We have a new student from El Salvador. He speaks no English, so in the mornings I work with him one on one to read, have conversations, and "frontload" the vocabulary for the afternoon's math and science lessons. He's a good kid. I really like spending time working with him, but it's tough communicating because I don't know any Spanish. I use my phone to translate words and phrases and have him read them.
There's a lot of research that says students who are learning English take one year to develop social vocabulary, but that they need five to develop academic vocabulary. So, it's actually much better to instruct them in their native language when it comes to subjects like math, science, and social, studies, which happen to be what I teach. I've been trying to translate as much as I can, but it's really tiring. But, seeing him succeed for part of the day is very rewarding.
On a related note, I am going to learn Spanish. For reals this time.
UPDATE: I saw this video, and it made me really want to go the extra mile for my student. I don't want someone to lose out on an opportunity to learn or feel successful because I couldn't find a way to meet his needs.
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Ok, this really isn't a completely original idea. I can't promise much, but if you're interested maybe this will give you an idea of what's happening with me while I'm over in Baltimore teaching. Between the stories, random thoughts, and complaints, maybe there'll be something worth reading. :)
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