in Regina Public Schools November 3, 2014 Linda Mitchell EAL Coordinator

 As of November 3, 2014: ◦ 3467 EAL students  2559 receive EAL support

 73countries : Afghanistan, Albania, Armenia, Bangladesh, Botswana, Brazil, Burundi, Chile, China, Colombia, Congo, Croatia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, England, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Greece, Guatemala Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Kenya, Korea, Latvia, Lebanon, Libya, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Mongolia, Morocco, Myanmar, Namibia, Nepal, Netherlands, Nigeria, Oman, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Scotland, Serbia, Somalia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Taiwan, Thailand, Trinidad, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, United Kingdom, USA, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Zambia

 Newcomers: ◦ Refugees – forced to leave home situation – war, turmoil etc  2 girls came with “Step parents”  Girls not going to school ◦ Immigrants – parents chose to move to Canada  12 years + coming – friends left behind  Rebelling and Suicide ◦ Nominees – recruited by employers or the country  Usually the same as Immigrants

 Newcomer Welcome Centre  Why the development?  Intake and orientation to educational options  Documentation verification  Legal to study in Regina  Assessment and placement recommendations  Settlement Worker support  Food – taking to school  Clothing – proper clothing  Holidays  Translator support

◦ Total number of EAL students through the Newcomer Welcome Centre:  = 424  = 445  = 686  2012 –13 = 610  2013 – 14 = 704  2014 to now = 449

 EAL teachers  As of October 20, 2014  43 FTE EAL teachers in RPS

 Elementary Schools: all of our schools  High Schools: 7 of 9 schools  Adult Campus – 18 to 22 years

1. Arrival: Honeymoon Stage 2. Reality is more difficult than expected 3. Feel situation is impossible 4. Begin to adjust expectations 5. Find some successes at integration 6. Feel it is possible to live here 7. Continue to have smaller ups and downs

 Provide a warm and welcoming environment for your students  Be open to learning more about teaching EAL students and the backgrounds of your students  Be willing to differentiate instruction for your EAL students

 Have a “welcome” sign in the student’s language  Display flags, maps, or globes of various countries displayed in the school or classroom  Have picture dictionaries or bilingual dictionaries available in the school library or classroom  Learn the correct pronunciation of the student’s name  Encourage the sharing of culture (PowerPoint)

 Use labeling and visual cues  If a student can’t complete an assignment in English ◦ Their language ◦ Picture dictionary and other resources  Reduce expectations for length and complexity  Allow a partner  Provide word banks  Use dual language books  Allow students to demonstrate knowledge in a variety of ways  Provide a written explanation of the assignment & due date  Access the EAL student’s prior knowledge on subject or concept. Background information is critical  Model how to do the activity, lab, graphic organizer, etc.

 A tool that the Saskatchewan Ministry is using to benchmark EAL students  A 1.1 and 1.2 Level students – words and gestures/phrase  A2.1 and A2.2 – simple sentences/simple paragraph  B 1.1 and1.2 – needs support with some grammar and punctuation  C Level students are Proficient Users of English

 Get Feedback from Your Students:  What was easy for you?  What was hard for you?  What could we have done differently?  Use “Google translator” ◦ Be An Advocate for Your Students ◦ Remember that it takes time for them to feel comfortable, develop friendships, and to learn the many things required to survive in a new culture.

 for teachers… know your learner  for students… feel comfortable

 What can I do to help them? ◦ Provide a word bank with illustrations ◦ Have students use Google Translation ◦ Pair up EAL students with students who are fluent in speaking English ◦ Provide a template & model how to write up a lab report ◦ Demonstrate activities as much as possible ◦ Use a graphic organizer /outline ◦ Provide examples of work ◦ Provide additional edits & proofreading for the student ◦ Provide sentence starters, story starters, & character ideas ◦ Allow student write in their own language ◦ Use a scriber

 Volunteer at a library to help newcomers  Read professional resources  Take CERTESOL classes  Want to learn about other cultures

 Final Words… Questions and comments?.