Parents and family members of children who are English language learners also face a variety of challenges, as most of the time they are also English language learners. Besides learning a new language, they may be coping with adjusting to new social and cultural expectations in their communities, and with trying to find employment or educational opportunities for themselves.
In this next video, a VPK owner/director talks about how a family learning a second language at his center adjusts to the learning environment.
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button.Some parents’ expectations about their children’s progress may also differ from those of the program. Some will expect their children to become fluent in English over the course of a few months of their VPK experience. In some cases, parents may be concerned that using their home language may prevent children from progressing in learning English; while other parents may be concerned that children may lose their home language. Your role as a teacher in helping to clarify these concerns is essential. Establishing positive communication with the families will assist them in understanding not only the language learning process, but also the Standards for Four-Year-Olds and program expectations.
