FNED Post #6: Language and Silences

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This week's readings brings us to a topic that only recently has been garnering appropriate attention: the significance of multilingual education. According to "New rules hurt bilingual students," published in The Providence Journal, seven percent of all students were English Language Learners in Rhode Island during the 2014-2015 school year. This number is only growing, as I see first-hand, at my workplace. After the destruction in Puerto Rico earlier this year, our school was one in Providence that took in many new students who were not fluent in English.

I think for everyone who works in an urban district, we see on a daily basis the vast needs of our students who come from many culturally and linguistically different backgrounds. And we, as teachers, are tasked with the job of supporting all of them to the best of our abilities. Of course, this aim becomes difficult when policy makers and government officials are not at all aware of the realities we face in our classrooms. This is why Sarah Hesson and Rachel Toncelli's article is so on-point.

One glimmer of hope that Providence schools has revealed is a partnership with Roger Williams University to offer two new ESL Certification programs to district teachers. Forward, progressive thinking and community partnerships are just the beginning to truly accommodating our linguistically diverse students in the ways they deserve.

Comments

  1. Victoria RestlerFebruary 26, 2018 at 8:10 AM

    Thanks for sharing this new program Cristina. This is also part of a dialogue that the Feinstein School at RIC is discussing. A recently released (just to faculty) proposal would have all graduates of Feinstein equipped with what they're calling an "endorsement" in ESL. It seems that MA is also instituting an endorsement program.

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