The need for adaptation to social distancing protocols has made at-home education a new norm for teachers and students. Transitioning teaching from the classroom to the virtual environment has several challenges. First of all, teachers may experience difficulties on how to effectively teach English Learners (EL) remotely.
Secondly, communicating with parents or guardians of students who may also have limited English proficiency (LEP) may be another hurdle. Here are essential tips for teachers to make transitioning to an at-home learning environment easier for English learning students.
1. Translate Updated School Rules and Policies
For the online academic process, a school needs to update policies, student handbooks, rules, safety guidelines, and disciplinary items. In order to make sure Spanish students and family members understand newly updated rules and expectations, you will try to search online for “a certified Spanish translator near me” and choose the best option for English-Spanish translation.
2. Encourage Active Learning and Collaboration
Students learn better when they collaborate with each other, engage with the material, and participate in the class. Active learning is especially important for EL students because it gives them the ability to develop their English language skills faster. Since much of language learning can come from students interacting with peers, you will want to encourage this in the virtual classroom as much as possible.
3. Communicate with Families Using a Professional Interpreter
Successfully transitioning students to an at-home learning environment requires effective communication with their parents and guardians. Trained bilingual staff that can provide interpretation is ideal, but not all schools have it readily available. Therefore, a growing number of schools have partnered with language providers, such as Homeland Language Services, to get access to linguists on an as-needed basis. Such partnerships grant access to hundreds of languages that even the largest school districts could never staff for.
4. Make Quality Integral to Your Translation Process
Having formal quality control measures ensures that your communications resonate with your students across all languages. If you don’t have internal resources, you can address them to a certified Spanish translator to meet your needs. When going this route, you’ll want to set up a workflow wherein files can be handed off for translation, and after an efficient and rigorous quality control process, you can receive them back fully translated formatted, and localized.
At Homeland Language Services, our Spanish translators are well-trained in translation techniques and have comprehensive knowledge in the academic field. They are carefully screened, tested, and certified by nationally recognized professional bodies. We strive to offer the most cost-effective rates in the industry while providing quality services, flexibility, and support that your staff and clients can depend on. We have the experience, team, and technology to convert the complexities of our nation’s linguistic landscape into a powerful asset for you.
