Brooks

=Native Spanish Speaking Students=

English as a Second Language--with a concentration on Spanish speaking students--is the subject I would like to learn and understand better. One of my personal goals has been to become fluent in Spanish so that I will be able to communicate with my Spanish speaking students as well as those who speak English as their first language. Too often students who are learning English as their second language get separated from the rest of their normal class to take part in English-immersion classes. While this provides a great opportunity for them to learn English, it often leaves them falling behind the other students in other subjects. I would like to research ways to included spanish into normal lessons so that those ESL students can participate in the normal class lessons.

[|A Study of Native Spanish Speakers’ Writing in English for Teachers] This essay will be helpful to those with little Spanish background who are teaching Spanish-speaking, particularly Mexican, students or writers who are writing in English as their second language. While not everyone will be teaching writing skills as a subject, writing in english is mandatory for almost every area of study in school. This is a good example of how to connect with those Spanish-speaking students who may have difficulties with writing in English.

Researchers have asserted that the academic achievement of students from culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) backgrounds would improve if educators were to make the effore to ensure that classroom instruction was conducted in a manner that was responsive to the students' home cultures. This article describes how teachers can prepare themselves, their classrooms, and their schools to be more culturally responsive.

[|Heritage Spanish Speakers' Language Learning Strategies] This article describes some of the issues involved in the Spanish Language learning experiences of heritage Spanish speakers, the largest population of heritage language speakers in the United States. It describes ways in which educators can facilitate these students' language development through a better understanding of their language learning strategies and suggests areas in which further research is needed.

[|The Help!Kit: A Resource Guide for Secondary Teachers of Migrant English Language Learners] This secondary version of the Help! Kit provides helpful information to busy mainstream teachers who are seeking practical, research-based advice on how they can more effectively teach, evaluate, and nurture their limited English proficient (LEP) migrant students. Migrant students are overwhelmingly of Mexican or Mexican-American origin, which is why you will find most of the examples in this kit focusing on this population.

[|Activities for Newcomers] When brand new English language learners first enter your school, it can be overwhelming for the teachers responsible for their instruction. It's hard to know what to do first. Here are some activity-based tips to get you started.