Dual Language Learners

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Meeting the School Readiness Needs of Latino Dual Language Learners in the Early Childhood Classroom Latinos in the United States as of 2013 is the largest growing minority group. One out of four students is Latino. The majority of Latino students are born in the US but do not speak English at their home (Lopez 2013). There are different types of language learners, monolingual learners and bilingual learners which include simultaneous, sequential and emergent learners. All language learners’ language development is impacted by their socioeconomic status (SES) (Lopez 2013). The lower the income, the more at risk the student is for language development. The language development of bilingual learners is impacted by the time they start learning …show more content…

There will be many different students in language development in the classroom. Each student may be at a different level of language development and each student will act differently. Some of these students may blend in with the rest of the class and some may not. It is important to know who the dual language learners are because those who simply blend in may not mean that they comprehend what is going on. Some students will still benefit from Spanish in the classroom. Some dominant Spanish students need time and support in their home language. Educators should connect English and Spanish to make it easier on the students, after all, it does take five to ten years to learn a new language. Emergent bilinguals need the most support. They are usually the students who are silent but are still observant. Good strategies to use with emergent bilinguals include using gestures, labels and connections with the home language. Educators should give extra attention to these students and understand the miscommunications amongst these students. Miscommunication could lead to problems. Most problems caused by miscommunication can easily be …show more content…

Many teaching methods and styles are text based, yet what students experience outside of school is almost all digital in nature and therefore the issue of trans- literacy arises. With effective use of technology, students can obtain literacy skill sets of analyzing, evaluating, creating and participating with digital content in a variety of forms, prints, audio and video. Trans- literacy is teaching skill sets that will be needed in the workplace once students get jobs. Proper implementation of assistive technology can benefit students significantly. However, if it is not implemented properly then it is a waste of money. Teachers should seek out proper training to model effective instruction while using