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¿Habla espanol? Many Hoosiers do, with nearly 5% of households in Indiana reporting they speak Spanish at home. Eske ou pale Kreyòl? The Haitian community is quickly growing in Indianapolis. According to the Haitian Association of Indianapolis, roughly 10,000 Haitians call Indianapolis home—and that number is growing.
As Indianapolis sees higher rates of immigration, it is necessary to help encourage and facilitate English-language learning for adults entering the workforce and for their children. Naturally, school is the best place for children to learn English, but schools need to do more to extend that education to students’ families by facilitating communication and community.
Learning English can open doors and opportunities for immigrants. According to the Metropolitan Policy Program at Brookings, English-proficient workers earn 17% to 135% more than those with less proficiency, depending on metro location. At the same time, students who are learning English lag behind their English-speaking peers, meaning the sooner they master English, the better their trajectory for success.
There are several tactics schools can implement for the success of English-learning students and their families.
Foster multilingualism. Not only is linguistic discrimination (preventing children from speaking their native language) in the classroom traumatic, it does not help children learn English better or faster. Instead, multilingualism is a valuable resource that can help students learn better overall.
We can see this in action on the east side of Indianapolis. Since 2003, National Heritage Academies has operated a school on North German Church Road where many students are acquiring English. Nearly 60% of enrolled students there are multilingual learners, and a majority of those students perform higher in English and language arts and math than students at other schools in the area.
Achieving these results means using a curriculum that meets students who are learning English where they are but challenges them by providing engaging, effective instruction with clear mastery objectives. It also means tiered instruction for students at all levels, including beginner, intermediate and advanced. Implementing these tactics keeps all students engaged, no matter their proficiency, and can accelerate English-language learning.
Foster multiculturalism and community. Teachers and administrators have an opportunity to connect with students’ parents and families and encourage their education and English-learning skills. Parents should not only come to the school for disciplinary conversations but also for family nights, parent-teacher conferences and other social or educational events. It is critical to have interpreters on-site for these events. When teachers, staff and parents have access to interpreters, when they have questions or need information, more productive conversations result.
Even with interpreters, teachers and administrators must be willing to learn from the families as much as their children are learning at school. Showing eagerness to learn their cultures and languages can help build relationships and improve the students’ school experience and can even influence families to do the same and learn more about what it means to be an American.
No matter the reason immigrants come to Indianapolis, many are in search of a community alongside housing and employment. Schools are the perfect place to build communities. Children are coming together to learn, and their parents and families can come together over their shared experiences.
Few of these initiatives require budgetary considerations; rather, they are a mindset and a commitment to extend education beyond the classroom. Teaching children to read, write and speak English is critical to their success in life, but welcoming their families into that education and developing them to be good citizens is even more rewarding.•
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Carlton is the executive director of schools for National Heritage Academies, a management partner of schools in Indianapolis and Gary. He worked previously as a teacher and principal.
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