English Language Learners

After doing a little more research last week into the Teach for America program, I started to dig deeper into the problems of inner city schools. I wanted to know what the real issue these teachers face everyday when they are preparing for a day in the classroom. One of the main problems I found for these inner city teachers was a language barrier between themselves and the students. Many inner city classrooms have students from all diversities and backgrounds. This can make for a great mix in the classroom; however, it can also cause some problems with the student teacher communication.  A few years ago the English-Language learners program was put into place, which has made a significant change for students in schools. However, these programs are increasingly growing slim compared to the need of students with language barriers. “According to the National Council of English Language Acquisition, the number of ELL’s in public schools nationally rose from 3.5 million students during the 1997-98 school year to 5.3 million in 2008-09” (Maxwell). This statics are staggering. But my question is how are teachers dealing with these issues? It is not a requirement for education majors to be bilingual or have some kind of course in a language, but somehow I feel that it is necessary.  If as a teacher you want to make a real change for every student that enters your classroom then the basis for this is communication. Teachers do best when they understand how to best communicate their knowledge to their students.

Therefore, I began to evaluate myself as a teacher and ask if I am ready for these types of challenges. I want to believe that I am, but issue involving language barriers come with a lot more effort and practice outside of my education classes. I also believe it is important for every teacher to evaluate them self on this issue. Every teacher, in private schools or inner city need to be aware of the challenges every teacher across communities faces to be able to keep up with the ever-changing environment of a classroom. This will inspire teachers to continue to make change for not only the subject matter of language barriers but also issues including efforts to raise test scores and graduation rates across the United States.

Maxwell, Lesli Lesli A. "Education Week: ELL Programs Get Overhaul in New York and Los Angeles." Education Week American Education News Site of Record. 25 Oct. 2011. Web. 01 Feb. 2012. <http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2011/10/26/09ell_ep.h31.html>.

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