Who Are the Students in Your Class?

In school across America, teachers have the responsibility of teaching those who speak another language at home. English language learners are mainly concentrated in urban areas, yet suburban areas are becoming more diverse as well. Teachers must remember that for children who don't speak English, lanugage acquisition is a long process which can take 5-7 years (Breiseth, 2015). These children may be able to start using everyday language sooner than academic language. This is due to the frequency of use. Teachers must also be sensitive to the fact that, "Nearly 60% of ELLs nationwide are from low-income families in which parents have “disproportionately” limited levels of education (Grantmakers in Education)" (Breiseth, 2015). Along with poverty, these students could be refugees. The mental trauma of poverty and being a refugee widely impacts students. These learners cannot be treated as a student who speaks English in the home.
While it is sometimes a challenge, teachers are able to help students from differing linguistic and social backgrounds achieve great academic success with the right scaffolding. Think of the word "scaffold". A scaffold holds up a structure that is not yet ready to stand on its' own.
As teachers, English Language Learners are the same. The may not be able to stand on their own, yet.

I will end with a story to help you consider a refugee's circumstance which I have been involved with this year while In Israel. In Israel, there are refugee policies, as all countries have. However, refugees from Eritrea have a different circumstance. There are many refugees in Israel (legal and illegal) due to the compulsory military service in Eritrea. Many men try to escape Eritrea to avoid an indefinite, often deadly, military service. Israel is not "allowed" to deport Eritreans by law, but if they come illegally (it is VERY difficult to receive a visa to live and work in Israel if you are not of Jewish descent) they send the men to a holding facility/work camp in the Negev desert. This is an attempt to make them want to leave Israel voluntarily. I have a child in the center where I volunteer who is an illegal immigrant from Eritrea. His father was in the facility for one year when the child was only 1 1/2. This child has extreme emotional attachment issues because of this. He has had to overcome a lot, even though he is only three years old now. Often he cannot do activities because he is crying (if another staff is not there or if the activity is after his mother drops him off). The life of a refugee is not easy. These learners need social, linguistic, and emotional support from their teachers in order to succeed in school.

More information about ELLs can be found HERE.

References
Breiseth, L. (2015). What you need to know about ELLs: Fast Facts. Colorin Colorado. Accessed through http://www.colorincolorado.org/article/what-you-need-know-about-ells-fast-facts