Lessons from The Little Mermaid: How to teach our ELL's to speak up

  

 

When I was about 9-years-old, my father gave me a copy of the book The Little Mermaid. No, it wasn't a cartoonish Disney version with lots of colorful pictures and big words. It was an encyclopedia-looking book with beautiful gold trimming, absolutely no pictures, and very small print.  The book was from the 1837 Danish fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. As most know, the premise of the story is a that a young mermaid trades her melodic voice for a chance to walk on land in order to meet her beloved. She sacrifices her safety, her family, and the world she knows to find her happiness. This is what I imagine many of our English language learners feel like when they enter our classrooms. I know this because I too was an English language learner. 

    All my young life, I spoke Spanish at home. My father wanted to make sure his children never forgot their native language so he told us we could only speak Spanish while at home. As he believed, we were surrounded by English and would eventually learn the language. It would be harder for us to remember our mother language if we didn't practice it every day. Eventually, my siblings and I because bilingual and biliterate. Our language dexterity has opened many doors in our respective careers. 

Who are our English Language Learners?

    So this brings me to our current English language learners, especially our immigrants. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, in 2015 there were nearly 5 million English language learners in U.S. public schools. In California, there were more than 1.3 million ELL students; that's almost 21% of the state's total public school enrollment. Many, like Ariel from The Little Mermaid, left the safety and familiarity of their homeland to fulfill their family's American dream. They sit, often quietly, trying to figure out what the class is learning. Well-intention teachers, in an attempt to not embarrass second-language learners, avoid calling on them. In some cases, they are placed in English Language Development(ELD) classes with other ELL students in hopes of filling the English learning gap. Sadly, many of these students quickly get the message that they have a deficit, that they are not as intelligent as their peers, and that they cannot fully participate in the school's culture. In an article titled "English Language Learners: How your state is doing?" it states, "most ELLs are struggling because they have little or no access to quality instruction tailored to their needs. Although 90% of these kids are enrolled in designated ELL programs, at least one recent study argues that the quality of these programs is suspect." I remember walking into an ELD class at the high school I was observing and witnessing 15 and 16-year-olds coloring Thanksgiving pictures. The teacher proudly explained that she was teaching them about American traditions. The reality is that ELL's lag far behind their English only speaking peers when in comes to graduation rates and college attendance. In fact, "Only 63% of ELL's graduate from high school, compared with the overall national rate of 82%." Thus, ELL's should not be coloring pages to teach them English, especially not at the upper grades. 

So, what can teachers do to support ELLs?

1.) Honor their native language- As Dr. Kate Kinsella, often known as the guru of ELL instruction, states, teachers should never imply that a student's home language is not appropriate. Instead, teachers should teach register, and explain how different settings require different types of diction and syntax. Moreover, teachers should leverage student's linguistic repertoire by encouraging them to use translanguaging techniques. Basically, the theory argues that English learners can use their native cognitive and language toolbox to make sense of the content they are learning. As Dr. Kinsella puts it, the goal is to make them bilingual and biliterate, not to make them monolingual. 

2.) Create a talk time routine-As students return from a year and a half of distance learning, many have stayed on "mute" with "cameras off". They now have an extra layer of invisibility-their masks. Many kids, especially our ELL's, find comfort in staying anonymous and unseen. Heavy accents, lack of knowledge of everyday English language, and the complexity of English grammar rules makes it challenging for our ELL's to fully participate in classroom discussions. It is easy to avoid calling on these students for fear that they might get made fun of. But this well-intentioned practice is doing more harm than good. A strong classroom educator will create safe and courageous speaking routines that constantly invite students to share their ideas. After spending many years in the classroom, I have created daily speaking opportunities. I have classroom leaders or call on non-volunteers to read and explain our day's objectives. I have a daily discussion question as a warm up. Simple questions such as: Would you rather fly or go back in time? or What do you prefer sugary snacks or spicy snacks? Pre-assigned partners must speak to each other in 2-minute time allotments. I provide academic sentence frames and word banks. I then call on non-volunteers again to share out what their partner said. We applaud each speaker. At first there is resistance from some of my ELL's or my shy students, but I share my experience of not knowing English and dealing with anxiety. I tell them that a teacher helped me overcome my fears and now no one can shut me up...they laugh at this. 

