Entry 3: ELL Teacher Interview
Hi everyone!
For my third entry, I interviewed Ms. Narang to learn more about ELL students. Ms. Narang is a fourth-grade teacher that teaches reading, writing, and social studies. Her parents speak Hindi at home, but her second language is Spanish. Ms. Narang learned Spanish throughout high school and taught abroad in Costa Rica. Although her Spanish is not completely fluent, she knows enough Spanish to have conversations with others.
In her classroom, she has several ELL students who are at the advanced and advanced high level on the TELPAS scale. This year, three new students joined her classroom. Since they are brand new to the country, they are just beginning to get used to the language and culture in America. These new students would be considered sequential bilinguals “because they did not start learning English until they arrived in the United States” (Wright, 2015, p. 5).
Since her ELL students are still acquiring the English language, she uses a variety of strategies to help them learn. Ms. Narang says that she often uses visuals to teach the students. Whenever she teaches a lesson, she makes sure to slow down as she teaches them. She uses more simplistic language and repeats her words so that the students can better understand her and keep up with writing the notes. Ms. Narang also does a word of the week where the students learn a new word each week. In addition, she shows the students songs to learn vocabulary and allows them to use the dictionary to support their learning. Since the dictionary is allowed for use on the standardized tests, they have become significant support for the advanced ELL students in her classroom. Many of the strategies that Ms. Narang uses to teach the ELL students are inspired by what her Spanish teachers used to use to teach her Spanish.
Ms. Narang mentioned that Mrs. Mitra, the ESL Specialist, comes to pull-out the three new students who recently joined her classroom to teach them the beginning/basics of English that they don’t learn in class. According to Wright (2015, p. 107), Mrs. Mitra is using the pull-out ESL model to teach the new ELL students English. Since Ms. Narang teaches in a fourth-grade classroom, it is hard for the new ELL students to understand the instruction. Using the pull-out ESL model will give the students a safe environment to learn and further develop their language and academics (Wright, 2015, p. 107). Overall, I learned a lot about teaching ELL students from interviewing with Ms. Narang and aspire to become an amazing and passionate teacher like her!
Wright, E. W. (2015). Foundations of Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Caslon Publishing.
Ms. Narang did not feel comfortable with being recorded, so I respected her wishes by turning the camera toward me.
Hi Angela,
ReplyDeleteGreat video! I think you chose an awesome person to interview it's really interesting to see someone that speaks two other languages than English. I think it gives Ms. Narang an idea on how some students might feel in the classroom in that type of environment. It is interesting to see the different opinions on the pull-out ESL method. Some people think it can be detrimental and it is "highly criticized as the least effective model" (Wright, 2015). Nonetheless, I think if done right it can give the students the one-on-one or small group attention that they need. I think it depends on the level of the student and how comfortable they are with English. Sometimes they need the extra help, but I think if done the correct way this can be very beneficial. I also think it is important to correlate the separate lesson with what is going on in the regular classroom.
Wright, Wayne (2015). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, Second Edition.
Hi Simrah, thank you for your reply! I agree with your viewpoints. I believe that the pull-out model can be effective when it is used in the correct way. According to Wright (2015, p. 107), the pull-out model allows the ELL students to learn in a safe environment where they can develop their language and academic skills. Since Ms. Narang’s students came over to America from a different country, they barely knew any English. Therefore, using the pull-out model was the most effective because it gives them that one-on-one attention and time to learn the basics of the English language.
DeleteWright, E. W. (2015). Foundations of Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Caslon Publishing.
Hi Angela! I think it is awesome that the person you interviewed actually learned Spanish. Oftentimes, Spanish speakers know Spanish because that was their first language or because their family speaks Spanish so they can practice it at home. I always give my respects to those who learned a language because it takes a lot of hard work and dedication to learn a new language. I also agree with the pull-out ESL method. Although some people may think it is not as beneficial, I think it provides a more one on one service to the students. (Wright, 2015) Also, because of state exams, since they already take the STAAR, this method can also help them in learning the new language but she is teaching them the strategies in English and how they can become successful English writers.
ReplyDeleteWright, Wayne (2015). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, Second Edition
Hi Marcela!
DeleteI also agree that the pull-out ESL method can be beneficial for students. I think it depends on the age of the child. If not their age, then it just depends on how the child learns. I think it can be beneficial for them to use this method because as you said they get this one-on-one time. If done right, and well coordinated with the teacher in the main class, this can be advantageous. According to Wright (2015), in a specific scenario "They made much greater progress in both language and academic development than they would have without pull-out ESL instruction."
Wright, Wayne (2015). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, Second Edition.
Hi Marcela! I feel the same way. I have a lot of respect for Ms. Narang because she had the diligence and patience to learn a new language. According to Wright (2015, p. 17), “knowing the student’s home language or languages allows the teacher to provide primary language support that can accelerate the student’s acquisition of English and comprehension of academic instruction.” Since Ms. Narang knew the hardships and difficulties with learning another language, she was able to use her experiences to better help and teach her ELL students.
DeleteWright, E. W. (2015). Foundations of Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Caslon Publishing.
