English Language Learners
The students at the Children of Hope School always amaze me. Primary instruction is given in English, a second language for them. Learning a second language is not easy. The English language is one of the most difficult languages to learn because of the multiple pronunciations for words, rules, and many exceptions to the rules. I admire these students for their perseverance and courage in the classroom as they learn English.
In our class, we have a morning routine. We gather our
materials, pray, say “Good morning!” to one another, occasionally do a few
stretches to calm our bodies down for class (including one of their favorite
stretches called “warrior pose”), and do an activity that focuses on developing
the students’ oral language in English. As a teacher, I will often give a word
and ask one of the students to use this word in a sentence. Just the other day,
we were doing this activity, and I asked the class if anyone could use the word
“oppose” in a sentence. One student (pictured below) raised his hand with
confidence. He was sure that his sentence would be correct. With excitement in his voice, he said, “I do a
warrior pose!” He had heard “a pose” instead of the word “oppose”. It was a funny moment that allowed for
further learning. By the time I asked the students to use a different word in a
sentence, his hand was raised with just as much excitement. He does not give up when he makes a mistake; he faces each new challenge with enthusiasm.