3/24/2009 9:43:00 AM Teaching English as second language for elementary kids a challenge for district As the population of students speaking English as a second language grows, so do the challenges of teaching them
Sauk Centre Elementary ESL teacher Denise Serna works with three students last Friday in a small room located off an elementary classroom. Serna said while many of the students speak well socially, they struggle with academic English. In the past four years the number of ESL students has increased 400 percent.
Juan Ambriz was all smiles after he answered a question from ESL teacher, Denise Serna.
By Bryan Zollman
The number of students in grades kindergarten through fifth grade speaking English as a second language has increased almost 400 percent in the past four years, from just a few to more than 20.
But the school district can only afford one part-time teacher, who works with the children in both group and individual settings for 90 minutes a day. Elementary School principal Karen Maschler says it's not enough, but it's all Sauk Centre can afford.
"It's what the dollars will buy us," she said. "It's been something we've pushed for. Students learning to speak a new lanugage need support."
Denise Serna is the current and only English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher in the district. She began her teaching career as a reading specialist, targeting the needs of students who had trouble reading. After living in the Southwest for 11 years, she learned to speak Spanish. Now she is hoping to help the Spanish speakers understand English.
"I feel so very fortunate to have the chance to work with this growing population of students," said Serna.
But it's not easy work. Maschler estimates it takes two to four years for ESL students to understand the basics of the English language. She said it takes five to ten years to become fluent in academic English.
"Social language requires a relatively short amount of time to acquire and can mask the much more difficult task of acquiring academic language," Serna said. "Students may be able to communicate well with peers and teachers in a more social setting, but when faced with academic content and its corresponding rigorous vocabulary and unfamiliar concepts, they have difficulty."
By the time students reach grades three and four the academic English comes into play.
"That's when the students are no longer learning to read, but reading to learn," Maschler said.
This makes it tough on teachers, but because the district has limited resources, Serna is unable to be in the classroom to aid teachers during lessons. To combat this Serna works with teachers to pre-teach lessons to give students a head start. Maschler says teachers do their best to modify to meet students' needs, but that students need a lot of repetition. Therefore Serna not only pre-teaches but re-teaches lessons.
Still, at 90 minutes a day and anywhere from 19-22 students needing ESL with different needs poses a challenge. Some students have older siblings who speak English with them at home while others learn English at school and go home to Spanish speaking parents who have the radio and television turned onto Spanish speaking channels. This means the students only hear English when they are in the school setting.
The structure of the funding that provides a teacher like Serna has a shelf life of five years. Once a student receives five years of ESL instruction, the funding is cut off.
"After five years it's gone," said Maschler. "It doesn't matter if the student is still struggling."
Serna began her work in Sauk Centre in January. She said students need to become proficient in four different areas of the English language: listening, speaking, writing and reading. She uses reading and writing as the foundation of her teaching and also uses visual cues and movements or gestures to help promote learning.
"Guided writing and reading are mainstays of my teaching and a fantastic way to incorporate elements of grammar and submerge students in new vocabulary," Serna said.
Serna said students need frequent opportunities to hear the English language. But support is the key, whether it comes from home, through visual cues or from pre-teaching in the classroom. Parental involvement is important, she says. She also aims for a school environment that is welcoming and appreciative of all cultures.
Maschler said the district would like for Serna to be able to go into the classrooms to assist teachers with students learning English. With the amount of ESL students in the elementary school now, Maschler said Serna could be utilized on a full-time basis. But until the funding increases, an already-strapped school budget just won't allow it. Ninety minutes a day is a start, Maschler says.
"Anything we do is better than nothing," she said. "It's a step in the right direction. Is it enough? No way."
