Interview on the Schools ELL Support - Essay Example

?     Interview Analysis  Interview Analysis The school’s ELL support has been in existence for at least 11 years, thereby providing immense learning opportunities for English language learners for over a decade. While the school’s support mechanisms may be fruitful today in terms of the provision of English language lessons for English learners, in the past, the school often encountered a myriad of challenges. These challenges were particularly linked to the assessment of English language learners (Shatz & Wikinson, 2011). Perhaps the greatest challenge encountered by the school in providing sufficient knowledge to ELLs lay in the fact that a vast majority of ELLs were also disabled. In some instances, the teacher encountered difficulties training children who were blind since only a minimal number of languages are in Braille. At such times, the teachers were forced to seek the services of Braille translators who, in turn, used computers. However, technological advancements have significantly reduced this problem since technology affords ELLs suffering from diverse disabilities the opportunity to learn at a similar pace as those without disabilities. From the interview, it became quite clear that ELL students’ learning capabilities are profoundly impacted by their cultural backgrounds. This is primarily because the cultural worlds in which culturally diverse students live encourage different attitudes, beliefs and emphasize diverse learning skills. As a consequence of this diversity, the impact on the learning abilities of ELLs is rather massive. A vast majority of schools often fail to pay close attention to the differences between children, for instance, their beliefs, traditional practices and experiences, and this, in turn, proves detrimental to the students’ abilities to learn since it reduces the teachers’ capabilities to teach them effectively (Shatz & Wikinson, 2011). ELL students typically require closer attention than non-disabled ones; hence the need to integrate appropriate mechanisms to meet the education needs of ELLs with disabilities. The interviewee recommended the application of the latest technological advancements in teaching ELLs with disabilities. The procurement of such technologies is tantamount to the enhancement of ELLs’ learning capabilities. This is primarily because technology has the distinct capacity to ease the process of educating disabled ELLs and make it easy for them to benefit from the technology, particularly in terms of understanding lesson content and facilitating effective assessment. The school, in this case, makes use of a number of procedures and policies, which have proven to be effectual in terms of teaching ELLs. The school typically begins by identifying students who fit the ELL threshold. After identification, the school’s policy requires teachers to assess such students, taking into consideration both their preferential language and English language proficiency. In essence, the school conforms to standard strategies for the identification and assessment of ELLs (Shatz & Wikinson, 2011). In addition, the school makes use of language assessments regarding both the students’ English and preferred languages to ascertain the students’ individual abilities, as well as development in all relevant areas of learning such as reading, listening, writing and speaking (Shatz & Wikinson, 2011). However, in order to supplement information acquired from these assessments, schools and teachers typically seek information from bilingual clinicians, parents and guardians and bilingual and ESL teachers, as well as other education stakeholders who provide sociocultural information, as well as academic test data. This information is of critical importance to the education of ELL since it enables teachers appreciate the students’ strongest and weakest points and tailor instruction to maximize learning effectiveness. Notably, a vast majority of ELLs present similar challenges in terms of their learning abilities. Teachers encounter numerous instructional challenges when teaching ELLs. The most prominent challenge is finding the most appropriate use of standard academic English, characterized by clear diction and pronunciation. Teachers dealing with ELLs need to always have proper diction and word pronunciation to enable students capture correct pronunciation and diction. However, refraining from the use of slang becomes a serious challenge to most teachers, especially in light of modern speech mechanisms, which entail immense use of slang (Shatz & Wikinson, 2011). Secondly, English language teachers must also have extensive knowledge of the diverse countries represented in their classes, which allows them to provide a relaxed learning atmosphere in which students feel at ease thereby enhancing their learning capabilities. Relaxed learning environments are vital since most ELLs suffer numbing fears, which deter their participation in learning activities. Most ELLs are typically afraid of interacting and participating in learning activities with mainstream students. Therefore, a relaxed learning environment allows ELLs to feel sufficiently comfortable to interact with other students. Additionally, ELLs encounter difficulties with word order, syntax, sentence structure and recognizing symbolism and imagery in a text (Shatz & Wikinson, 2011). This problem stems from differences between English and other languages in terms of sentence structure, syntax and word order. Appreciating other languages is, therefore, paramount for teachers in order to help students appreciate the differences between their preferred languages and English. According to the interviewee, all the instruction in the world is ineffective if students do not feel appreciated in the class environment. Therefore, teachers dealing with ELLs need to demonstrate compassion and care to help ELLs meet their educational objectives despite their diverse cultural backgrounds (Shatz & Wikinson, 2011). On the other hand, in the event that a teacher is absent during student assessment, a certified interpreter with the capacity to both write and speak the language can take the teacher’s place. Teaching ELLs also entails the use of different tools such as diverse forms of mass media. Some of the most useful mass media tools that facilitate and enhance learning in ELLs include computer-based games and applications, appropriate television programs and films, as well as music videos. These tools allow students appreciate critical elements such as word pronunciation, sentence structure and syntax. However, while making use of relatively unconventional tools to educate ELLs, teachers need to also adhere to standard approaches to instruction, particularly for student of various ethnic backgrounds. Streamlined instructional approaches are, however, vital for standardizing class instruction. Students from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds use different learning materials personally to typically make their life experiences meaningful. In most instances, ELLs use learning materials through their individual perceptions and musical experiences. Therefore, it is highly critical that teachers incorporate various strategies in teaching (Shatz & Wikinson, 2011). For instance, teachers can ask ELLs to document their personal experiences and perceptions in journals and diaries, as well as listen to and analyze their desired musical pieces. Reference Shatz, M., & Wikinson, L. C. (2011). The education of English Language Learners (ELLs): research to practice (Challenges in language and literacy). New York: The Guilford Press. Read More