ESL Success

Language learning can be compared to the construction of a house. At the middle school level, children pour the foundation. Be involved and contact with your child's teacher.

Make certain that the foundation and the subsequent floors do not have "cracks" by doing the following at home with your child:  Encourage your child to take risks and speak the language.  Buy or download a foreign language magazine, newspaper or article and then have your child underline cognates and guess the meaning of ads and articles.

Cognates are words that have the same meaning and are similar in spelling between two languages. IE: inteligente/intelligent, humano/human, computadora/computer.  Make sure that homework is completed each night. In a foreign language class, homework is not excessive, but daily study is essential.  Language acquisition/learning is a very complex process. Your child will not have native like fluency once he/she leaves high school, but he/she will be able to handle simple situations and start to discuss abstract topics. Memorization is key at this level. Make vocabulary flashcards and review them together from time to time.  You will hear: It's just Spanish/French/Italian/Chinese class. Impress upon him/her that the class is important. For personal and professional reasons, it is critical in this global environment to communicate in another language. Also, learning a language improves a student's SAT score. Many universities require incoming freshman have a high school foreign language sequence.  We did this last year is a common complaint by many students learning a foreign language. It is true that they learned it last year, but during the current year, they will fine tune what they have learned and add another "floor" to their new home.  Grammar and vocabulary are essential components of proficiency. Try to have them study them in context, not in isolation. You may see your child study lists and you will believe that they will do well on the exam, but that may not be the case. Your child's teacher should offer study tips based on the format of their exams/quizzes.  Encourage your child to use his/her reading, writing, listening and speaking skills from English to the target language. It is important to transfer these skills to their second language class.  Above all, learning a language is a fun and exciting challenge that offers countless rewards! Your positive attitude about the teaching of a foreign language directly impacts your child's attitude. Be positive!  Once at the high school level, encourage your child to take a less commonly taught language offered through our Independent Study Program.