The language barrier in my opinion is like an unknown mountain. In my perspective language and effective communication goes hand in hand. On way to assist in language instruction is to set aside a specific time of the school time table to teach small aspects of a particular language. one effective teaching tool are youtube videos. This has the potential to teach and close the language gap.

This is true Kris - children are taught in a language that they do not speak at home even in Kenya. This is a real challenge especially in cosmopolitan urban settings. Otherwise, in rural  areas where teachers and young children speak in one local language, teachers comfortably switch beween English and the local language  and all learners are included in learning. There is a school of thought among language experts like the famous novelist Ngugi Wa Thiong'o who campaign vigorously for young children to be taught in a language they are comfortable with, most likely the one spoken at home to maximize on learning and perhaps inclusivity.  

Teachers are miracle workers! I recall my headteacher in primary school way back in early 80's taught us how to write a composition in our local language/mothertongue (Up to date, i hear his voice explaining the three main components of a composition in my mother tongue at the back of my head).  I performed very well in English (and primary national examinations) but when i joined secondary school the following year i couldnt speak in English which was the only language allowed in school. I felt excluded until the day i mastered how to speak in English and this boosted my confidence and academic achievement.  

The use of a instructional  language different from the one used at home  truly poses a challenge to learning. Children learning in mother tongue or language spoken at home adopt a better understanding of the curriculum, enjoy school more and learn faster due to feeling comfortable in their environment. As much as possible, teaching of young children should be done in the language they are comfortable in. The problem arises in cases where a teacher is employed to teach in a school where the common language spoken is different from his/hers. In such a case, the teacher struggles to learn the language first, which affects his/her effectiveness in teaching.

Some children  may come into the early childhood classroom speaking dialect rather than Standard English. Teachers need to speak at the level of the child's understanding and gradually help them to express themselves in Standard English for maximizing learning and the child's mastery of the spoken word. This calls for teacher flexibility and adaptation.

Additionally, with parents migrating from our nearby Spanish speaking country, Venezuela, there is a need for  accelerated classes in Spanish so that teachers can better serve the educational needs of children whose first language is Spanish. The use of pictures, body language, short phrases will help in the interim, and if possible, getting the assistance of a family member to volunteer as an interpreter will be invaluable.

Regarding situations such as selective mutism and language delay, teachers also need to tailor instruction and employ strategies to elicit responses  as well as help these children who struggle with language on the whole to develop their language skills.

The National Policy of Education in Nigeria demands that pupils in lower primary are thought in mother tongue/ language of the environment. This boosts their vocabulary and prepare them for the upper primary classes when English, the official language, is introduced. .

However, there is no 100% compliance hence some pupils are still left out and it takes the creation of special classes thought by dedicated teachers to address the issues and reduce the imacpt on students learning achievement.

I think there needs to be a great effort to bridge the gap between dialect and standard English. A number of students struggle between what they speak, and what they write.

Agreed

I am very much agree with you Kris! Here in Fiji where students learn in their second language which is Englis,there is evidence through research that this is one of the main cause of too many school  dropouts and unsuccessful children in the community is the language. It is also evidence that student who learned in their mother tongue are success and understand better in class. Would it be better if students learn in their own language in class? This is one of the challenges or struggle I faced in teaching and that is the Languuage barrier.

Language and inclusivity

Students who speak dialect at home and do not practice speaking standard English at home may have difficulties learning to adapt to speaking and writing in standard English in the school environment and by extension in the classroom. 

However, students tend to write how they speak. Hence, they struggle in knowing when to use dialect and when to use standard English. This is a language barrier. This is where the Educator has to adopt the simplest teaching methods and use of standard English in order for all students to understand and be able to express themselves properly using standard English. 

Also, since the neighbouring country, Venezuela, where parents and children are migrating from presently, which is a Spanish-speaking country. The children are being enrolled into the school system. They are forced to adapt and learn how to speak the English language which is the first language of the receiving country. This is a language barrier. However, the Teachers will have to also quickly adopt Spanish classes in order to effectively be able to deliver the content to these students whose first language is Spanish. In addition, having a Spanish interpreter in the classroom will be very prove to be extremely helpful in order to assist Teachers. 

