Factors to Consider
As students arrive to Canada from around the world and enter into English speaking communities and schools, there are several aspects which many teachers may fail to realize. Most teachers will expect that their ESL students will have extremely low levels of English in many cases and that their literacy skills may not be fully developed. They may also have limited numeracy skills due to lack of schooling or disrupted schooling (if they were closed, unsafe, had gender restrictions, ethnicity restrictions, were too costly or were overtaken by the military) (teachingrefugees.com). Finally, they may be unfamiliar with the usual rules of a school and classroom.
What many teachers do not think about, however, are some of the issues which may arise due to cultural differences and backgrounds of the students (teachingrefugees.com) . In particular, many refugee students may have more difficulties adapting to a new culture than an immigrant who had time to prepare to come. Teachers must know and understand many of these problems in order to avoid problems and to effectively deal with them as they arise.
To begin, some students may not know how to use a porcelain toilet and may require aid when using the bathroom. They may also not understand the idea of having to wait in line or take turns in various circumstances. Communication is a large problem which can cause frustrations when trying to explain any problems they may be having.
Many immigrant students may have difficulties staying in one place for long periods of time and may need movement breaks or may simply get up and wander around the classroom. In addition, they may have no previous learning of how to use school devices or how to properly handle class materials. Some may see items of the classroom as being shared materials and may simply take another students pencils and erasers or may store various items away in their desks.
In addition to many cultural problems, issues which may have come about due to trauma from a students past may arise. These are usually triggers which can turn regular situations into extremely stressful ones. teachingrefugees.com presents a chart of possible triggers on their website with the following:
- Dark hallways
- Bells or other loud noices and chaos
- evacuation procedures or lockdowns
- unfamiliar events such as Halloween
- Uniformed policemen in or around the school
- restraints
- separation from parents
In any of these situations or the many others found here, students may become extremely anxious, withdrawn, or they may lash out with a behavioral reaction.
Student's may also encounter may social issues once integrated into the school (Ministry of Education, 2009). A guideline for teachers from the British Columbia Government provided these possible issues: fitting in, food differences, coping skills, cultural biases, difficulties with participation and poverty. Each of these possibilities could introduce new triggers for students which may cause emotional distress and difficulties in school.
There are many ways that teacher can attempt to aid these students (Ministry of Education, 2009). They may take a day or two in which they attempt to familiarize the students with the school, the rules and regulations, and the classroom. They may also show what they expect using visuals. One key way to work with an ESL student from another country would be to include their parents as much as possible. They may also attempt to pair students (if possible) with the same first language and may provide a buddy for them to turn to. In addition to this, there are many ways to help an ESL student in the classroom during school time which can be found in the next section.
To begin, some students may not know how to use a porcelain toilet and may require aid when using the bathroom. They may also not understand the idea of having to wait in line or take turns in various circumstances. Communication is a large problem which can cause frustrations when trying to explain any problems they may be having.
Many immigrant students may have difficulties staying in one place for long periods of time and may need movement breaks or may simply get up and wander around the classroom. In addition, they may have no previous learning of how to use school devices or how to properly handle class materials. Some may see items of the classroom as being shared materials and may simply take another students pencils and erasers or may store various items away in their desks.
In addition to many cultural problems, issues which may have come about due to trauma from a students past may arise. These are usually triggers which can turn regular situations into extremely stressful ones. teachingrefugees.com presents a chart of possible triggers on their website with the following:
- Dark hallways
- Bells or other loud noices and chaos
- evacuation procedures or lockdowns
- unfamiliar events such as Halloween
- Uniformed policemen in or around the school
- restraints
- separation from parents
In any of these situations or the many others found here, students may become extremely anxious, withdrawn, or they may lash out with a behavioral reaction.
Student's may also encounter may social issues once integrated into the school (Ministry of Education, 2009). A guideline for teachers from the British Columbia Government provided these possible issues: fitting in, food differences, coping skills, cultural biases, difficulties with participation and poverty. Each of these possibilities could introduce new triggers for students which may cause emotional distress and difficulties in school.
There are many ways that teacher can attempt to aid these students (Ministry of Education, 2009). They may take a day or two in which they attempt to familiarize the students with the school, the rules and regulations, and the classroom. They may also show what they expect using visuals. One key way to work with an ESL student from another country would be to include their parents as much as possible. They may also attempt to pair students (if possible) with the same first language and may provide a buddy for them to turn to. In addition to this, there are many ways to help an ESL student in the classroom during school time which can be found in the next section.
Resources
British Columbia
Ministry of Education. (2009, October). Students from Refugee Backgrounds: A
Guide for Teachers and Schools. Retrieved from www.bced.gov.bc.ca.
Calgary Board of Education. (2013). Teaching Refugees with Limited Formal Schooling. Retrieved from teachingrefugees.com
Calgary Board of Education. (2013). Teaching Refugees with Limited Formal Schooling. Retrieved from teachingrefugees.com