by Susan Verner17,906 views Have you ever been stressed as a teacher?No, not you! Stress? Well, if you’re like me you may have had one or two isolated instances of stress in your teaching career. Here was one of my situations. I had just arrived in a foreign country with very little knowledge of the language (if I was lucky I could ask for directions to the bathroom). Not only could I barely speak, okay I really couldn’t speak Chinese at all, I couldn’t read a single word. I remember carrying around a pocket full of notes with my address and other places I might need to go written out so I could show them to a taxi driver as necessary. I couldn’t have a simple conversation with a person on the street. Challenging, right? It gets better. I was teaching at a private school, one for internationals. That meant that even though I was teaching in mainland China (have I mentioned I couldn’t speak the language?) my students weren’t going to be from China at all. And they weren’t going to be English speakers either because I was teaching in an ESL classroom. In fact, twelve of my thirteen students were from Korea. Their parents had moved to China for business purposes, and they wanted their kids to get a good education at an English speaking school. Here I was a recently graduated ESL teacher on the other side of the world with almost no knowledge of Chinese teaching a class full of Korean students. It was actually one of the best experiences of my life, but at the start of the year things seemed a bit tense on my end. My students were second and third graders, which meant I would have to communicate with their parents at some point and, unless I wanted to ask where the bathroom was, that conversation wasn’t going to happen in Chinese. It also wasn’t going to happen in Korean or English. What was I to do? You may not find yourself in such an extreme situation, but odds are if you teach young ESL students, there will come a time when you need to communicate with their parents. If you do find yourself in such a position, take a close look at the resources at your disposal. Here are some tips that I learned along the way. 4 Resources for Communicating with Non-English Speaking Parents
If you’re wondering what I ended up doing, I did manage to communicate with the parents of my students.I was actually very lucky there was a teaching assistant in the next classroom who was a Korean woman who was also fluent in Chinese and English. We made things work, and I was ever grateful for her help. When things get stressful and you find yourself unable to communicate with your students’ parents, your biggest help is to not panic and instead to look at the resources you have at your disposal. Your parents know there is a language barrier. You won’t be surprising them with that one. So they will give you the benefit of the doubt when the two of you are communicating through non-ideal means. And making the communication work is worth the effort. Parents are one of your greatest resources when it comes to teaching young students well. P.S. If you enjoyed this article, please help spread it by clicking one of those sharing buttons below. And if you are interested in more, you should follow our Facebook page where we share more about creative, non-boring ways to teach English. Related Categories
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FAQs
How would you communicate with non-English speaking parents? ›
- Listen. ...
- Don't be afraid to use the technology available to you. ...
- Try to use standard English at all times — don't use idioms, slang or analogies, because they might not understand these.
- Have a friendly attitude!
- Speak Slowly and Clearly. ...
- Keep It Simple. ...
- Make Eye Contact. ...
- Stay Engaged with the Interpreter. ...
- Pay Attention to Body Language. ...
- Be Patient and Respectful. ...
- Be Culturally Sensitive.
ReachWell and similar translation apps have become more common, and for some teachers, they've become crucial as educators work to communicate with the rising number of families that don't speak English. The apps often allow the communications between parents and teachers to feel personal.
What is a method you can use to make communication with a non English speaking person more efficient and message effective? ›Practice active listening
Active listening is a very effective strategy for improving cross cultural communication. Restate or summarise what the other person has said, to ensure that you have understood them correctly, and ask frequent questions.
Many young children learn language more easily when the learning is subtly combined with creative activities. Think about what your child likes doing for fun and try doing these activities in English, such as singing, playing games, reading books aloud, role-playing.
How to communicate with someone who speaks in unknown language? ›- Use simple and clear language. Be the first to add your personal experience.
- Be patient and respectful. ...
- Learn some basic words and phrases. ...
- Use a translator or interpreter. ...
- Be open-minded and curious. ...
- Here's what else to consider.
- 1 Speak slowly and clearly. One of the simplest ways to improve your communication with customers who are not fluent in English is to speak slowly and clearly. ...
- 2 Use visual aids. ...
- 3 Leverage technology. ...
- 4 Be patient and respectful. ...
- 5 Seek feedback and improvement. ...
- 6 Here's what else to consider.
- Get the person's attention first.
- Keep your voice at a comfortable level. ...
- Keep the words you use simple but adult. ...
- Slow down as you speak.
- Use short sentences. ...
- Break down directions into small steps. ...
- Use pictures, gestures, writing, and facial expressions.
- Speak slowly and clearly. Speaking a little more slowly can significantly improve communication with non-native English speakers. ...
- Allow time for thinking. ...
- Avoid idioms and slang. ...
- Simplify your message with short, simple sentences. ...
- Be curious and respectful.
- Put yourself in their shoes. ...
- Speak clearly. ...
- Give time for them to respond. ...
- Really listen. ...
- Ask them to repeat what they said or clarify something if what they said isn't clear.
- If you're not sure what they mean, give a paraphrase and ask if that's what they mean.
How to be in a relationship with someone who doesn t speak English? ›
Try to avoid alienating them by consistently asking them to translate for you. Don't spend entire date nights trying to learn the language from your partner. Try to brush up on the basics ahead of time, and use your time together to try to establish your relationship.
What blocks communication with parents and teachers? ›School districts recognize the importance of strong parent and family engagement; however, hours of availability, technology, language barriers, and cultural differences can impede the communication between parents and teachers, and make it difficult to form relationships.
How do teachers communicate with difficult parents? ›Be direct and genuine as you engage with the parent to create a working relationship. Be clear and specific about what is unique about this student while sharing your recent observations and your concern. You might start with, “[Greeting], it has been nice to get to know [student].
How do you communicate with employees who don't speak English? ›- Use simple and clear language.
- Provide visual aids and signs.
- Hire interpreters or translators. ...
- Encourage feedback and questions.
- Promote a culture of respect and inclusion.
- Train your employees on emergency communication strategies.
When you sign in on your mobile device, you will be taken directly to the My Messages section of your account. From there, you can choose the + icon at the top right of your screen to create a new message and begin communicating with your co-parent.
How to communicate effectively with culturally diverse families? ›- Understand the family context. ...
- Adapt your communication style. ...
- Respect the family's values and beliefs. ...
- Collaborate with the family. ...
- Seek feedback and support. ...
- Maintain ethical and professional standards.