Teacher's modelling of the language is important. If the child speaks in a different way at home, perhaps the dialect, the teacher can accept it but then model the univeral accepted language which is the Standard English. The teacher will therefore translate the dialect into the Standard English for the child.

In a cosmopolitan setting where we have learners with different first (home) language background  I imagine grouping learners in terms of first language. On teaching a concept in the language of instruction the teacher can ask the learners to explain or share their understanding with the other group members in their first language. 

My only fear is that doing this in our country a teacher may be accused of promoting tribalism.

It may be necessary to teach basics of the teaching language to students if that is not their spoken language. The teacher will also  need to pay more attention to such students, perhaps pairing with an appropriate friend.

One idea is the possibility of having an interpreter / communicator to help relax the information to the individual 

Another possible idea for consideration is to find a ground similarity between the educator and that student. And try to use that to build on the foundation for communication

Diagrams... Imagery... Instructional tools displayed clearly on charts that allows the power of shapes and colors to inform and motivate students to follow suite. I have found that the use of colorful imagery can assist with sharing information when there is an issue with comprehension/understanding.

Many teacher mistakes language barrier as a disability. It is special educational need because some accommodations/modifications are required to assist them in acquiring the language for them to cope with their tasks. However, teaching English as a second language if that is what is being taught at school would really assist students to acquire that language because you will be using what they know, which in this case is their first language to acquire a second language which is English they would be able to relate the unknown with a known. Many research has been done using this theory which shows that it is effective. 

In the schools I have been, language barrier is gradually being tackled by teachers learning the language that is used at home being Spanish .The use of sign language is also very important. 

Teach basics of the language of instruction, make use of translation, and have extra language classes for students struggling with the language of instruction.

In my experience as a teacher in High School, I have met many students with that issue and it made it very difficult for some of them to express themselves comfortably and even participate in class discussions for fear of being ridiculed. One way of addressing it was that I switched from time to time between the dialect and the standard english. It encouraged all my students to participate and speak freely in discussions but it also helped those struggling to feel more comfortable. I also had two students who spoke urdu and english as a second language hindered their learning although they were bright students. We got volunteer tutors who assisted them with the language barrier and encouraged them to speak without fear of being laughed at by their peers(through sensitizing our students on how difficult is being in a foreign country) and worked with them to improve their speaking of english. Most importantly, we got our students involved in helping them daily with pronunciation and constructing sentences. Being assisted by their peers made a world of difference. I know many people will find it difficult to do these things, but as educators we have to try. It is our responsibility to work with all our students to help them achieve their true potential.

In my school we have two brothers whose parents are Chinese Nationals. The brothers are citizens of Trinidad and Tobago by birth. The younger of the two speaks fluent Mandarin as well as a staccato, but easily understood "Trini" dialect.  The elder struggles with the most basic English words. 

They are however, obviously happy because they are included in everything that takes place at school. Our Principal ensures their comfort via assemblies and initially, sensitisation  meetings at a community level.

I have never had the pleasure of teaching either one, but they, (Pre-Covid); visited my class at lunchtimes when I would tell stories or sing with the children. 

The language barrier is not in my opinion a disability. They speak a language which is comfortable for them. Society dictates that someone should be able to speak that particular language if you are in that space. It should not be frowned upon to not be a able to speak like everyone else. It should and can be seen as a learning experience for those involved. Each one teach one. We help each other learn, meaning, we teach and help each other understand and learn another's language, so that in future cases it is easier to converse and to help someone who may have a language barrier. 

On another note, you have language barriers that exist due to upbringing. This can be that a child may learn to speak from listening to the adults around them. Their vocabulary can be limited. Some are not able to recognize or sound out words unknown to them. In some of these cases, the child does not even look up the word to find out, they simply leave it out as a 'big word' that they don't know and move on. Inclusion here can come from making the child/children feel involved in wanting to discover a new word and to expand their vocabulary.

In my country there is a large influx of spanish speaking children, one method of breaking the language barrier is to educate ourselves with the language and use the technology as a means to effectively communicate. There are many free translation apps available that can be incorporated into the classroom. 

Although teachers use standard English when teaching, there will be children in the classroom who come from homes that use dialect. As a teacher when I am at home I find myself using dialect English at times because that is what I had used while growing up. When children hold a teacher in high esteem they tend too want to be like him or her. I believe that the child/children will learn standard English without the teacher pressuring them to do so. Teachers should make learning fun. I have had students who correct their parents when work is being done because 'miss does not do it like that'. We do play a great part in shaping the lives of children's future.

