The Role of an ESL Teacher – With the number of English learners constantly rising and permeating not only large urban areas but also spreading into suburbs and rural towns, there is a serious need for all involved in the education of those English learners to understand the role of an ESL/ELL teacher in their district.
ESL teachers work with students from all over the world, who come from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds. They also bring varied schooling and life experiences with them. While a mainstream classroom mainly consists of students of the same age, an ESL teacher may work with a few grade levels at a time. In the groups of students, there are likely those who speak different primary languages, too. Even more, the levels of language proficiency may vary greatly, which means that an ESL teacher might have an absolute beginner English learner and a more advanced one in the same class/group.
That said, because of such exposure to different languages and cultures, an ESL teacher becomes a go-to person for both the families and mainstream teachers. The knowledge we possess about the school system and expectations is incredibly valuable for the families of English learners. We anticipate that there is a need for this kind of information and we act on it by arranging for translators, informing the administration, front office and the classroom teachers. Our knowledge of the students’ languages, cultural backgrounds and schooling is incredibly valuable to the administration and the classroom teachers. It helps them adjust their instruction and look for alternative ways to convey important information.
ESL/ELL teachers are well aware that language and culture are inseparable. Therefore, we also know that preserving and supporting the students’ first language (L1) will help them in learning English. Yes, it sounds crazy. But it is true! Because of that, on any given day we are humbled by what we learn from and about our students.
Learn more about this topic by reading on SimplyIeva.
After reading “The Role of an ESL Teacher” you can check important issues for ESL teachers on the section PDFs, and visit my YouTube channel.