| The English Language Learner I chose is 14 years | | | | environment. This can only be achieved with the |
| of age, and is currently attending a class for | | | | development of a professional-parent-community |
| seventh graders with an extra after school class | | | | partnership that fosters shared knowledge, skills, |
| dedicated to learning the English language. She | | | | and responsibility for the educational success of |
| came from Korea, wherein Basic English is | | | | these learners. Parents of ELL students must be |
| integrated into the curriculum. Although she has | | | | viewed as capable advocates for their children |
| some background on English, her speaking and | | | | and as valuable resources in school improvement |
| writing skills still need a lot of work as she cannot | | | | efforts (Cummins, 1994). Being involved with the |
| fully express her thoughts and feelings in English. | | | | families and communities of English language |
| During my interview with her, I found out that | | | | learners, schools gain better understanding of the |
| they still speak mainly in Korean at home although | | | | social, linguistic, and cultural factors affecting ELL |
| her family does make an effort to practice English | | | | students which can be used as basis to improve |
| regularly. Her parents can understand some Basic | | | | instructional strategies and techniques. Involving |
| English sentences and words although they do not | | | | families and the community in the educational |
| have any skill in writing. Her siblings have about | | | | process has a dual benefit for English language |
| the same skill as hers in speaking and writing. In | | | | learners. First, it brings into the school community |
| their native country, Korean is the dominant | | | | the parents of children who otherwise might be |
| language although there is a strong emphasis | | | | left out due to linguistic and cultural barriers. |
| nowadays to learn English. Koreans also tend to | | | | Second, it allows for teachers and students to |
| look outside their native country for better English | | | | integrate cultural and family knowledge directly |
| instruction. She was first exposed to the English | | | | into the curriculum. |
| Language during her elementary education as it | | | | My second objective is to foster family and |
| was integrated into the curriculum by the school | | | | community collaboration as schools connect ELL |
| she attended. She has basic reading and writing | | | | families with community resources and agencies |
| skills and understands basic concepts such as | | | | upon the student’s enrolment. This is |
| reading the text from left to right, sound | | | | followed by making existing and future |
| combinations, and writing simple words. Coming | | | | community-building programs in school accessible |
| from another country, she usually hangs out with | | | | to ELL families through such activities as family |
| other Korean friends who have been staying in | | | | nights, informational meetings, school involvement, |
| the United States for some time. Being a friendly | | | | homework assistance after school hours, etc. |
| person, she also mingles with other Americans in | | | | With the help of the community, schools |
| the school and neighborhood at times. | | | | encourage ELL families to maintain and develop |
| Limited English proficiency remains as one of the | | | | their native language skills by educating them on |
| most critical challenges facing immigrant families in | | | | the importance of native language. It is the |
| the United States today, not only impeding their | | | | educational institution that servers to empower |
| ability to improve their employment opportunities | | | | the community and its members to accept the |
| and increase their earnings but more importantly, | | | | diversities of various cultures. They also |
| limiting their ability to help their children prepare for | | | | encourage ELL families to participate in the |
| and succeed in school (Martinez and Wang). | | | | educational community by exhorting parent |
| Consequently, state education agencies are faced | | | | volunteer in class activities or in the planning of a |
| with their biggest challenge on overcoming the | | | | multicultural event, establishing a parent resource |
| language barrier that exists between students and | | | | center or providing information in native language. |
| teachers in schools that have large immigrant | | | | High quality family involvement requires that |
| populations who cannot speak English. | | | | educational leaders build structures which respond |
| Generally, ELLs tend to perform poorly on | | | | to the needs of immigrant and non-English |
| academics and on standardized tests, and to drop | | | | speaking families, and that teachers know how to |
| out of high school at rates higher than their English | | | | access these resources. Districts must make |
| speaking peers. In some cases, these can be | | | | available resources such as translation and |
| directly attributed to deficiencies in the teaching | | | | interpretation services, and teachers must be |
| and learning environment. English language learners | | | | aware of and know how to use them. Training |
| fail because they do not have access to effective | | | | and development for teachers and educators |
| bilingual or English as a second language (ESL) | | | | should also include adequate information regarding |
| instruction. They are disadvantaged by a scarcity | | | | various cultures so that teachers can successfully |
| of appropriate assessment instruments and a lack | | | | interact and subsequently, form a partnership with |
| of personnel trained to conduct linguistically and | | | | the parents of English Language Learners. By |
