Where Do I Begin?
The first challenge I encountered by watching a television show with no sound was to attempt to read lips. After a while I realized that I was going to be unsuccessful with the challenge because it required sustained focus, which isn't necessarily my strong suite. I turned the television off in frustration of wanting to know what is being said and not able to figure it out. Similarly, I struggled with the news broadcast in French. I was surprised at how challenging it was to even understand the context of the story. I speak Spanish and thought to myself, surely, I can figure this out. So, I listened and understood a word here and there, but by and large I was limited in what I could actually comprehend. However, this time my frustration led me to utilize Google Translate on my phone so that I could actually understand what was being said. It confirmed my suspicion that the newscast was commentary about French politics.
The challenge of understanding something when not in your own language requires you to use a number of visual cues to gather meaning. I suppose once again, I could use Google Translate. I could also view the body language of the speakers and seek clarity in the interactions of those around me. The challenge would then be more about my perception of how those interactions around me as opposed to necessarily understanding the reality of the presented situation.
EL students sit in classrooms all across the country unable to access materials because they do not know the language, they need a visual representation about what is being discussed, shared ot taught. The sad thing is that so many educators do not realize that EL understanding will increase dramatically simply by sharing visual aids with the students. Although it is known that language acquisition is important and why students are in English speaking only classrooms, there is a difference between being able to speak the language and understand the spoken language. It's also one thing not to be able to hear the language spoken and determine the action by visual representations. However, to hear a language spoken and your only understanding of the language is diminished to the occasional word you understand. This is beyond frustrating and seems in part to be educational malpractice.
My current role in the school building is ELA Lead. Therefore, I am responsible for providing intervention, coaching and modeling for classroom teachers. I think where I can put more emphasis and support EL learners in the school building is to encourage classroom teachers to use visual representations to provide meaning and context for their students. I think this may be beneficial for all learners. Do you have any suggestions?
References
Nase, J. P. (2022, January 17). - YouTube. Retrieved October 25, 2022, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQhdwDw0Hck&t=885s
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