Many bilingual children cannot communicate properly in either language. What to do to help them?

Question

I'm referring to bilingual Spanish/English. I have bilingual students and they are not proficient in either Spanish or English (speaking, reading, or writing). It's truly sad. What's the best way to help them because they have it the hardest academically? Parents speak Spanish but the child can't do it that well and their English skills are deficient, too. I have experienced this several times.

Answer 1

the best way to help em? get them to enroll in a program that will help 'em out with their english

Answer 2

Do your students use computers? Here is an online tutor site

for spanish and english that might help.

krystan

Answer 3

If you have an ESL teacher in the school, if it's possible try to work with them a strategy for trying to help out the children in both languages.  In other words, come up with curriculum that be beneficial to the students.

Answer 4

I make modifications in my teaching and I have them do activities that will help them demonstrate the language of English. I compare English with Spanish and I have them demonstrate the grammar, vocabulary,and read with them to demonstrate the pronunciation and understanding of English . I do the 5 C's in Foreign Language and I compare with English. I also have them talk with people conversationally in the target language and in this case English. I have them read books in English out loud. Modifications of activities will help.

Answer 5

I am puerto rican i speak fluent spanish and english but i isay we live in america learn the language. But i also belive that the parents need to teach the kids english so thay can be better prepared for the real world it will get them farther in life if only the parents would step up to the plate. so to the parents who dont speak english and been in this contry for years learn the language

Answer 6

I would suggest ( I am definitely not an expert in bilingual education) choosing a language for primary proficiency, choose Spanish or English based on the situation.  Then supplement with the alternative language.  For example, if the child is living in the United States, I would concentrate on the language that the child would be using most often- English?  However, the child must be able to communicate with parents so work to strengthen conversational language with parents and peers. Encourage Spanish speaking friends with good conversational Spanish skills.  Possibly a bilingual peer tutor-friend.  Just some thoughts.  Hope it helps.

Answer 7

This is a great question. The problem is not that they are bilingual. The problem is that they can't speak EITHER English OR Spanish. Most people don't understand that. I taught high school in Laredo, TX where we have 3 languages: clean English, clean Spanish , and "Laredoan"--which in NEITHER English nor Spanish, but a very unique permutation, unintelligible to anyone else but it's speakers. If my students were from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, they learned best if taught in straight English or Spanish, but they couldn't speak or even understand "Laredoan". If my students were from Laredo, Texas, they could not learn if taught in straight English or Spanish, but if I taught in "Laredoan" (their language, which you can only learn by being local), then they seemed to learn just fine.  

The only way I can explain is through my own experience. I went to elementary in Mexico and only spoke Spanish. We moved back to Chicago in 6th grade and only spoke English.  Even though the first year was hard, I learned "clean" English in about a year in what could best be described as "immersion" (this was the 70's, before there was a big push for ESL). Back in those days, you didn't have a choice. You learned because you had to. There was no Spanish-language tv, radio, magazines or newspapers. I think that having had a strong "base"  language (Spanish) made it easier to learn a second language.  Most of today's bilingual kids never form a base language. Spanish is not their language. They understand everything that is said to them is Spanish, but can't speak it. And similarly, they understand English but can't express themselves in English either. I very strongly feel that in the years of language acquistion, maybe pre-school through 4th or 5th grade, they should only be taught either one or the other. Once that "base" is created, they can attain understanding of a secondary language. But trying to acquire both at the same time during language acquisition years is a lose-lose proposition.

I know this probably doesn't help your situation, but I hope it at least helps to explain why it happens.

Answer 8

This is a REAL and often ignored problem.  Children come to school speaking Spanish, are taught English in ESL class, and their native Spanish is totally ignored.  Frankly, I believe that the public school systems are seriously under-serving these students.  I think they should be required to study Spanish for natives, just as native English speakers study English.

I am American, but my own children were born and raised and went to school in Spain.  We just returned to the USA 11 months ago.  Although my kids spoke good English, they did indeed need the assistance of ESL classes this first school year, specifically with reading and writing.  They've made tremendous progress this year and both are "graduating out" of the ESL classes.  But now, their Spanish is suffering.  

I believe that with sufficient numbers of students speaking a single foreign language, the school districts should offer native level classes.  I understand that this would be an added expense and a difficult program to initiate and manage.  I recognize also, that only the most common and prevalent langauges could be offered.  But I think schools should at least try.  I am so tired of hearing school districts closing their eyes (and purses) to this wide-spread problem.