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Re: Speaking in their native language
Posted by lynne/ca on 5/05/08
On 5/05/08, Heather wrote:
> I have several students in my class who speak languages
> other than English at home. The majority of those
> students speak Spanish. However, I have noticed that
> these students are very shy about sharing their knowlege
> of another language. When we encounter Spanish words in
> our reading they will not tell other students what they
> mean. I am wondering if anyone has any strategies to make
> these students feel more comfortable expressing what they
> know about their foreign language. They might be shy or embarrassed, but it also may be that
they don't read Spanish well.
Another possibility is that the particular words that are in
Spanish in the reading are difficult to translate - that
might even be why the words are written in Spanish in
the first place (it often is). A lot of times the Spanish
words that appear in English stories are cultural words like
quinceañera... foods like enchiladas or tamales... or
exclamations like ay caramba - they can be difficult to
translate because the translation would require an
explanation too, and a direct translation won't carry the
same cultural connotation that the Spanish word might.
Instead of having them translate the Spanish words they find
in stories, you might try asking them to teach the class a
few words which they themselves choose - basic phrases or
words related to something they're reading about, but not
directly from the story. That will allow them to choose the
words they're comfortable with sharing, and, if they're not
very literate in Spanish, they can show off their strengths
(oral language) without the fear of making mistakes in
reading or writing.
If they become more comfortable with this, eventually they
will begin to share what they know from the stories as well.
Posts on this thread, including this one
- Speaking in their native language, 5/05/08, by Heather.
- Re: Speaking in their native language, 5/05/08, by Jamie.
- Re: Speaking in their native language, 5/05/08, by lynne/ca.
- Re: Speaking in their native language, 5/06/08, by Heather.
- Re: Speaking in their native language, 5/12/08, by ESL Teacher.
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