Prompt #3

Connection- Claude Goldenberg




In my previous posts, I have mentioned how students learn in their primary language to understand the English language. Although my classroom is not an “ESL” classroom, there are students whose primary language is not English. Because of their accent, I am able to notice this. I would like to use Jeffrey again as an example because he has the most trouble in English class. He has a hard time spelling out words like “the” or “what” and he also has a hard time understanding what he is reading. I have worked with him on reading a passage and telling me what the whole passage is about. He always needed my help to read the passage along with him. Most of his other classmates do this exercise alone with no trouble. I think it is a challenge for Jeffrey because he is not proficient in English. I have asked the teacher if he belongs in a classroom with English Language Learners’ (ELL’s). Ms. Lee told me that he used to be in this classroom but was switched to special education. I do not understand this because in order for Jeffrey to be proficient in all his special education subjects, he must be proficient in the English language. Why would the school do such a switch?

Claude Goldenberg, who is a professor of education at Stanford University, wrote an article concerning the way ELL’s are taught, and research that shows which methods do and do not work when teaching ELL’s. The NLP research found ways to improve how should teach ELL’s: “Teaching students to read in their first language promotes higher levels of reading achievement in English” (14). According to Goldenberg and the NLP research, Jeffrey should be taught how to read in his first language, Spanish. There are some words in Spanish that look and sound similar to English. For example, the words “elephant” and “elefante.” The second way is “what we know about good instruction and curriculum in general holds true for English Learners” (14). In this case, Ms. Lee could continue to teach in the same way she teaches her classroom. Although with Jeffrey, she may have to make some modifications with instructions. This is the third way: “When instructing English Learners… teachers must modify instruction to take into account students’ language limitations” (14).

I suggest that Jeffrey should return to his classroom with ELL’s before integrating him into other classrooms. If this does not occur, then someone who can speak Spanish must be present in Ms. Lee’s classroom. It is crucial for Jeffrey to completely understand English in order to succeed in this society. He needs all the attention he can receive.