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  Case: Silent Period
Grigor is in my 4th grade classroom. He came to the US last year with his family from Bulgaria. He was in 4th grade at our school last year as well. He was retained in 4th grade because he did not develop his English language skills. I learned about a "silent period" that children go through when they learn a new language. My guess is that Grigor is in the silent period. But it does not make sense to me that he would be in the silent period for almost two years. He does not say anything in class. He does not socialize with his classmates either. He can read and write in simple English though. His parents tell me that he acts completely normal at home and he is able to communicate with English speaking people at home when they have guests. This is really puzzling. I have to find a way to communicate with Grigor and discover what is holding him back from communicating with people at school. I need some help.
Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!)
English language learners develop and move through the different stages of second language acquisition at different paces. For some students learning a second language may not be as difficult as it is for others. In the case Grigor seems to be moving through the stages at a slower pace and might not be comfortable speaking english for fear of messing up or being embarrassed. A solution for this case would be to find Grigor a "buddy" in the class who can help him become more comfortable speaking english. By assigning Grigor a 'buddy" he will have someone to converse with daily in class as well as get assistance on assignments and clarity on things he does not understand. As well as a buddy, a dialogue journal could also help Grigor. By providing him with a dialogue journal, he will be able to write about what interests him and also express feelings about everything that is occurring. You will be able to read about his interests and from that you can gather a better understanding of him and provide activities that will interest him as well as making him feel comfortable.