Working with English Learners  Common Misconceptions  The Importance of Heritage Language  Supporting Our Students Presented by Ruth Goldberger, ESOL 7 th Grade Professional Development for Teachers in Fairfax County Public Schools

Background information  U.S. is increasingly ethnically and linguistically diverse o 90% of recent immigrants - non-English-speaking countries  Second and third generation immigrants - 57% of adolescent English learners  Fairfax County – growing cultural diversity o 45% of population are ethnic or racial minorities o No one strong minority – very diverse o May % of FCPS elementary students spoke a language other than English at home

Focus of our discussion today  Debunking 2 common misconceptions  How as teachers we can integrate students o Importance of heritage language

Activity Find a partner and share with them a time when you entered a new community (a new neighborhood, school, congregation, job) Discuss -  How did you feel initially?  What helped you to make connections?  How did you become integrated?  When did you feel like you really “belonged”?  What characteristics did you share with those who became your closest friends?

Debunking two common misconceptions  Immigrants resist learning English  Immigrants cling to their native language, perpetuating it into the next generation

Myth #1 Immigrants resist learning English Learning English is a necessity not a luxury  Service oriented economy  Rely on children as brokers

Myth #1 (cont.) Immigrants resist learning English Obstacles to learning English – Adults  Lack of available ESL programs  Lack of time/Work schedules  Cost of programs  Childcare needs  Transportation needs  Migrant workers

Myth #1 (cont.) Immigrants resist learning English Unrealistic expectations – foreign accents  Judgmental native speakers  Low language self esteem

A Scenario – You’ve Moved!

Myth #2 Immigrants cling to their native language, perpetuating it into the next generation  Most foreign born residents speak English well  Overall children of immigrants show strong advances in English  For children of immigrants speaking English means fitting it

Heritage Language “The primary language ‘problem’ among most immigrants is not a lack of English-language learning, but rather…the rapid loss of the immigrant languages across the communities” (Tse, 2001, p.29).

Benefits of Heritage Language Development Two major benefits for children and adolescents  Hastens the development of English  Students may become bilingual and biliterate

Family Benefits of Fostering Heritage Language Development Decrease generation gap issues  Tension, frustration, and even fistfights have resulted from miscommunication, unintentional slights, and inability to convey even simple messages.

Societal Benefits of Fostering Heritage Language Development  Social capitol  Increased career options Sales, customer relations, public service  Stronger diplomatic and security corps  Strengthens the U.S. in the world economy business negotiations

How can we support heritage language development in the public school system?  Encourage students to be proud of their heritage language  Have books from a variety of heritage languages in your classroom  Encourage the school library to provide books in heritage languages  Offer an afterschool heritage club  Heritage Language Literacy Club at Bailey’s Elementary School Fairfax County Public Schools tClub.html tClub.html

When minority languages are treated as resources rather than problems, heritage languages have the potential to benefit individuals and society alike. When non-English languages and bilingualism are developed heritage-language-speaking children are more likely to become proficient in English, to succeed academically, and to contribute positively to the job force as adults, precisely the same goals held by language assimilationists. The bottom line is this: rather than being a problem or a luxury, the heritage language is a necessity for the good of the individual as well as for larger society (Tse, 2001, p.54).

Resources  Tse, L. (2001). “Why don’t they learn English?”: Separating fact from fallacy in the U.S. language debate. New York: Teacher’s College Press.  Cahill, A.P., Dutton, S., Gutierrez, D., Jaramillo, J., Karnes, K., Shangraw, S. & Donovan, S. Behind the headline: Trends and Implications for County residents. (May 2011). Retrieved May 19, 2012, from adline.pdf adline.pdf  Echevarria, J., Vogt, M. & Short, D. (2008). Making content comprehensible for English learners: The SIOP model. United States: Pearson.  English for speakers of other languages program profile. (2012). Retrieved May 19, 2012, from