3.) Change the school culture- Many schools continue to use the language deficit model when discussing English Language Learners. Often in school leadership meetings, ELL's will be grouped with students with special needs. Teachers will bemoan how many ELL's and SpEd students they have, and will begrudge PD and meetings on how best to meet these students' needs. I have been in a school setting long enough to know how painful it is to hear these conversations from educators who want the best for their students. What I really hear is frustration and lack of understanding of our ELL population. In order to see improved student outcomes, educators need a paradigm shift when it comes to multilingual students. Our ELL's should be language ambassadors who serve as campus tour guides for visiting guests. In my ELA class, we would practice saying good morning in various languages and I would encourage students to use their native languages when reading and writing. One day, one student volunteered to teach us about Larry Itliong, the United Farm Worker leader who inspired Cesar Chavez to start the grape strike, and she taught us some sayings in Tagalog. In November, I helped organize a Day of the Dead Open House event. All of our students in our ELD courses and Spanish courses presented their projects and spoke to parents in both English and their native languages. 

With almost 5 million English language learners in U.S. schools, can we really afford to not reach these students? English learners are one of  the fastest growing groups in our school settings, and it will take all stakeholders to participate in their education. In this manner, our students will not feel like they had to trade in their voices to win a piece of the American dream. 

Bialik, K., Scheller, A., & Walker, K. (2020, May 30). 6 facts about English language learners in U.S. public schools. Pew Research Center. Retrieved November 23, 2021

Freeman, D. Y. and D. (2021, August 11). What is translanguaging in the classroom? What is Translanguaging in the Classroom? | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Retrieved November 23, 2021

Mitchell, C. (2021, November 10). The nation's English-learner population has surged: 3 things to know. Education Week. Retrieved November 23, 2021

Sanchez, C. (2017, February 23). English language learners: How your state is doing. NPR. Retrieved November 23, 2021.

The Quiet Place: Post-Distance Learning Classrooms

    

   There's this movie that came out a few years ago called the Quiet Place. In it there’s a family that nee

ds to learn how to survive in a post-apocalyptic world by staying silent. Their new world is inhabited by blood-thirsty creatures with a keen sense of hearing. The family learns to survive by using gestures and sign language to communicate. Well, this movie is very relevant today in our post-distance learning schooling. I have noticed a pervasive silence in the classroom as we return from our Covid lockdown. After a year and a half of remote learning, students have become accustomed to staying on “mute” and turning off their “cameras”. Teachers are having a hard time getting students to interact with each other and with the materials, or to interact appropriately. I have noticed first hand, students sitting at their desks staring aimlessly into the abyss. I have also encountered hostile and aggressive students who have lashed out when asked to do their work. As a high school classroom teacher of almost 25 years, and now as a district TOSA (teacher on special assignment), I have had the chance to witness the change in attitude and behavior of many students. Due to the current substitute shortage, one of my duties as a TOSA is to be a substitute teacher at various locations. I have been in a 2nd grade class, a 5th grade class, a middle school, and at an alternative high school. In all of these classrooms there is something that stands out- the need for students to re-learn how to interact and communicate effectively and appropriately.

What affects has the pandemic have on students' mental health?

    According to John Lavine, staff reporter for the New York Times, “The shuttering of the American education system severed students from more than just classrooms, friends and extracurricular activities. It has also cut off an estimated 55 million children and teenagers from school staff members whose open doors and compassionate advice helped them build self-esteem, navigate the pressures of adolescence and cope with trauma.” For many students, having one-on-one interaction with an empathetic adult on campus was what kept them mentally strong. This is particularly true for socially economically disadvantaged students and foster/homeless youth who often live in settings filled with chaos, addiction, and violence. At my high school, we have an interventionist with a social service background who works with some of our most vulnerable students. Pre-pandemic, she would check in on students, call home if they were absent, or pick them up from a class if they were having a hard time. Ms. C, as the kids call her, knew she was one of their own since she came from the same tough neighborhood that many of them lived in. “Hey, mi’jo. How you doing today?” You would often hear as Ms. C roamed the hallways. These much-needed interactions suddenly stopped when schools shut down in March of 2020. 

