[Edling] Urgent question from bilingual teacher

[Myrna Goldstein]

Hi Miriam,

I need more information before I can address this issue.

First, is this history being taught in English to native Spanish speakers?
Second, what is the level of linguistic preparation of the class and what
type of school did this happen in?  Elementary?  Middle?  High school?
Third, what was the T's rationale for writing the questions on the board
in both languages?  Was she comparing Spanish vs. English question
formation?
Fourth, is the exam going to be on English or on History?  Is this a
situation
of content-based instruction to teach ESL?  Or is the emphasis on learning
History without any ESL instruction and the final exam will be on the
history
with the students having to answer history questions in correct English?
Fifth, who arranged for the critique and why?  Was it to measure the
effectiveness
of your training program?

If you could kindly fill me in, I would love to respond to this situation.

Thank you!

Myrna

Myrna Goldstein, B.S.Journalism., MATESL
Founder, Director
Are You in Your English File?®
Second Language Learning Research Center
Eilat, Israel, formerly of Milan, Italy
e:  myrnaenglishfile at gmail.com
Skype:  myinmi
t: 00972 (0)53 5255360

On Mon, Apr 18, 2016 at 3:29 PM, Miriam E Ebsworth <mee1 at nyu.edu> wrote:

> Dear Colleagues,
>
> A grad of one of our programs is a bilingual (Spanish) social studies
> teacher in New York City, with 11 years of teaching experience.
>
> The teacher received a super-critical review of a class observation from
> somebody outside the school who observed a single lesson. The observer knew
> nothing in advance about the teacher's curriculum or approach; there had
> been no communication with the teacher in advance of the observation.
> After having written a scathing observation report, the observer refused to
> have a conversation with the teacher, who sought politely to explain their
> perspective and try to understand better the nature of the critique.
>
> The teacher has requested input on one issue in particular:
> At the top of the lesson, the teacher had written a guiding question in
> English with the Spanish version directly underneath.
>
> The teacher, as I understand it, sought to have the students first try to
> understand the text in English, then read it in Spanish, and using all
> linguistic resources make meaning out of the question. (And ultimately, the
> students will be tested in English.)
>
> One of the many criticisms in the observation report was that the English
> and Spanish versions should have appeared side by side rather than one
> above the other. The teacher is perplexed.
>
> While the teacher's explanation makes sense to me, I have been asked
> whether there is any objective guidance available from the research on best
> practices to advocate for EITHER of the 2 approaches (2 languages side by
> side versus one above the other).
>
> Thank you in advance for sharing your perspective. I'll pass it on.
>
> Sincerely,
> Miriam
>
> Miriam Eisenstein Ebsworth, PhD
> Dir. of PhD & Post-MA Programs in Multilingual Multicultural Studies
> NYU Steinhardt,
> 316 East Building
> New York, NY 10003
>
> Research Editor: Journal of Writing and Pedagogy
> Chair, NABE Research SIG Advisory Board
> Co-chair, ELL Think Tank
>
> office phone: (212) 998-5195
> office fax: (212) 995-3636
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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> Edling at bunner.geol.lu.se
> http://bunner.geol.lu.se/mailman/listinfo/edling
>
>


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