OVERCOMING THE LANGUAGE BARRIER

By Kendra LindEDU 220

THE CLASSROOM MELTING POT

According to “Foundations of American Education,” nearly 50 million U.S. residents speak a language other than English at

home.

When communication barriers occur in the classroom, it can make a teacher feel

helpless and lost. How can we solve this dilemma and help these students get the

education they deserve?

HOW TO OVERCOME THE BARRIER

A teacher should make her class feel comfortable, but when there is a communication problem, this can be hard. A teacher can solve this problem by

bringing in a translator for the students that cannot speak English.

Schools should put students who do not speak English in special classes that help those students learn English, while learning their subjects in their native

language.

A teacher should try to become proficient in speaking other languages, for the benefit of her class.

A teacher should aim at becoming bilingual, especially in today's society.

ADVANTAGES OF BEING BILINGUAL AND BICULTURAL

A bilingual brain boosts brain power! Any communication barriers in the

classroom will disappear Bilingual teachers earn a higher salary Bilinguals are better problem solvers,

and outperform monolinguals. There are no disadvantages.

WHY IS BEING BILINGUAL OVERLOOKED? This is not valued in a school setting,

because many school officials believe students should all speak English in American schools. They want to encourage students to learn English, rather than force teachers to accommodate them.

CHANGING THE ATTITUDE!

A teacher should show school officials just how beneficial being bilingual is! Most attitudes toward bilingualism is due to ignorance on the subject. A teacher must inform and educate!