Case
How do you communicate?

The school where I work has a very diverse population. Over 50% of our students are Hispanic, and almost all of them come from Spanish speaking homes. We have a parent involvement coordinator and several teachers who speak Spanish, and our principal does as well. However, just recently, we've received a few families from Guatemala. These children and their families do not speak Spanish. They speak dialect inherent to the tribe that they've come from in Guatemala. We also have many new families who only speak Arabic. How do you communicate effectively with students and their parents in this situation, especially when no one in the school speaks their language?

Posted on: 03/15/15 | Views: 1013
Solution #1
Research, Research, Research. In this situation there are many different ways you can communicate with the families. I would first research the internet and use site like google translator. It is important to check a few different translator sites to see which works best and most effective. I would also branch out to the district or country your school belongs to, to see if there are any translator available. If this does not work research in your community for support groups or churches who may individuals volunteer their time to help you communicate with these families.

I think this would be a great solution to the issue.

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Solution #2
I would contact an International Center in your area and request a translator to come out to your school. A lot of times these translators are paid through the school district and can become a partner in education for your school. They can help with conferences and sometimes work with the parent liaison as well.
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Solution #3
I would contact the International Center within your district to see if there are any available translators familiar with the dialects. You might also use a cell phone app to to translate from English to Arabic and vice versa. Some communities also offer free English classes for families with other primary languages--reach out to see if there are some near by!

This is an great solution! i will definitely use this in my classroom.

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Solution #4
This is always going to be a frustrating situation. It is so hard to not be able to get your ideas across. Just imagine how the parents and child feel. I would recommend taking professional development class on how to communicate with ESOL students and their families. There a several strategies available to provide basic instructions. Perhaps having a parent night with the ESOL students and applying these strategies to communicate. Also research activities from their culture. This will promote inclusion and help the families feel accepted in the school system!
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Solution #5
This situation is very hard, but you can get am app that can translate your words and that can translate their words. also maybe talking to the schools administration about getting together a night ESOL classes to help the parents learn some basic words.
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Solution #6
the internet if your friend in this situation, I would search both languages and get a basic understanding of common phrases and words. if that doesn't work, talking to the principle about a translator may be a good next step.
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Solution #7
You can try google translator. Also, see if the county provides any translators for the school! Also, does the school over parents any courses for English?
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Solution #8
I would translate what I needed for the parents by going online and using a translation website. The parents may not be able to respond at the conference, but they see the attempt and also know what is going on with their child.
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