Survey

 What is your experience in terms of working or friends with people from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds?

I have previously worked with students from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

Do you have experience in working with ELLs?

I have very little experience working with ELL students but the experiences I have had have been rewarding and very educational. For example last semester I was observing in the Patchogue Medford school district which has a high population of ESL students. Here I was able to work with some struggling readers to assess them to find their reading levels.   

Do you have experience in teaching ELLs?

I have not personally taught any ELL students only the minimal experience in working through my observations.

What is your perception on ELLs in terms of their learning motivation and performance in general and in reading and writing specially?

If not properly trained to teach an ELL class your students will not receive the proper motivation and performance in reading and writing will be weaker than it should be. ELL students need to be made to feel comfortable in that they can use their native language to express themselves when they fell they cannot using English. They need to be encouraged to use English as much as possible and to be assured that making mistakes is okay and part of the learning process.   

 What learning difficulties do ELLs usually encounter in schools?

The main difficulties that I feel ELL’s usually encounter are not having a properly trained instructor and having the conflict of whether to teach primarily in the native language of the student or in English.    

  In your observation, how do classroom teachers resolve ELLs’ learning difficulties and improve their learning motivation? What strategies do they often adopt? Are these strategies effective? Are you familiar with these strategies? Are family and community involved?

I have not currently started my observation for this semester but for previous semesters I have seen teachers provide extra support for those struggling learners. They will sometimes set up a table in the back of the room and while students are working independently they will announce that they will be providing extra help for those who feel they need it.

What intervention strategies would you adopt if you have ELLs in your class? How do you go about teaching the child? How do you go about reaching out to the family and the community?

If I were teaching a class that had ELL students I would work closely with those students in order to build a student teacher relationship where the student feels comfortable enough to ask for help when they need it. They should also feel comfortable to use the English language as much as possible to broaden their capabilities. They shouldn’t worry about making errors and their families should be as supportive as possible practicing English with them at home.