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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!) First, I feel that it is going to be imperative that you establish a relationship with this student. It might start out with you giving him a compliment. He may not even respond to the compliment, but at least he will feel like you care about him. Next, it might be important to learn some things about his culture. One thing I have tried is learning a few phrases in students' first language. That way, when speaking, you show him that you are interested in his culture and language. He may also use this time to help you with HIS language. Hopefully, this will break the ice and your student will come around. |
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