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How should a non-English speaker assist?
How should a non-English speaker assist?
Me teaching at the board as local teacher keeps order from the back.
Such a helpful local teacher.
Back in China when I worked at Daohe, some of the non-English speaking local teachers were offended by the immersion method, unable to find a place where they fit in. I assured them that there was plenty they could do since they at least understood some English.
I fully agree when Maria Montessori stated, "It is necessary for the teacher to guide the child without letting him feel her presence too much, so that she may always be ready to supply the desired help, but may never be the obstacle between a the child and his experience... To keep alive that enthusiasm is the secret of real guidance and it will not prove a difficult task, provided that the attitude towards the child's acts be that of respect, calm and waiting, and provided that he be left free in his movements and in his experience."
My clinical school in S. Korea promotes an "immersion" curriculum, so we should do our best to adhere to it.
Audio of Staff Meeting
Audio of Staff Meeting
A new foreign teacher was having trouble with student involvement. I encouraged the local teachers to join in on lessons when possible. One likes to get involved in lessons, but not all. I made this desired suggestion at our meeting.
Montessori Ideology
Montessori Ideology
The Montessori method really focuses on student led activity so that students will maintain their natural curiosity and thirst for learning. After much observation of students of early years ages, Montessori was convinced that people enjoy the process of learning when done naturally. I myself have observed this student agency that does not shy away from multiple failures or repetitious processes until a certain personal level of satisfaction is obtained.
Rather than autocratic leaders, teachers are the guides of students; present in case help is needed but not overpowering. Students are expected to develop their independence and learn their academics through necessary life skills. Our school focused on project based learning in an attempt to achieve this within the restrictions of a prep academy framework. We would love for local teachers to learn to stand back and allow the students to follow the slightly more direct lead of the foreign teachers through their periods of trial and error, but also feel the support of their local teachers if necessary. "The most suitable subjects for teaching in a foreign language are those which are descriptive and not abstract and where a number of illustrative materials are available to visualize the contents of the subject." (Kersten et. al., 2010)
The following methods were suggested in our staff meeting/lecture workshop session.
Engaging in nonverbal communication with the use of realia to help model commands from foreign teachers (Trimino & Ferguson, 1993)
Avoiding the direct native tongue interpretation for students that hesitate to follow English instruction initially so that students do not simply block out the English as they wait on a relied upon interpretation
Use the native tongue to explain fine motor skill concepts so that students will maintain key understanding of their native tongue while building their own motor skills rather than having projects done for them, or severely simplified
A couple of the local teachers were able to think critically about how they could proceed to assist based on some scenarios I threw out for consideration.
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