Breaking a Language Barrier in Learning

As we all know, the United States is a melting pot of different ethnicities. Despite the economic situation, people from other countries are still coming to the U.S. in hopes of finding a better life or getting a quality education. At times, making the transition can be difficult, especially if there is a language barrier.

ESL classes, which are taught almost everywhere, are classes specifically designed to help students whose first language is something other than English make the transition to the English language. Because ESL classes have grown in popularity over the years, there is more help for ESL students now than there was just ten years ago.

When it comes to learning English as a second language, one of the key ways in teaching is through the use of repetition. When students are exposed to a certain topic more than once, it’s been proven that they are more likely to remember what they’ve learned.

Boredom can be another difficult barrier in ESL learning. Repetition can be boring, but there is an easy way to combat that. When teaching a certain topic, whether someone is learning how to use American money or how to address people of a certain stature, there are numerous ways to teach that topic more than once.

Having students interact with each other while learning is another great way to use repetition in ESL teaching. To make it even easier and more exciting, there are many different books and online resources that can offer ideas on how to use repetition effectively without boring students. The more opportunities they have to practice something, the more likely they are to remember it.

English Language Learners

English language learners have special educational needs. When that is compounded by a learning disability, achieving academic success for a child can be quite a feat. Bilingual kids or those who require English as a second language (ESL) specialized instruction, often have trouble grasping cultural differences. Linguistic properties of languages are different. For example, the phrase “red ball” is bola roja in Spanish. Where English speakers say the color before the object, Spanish speakers say it after. This can cause conversation difficulties for ESL children. If this is combined with learning disabilities like dyslexia or ADHD, school can be quite frustrating.

On the other hand, teachers often have trouble distinguishing between linguistic confusion and real learning disabilities. ESL students will confuse the order of words, have problems rhyming, and have difficulty spelling. Since they tend to think in their native language, memorization can also be affected. All of these things are symptoms of a learning disability, but they can purely be attributed to the language barrier.

Educators need to be qualified to implement effective strategies for English language learners. Regardless of whether or not they also have a learning disability, these children need to be encouraged and be given high expectations. In cases where an ESL student needs to be in a special education classroom, the teacher or at least an instructional assistant should be able to speak in their native language if necessary. Staff should also be understanding of their culture.

Learning problems that arise need to be taken care of immediately. Early intervention is the key in allowing any learning disabled student to reach goals. Catching a problem early can help school officials develop an education plan for the individual student and make the parents aware.

English language learners should also have access to an ESL teacher. ESL instruction takes place outside of the classroom and on a regular basis to help reinforce concepts learned in the classroom.