    A year and a half later, as students shuffle through hallways once again, it appears that the lingering effects of the pandemic will be with us for a while. In fact, “School violence has risen to levels that we haven’t seen quite frankly,” said Mo Canady, executive director of the National Association of School Resource Officers. “I don’t think it took a genius to see this coming” (Meckler and Strauss, 2021). Kids are mirroring the stress and toxicity in our society and acting out in different ways. Some are passive-aggressive, others are confrontational, and others are taking out their stress in violent ways. 

So this begs the question, what can be done?

        How do educators re-teach civil interaction and communication skills? 

Knowing that my students had suffered through loss of loved ones, parents’ financial stress, and depression and isolation, I equipped myself with an Inspector Gadget type mentality when I started school this year. I knew that having students read a chapter from the district assigned curriculum and then have them answer the questions at the end of the book was not going to cut it- in fact, it never has. So I did the following:

1. Music creates bonds-On day one of instruction, I had my students write down a list of their favorite songs. I then created a YouTube playlist for each class. I assigned a student to be the Class DJ each time we had some independent study time. The music selection ranged from Kendrick Lamar to Taylor Swift to Ramon Ayala. As kids worked quietly on their work, their heads would pop up with joy when they heard one of their favorite songs being played. I would then take the time to walk around and ask them how they were doing. As Chris Brewer states in his book titled "Music and Learning," "Our attitudes can be affected by music. It can affect energy levels and feelings...School can be a stressful place. Anything that can reduce stress in school helps not only a student but also their peers and their instructors as well."

2. Let them lead- As part of my student-led classroom philosophy, my students participated in class elections. After a fun-filled election campaign, each of my classes elected a class president and two vice presidents. These students were now responsible for coming up with an attention getter signal, give a greeting, and read the day’s agenda. One of my class presidents would signal by saying, “Waterfall” and the class would shout out in unison “Sssssshhhhhhhhh!” Yes, these were my high school juniors and seniors, and they were loving this new routine. Soon, other kids took on jobs such Fitness instructor who would lead the class in quick stretches, or our motivational speaker who would read off a few inspirational quotes to start the class. Alexis Simpson, in her article titled "10 Tips to Creating a Student-Led Classroom, states, "It can sound scary to give up some of your control and turn over some of the responsibility to your students for the first time...You're working smarter, not harder...students don't make all the decisions, only some. Empower your students to make decisions." Kids of all ages need to feel a sense of control in a world that has been through tremendous turmoil. Having clear routines and allowing students to make decisions can go a long way. 

3. Choose topics intentionally- "Know your audience." This is something all teachers of English often tell their students when instructing them to write or deliver a speech. Well, the same goes for teachers. We need to know our audience. We need to know what they are into and what gets them talking. We can't just expect them to have passionate debates about Patrick Henry's speech to the Second Virginia Convention or to feel excited about discussing the juxtaposition of ideas in Kate Chopin's "Story of an Hour". Yes, eventually we need to teach them these types of works, but first we need to lure students back into having vibrant discussions by tapping into what they know and what they like. Last week, as I subbed a 5th grade class, one student who was having a hard time focusing told me, "Hey, call me Travis Scott." I turned around and asked him, "So, do you think he should be blamed for what happened at his concert?" Even though he was only 10 years old, he, along with about 4 other highly excitable young boys, chimed in on the conversation. "Naw! It wasn't his fault" one boy exclaimed. "Do you think he incited the crowd? I calmly asked. Soon, the boys sat down to have a quick debate. At this point I know I had them. After that moment, I was able to get them to work on their assignments. They saw me as one of their own. Someone who talked with them not just at them.

As we all know, the world has changed and so has our students' behaviors and attitudes. We can either echo the words of our grandparents when they would romanticize an idyllic past that never truly existed, or we can embrace our these new changes and see them as an opportunity to teach our youth how to communicate. In the end, we know that a silent classroom in not good for students, for our school culture, or for our society at large. We must equip our students with the language skills to succeed and show them how to fight off any blood-thirsty creature that they might encounter.