Language Learners in the Classroom

Sometimes it is hard for us to place ourselves in the shoes of others. It is difficult for us to know how they feel and what exactly they are going through. In class today during our Spanish section I got a little taste of what it is like for English Language Learners in the classroom. During this activity certain groups were given instructions on how to complete an assignment. Some groups were allowed to complete their project using both English and Spanish interchangeably. Other groups were only allowed to complete the assignment in Spanish. The task proved to be quite difficult for most students. Some students were not fluent in Spanish so it was hard for them to understand the directions of the assignment that were given to them in Spanish. Because they could not understand the instructions they did not know where to begin and became frustrated. Some group members could speak Spanish pretty well, while others could not. This made communication at tables very hard when you were only allowed to speak in Spanish. How are you supposed to complete an assignment and be a motivated student when you can not understand those around you? This is exactly what ELL students go through. Can you imagine what that must feel like on a daily basis, surrounded by your peers and teacher and not being able to communicate your needs? I learned first hand how frustrating this is. This experience was eye opening for me as a future teacher and made me realize that I need to make sure that the needs of my students are being met. I need to go that extra mile so that no child gets left behind in the learning process.