QUESTIONS TO ASK
YOURSELF:
1. Do you want your child to
know how to communicate
effectively in both
languages?
2. Wouldn’t you love for your
child to be able to read,
write and speak fluently in
BOTH languages?
3. Isn’t it really important to
you for your child to retain
your culture while learning
to speak English?
START BY:
Giving your
child an understanding of what
is important for you to pass on
regarding your culture. It is
important for your children to
continue to celebrate your
culture. Help your child learn
WHAT EVERY ELL
PARENT SHOULD
KNOW:
Tips for helping your child
become literate in BOTH
languages!
American culture and be sure
to encourage your child to
form ideas on how they can
keep what is important to
them of their culture while also
feeling comfortable within their
American
culture.
Always
continue to communicate with
your child in your native
language.
Brought to you by:
The English Language Learners
Master’s Degree Teachers Cohort
Concordia University Chicago
River Forest, Illinois
A “Parent Help” Guide
Created by ELL
Teachers!
THE FACTS
What YOU NEED to do
to help your children
become stronger English
language learners:
GOOD NEWS: Your children can
learn to read, write and speak
fluently in English and your native
language…with your help! (You
don’t have to give up one for the
other.)
Here’s The Facts:
Research by school
teachers and professors in English
as a Second Language shows that
by reading to your child in your
native language, and teaching your
child to read and write in your
native language, it will actually
help them be a stronger English
language learner!
You see, they have to
learn the grammatical rules of their
first language, so they can transfer
them over to their second
language. If your children don’t
know how to read and write in
your native language, it will be
MUCH harder for them to learn
English.
1) Read to your children in
your native language
2) Have your children read to
you in your native
language.
3) Have your children read to
you in English.
4) Speak, read and write with
your children in your
native language
5) ALWAYS take advantage
of ESL/ELL services your
children qualify for
6) Start reading to your
children from the time
they come home from the
hospital
7) Turn on the closed caption
on your T.V. so they can
start associating sounds
with images
8) Be sure your child reads
every night
9) Volunteer at school
whenever you are able.
10) Be active in their schools!
Here’s Why:
1. Students need to learn English in
“real world situations,” not just in
the classroom. Fluency in
English will improve if put into
practice, by writing e-mails to
friends, relatives, pen pals, etc.,
in English.
2. Students learn best when you
find something enjoyable to
learn. Make it a habit to improve
your fluency in English. For
example; read; listen to the
radio, news, etc. for ten min. a
day in English.
3. Remember to make learning a
habit, most importantly study for
10 min. a day, that way English
will constantly be in your head.
4. While these are just a few tips
that will help your children
become proficient English
speakers, keep in mind to have
your children use your native
language while they are studying
in English, and feel free to use
their native language in any way
that will help them.