Supporting Young Readers in Multiple Languages
On the second to last post for my eReader blog I have decided to focus on how eReaders may assist teachers, both in and outside the classroom. The primary focus here will be supporting English as a second language (ESL) readers. A topic of some interest here in El Paso where we have a large Spanish speaking and bilingual population. I have written many times about access to education and as we all know, our schools resources are primarily produced in English and resources for other languages may be limited. To me that is limiting access to education. An eReader can help. First, eReaders have many books for young readers that are published from other languages that allows young readers to engage with literature in a cost effective and simple way. Moreover, some eReaders have settings that operate the eReader in other languages, albeit that does not mean translating eBooks from one language to another, although there are some eReader apps that profess to do this on a word by word basis.
I cannot speak to the quality of the translations but one such eReader app is Kybook Reader. Not to be outdone, many eReaders have dictionaries in more many languages to help English learners understand new words explained in their native language. All together, these features may significantly increase learning motivation among ESL readers. These features can also be used to support and motivate young native English readers who are, or are at risk of falling behind their peers.
Mike,
ReplyDeleteVery interesting work. The capabilities of eReaders regarding language barriers within the classroom never really occurred to me. I remember my high school having a separate section of classrooms for ESL students as the Las Vegas Valley has a high population of Spanish speaking families. These students were, for lack of a better term, segregated from the rest of the school. Had this technology been available, these students may have had better opportunities for learning. Further, I would have liked to have had this technology during my three years of Spanish! Thanks for your post Mike.
-Donny
Donny,
DeleteI was thinking the same thing...this would have been great while trying to learn Spanish. The dictionary alone would have been worth its weight in gold. Thanks for the comment and have a wonderful week.
Mike W.
Mike,
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great idea to incorporate in the classrooms. I remember moving to New York when I was little and the learning how to speak English was a bit of a challenge for me at first. I can only imagine how much easier life would have been for me if this technology would have existed then. This feature would have made it much easier for me to follow a lesson plan instead of struggling trying to comprehend and understand words that I did not know by using the dictionary option to look up words and find out their meaning. Great Post
Alex
Alex,
DeleteThank you for the feedback. Hopefully we see this technology advance in the coming years so we can improve the experience of all learners!
Mike W.
Mike
ReplyDeleteI had no idea you could use this feature to help English as a second language learners. This is great for any foreign student who needs help understanding text. I imagine if I was studying in college I would want this feature to help in understanding textbooks. Part of the challenge for foreign students in interpreting the meaning of words. I say this because when I immigrated to the United States in 1981 I did not understand colloquial sayings. Since a lot of the terminology in textbooks tends to be in plain language understanding text books in middle school proved to be quite a challenge. Having this technology would have significantly reduced my learning curve. I am glad this technology is available for immigrants ands students today. Thanks for your great insights.
Tammy
Tammy,
DeleteThank you for the reply. I think some of these features are even good for young English learners who are native speakers, as you mention colloquial and idiomatic words and phrases can be extremely challenging and regional.
Mike W.
Mike,
ReplyDeleteLike every week I enjoyed reading your blog. I recently got an e-reader for my anniversary and I love it so far. I had no idea how many features e-readers have or how much more I'd enjoy reading when I made the switch from using a laptop or Iphone for reading. I like how you included information on how e-readers can support teachers in and out of the classroom as it pertains to ESL. Just as you highlighted it is especially important here in El Paso. I intend on staying here and very well may end up in the field of education and working as an instructional designer. This is good information to have and just all around good information in general. Thanks for all the insight.
Anthony
Anthony,
DeleteThank you for the feedback and I am glad to hear you are enjoying your eReader. Create a challenge for yourself using the dictionary and flash card features to find words you don’t know while reading and expand your vocabulary by 10 words this month! Do a challenge with a spouse or friend maybe. Have a great week!
Mike W.
Mike,
ReplyDeleteAs usual, your blog provided great information. My Wife is bilingual and I have attempted many times to learn her native language of Spanish. I have taken college level Spanish classes multiple times and I am having difficulty retaining the Spanish language. I have used multiple apps in this endeavor with the same results…maybe I should try using an eReader.
v/r
Andy E.
Andy,
DeleteI have no doubt that an eReader will help you learn Spanish. I also recommend labeling everything in your house with a Spanish tag and endeavor to only refer to them using the Spanish. Also, get 501 Spanish verbs on your eReader. It was the best book I ever purchased to learn Spanish.
Mike W.
Mike, Kybook Reader seems like a handy tool. A couple years ago this would have been a big help to me on the job. I like that apps like this are affordable and can assist in the learning process. There are times I have read books that are originally written in another language (Don Quixote as an example) and I often wonder what I am missing in that translation. I just might give this a try. Thank you as always for the new information :)
ReplyDelete-Mandy
Mike,
ReplyDeleteThanks again for another interesting blog on the capabilities of eReaders. Since coming to your BlogSpot I really have been turned on to this capability. I like many others never really take into consideration the challenges that some students might go through in the classroom. The language barrier is yet another one I seem to have overlooked. This will apply at the academy when dealing with all our foreign peers from many different nations. Technology like this will go a long way to helping bridge the gap in effective communication. We all communicate daily, but it becomes difficult to effectively communicate. This is a great way to get after the effectiveness! Have a great day!
Kevin
Kevin,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment. You make a great point, eReaders may prove useful to some of our foreign counterparts. I wonder if I uploaded a pdf from Army pubs to my Kindle if all the language features would still work...something to try.
Mike W.