By Guest Blogger Heather

Los huesos son importantes. Tienen cuatro funciones: 1. Estructura 2. Protección 3. Movimiento 4. Producir células sanguineas.

If the above sentences were as clear as mud to you, then you have experienced for a few seconds what English Language Learners (ELLs) experience for extended periods of time during each school day.

Take 10 seconds and reflect on your response to the sentences above before reading on.

Okay, now read the set of possible on the next page and see if any closely match your reaction.  

1. You stopped reading at the second word, when you realized the sentences were not written in your primary language. Maybe you felt frustrated and wondered what was going on. If so, your progress was hindered by the “affective filter,” the anxiety that results from being faced with such a daunting, unfamiliar task.
2. You sat back and thought, “I refuse to read this and maybe I’ll stop reading this article and go see what’s on TV instead.” If so, you were exhibiting typical avoidance behavior, which can commonly be seen among ELL students.
3. You thought, “Wait a minute. I took high school Spanish. Why can’t I understand any of this?” If you did, it was because you probably learned Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS), but your Spanish skills do not extend to Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) that you’d need to understand such high level content information.
4. You thought, “I know that I can understand this, if someone will draw a picture for me, or maybe some charades might help?” Oftentimes, ELL students require adapted materials or delivery to support their understanding, but teachers don’t always have time to develop them.
5. You were hungry, and you thought, “I’ll tackle those sentences, but I need a snack first.” So many of our ELL students come from homes in poverty, where perhaps their basic physical, mental, and emotional needs are not being met.

The Spanish sentences contain science content information about the four functions of bones. If your English skills are strong, then you might have recognized some words, such as ‘importante,’ (important), ‘estructura,’ (structure), ‘protección’ (protection), and ‘movimiento,’ (movement.) With an advanced understanding of non-fiction text structure, you may have guessed that the numbered items were main ideas. Oftentimes, ELL students’ primary languages may not be as strong, due to limited language experiences in their homes. They may not have strong literacy skills in their primary languages, thus impeding their ability to notice the similarities among words across languages, unless this skill is explicitly taught and practiced over time.

Classroom teachers have a variety of students with a variety of backgrounds, skills, and needs. In each class, there is usually at least one English Language Learner, sometimes many more. In a class of students with diverse needs, it’s hard for a teacher to make sure all students’ needs are met. Oftentimes, ELL students are referred for special education programs, but truly they are not special education students. They are students who need to learn English while simultaneously meeting grade level standards in all content areas. It’s a tall order for them, and it’s a tall order for teachers.

According to a Washington study of the Hispanic Achievement Gap, the Latino student population in Washington State has grown by 372% in the past twenty years, while the Anglo student population has grown by 6%. Many of these Latino students were and are ELL students. The number is likely to continue to grow and Washington’s education system needs to better respond.

Additional ELL certified staff is one powerful way to provide language, content, and other supports for ELL students and to monitor their progress. I facilitated at the recent National Board Policy Symposium, where participants were asked to make recommendations about the sequence of basic education funding changes. They were asked to answer which funding changes should be enacted first, for the earliest and greatest impact on student achievement. In the “investment planner” tool that NBCTs used to plan their recommendations, additional ELL staff represented only 3 out of 100 total units of new funding. Isn’t it worth it to spend 3 out of 100 units in order to bridge the ELL achievement gap in our state and to make sure that ELL students are receiving the supports they need? As we look at schools in the future and know that the ELL student population will continue to grow, additional certified teachers to support ELL students should be one of our first priorities.

Heather is a National Board Certified Teacher in the area of English as a New Language, Early and Middle Childhood, and former Regional Teacher of the Year. She serves as an instructional coach, where she is also a full time fourth grade teacher at a school-wide dual language school. Heather teaches half of the day in English and half of the day in Spanish, engaging students by using drama, music, and games, while integrating language instruction during content area instruction. She has presented at state and national conferences in the area of instructional practices that meet the needs of language learners and is a Certified Key Trainer in Guided Language Acquisition Design.