The InfoBrief on ELLs is definitely informational however the topic is a bit controversial. It talks about how educators have two challenges on their hands. Not only do they have the challenge of giving students an educational experience that includs content and English language instruction. Another challenge was assessing the ELL students because how can you tell if the student really knows the material if their not being assessed in their own language. They talk a great deal about differentiating your classroom. Working in groups or changing the way you teach something will help the students. They talk about making information to the point and clear. Using pictures and visuals to describe things and make the content comprehensible and not only using verbal explanation.They bring up ideas of assessing students in their language but then that would mean the content teacher would have to be bilingual or even multilingual.
Nowadays most college-aged students take another language anyways. I think it would beneficial for teachers to be bilingual because it will just enrich you as a person. If you are a teacher on the East Coast, Spanish and Portuguese will certainly benefit you as a teacher. Even traveling to Europe learning Spanish or Portuguese will help because if you go to any of the Latin rooted countries like Italy, France, Portugal or Spain it is true that you will understand some pieces of each if you know at least one of the romantic languages. I think something that happens too much is teachers consider their profession as being just a job. They might even see it as being their career, but they don't have passion for it. So in terms of how they do their job, they have an education degree and a content area degree so a question they must ask is 'why should I have to go learn another language, I'm done with school?". And I think the key to what I hear all the time, is you are a teacher, you're never done learning! Teachers are in fact life long learners so if it will make you a better teacher to take another course or to take another another content area like learning a language I think a teacher should. I also think school departments should and most likely already do help pay for further education for teachers.
I understand what you are saying and to some extent agree. However to require teachers to go back and learn another is not going to be practical. There are teachers near retirement that are not going to have time to be proficient in another language, some teachers won't have thte time to go back to school and learn another language. They have other jobs, they have families and other commitments. I'm looking at this in a realist way. It would be great if it could happen, but with school budgets the way they are and the way the public is already taxed to the hilt there is no way a school department is going to pay to have teachers become proficient in any other language. I'm not saying its not a good idea, I just don't see it as ever going to happen. How long would it take to become proficient in another language good enough to speaking it to natural speakers? Or to give an assessment in another language? I honestly don't know the answer to that and was wondering if would taken into consideration? I mean if it takes 6 years to become proficient that is alot differnt than 2 years. Another question is is it good enough to teach and assess if you are only partially proficient? I wish I had the answers.
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