I firmly believe that lessons should only be taught in a predetermined language or languages, here in Trinidad and Tobago, that predetermined language is English. Whether that is American English or British English, can be accomodated, however, teaching in a specialized language unknown to the teacher can convey the wrong information, in addition to being outside the scope of lesson. 

If such an intervention is required, it should start at the principal at the lowest level. Students with language barriers should be referred to schools designed to accommodate their specific needs.

Where learners speak a language that is different to that of the instruction, it is the responsibility of the teachers and administrators to allocate, create or access local resources such audiovisuals and texts, in the language of the learner. In some cases code switching can be employed if the aim is to help the learner to develop the language of instruction. present the instruction in both forms of language as far as possible to help the learners to connect with  and accept the instruction. 

In the school where I teach most students speak a different language at home. At school it is mandatory for us to teach in English but we may use another language to assist the students but not to instruct in. However, I feel that setting aside more time to assist those students that may be having a language barrier issue so that they could become more confident and able to communicate in the classroom and with their peers. 

 In my country our first language is English and it is used at school in the teaching learning process. However, due to our diverse culture there are many different language and dialect that our children are expose to before English thus at times causing a language barrier when at school. Therefore, I believe that English should be taught as a second language to bridge that gap meaning using the child's first language especially when giving instructions.

I came across a British Council website with simple texts for those whose first language is not English.

Language is the most common tool needed for anyone who is learning. If a student is struggling in the classroom due to a language barrier it can affect both the student’s learning process and academic performance which prevents him/her from developing to the fullest potential. Some ways in which educators can include students who struggle in the classroom with language are as follows:

1. Pairing of students who speak the same language as the ELL or have another student who is willing to help translate for him/her. This will allow more interactions and promote relationships with peers.

2. Teacher can provide additional support to student by checking in intermittently to see if help is needed . Also by speaking slowly and using simple and clear language.

3. Use of Visuals and audio video clips can capture student’s attention and help him/her to better understand the message.

As teachers we are taught to teach 'Standard English', however as you said each country has its own  vernacular which the students enter into our classrooms with, but as teachers its our job to be able 'code switch' and we can teach this to our students as well. This can be done in a poetry lesson or even a regular reading lesson where the students can be taught the difference in creole and standard English.

Language barriers can indeed prevent the free flow of communication. In my country, students generally speak their first language which is a dialect. However, when the come to school, they are expected to write in the Standard English. This itself can pose challenges, but the role of the teacher here is very important as he/she can model the Standard English both in speech and in writing on the board. Pairing of students with a knowledgeable buddy in the language area is also a good idea. 

Based on the age group of the children, my belief is that one should not shut down or correct a child's language because this child may choose not to respond to you. The child may feel very hurt and emotionally disturbed by the teachers response. It is a very sensitive area because as an educator, we do want to make every child inclusive and feel free to express themselves via communication. The teacher should provide different strategies maybe using a skit, or poem with the child's native language. The child will get that sense of belonging in the classroom. This would build confidence in the child as well.  

I agree with the points made that we must meet children at their level. Also, scaffolding is a strategy to implement in daily activities.

Students who are struggling with the language of instruction can be included in lessons by scaffolding their language development at the same time language arts and literacy are being taught. This is done by:

• having high expectations for those students

• creating a welcoming, stress free and nurturing classroom environment for those students

• showing genuine interest in their language ad their culture

• differentiating their instruction

• engaging them in meaningful, functional, and genuine oral, written and visual activities

• building their background knowledge using photos, videos, maps, picture books, and artifacts

• reading aloud to them everyday

• not forcing them to speak

• letting them work together with friends and in collaborative groups

• embedding language in context rich activities

• using oral language that is neither to hard nor too easy for them

• allowing them to dramatize vocabulary words they’re learning, stories they’ve read and other topics to enhance their learning.

