When you look at the title of this blog, I would guess that immediately you recognized a word or two if you've had any instruction in Spanish--maybe the articles, maybe "inglés", but not too much else. Then going back and reading it again (like you probably just did), you could potentially decode the meaning--"bendición" is pretty similar to "benediction" or "blessing", oh wait, I learned "aprender" at some point, "segundo idioma"--that's got to be second language because this is the ESL blog post. So you've got the general idea now, but it wasn't immediate--you needed a moment to sort through it all. And that's assuming that you have some background in Spanish, which may or may not be the case.
For English language learners, this is a daily and near constant experience in school. Depending on the level of their abilities in the various language skills (listening, reading, writing, and speaking), their process of comprehension and response is completely different from that of a native speaker of English. Think again about the title you read; if I had written it in English, would you have had to spend time understanding it?
"Learning English as a second language: A challenge--and a blessing"
You just had to read it, and you probably read it pretty quickly. You didn't spend the time on negotiation of meaning like you would in the Spanish version. You didn't have to think about each word and remind yourself what it meant or try to guess the meaning. These processes you have internalized in your native language, and automaticity means that the necessary processing of the language happens immediately when you read a text at your reading level.
For ELLs, this doesn't happen. ELLs typically take much longer to process things in English, and even longer to come up with a response. This kind of delay in processing and responding is probably the first thing to frustrate general education teachers. Why does this student never speak up in class? Why are the responses she's giving me so much more inadequate than the others'?
What many mainstream teachers do not realize--or take for granted--is the number of linguistic, cultural, and social difficulties that ELL students face in mainstream classes. Being expected not only to acquire a new language, but also to learn many different types of content in this new language, and use the language to interact in academic and social settings alike--there is so much to be done! This unique experience can be very difficult for teachers to understand, and I really enjoyed the advice given in the reading for encouraging learners.
First of all, don't discount the usefulness and necessity of the home language. Bilingual learning holds great benefits for language learners, and the ability to use their native language both enhances their learning and boosts their confidence. However, this should be balanced with plenty of English practice, both in the classroom and in social situations. While it is often positive for students to make friends with people from similar cultures as their own, friendships and partnerships with English-speaking students will greatly benefit them as well.
To me, it seems that teaching ELLs, as in many aspects of teaching and life, is all about balance. You've got to give them enough of a challenge yet enough of a scaffold. Using the native language is helpful, but only to an extent--English proficiency needs to be encouraged. I think that this balancing act accurately represents that which bilingual and bicultural people face throughout their lives: keeping up with the culture and language that they live in, while trying to maintain and respect their native language and culture. The same should be encouraged and supported throughout their education by allowing students to use their own experiences and understanding to express themselves.
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