Help for Parents of
English as a Second Language Students
Mid-State Literacy Council offers an instructional manual that can help English as a Second Language students and their parents acquire specific language skills, vocabulary and speaking practice. The purpose of this manual, Essential School Language, is to help parents communicate confidently and effectively with their children’s teachers.
While meeting with parents to discuss their language needs, it was discovered that one of the most common apprehensions was that they would not be able to communicate with their children’s teachers. If they couldn’t understand or be understood, then how could they help their child in his or her new school environment?
Renata C. Laurent, the project director for the manual, notes that, "recent research in second language acquisition has many experts agreeing that learning is more meaningful, and thus more successful, for learners when it is directly relevant to their daily lives and immediate needs and interests."
Therefore, it was decided that the parents might be interested in learning the expressions that would help prepare them to talk with their childrens' teachers and in that way hopefully become more involved in their children’s school.
There are fifteen chapters devoted to what parents and teachers most want to talk with each other about. Sample dialogues, expansion exercises, and
a vocabulary section were created to prepare learners to talk confidently with teachers about those topics. The new vocabulary definitions did not come from a dictionary because the teacher should use as simplified language as possible.
Chapter sixteen was created to help parents recognize and comprehend the various
forms, flyers, and reports that talk about school life.
The last chapter was added because ideas and helpful tips were collected from parents and teachers relating to conferences and helping
children make the transition to their new school environment. For example, parents can help their children improve their English in many relaxing and fun ways. Children will absorb a new language by looking at books, listening to music, watching television and by playing with English speaking children at the playground.
ESL: Essential School Language was prepared through PDE 353 Special Experimental Project #98-5017 and is available through the AdvancE State Literacy Resource Center. | 
