Students speak a number of languages, come from a variety of regions and stem from diverse backgrounds. Unfortunately, most schools have little — if any — services for ESL (English as a second language) students, forcing teachers to get creative.
At the 2015 conference for the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, educators gathered to talk about the challenges of having 300-plus native languages spoken in schools and the total lack of support, including translation services, from school districts. These students are simply not receiving a comprehensive education, according to the attendees, and native English-speaking students are also getting the short end of the stick, since teachers need to balance language education with routine education.
According to one conference speaker, teachers have little time or training when it comes to teaching bilingual students, much less students who do not speak English at a conversational level. In the United Kingdom, the issue is on par with the United States, with nearly 20 percent of primary school students also being EFL students. Joy Wilson, one of the speakers at the conference, said, “We need funding to train and support teachers to meet the needs of this growing group of learners.”
Lost in Translation and the Public School System
Some educators say their only option is to use Google translate to add directions to assignments. While many are aware of the incredible limitations of such a solution, including a complete lack of cultural sensitivity, with schools on tight budgets and teachers having zero training in bilingual education, they have no alternatives. Educator Diane Wilson says, “I was up until midnight writing individual lesson plans for the three (EFL) students and two other differentiated ones for the rest of the class.” She notes that some students speak virtually no English at all, but funding is not available to give these students “the specialist support staff they need.”
She is one of many educators who admits that native English-speaking students also “do not get a fair share of the teacher’s time.” It seems to be an obstacle with no easy solution. Another teacher, Heather Emerson, says, “It’s hard, not just for the teachers, but for the children as well, and we need to be able to support them.” However, with budget cuts rampant and overcrowding already an issue, it is becoming easier and easier for students, regardless of their language abilities, to get lost in the system.
Attempting the Impossible
Many teachers report trying to learn basic conversational skills in other languages. Emerson says, “I’ve learned how to speak a little bit of Urdu, a little bit of Persian, a little bit of Spanish and I’m currently learning Arabic.” However, as anyone who has studied another language knows, those skills do not develop quickly, especially for overworked teachers.
Translation services with a cultural twist can provide great help with documents and homework, but for many schools it simply is not feasible. If you have a need to communicate better with those who speak other languages, contact Verbatim Solutions for help.
