Hello! This is Ms. Yaya. The Accelerated Learning Specialist for Newcomers. For the past two months I have had the opportunity to meet and interact with most La Mesa teachers, staff members and support staff.
My role at La Mesa is quite unique. The job I have is exclusive to La Mesa Elementary and so far, the only one in our district. Thankfully, there are now consistent guidelines that address literacy and language acquisition as two different and separate processes.
My academic background comes in handy. I am an educator by trade. I hold a BS in PE and Health from a Brazilian Federal University and a M.A. in Education with a double major in Teaching and Learning and ESOL/Bilingual Education from the University of Oregon. I am also a language learner. An unusual EL. I’ve taught myself English and I have also studied other languages independently.
During my first weeks at La Mesa, I gathered and organized the following sets of data:
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La Mesa ELs speak 16 different languages.
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La Mesa ELs are originally from 18 different countries.
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La Mesa EL languages span across 6 different alphabets (Semitic, Latin, Persian, Cyrillic, Greek and Ural-Altaic)
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13 EL groups are not familiar with the English alphabet.
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Only 6 languages spoken by La Mesa ELs are S+V+O (subject, verb, object).
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At least 7 languages spoken by La Mesa ELs do not have articles, prepositions, or possessives.
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forms.
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At least 8 languages spoken by La Mesa ELs require gender and number agreements in syntax.
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Most of our ELs are multilingual.
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Most of our ELs are L1 literate and high-level readers.
The information I am sharing with you has helped me differentiate and modify lessons based on EL’s stages of language acquisition and linguistic background. In addition to 30 minutes of daily English Language Development (ELD) with their classroom teacher, our Newcomers will also receive an additional 30 minutes of language development with me.
To plan and implement lessons I will study and familiarize myself with 16 different linguistic systems and cultures. I will also emphasize fluency and create a balance between language skills and culture competency, so that literacy can occur in mainstream classrooms without linguistic barriers.
In a collaborative effort with classroom teachers, we plan to:
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Adhere to a simple protocol for Newcomers going through the silent period.
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Minimize attrition by helping students adhere to the ALS support schedule.
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Provide newcomers opportunities to share in class information about their home culture and language.
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Optimize newcomers' learning experience by considering their challenges and stages of language learning.
Respectfully,
Yaya Porto
ALS