I believe that one of the best ways to ensure that barriers to language instruction can be addressed is to firstly identify what those barriers to language are in general and which ones may be unique to an individual child. Unfortunately, there are many barriers that exist and the following are just a few:

• First and second language acquisition, where as many have stated in previous posts, most of our students' first language is the local dialect, creole etc. that is spoken in the home. As such when they attend school and are expected to engage in instruction, they are now required to acquire the standard English as a second language, since instruction, and all formal tests throughout the child's education career will be given in standard English. One suggestion to reduce this barrier is to formally teach standard English as a second language, and not assume that regular grammar/ ELA instruction is sufficient. So for example, a statement may be made by a student in the creole, the teacher can repeat the student's statement in the creole and then restate the same sentence in the standard English, thereby translating and making the connection between the two languages, (code-switching). 
• Cultural barriers also exist in language instruction, such as class, age etc. The jargon used by our youth is different from what the older generation may engage in and as educators we must factor this in. Practicing "withitness' is a good way to become aware of what's going on in the classroom and with our students. It can help us tailor our instruction to meet our students needs and ensure that instruction is relevant. 
• Personal barriers also exist, such as a student's capacity to socially interact using verbal/non-verbal communication skills. The ability to read and understand non-verbal cues such as body language and facial expressions are critical to comprehension and contextual development in language acquisition. Expressive and receptive language acquisition and development is another factor to consider, since most children's receptive language skills are more developed than their expressive language skills. As such, a child may have understanding but be unable to demonstrate this understanding due to a lack  of vocabulary to meaningfully express what's on his or her mind. Providing  students with ample opportunities to practice expressing themselves and teaching them the appropriate vocabulary to do so can be helpful, such as 'show and tell' , 'journaling' etc. Encouraging students  to read books of interest regularly can also be helpful.

I think there is a belief and expectation that a certain language is allowed in school, hence this places students under some stress because it assumes the dialect or language at home is unacceptable. Teachers should be open to communicate in a manner to help students feel confidence speaking and know that different language is acceptable depending on situation.

Kris, your thoughts/observations was true, but, Teachers as are resources persons have to come down to the level of their learners and think of pedagogy in lesson deliberation (eg demonstration/activity base lesson) as children learn by imitation.

Thanks.

Two examples of ways that  students who are struggling with language of instruction can be included in lessons are:

Through the use of non verbal instructions, for example, picture cards with clear pictures that convey information such as, school is over, its time to go home, its lunch time or its time to go to the resource room.

For a child of reading age speaking a foreign language, for example (a French speaking child and an English speaking teacher,) Teacher can  learn some key French words and create signs or give verbal instructions  in both English and French allowing child to not only follow instructions but also learn English words.

Instructional language varies across the different subject areas.

The language barrier is quite real as many teachers are unaware of how to traverse this barrier and tailor the instructional language to one which the child can understand.

Hi,

If there is a language barrier, it is up to the teachers to bridge the gap and try to help the student, either by helping the child with the language issue or trying to involve other students who may be able to help the child to translate. The teacher can also try to use other resources like videos and created materials with representations which can  also help.

Regards,

Michelle

Incorporate images allow students to expand their language skills by attaching the word to a more concrete representation.

 Have a word wall: Asking and answering questions in the target language (oral or written expression) 

Rather than drilling students on new chunks of vocabulary make language learning more active by incorporating gestures. Try playing charades, with one student acting out a word or phrase and the others guessing what it is in the target language.

Language barriers are indeed an important aspect that has to be overcome to provide quality education. There are two ways these can be address, additional time can be allocated to teach the language, and the inclusion of visual aids may also assist

With the upsurge in migrants to our country over the past few years, language barriers do pose challenges for them in the school system. One of the things I did was learn certain phrases in the student's language so that we the teachers and I had a functional relationship with him/her. The child would assist us in pronouncing the word accurately

Since I was in the field of early childhood education, we labelled objects and charts in both English and the child's native language....but we always immersed him/her in English to support the socialization process with the other students. In this way, all the children were learning another language.

There were occasions when we invited the child's parents to the Centre, to assist in the translation of content. This was dependent upon what was being taught at that time.

We can use varying forms of communication not just words to communicate with learners.

Struggling to learn Standard English is difficult especially in a country that has a totally different native dialogue even though the main language is the same. Ways to help this in the classroom is to include the dialogue in ways that get the students thinking. Have video sessions and story time with them. Try to convince them to speak standard English for important and mainstream situations and when relaxed incorporate the native dialogue and phrases into their speech. This way they can eventually find what they like but still understanding the 2 different ways are the same yet different.

