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Creating A Welcoming Classroom Environment Reading Rockets
Creating A Welcoming Classroom Environment Reading Rockets
By:ColornColorado
Onadailybasis,ELLsareadjustingtonewwaysofsayinganddoingthings.Astheirteacher,youarean
importantbridgetothisunknowncultureandschoolsystem.Thereareanumberofthingsyoucandotohelp
makeELLs'transitionsassmoothaspossible.
ChancesarethatyourEnglishlanguagelearners(ELLs)comefromaculturewithtraditionsandfamilyvalues
thatdifferfrommainstreamAmericanculture.Theseyoungchildrennotonlyhavethechallengeoflearninga
newlanguage,butalsoofadjustingtoanunfamiliarculturalsettingandschoolsystem.Imaginewhatitwould
beliketostepintoaforeignclassroomwhereyoudidn'tunderstandthelanguage,rules,routines,orexpected
behavior.
Onadailybasis,ELLsareadjustingtonewwaysofsayinganddoingthings.Astheirteacher,youarean
importantbridgetothisunknowncultureandschoolsystem.Thereareanumberofthingsyoucandotohelp
makeELLs'transitionsassmoothaspossible.
Assimilation/adaptation:ELLsmayembraceandadapttotheirsurroundingsandtheir"new"culture.
Use an interpreter
Onsiteinterpreterscanbeveryhelpfulinsmoothingoutmisunderstandingsthatariseduetocommunication
problemsandculturaldifferences.Ifanonsiteinterpreter(apaidorvolunteerschoolstaffposition)isnot
available,trytofindanadultperhapsanotherparentwhoisfamiliarwiththeschoolor"knowsthesystem"
whoiswillingtoservethispurpose.Indifficultsituations,itwouldnotbeappropriateforanotherchildto
translate.
ELLscanmakeunintentional"mistakes"astheyaretryinghardtoadjusttoanewculturalsetting.Theyare
constantlytransferringwhattheyknowasacceptablebehaviorsfromtheirownculturetotheU.S.classroomand
school.BepatientasELLslearnEnglishandadjust.
References
Clickthe"References"linkabovetohidethesereferences.
Adaptedfrom:EasternStreamCenteronResourcesandTraining(ESCORT).(2003).Help!Theydon'tspeak
English.Starterkit.Oneonta,NY:StateUniversityCollege.
Andfrom:Tharp,R.,Estrada,P.,StollDalton,S.,&Yamauchi,L.(2000).Teachingtransformed.Achieving
excellence,fairness,inclusion,andharmony.Boulder,CO:WestviewPress.
ColornColorado(2009)
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