Going Global

Communication is the name of the game in education, and language is a key component of how we communicate with one another. So, what happens in the classroom when your students have a different primary language than the one most widely used in the school setting? How do you ensure that you are still communicating well with them?

Personally, I speak Spanish, and some of the Spanish classes that I have taken have been taught “immersion style,” in which the entire class is taught in Spanish. Therefore, I can definitely empathize with the challenges that come with having to receive input and produce output in another language. However, this personal experience still does not completely compare with the experience of some of my students, because the majority of the other students in the Spanish classes were learning Spanish as a second language. Additionally, we were learning the language Spanish, not another subject that was taught in the Spanish language. The last Spanish class I officially took was probably the closest experience that I would share with my students because we were learning Spanish-American history and literature in Spanish, and there were graduate students in the class who were native Spanish-speakers.

With that being said, students in high school who are learning English as a second language while trying to complete their studies bear a great cognitive burden throughout the day. For the seven or so hours they are at school, they must constantly take in input in another language, process it, and then produce output in the same language. This can understandably be very tiring for the students.

This year, I have several students in my classes who do not speak English as their primary language, and some have been learning English for less than four years. I realized that I wanted to do a better job serving them in my classroom, so I turned to one of my international friends who is also in science education for some advice. She has just been in the United States for about two years, so I asked her for suggestions for things that teachers can do to help make classes more understandable for students who do not speak the same primary language. The following are some helpful suggestions she gave:

1. Slow your rate of speech.

· This is a technique that I learned when I took a class on the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) method for English-language learners. However, it can be easy to forget as a teacher when you step up to the front of the room and feel pressured by the clock to deliver the content. However, it really does pay dividends for English-language learners and other students alike, since it gives everyone more time to process the information. So, enunciate clearly and sloooow down. :)

2. Post class notes online ahead of time.

· My friend also said that she found it helpful when the teacher would post the PowerPoint on a class-specific site (maybe like Canvas or Schoology) before class so that she could read over the PowerPoint ahead of time and look up any unfamiliar words that she didn’t know. This way, she could follow along more easily during the time of the actual class.

3. Use a more simplified sentence structure when possible.

· When delivering new content, try to use sentences that are not as long and complex (i.e. with multiple clauses). It is still important to expose students to higher levels of communication and writing, but also take care to make sure that the nature of the sentences you are using does not make content too difficult for students to extract and process.

4. If you use idioms, explain what they mean.

· The English language is full of idioms, sayings like, “It’s raining cats and dogs,” or “the early bird gets the worm.” Try to take note of how many idioms you use when communicating with your students since idioms can be a source of confusion for English-language learners since the literal translation is often not what the phrase is intended to mean. So, it can be helpful to explain what an idiom means in other words after you use it. Plus, my friend said that she and other students also enjoy adding these new phrases to their English repertoire.

5. Ask, “Do you have any questions?”

· Oftentimes, international students may be afraid to ask questions during class since they think their English may not be “good enough,” or they may come from a culture where it is not “the norm” to ask a question during the class. Therefore, my friend suggested that I individually ask each student if they have any questions. This has proved to be so helpful, and the students have been more willing to let me know what they need help on when I initiate the conversation on an individual basis.

6. Talk with the student and see what they need.

· Maybe the most important tip is to set aside time to talk with each student and see what they need. Ask them if they think you talk too quickly and maybe come up with a signal they can make if you start to speak too fast. Ask them for suggestions for what you can do to help them, and set aside specific time on a regular basis to talk with them one-on-one or in small groups.

I know these strategies have greatly helped me this semester, and I encourage you to try them out and see the fruits that come. Keep being committed to helping every student every day.