A few years ago, I had a Saudi in my class. He was the father of two. He had two sons that were two and three years old. They were so adorable. While their father was getting five hours of daily instruction in English and struggling, they were excelling.
One day this student came into my class and said, “Teacher, I sing English.”
I was like, “What do you sing.”
Then he proceeded to sing with motions, “Where is daddy finger? Where is daddy finger? Here I am! Here I am!”
His three year old son had taught him that.
Most preschools do not have an ESL Teacher like elementary schools to college have. And that is okay because many students at that age are still learning their first language. ESL students will catch on quickly. However there are some things that you can do to aid that process:
– repetition – sing the same songs, use the same words in giving instructions (until those are mastered than expand) For example, if you say – “Put your coats away.” Use it until it seems clear that the students understands and then use, “Hang up your coats.” Then vary it.
– speak clearly
– be patient with mistakes. If the student isn’t following direction, it may not be a behavioral issue but a language issues. Don’t be quick to assume that they know what you are saying.
– use gestures. If you ask a student to put away the blocks, go over and put a few on the shelf to show them what you mean.
– demonstrate. This is like gesturing but if you want students to quietly walk back to their seats show them what you expect. This even helps students that aren’t ESL students as they will know more clearly what is expected.
Hope these tips help you.
Around the World Learning 