Professional Development Tool

If you are in the position to provide Professional Development for your teachers in the area of ESL but don't know where to start, this is a great tool. In Resource B (pp. 119-122) of Mary Ann Lachat's book, Standards-Based Instruction and Assessment for English Language Learners, there is a survey that you can give teachers that allows them to self-evaluate their need for training in many areas. The survey is very comprehensive and would allow you to really see what the needs of your staff are. If don't have access to the book, leave me a comment and I can make you a copy of the survey and mail it to you or I can scan it and email it to you.

Professional Development Resource

Dr. Christel Broady is the Program Director for the ESL Endorsement program at Georgetown College. She is a KYTESOL board member and is a frequent speaker at the state and national level. She is a passionate advocate for ESL students. She is available for professional development. You can contact her at Christel_Broady@georgetowncollege.edu

Affordable Over-the-Phone Interpreting

Check out this service, TransAct, that provides interpretation over the phone. This could be an affordable and resourceful way to ensure that you are meeting federal law that requires you to communicate with parents in a language that they can understand.

Ways Administrators Can Support ESL and Bilingual Instruction

There are many ways that administrators can support ESL and bilingual instruction. Here are a few of them:

• Advocate for funding increases at the district level
• Work with teachers to configure classes and class sizes to the benefit of English learners
• Appoint a lead or mentor teacher to help new teachers adjust to and meet the needs of English learners
• Monitor marking policies to ensure that all students have equal opportunities to receive high grades
• Give staff members who have expertise in English-language development or primary-language instruction time to be of assistance to other teachers
• Give teachers with English-language development or primary-language assignments an equal share of mentoring and supervisory assistance
• Set an example of respect and encouragement for diverse language abilities and cultures within the school

Source: Weed, K. Z. & Diaz-Rico, L. T. (2010) The crosscultural, language, and academic development handbook. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

Parental Obligations and Involvement Document

This is a link to a document from the U.S. Department of Education that explains the parental involvement responsibilities of the state and local education agencies as well as the school. It also includes ideas for strengthening parental involvement. It is a little lengthly (30 pages plus appendices), but it is a very thorough and accurate view of the school's responsibilities to parents. The document is also in an easy to follow Q&A format, so you can look quickly and easily for answers to specific questions. I hope this will be a helpful resource to you as you seek to comply with federal and state laws and regulations.

How to Work with an Interpreter

In an earlier post, we talked about the fact that parents are legally entitled to receive information from the school in a language that they can understand. This means that at times, you may need to employ the services of an interpreter. Relying on a bilingual aid or teacher is not the best idea since interpretation should be provided by a trained and certified professional. Here are some tips on working with an interpreter:

• Meet regularly with the interpreter to facilitate communication, particularly before meeting with a student or parent.
• Encourage the interpreter to chat with the client before the interview to help determine the appropriate depth and type of communication.
• Speak simply, avoiding technical terms, abbreviations, acronyms, professional jargon, idioms, and slang.
• Encourage the interpreter to translate the clients's own words as much as possible to give a sense of the client's concepts, emotional state, and other important information.
• During the interaction, look at and speak directly to the parent/client. Listen to the clients and watch their nonverbal, affective response by observing facial expressions, voice intonations, and body movements.
• Be patient. An interpretive interview takes longer.

Source: Weed, K. Z. & Diaz-Rico, L. T. (2010) The crosscultural, language, and academic development handbook. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.