The+First+Day

**The First Day **


 * The first day of school can be intimidating for all students, but especially for your ELL surrounded by English speakers in a brand new school. Your ELL may also be dealing with the difficulties of adjusting to a new town or country, a new culture, and a new language, etc. ****There are several initial strategies for helping your new ELL student feel welcomed and an important part of her new school, beginning from the very first day. **

One of the first things you can do is **Learn your ELL's name **. While seemingly simple, this is important because of how closely a child's identity is tied to their name. Taking the time to learn the correct pronunciation shows that you care. It would also be helpful to model the student's name for the rest of the class so they will also be able to say it correctly.
 * Extra tip //: //** Never change a student's name to one that is easier for you to pronounce. If a student asks to be called by a different name, you can respect their request.

Pairing the student with a buddy, or a **peer partner **, can give additional support and help your ELL feel even more a part of the class. It is ideal if the partner can speak both English and the student's native language. For more about this, see How to Develop Relationships with Peers.

Another thing you can do before the new student even arrives is ** Label the classroom objects in both languages **. This will give your ELL something they can recognize and be familiar with from the beginning, making them feel a little more at ease. This also serves the practical purpose of helping your ELL understand their surroundings.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Examples: **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;"> "door/puerta," "pen/ <span style="font-family: 'Arial','sans-serif';">قلم, <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">" “computer/ <span style="font-family: 'Mangal','serif';">कंप्यूटर <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">"

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">In whatever other ways possible, **<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 18px;">Providing native language support **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;"> is very important, especially for beginner ELLs. If you do not speak your student’s language, it can be very helpful to have an on-site interpreter in your school. If this is not readily available in your school, reaching out to your community to find a willing volunteer is a good option. <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;">Another great way to provide support in your ELL's native language is through materials in the classroom. Does your school library or your classroom have books, dictionaries, encyclopedias in their language? Visit our @Learning about each other page for a link to some great bilingual books.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Extra tips: **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;"> Translation websites can sometimes offer immediate support, but are not always reliable. It would usually //not// be appropriate to depend on another child to translate.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">As your ELL may be experiencing high levels of anxiety from being at a new school, it is also important to **<span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 18px;">Include your ELL in a non-threatening manner **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">. Depending on the level of language, your ELL may be afraid of making mistakes in front of their peers. Activities that include smaller groups or cooperative learning may encourage an ELL to speak, whereas they would not in the whole group classroom.


 * <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Throughout the year, your ELL may exhibit many different behaviors from moody or angry to excited to apathetic, and the list goes on. To understand a little more about what your ELL may be going through, it is helpful to understand a little bit about the process of adjusting to a new culture. **

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">In the same way that ELLs go through stages of English language learning, they may also pass through stages of cultural accommodation. These stages, however, may be less defined and more difficult to notice. Being aware of these stages may help you to better understand "unusual" actions and reactions that may just be part of adjusting to a new culture.
 * <span style="color: #008080; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 24px;">Stages of Cultural Accommodation **
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Euphoria: **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;"> ELLs may experience an initial period of excitement about their new surroundings.
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Culture shock: **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;"> ELLs may then experience anger, hostility, frustration, homesickness, or resentment towards the new culture.
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Acceptance: **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;"> ELLs may gradually accept their different surroundings.
 * **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Assimilation/adaptation: **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;"> ELLs may embrace and adapt to their surroundings and their "new" culture.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">During these stages of adjusting, your ELL may go through what is referred to as the <span style="color: #31859c; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 18px;">“Silent Period.” <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">According to Krashen’s theory, most ELLs will go through this period of silence as they are attempting to comprehend and digest what they hear. Krashen compares the ELL’s development to that of a baby learning to speak: although during this period they may understand the language, they may hesitate to speak because they are not yet comfortable speaking or because it is difficult to express their thoughts orally. Your ELL should not be forced to speak before she is ready. They need time to listen to others talk, digest what they hear, and observe their fellow classmates' interactions with each other.

<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">Another factor in increasing your understanding of what your ELL may be going through is getting to know their native culture and language. **<span style="color: #31859c; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 18px;">Educating yourself on your student’s culture **<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;"> may help to answer many questions that seem to get lost between cultures. Issues affected by a child’s attitude about school, the role of a teacher and student, gender roles, etc. all stem from their culture. Making an effort to get to know some of these attributes, and learning even a few simple words in their native language can go a long way in showing that you care. A great book that gives an overview on many different cultures by country is “Understanding Your International Students: An Educational, Cultural, and Linguistic Guide.” An excellent that has extensive information about cultures of the world Is called "Every Culture.com" and the link can be found in the getting to know each other section.



Additional help: Welcoming ELLs Video

Sources:

http://www.colorincolorado.org/educators/

http://thecrossculturalconnector.com/?tag=the-cultural-iceberg

Cary, S. (2007). //Working with english language learners: answers to teachers' top ten questions//. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann Educational Books.