Re: I could not translate the ideas for this student
Posted by: lynne/ca on 10/03/09
On 10/03/09, Hermione wrote:
> What do we do about this kind of situation?
>
> I pushed into a Science class where the topic was resources
> - both non-renewable and renewable. I was working with a
> native Spanish speaking 8th grader who is emergent in
> English. I do not speak Spanish, therefore I was not able to
> explain to the student what is meant by resources and the
> implications of renwable and non-renewable. The teacher
> started talking about coal, water, air, etc.. I could not
> explain anything to her. This student is going to have to
> take the state assessment in Science because she is in 8th
> grade. She will be able to use a Spanish translated test,
> but so what?
> What do we do about this?
> Thanks,
> Hermione
She needs to have access to a bilingual dictionary or
bilingual glossary which she (or even you, but I'd encourage
her to use it herself) can use to look up key words.
A picture dictionary would also help. I'm fairly certain that
a dictionary such as Oxford Picture Dictionary or Heinle
Picture Dictionary would have a section on energy which would
provide at least some of the words for a lesson like the one
you describe (pictures indicating coal, water, wind, etc).
If you can find out in advance what they key words from the
lesson will be, you may be able to locate pictures of those
key words on the internet before the lesson rather than using
a picture dictionary.
Also use simplified language to explain concepts. i.e.
renewable = we can get more of it
non-renewable = we use it up, we can't get more
Check to see if the simplified explanation is sufficient by
asking her to distinguish between them - either sorting a
list of words into "renewable" and "nonrenewable" columns or
telling you orally. If her English proficiency is very
limited, she could even do this with pictures (sorting
pictures of resources into "renewable" and "nonrenewable"
piles).
Regardless of her English proficiency, make sure you are
actually using the academic vocabulary used in class
(renewable resources, nonrenewable resources) so that she can
learn the vocab as she goes. If she'll be tested in Spanish,
she also needs to learn the Spanish translations (recursos
renovables, recursos no renovables), using a dictionary if
necessary.
Posts on this thread, including this one
- I could not translate the ideas for this student, 10/03/09, by Hermione.
- Re: I could not translate the ideas for this student, 10/03/09, by lynne/ca.
