Running head: SUPPORTING THE ELLS

Supporting the English Language Learners (ELLs)

Jessica Zelaya
University of St.Thomas

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Abstract

This personal narrative addresses a teachers reflection of her early education as an

English Language Learner (ELLs) and as a teacher of ELLs. English at school, Spanish at
home, were words that were instilled in the authors brain and have stuck to her as a bilingual
educator. As the only child of an immigrant, the author was forced to learn English in efforts to
defend her mother from discriminating bosses. She sensed a motive and a sence of urgency to
acquire the English language. Now as a teacher, the author feels as though an ineffective
bilingual program has failed students. However, with the help of a colleague, Elier, they have
strived to combat their students the lack of English acquisition.

Keywords: English Language Learners.

SUPPORTING THE ELLS

Supporting the English Language Learners (ELLs)

English at school, Spanish at home, these are words from my mother that have always
stayed in my mind. As the only child of an immigrant, I forced myself to learn English in efforts
to defend my mother from her discriminating bosses. I had a motive and a sence of urgency to
acquire the English language. Now as a teacher, I feel as though an ineffective bilingual program
has failed some students. However, with the help of my colleague, Elier, we strive to combat this
on a daily basis.
Silence filled the classroom as Elier and I looked at the pink and blue cards. At the end
of each school year teachers are required to fill out a blue or pink card for each student in their
classroom. The information provided on these cards include strengths, weakness, reading levels,
and any other information that may be beneficial to the new teacher. Looking at my students
reading levels was a shock. We had students reading at a first grade level in both English and
Spanish. This was my first year as a teacher, but I knew this could not be normal. I was hired as a
fifth grade teacher, yet I would be instructing students that were at a first grade level. I had no
idea of how this year would turn out but somehow I made it through. My classroom consisted of
instruction both in English and Spanish, but I often questioned myself. I wonder if my first group
of students was ready for middle school since their English was still limited as they left my
classroom.
A new year came and my colleague and I noticed that we were about to face the same
challenge. Our new set of students were not ready to succeed in fifth grade based on their lack of
English and Spanish. The Spanish our students had acquired throughout the previous grades was
sufficient for socializing but as Bilingual teachers we knew about Krashen and Cummins, both
experts of language acquisition. In Crawfords collections of essays there is references of

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Krashens and Cummins, which suggests that knowledge and skills acquired in the native
language, literacy in particular, are transferable to a second language. They do not need to be
relearned in English (Krashen, 1996; Cummins, 1992). We knew that language acquisition
would not be successful until our students had a strong academic foundation in their native
language, but time was not in our favor.
I had already experienced one full year as a teacher and I knew the stress and pressure
that came from testing. We had eight months to prepare them for their first all English testing
experience. The same silence that had once filled the room a year ago was present again as my
colleague and I looked at the pink and blue cards. At this very moment I felt defeated. How
would I get my students to acquire enough English to succeed in the STAAR, Middle School, but
most importantly in life? The silence did not last long, as both my colleague and I had already
experienced this before, something must be done, this cannot continue. I could not have agreed
any more with Elier. We needed to come up with a plan. As we brainstormed, we could not help
to go back to our early years as bilingual students.
I began by telling Elier about my experience as a bilingual student. When I was in fifth
grade I was thrown into an all English classroom, I did not have any support. My teachers were
all Caucasians, and there was no one that could help me with the language barrier.My mother did
not know English. At a young age I had become her interpreter. It is through those translating
interactions that I acquired my English. As Garcia suggested in his article, I was left to sick or;
swim in classrooms conducted only in English (1976). The immersion of students into an
English classroom without any support was known as the sink or swim method in the 1970s.
As I reflect on my education as an English Language Learner (ELL) I could have given up, but
the determination I had established at a very young age to help my mother out was in my favor.

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For the most part, I understood my teachers, but when I needed help I was sought it. Elier had a
similar experience in fourth grade. We had once struggled just like our students, however, the
only difference between our students education and our education would be the support. We
would submerge our students in an all English classroom environment. We would share our
stories and establish a relationship with our students. We would be there for them. Our students
would have the support in Spanish that we lacked in our transitions to the all-English classroom.
Once our plan was established we went to our principal and proposed the plan. She supported us
and understood what we were trying to do, but we still had one last crowd to persuade.
My nerves were kicking in because it was meet the teacher day at our campus. Elier
and I had come up with a plan to attack the lack of English language proficiency and we stood
together in one classroom ready to present the plan to the parents. The conversation began
something like this, We want all of our students to be successful this school year, and you must
be made aware that in fifth grade your child will no longer test in Spanish. I can still remember
the eyes of my students and their parents looking in shock, but we had to continue. Your child
will take three standardized tests at the end of the year, but we are not here for the testing. Our
goal is to mold your child into an English proficient student that will be ready for their future
education and life. This is why we have decided we will teach all subjects in English, but know
we will support our students in Spanish. A sence of relief came over me, we had just given them
the news. I was ready for the attack, but nothing came. Instead our parents were understanding
of the drastic measures that had to be taken to prepare their children for success.
I would be lying if I said that everything was easy from that point on because, it was not.
The crowd we had assumed to be the hard one to convince was on our side. It was their children
that were not convinced. I do not like English Ms. Zelaya, is what I would hear from some of

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my students on a daily basis in the beginning of the school year. I assured them I would be there
for them and that I once sat in a classroom without any support. I told them how lucky they were
to have Mr. Fernandez and myself. Eventually the students believed our words. They knew we
would not let them sink or swim.
Up to this day, I still remember one student that never gave up. Even though she was
reading at a first grade level and failed every benchmark, she was always seeking help. Just like
myself, she was determined to acquire the language. There were nights I cried grading her papers
because I knew how hard she was trying but the progress seemed minimal. That fifth grade year
it took Jasmine various administrations of the STAAR test to pass both reading and math. A year
ago she came back to visit and she shared her middle school success stories with me. I noticed
something different. She was no longer timid as she spoke to me in English.
The English at school, Spanish at home quote instilled in my head is what motivates
me to push my students to embrace the English language that will be benefit their success in the
future.

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Reference

Brown, B. (1992). The History of Bilingual Education in America.

Crawford, J. (2008). Advocating for English learners selected essays (pp. 52-53). Clevedon:
Multilingual Matters.

Garcia, R. L., & Phi Delta Kappa Educational Foundation, B. I. (1976). Learning in Two
Languages.