2 minute read
Lenguaje que Abre Puertas: Language that Opens Doors
By Jason Harper
Wyoming is home to a growing number of English Language Learners (ELL). Additionally, as the state continues to grow globally, educators have an obligation to support students who are native English speakers learn a new language. This demand is driving an urgent need for teachers who are qualified to teach in English as a Second Language (ESL) or Dual Language Immersion (DLI) classrooms.
ESL programs focus on supporting ELLs acquire a proficiency in English so they can be successful in traditional classrooms. DLI programs support native speakers of English gain the competence to speak a new language while allowing students who speak the new target language (ELLs) to gain confidence by supporting their peers.
We spoke to two principals in Gillette with ESL and DLI programs at their schools. Bertine Bahige (B.A. mathematics and mathematics education ’09), principal at Rawhide Elementary, and Keri Shannon, principal at Stocktrail Elementary share why these programs are important to their community.
“Research has shown that students who learn to speak another language create new synapses within their brain that make their brain much more malleable in their ability to learn,” says Bahige. “You also look at the culturally responsive community and citizen you are going to become when you learn a new language. You can approach someone much easier if you can speak their language. You can understand where a person is coming from if you have an appreciation for their culture.”
“We have international companies that do business in Wyoming,” says Shannon. “If we are going to expand that, we have to be able to have citizens that can speak multiple languages.”
The programs in Gillette started four years ago and are already experiencing overwhelming demand. Nearly a quarter of kindergarten-aged students in the district, around 100 students, are currently in these programs. With nearly 50 students on wait lists, the district has had to start admitting based on a lottery system.
Unfortunately, these programs have been struggling to find Spanish-speaking teachers. The schools in Gillette have forged a partnership with the Ministry of Education in Spain to recruit Spanish-speaking teachers to their districts.
“It is really important for our state to grow our own teachers to come back to their own communities,” says Shannon. “In Wyoming we have a university with a great ESL program that will teach you the strategies and methodology you will need to succeed.”
“I would like to call out current and future students at the University of Wyoming who are looking for practicum or student teaching placements to consider being placed in these programs,” says Bahige. “Students currently gaining an ESL endorsement at UW can be great candidates to teach in ESL and DLI classrooms. After graduation, this type of background will open more opportunities for them.”
