RelayIf you’re an educator, you know that it’s common to face language barriers in the education space. It’s also probable that multilingual language learners (MLLs) are a part of your student body. Depending on your location, you may have a large or small percentage, but either way, you have to find a way to support those students and their families.
Keeping the lines of communication open is vital to gaining trust. You need to keep students and their parents happy and feeling confident that your school is providing them with the education and support they need. Here are some ways to break down language barriers in education, ensuring that your MLLs and their families feel welcome and supported.
Understand Where Students Are Coming From
This should be done literally and figuratively. Literally, you should know what country your students come from. This can be done through the forms they fill out when they register for school.
Once you know the country, it’s a good idea to learn what you can about the student’s culture. You could have the student and parent fill out a survey or you could do an in-person question-and-answer session for the family.
By familiarizing yourself with the customs of the country, you can make the family feel more comfortable and show them that you care about them and their culture. It also helps you to avoid any awkward encounters or miscommunications.
Figuratively, you have to put yourself in their shoes. It can be hard for a MLL to comprehend things quickly, so you may need to slow things down for them. And when you ask them a question, be patient and give them time to answer.
Realize they have to hear your question in English, translate it in their minds to their first language, formulate an answer, translate the answer into English, and then work up the courage to say the answer out loud. This takes time, so be ready to give them more time than you would a native English speaker.
Assess Their Language Abilities
It’s important to know your MLLs’ competence in English. Ideally, assessment should be done through the four modes of language: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Assessing the student in the four modes will give you a good understanding of the student’s level in each.
With this knowledge, teachers can create lessons differentiated by the student’s competence. Just as one size does not fit all, one lesson does not fit all students.
Use Visuals, A Lot
From using videos to good, old-fashioned writing on the board, having a visual connection to the lesson is vital to helping MLLs understand. They need that visual component to see the words you’re saying.
This is vitally important if you’re introducing them to new vocabulary. You must write the words on the board or give them handouts with the words printed on them. And be sure to let them practice the new vocabulary over time. Gone are the days when you gave students a list of ten words and a dictionary and told them to write the definitions on a piece of paper.
Video is another powerful way of connecting with MLLs. Short videos that relate to the topic of the lesson can help build background knowledge that students may desperately need to understand the concepts of the lesson. Don’t forget that these students are from different cultures and may not know a topic that is easily understandable to a native-born student.
Never Assume They Know What You’re Talking About
Just because a MLL student is nodding their head when you ask if they understand does not mean they do. They may be nodding their heads to be polite even though they don’t understand what you’re saying. And don’t expect them to ask for help. In some cultures, it’s impolite to interrupt a teacher, so you have to be very perceptive to their needs.
Doing quick assessments during class is a way to guard against this. Something as simple as doing a 1, 2, 3 assessment can help immensely. Ask them to raise one finger if they don’t understand, two fingers if they understand a little, and three if they fully understand. This simple assessment can work wonders in letting the teacher know if more time is needed at a particular point in the lesson.
Be careful with cultural references as well. While native-born students may know your reference to a popular comedy show, your MLLs may not. And even if they do, they may not understand the humor that’s involved so be ready to explain it to them.
Don’t Forget About the Parents
Language barriers in the education space don’t just effect students, you must also support their parents. For parents, the language barrier can seem impossible for them to overcome, so you must make every effort to make them feel included in your school. And just like the students, you can’t wait for parents to ask for help. You have to be proactive in your support.
At the very least, be ready to translate letters and documents into their first language. They need to know important dates and activities that are happening in the school, so make sure everything is translated for them.
For in-person meetings, translate any handouts that you plan to distribute. If possible, have an in-person translator present to answer questions and explain what is happening during meetings. Also, be ready to translate for parents during parent-teacher meetings.
Plan events to give families an opportunity to identify with their cultures. A cultural celebration with foods and activities that are familiar to the family’s culture can go a long way in building trust and comfort. In this way, families feel welcome into your school community rather than alienated.
Consider Translation Technology Built for Education
Modern technology with translation capabilities, like Relay’s push-to-talk radios, can help you communicate with students and parents who find English challenging. Relay’s easy to use and lightweight devices currently translate into 34 languages. Simply select the desired language and speak into the device for it to translate.
Just think of the ease of communication this provides with parents on parent-teacher nights or at school events. The door opens for you and your families to freely communicate and be a part of your school community.
Overcoming Language Barriers in Education Can Be a Challenge
Following the practices suggested above will help break down the language barriers often present in the education industry and create open communication between you and your families. As a result, families will feel like a welcome and integral part of your school community.
Learn how Colin Powell K-8 Academy is using Relay to break down language barriers here.
