Is it dangerous/too dark to walk?
• Is there anyone home who can drive children to
  the library or to the store to buy supplies?

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Communication Factors to Consider

• Parents educational levels?
• Parents familiarity with American culture?
• Parents ability to communicate orally and in
  writing Does communication require
  interpreter/translation?
• Take-home folders and parental signatures may be
  unfamiliar requirements.
• Do parents have access to internet and email?

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Suggestions for Educators

• Allow students time to do projects in school.
• Show examples of projects/pictures of past
  projects.
• Give access to supplies in school.
• If possible, have students work with a peer or
  tutor in school.

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Suggestions for Educators

• Send supplies home in a Ziploc bag.
• Make sure homework is short and can be done 100
  independently.
• Modify homework expectations.
• Modify project time and complexity.
• Allow students to make up points lost due to
  missing homework/projects.

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Other suggestions

• Schedule a parent conference with an interpreter
  at the beginning of the year to explain
  expectations, homework, and projects requiring
  time outside of class
• Create/Explain the Communication Folder
• Explain Field trips/Permission slips at
  conference translate building documents.
• To schedule an interpreter, first contact your
  school principal. To have a document translated,
  go to the districts intranet Our Departments /
  Office of Pupil Services / ESL / Resources /
  Forms Reports / Request Forms / Request for
  Translation http//www.wcsnet.org/MembersArea/e
  sl_forms.php

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What do you think?

• What other ideas do you have to help students
  succeed?
• What did you find helpful?
• What would you still like to know?