Your role as director is very important in supporting the needs of young English language learners. As a director, you can encourage the creation of a supportive environment where young English language learners and their families will feel that they are welcome. In your role, you have many different ways to establish the appropriate conditions that will make it possible for children to learn a new language.
Here are some suggestions about activities that can contribute to creating an optimal environment at your center:
- Begin by becoming aware of the cultures and languages in the community. This will help you understand the environment where children and their families interact.
- Know the cultures of the children and families attending your center. Utilize surveys, questionnaires, and interviews to identify the various cultures. This will help you discover the exciting variety of ideas, beliefs, and behaviors that they bring to their classrooms.
- Provide opportunities for involvement of all families in the center’s activities. Create an environment that celebrates diversity and shows respect for the children and families’ cultures. Display messages that acknowledge and communicate the value and importance of different cultures.
- Serve as a role model and attend professional development activities that provide relevant information about meeting the needs of English language learners.
- Utilize staff meetings as staff development opportunities to share
information
about
English language learners, cultural sensitivity, learning about the
process of second-language acquisition, and other related topics. For
example: During a staff meeting, read the book, Cleversticks written
by Bernard Ashley. This book explores a child’s journey to a new country,
to a new school, and how it feels to be successful at something. Additional
resources that may be utilized in staff meetings are provided in Section
5 of this course. These include books, songs, and websites that give
more detailed information.
Now,
let’s continue with Section 3 of this course where we will explore ways
to create an appropriate classroom environment for your English language
learners.