| culturally relevant educational assessments (Valdes | | | | understanding cultural norms regarding the |
| & Figueroa, 1996). According to Brown | | | | respective roles of teachers and parents, |
| (1998), the instructor has several alternatives in | | | | teachers can work to involve parents and correct |
| order to make sure that students get a good | | | | mistaken beliefs (Peregoy and Boyle 2004). |
| grasp of the language. Educators may make use | | | | Teachers can also use participatory strategies to |
| of several approaches such as the | | | | weave cultural and family knowledge into the |
| “content-based” approach wherein | | | | curriculum in ways that are directly relevant to |
| students learn a certain language through studying | | | | students’ home and school life. |
| a certain subject or topic (Kaufman et al 2005). In | | | | References: |
| the case of those who need further special | | | | Arias, B.M., and Morillo-Campbell, M. (undated). |
| education services, they are disadvantaged by | | | | Promoting ELL parental involvement: Challenges in |
| the shortage of special educators who are trained | | | | contested times. Retrieved on April 9, 2009, from |
| to address their language- and disability-related | | | | Brown, J.D. 1998, New Ways of Classroom |
| needs simultaneously (Yates and Ortiz, 1998). | | | | Assessment. TESOL |
| At the same time, parents of ELLs face daunting | | | | Cummins (1994). Knowledge, power, and identity |
| barriers as they try to become informed and | | | | in teaching English as a second language. In F. |
| involved in their child's academic performance in | | | | Genesee (Ed.), "Educating second language |
| school. Arias and Morillo-Campbell (undated) identify | | | | children: The whole child, the whole curriculum, the |
| these barriers as the inability to understand | | | | whole community" (pp. 103-25). Cambridge, |
| English, unfamiliarity with the school system, | | | | England: Cambridge University Press. |
| differences in cultural norms and cultural capital. | | | | Garcia, S. B., & Dominguez, L. (1997). Cultural |
| While research supports the importance of | | | | contexts that influence learning and academic |
| parental communication and participation for | | | | performance. In Silver, L. B. (Ed.), "Child and |
| improved student achievement, better school | | | | Adolescent Psychiatric Clinic of North America: |
| attendance, and reduced dropout rates regardless | | | | Academic Difficulties" (pp. 621-55). |
| of socioeconomic background or ethnicity, it is a | | | | Philadelphia: Saunders Co. |
| sad reality that many school programs make little | | | | Kaufman, Dorit, and Crandall, JoAnn (2005). |
| effort to promote this. | | | | Content-based instruction in primary and |
| Similarly, the recent rapid growth of ELLs in | | | | secondary school settings. Alexandria, Virginia: |
| mainstream classrooms has been an equally | | | | TESOL, Inc. |
| enormous challenge to schools. Schools are faced | | | | National Clearinghouse for English Language |
| with greater tasks to provide appropriate facilities, | | | | Acquisition. (2007). The growing numbers of |
| instructional materials, curriculum content, teaching | | | | limited English proficient students. Retrieved April |
| staff, manpower and logistical support needed to | | | | 9, 2009, from |
| respond to the learning needs of this group of | | | | Ortiz, A. (2001). English language learners with |
| students. Admittedly, even the school’s | | | | special needs: Effective instructional strategies. |
| most committed and dedicated teachers cannot | | | | Retrieved on April 9, 2009, from |
| provide high quality education without appropriate | | | | Peregoy,S. F., & Boyle, O. F. (2004). Reading, |
| skills and knowledge for educating ELLs. It is also | | | | Writing and Learning in ESL: A Resource Book for |
| important to create a positive environment so as | | | | K-12 Teachers (4th Ed.). Boston: Allyn & |
| to foster understanding and learning (Scott and | | | | Bacon |
| Ytreberg 1990). Unless ELLs receive appropriate | | | | Scott, W and L. Ytreberg (1990). Teaching English |
| intervention, their difficulties may become even | | | | to Children, Longman |
| more serious and the gap between their | | | | U.S. Department of Education, National Center for |
| achievement and that of their peers may further | | | | Education Statistics. (2004). Language minorities |
| widen over time. | | | | and their educational and labor market |
| My first objective is the creation of educational | | | | indicators— Recent trends, NCES 2004-09. |
| environments that reflect a philosophy that all | | | | Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education. |
| students can learn and that educators are | | | | Valdes, G., & Figueroa, R. A. (1996). |
| responsible for helping them (Ortiz, 2001) so as to | | | | Bilingualism and testing: A special case of bias. |
| Steer ELLs towards academic success. The | | | | Norwood, NJ: Ablex. |
| contexts in which educators teach and learn must | | | | Yates, J. R., and Ortiz, A. (1998). Issues of culture |
| also necessarily take into consideration the | | | | and diversity affecting educators with disabilities: A |
| organizational culture of ELL students. If educators | | | | change in demography is reshaping America. In R. |
| are expected to commit to the implementation of | | | | J. Anderson, C. E. Keller, & J. M. Karp (Eds.), |
| effective literacy practices for ELLs or others | | | | Enhancing diversity: Educators with disabilities in |
| with Language Deficiency (LD), they must commit | | | | the education enterprise. Washington: Gallaudet |
| to initiating, implementing, and sustaining conditions | | | | University Press. |
| that support efforts to create this kind of | | | | |