Hello Angela! I enjoyed watching your interview with Ms. Narang! I liked getting to hear from a teacher who has just started teaching because it gave us a different look into teaching ELLs. She gave similar answers to my teacher, but her thought process of thinking back to when she was being taught a language was smart. I never thought about thinking of how my teachers helped me learn to read and write in Spanish. She talked about how her three new students are being pulled out which I liked. I was an ESL student in the beginning of Elementary but I was pulled out. As a kid I did not like it because often times it would be during recess or when we were doing something fun in the classroom. Wright (2015) mentioned though how by pulling them out they feel safe and more open to engage than if they were in the regular classroom. It can be intimidating to have to try to speak in front of native speakers when you are just starting or even still learning the language. By being surrounded in a small group of students who are in the same position is comforting for them. I agree with Simrah though. Having the lesson in the pull out session connect to what they are missing would be helpful.
ReplyDeleteWright, E. W. (2015). Foundations of Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Caslon Publishing.
Hi Alessandra,
DeleteI think it is interesting to hear your perspective since you were an ESL student yourself and used the pull-out method. I do agree that it can be difficult to be in this situation. I think the school or scheduling should have had done a better job in making sure that you were pulled out at a good time. Children still need their recess and extracurricular activities. It is important to remember that it matters as well. Wright (2015) even states that "the pull-out ESL model has been highly criticized as the least effective model." I believe if done correctly this can be beneficial but I'm sorry your experience wasn't the best with this method.
Wright, Wayne (2015). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, Second Edition.
Hi Alessandra, thank you for your reply! I’m sorry that you did not have a good experience with being pulled-out when you were growing up. At my placement school, the students are fortunate because they are pulled out during class, so they do not have to miss recess or anything. Although the pull-out model has been criticized for being the least effective model, I do believe that there are benefits to the model. As you said, pulling out the students gives them a safe environment where they feel comfortable enough to speak and learn the language without the fear of being teased for not knowing enough of the English language (Wright, 2015, p. 107). Mrs. Mitra, the ESL specialist, occasionally comes into the classroom to support the ELL students, so she does connect what the students are learning in class with the pull-out class.
DeleteWright, E. W. (2015). Foundations of Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Caslon Publishing.
Hello Angela!
DeleteI enjoyed watching your interview with Ms. Narang. When you mentioned that the students are sequential bilinguals because they are just now learning english, I was comparing it to my experience with bilingual students. I have noticed that a lot of the bilingual students in my school catch on to the English language relatively fast. I believe it is because “if the student is one of the younger children in the family, and the family has been in the United States for several years, it is likely that the older siblings speak English and use it often in the home” (Wright, 2015, Pg. 17). This was also my experience with English. I was one of the younger siblings so I had been previously exposed to English and therefore it was easier to fully learn.
Wright, E. W. (2015). Foundations of Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Caslon Publishing.
Hello Angela! I was not horrible, but I do think everything could have been handled differently. My experience though is a lesson to me as a teacher to ensure that my students do not leave my classroom feeling like I did. From your interview it seems that the format that the students are being pulled out is very effective. Like you said, there is some criticism for pulling students during class. One that Wright (2015) mentioned was about it being expensive to hire another teacher and how sometimes they are poorly accommodated. If schools see how if done right, like in your case, it can have a positive effect then they may be willing to spend the money and space. Pulling the students out does not even need to be long if they do not want it to be. A quick 15 or 20 minute class everyday may help the students. Having the specialist like Mrs. Mitra come in the classroom would be another plus.
DeleteWright, E. W. (2015). Foundations of Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Caslon Publishing.
Hello Simrah! I was only at that school for one year so I am curious as to if that was their first year starting that type of instruction. I know that school has grown over the years in their bilingual population. They may have been trying to find the best method for them. Either way I try to look at it as experience that I can share with my students to connect with them. I agree though, children need recess to give their brains a break and forget about school for a bit. After watching Angela's interview I also feel that if done correctly it can be beneficial. Wright (2015) mentioned a critique about this method is that the students are not given coordinated instruction to what they are learning in class. However, some teachers are not willing to collaborate. This makes me believe that if the classroom and the pull-out teacher work together then the students can be successful. It will require more work on both sides, but if it is what is best for the student then why not do it.
DeleteWright, E. W. (2015). Foundations of Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory, Policy, and Practice. Caslon Publishing.
Hi Angela,
ReplyDeleteFirst and foremost, I loved your interview! One thing that I found insightful was that Ms. Narang referred to the TELPAS rubric to tell us about her ELL students in the classroom since I am familiar with the scale. I can relate to having students use the dictionary as a resource. I do that in my own teaching practices also because they are allowed to use it on the STAAR. We also promote this heavily because being able to navigate through a dictionary correctly is a required skill! One thing from your interview that stood out to me was that she also mentioned how students who are new to America aren't only learning the language, they are also the norms of a new place which could be a lot to deal with at such a young age. Wright (2015) says, “A teacher’s job is to provide comprehensible input in a safe and enjoyable environment.”. It is definitely important to let students know that you are there to help and support them in any way possible especially when learning another language other than their home language.