ELL students
They are a challenge to new and exp Instructors
I need some ideas., on how to train them better.
Putting them with a student that speaks both languages is a great help.
I had one student who was learning english and now wanted to learn accounting. Alot of new, big words were coming her way. So I paired her with another spanish speaking student who had used english all her life. That way the accounting terms and my instruction could be interpreted easier.
I agree with the other responses about pairing them with someone, but if there is a situation where this is not possible, try to simplify key topic areas with the ELL student. I like the idea of pulling the student to the side and checking on how they are doing. Currently I have a student who luckily already understands the course and English but can not speak it. This is actually unfortunate for the rest of the class because I know the student has abundant knowledge on the material but they can not speak it in class. This is an ongoing challenge as the diversity in classes grows, but in the end it brings a unique learning environment.
William
This might not be a popular answer but if spanish counts for 80% of the foreign languages spoke in classrooms you could learn a bit of spanish. It is what it is, learning to at least speak spanish will make you a better instructor of people who would benefit from translating out in the real world right?
Since I have become an instructor again, and moved to a tourist area, I have taken it upon myself to get on the internet and learn some common words and phrases in Russian, French, Spanish, German, and Japanese. Can I speak any of them....no. What I find is that students tend to respect you more for trying. In our school, spanish is very frequent and it is about time I actually learn my third language. Language #2 was learning sign language while teaching at a deaf school. Times are changing and if we as instructors don't change with them, how can we continue to instruct?