True Kris. Sometime children are forced to speak a language they are not confident in and due to fear they decide not to speak while at school, others fake sickness and fail to attend school. The force is sometimes because it is examined and results must be good. Some parents demand fluent English to early learners who do not use it at home.

Exposure to the target language through videos, speech facilitated with action, lip reading and allowing code switching to mother tongue could be helpful. The approach used could be close to first language acquisition where no force is used and every effort is appreciated and model of target language provided.

I think language is indeed a big issue and it puts the learners in a difficult situation. I think for the younger children, it would be better if they are taught in their local language. the new language, in my case, being English is taught as a subject from Grade 1 so that they build on and find transition easily to upper Primary. maybe we could have language specialists assigned to struggling learners or engage parents and the community to support the cause 

Language barrier is something common in many environments. It is true that children are taught in a language not spoken at home and as a result the educator has to devise and implement effective strategies. Most times educators would encourage proper commuication within the environment however, after a long period at home, upon return, the issue is there once more. A strategy can probably be to initiate a system similar to a buddy system where they observe each others language whilst communicating and assist each other when they falter.

Children are like sponges and soak up all the information they are provided with from early on. To combat the language barrier with a child I had many years ago, I learned some key words and phrases to engage the child in discussions. I would also use pictures or physical materials to show the child when introducing new words to him. He eventually started picking up words and then sentences. Repetition and patience was key.

Language barriers can really be a problem because teaching is communicating information and if a child is unable to understand the teacher and what is being taught, then the message would not be received .

I believe teachers can take time to understand  and familiarize themselves with the language of the children in their learning community .

Welcome resource persons from the community to assist in disseminating the lessons to the children.

Experiment with other methods or materials then choose what seem to work for the child.

flash cards(letters, words, pictures)

real objects.etc

Children must be able to understand what is being communicated to them before they respond either orally or written. When I think about this discussion, I think about the bi-lingual student who is lost in class because they cannot understand the teacher. The class teacher firstly build a positive and understanding relationship with the student so that they feel comfortable in spite of their language barriers. Additionally, they can place them into small groups and allow the student to translanguage. The reality is that all students should be given the opportunity to learn.

Language  is a bit complicated, people have a lot of different ways of communicating in many countries, maybe setting aside part of the curriculum to explore different languages could bridge this gap.

Dear Ms. Stutchbury,

I am having a bit of a challenges with the platform. I have found myself engaging in different platforms on the course page and not sure if I am finish. 

On one platform there was a recording of 76% and then this one states 56%, although I think I have attempted all the activities on both occasions. 

Kindly lend your assistance where possible.

Thanks much.

Dr. A. Williams  

noted

Yes, I agree with you.

It is important to find out what language barriers students face on a day to day basis. This, can only be achieved through observation and investigation.  Results, from findings can then be used to plan and implement appropriate strategies to address these barriers and promote student learning.

Teaching language (French) is a real threat for students in my context where my country deal with more than 40 languages. 

So, beside some learners impairment and disabilities, we have language fence during teaching and learning process. In addition, very few teachers are trained in inclusive teaching skills. In a nutshell, almost learners in my country are in need of inclusive teaching and learning. To sum up, the wave 1 of UNICEF is very key to be promoted. 

In my school, the main language of instruction is English as we are following the CAIE curriculum. We get a lot of students who join with weak English language skills. It takes them time to develop their skills but they are helped through the school's environment, where the medium of instruction is mainly English. The majority of students have a different mother tongue like Urdu, Sindhi, Pashto, Punjabi or are multi-lingual.Students who are struggling with the language of instruction are paired up with those who are more fluent in the language. Their partners help them navigate instructions and they are encouraged to respond in English. Teachers avoid correcting them as they speak, in order to build their confidence level. Class teachers engage these students in show and tells and ask them to read aloud in classes, in order to boost their confidence and enhance fluency. During snack time, students are reminded to converse in English with each other, rather than in their mother tongue.  

There was a Cuban child in one of my Centre with very little English and  one of the way  we helped was by using one of the parent who was fluent in Spanish as a go between translator and his mother used a phone app to help her understand  was said to her and to communicate about her son.

in the classroom where children are struggling with language barrier i believe  they can be assisted in the classroom with a student/ teacher's aide who can translate information into his or her language.