English - Read Aloud - "I Hate English"

There was an issue with the bullying of ELLs (English Language Learners) in my grade 5 practicum classroom. While most of my students spoke languages other than English, twenty five of the twenty seven were second generation. If they had ever been English Language Learners, by grade 5 all of the second generation students were fluent. As a result of the bullying issue, a community circle was held while the ELL were in ESL class one morning, so they would not feel put on the spot. Later that week, this read aloud was completed. Many questions from this read aloud were originally written by a peer, who designed this lesson for a grade two or three class. While reading picture books may seem 'childish', I have found that many fifth graders enjoy them, if they age appropriate and used with a purpose in mind.

Read Aloud – I Hate English

Social Justice/Equity This book tackles the issue of alienation as a result of being unable to speak English. This book was chosen for a Grade 5 read aloud, as it spoke to the issue of excluding English Language Learners, which was occurring in the classroom. Students were also actively bullying students, so the visualization extension was added so students could try to imagine what it was like to be in that situation, and hopefully become more empathetic in the process. Given that the book also is a celebration of bilingualism, heritage and speaking other languages; at the beginning, students were also given the chance to talk about their own backgrounds in a safe environment.

Before (you begin to Read the Story) Ask students the following questions, the first three will be done from their desks, record the answers about languages on a piece of chart paper. How many of you were born in another country? How old were you when you arrived in Canada? Can you speak a different language? Which other languages, besides English can you speak? Have you ever travelled to another country where you did not know the native language? Read the first page, and ask the read aloud question. “Mei-Mei tells us she hates English. Why would that be? What are some possible scenarios?” Students will write down the reason on a piece of paper. Given students two minutes and afterwards ask them to sit with you on the carpet.

During How do you think the other students feel? What do you think Mei-Mei wants to talk about? Mei-Mei tells us she hates English? Why do you think she hates English? What are some possible scenarios? When someone asks you who you are, what ideas come to mind? Do you think people lose their identity when they move to a country or learn a new language? We all have our own interesting life stories/experiences, even if sometimes it’s hard or frustrating to express them because we are shy, are having a bad day or are learning a new language. Have you ever had to learn something that was very difficult for you to grasp, even with all of your best efforts? How did it make you feel? (refer to own experience of Industrial Arts in grade 8) VISUALIZATION When someone feels alienated, when they don’t feel included, it can serve to make them feel anxious, worried or depressed. Think about a time when you felt alienated. How did that make you feel? Now imagine for a moment that you feel alienated, you are new to the country and understand very little of the language around you. You are trying hard to learn, but it’s difficult to learn a new language and take classes in the language you are learning. You are new the country, and many things are different from your home country. Now imagine that you are in this situation, and other people are bullying you. What sorts of feelings and thoughts does that evoke?

Consolidation “Think of a situation where you felt alienated or excluded. (if you have not experienced this, imagine a situation) How did you feel? How did you react? What did you do? Please answer in at least two paragraphs. Remember that no one will be reading this except you and I, and what you write will remain confidential.” Tell students that once they are complete, they should hand the journal in to the teacher, and then read a book.

The picture above is the result of the initial "What languages do you speak?" question. Students got to come up to the front and write the language they spoke on the chart paper (provided it was not yet present).

For the consolidating journal entries, many students wrote about being alienated or excluded by friends, especially when playing games. Most students demonstrated that they connected with the theme of alienation, even if they could not directly relate to it, as it applies to ELL students. The combination of the read aloud and community circle seemed to result in ELL students being bullied less.

This read aloud relates to the OCT standard of Leadership in Learning Communities as it contributed to the "creation of a collaborative, safe and supportive learning community." It is necessary for teachers to guide students towards the proper treatment and acceptance of others. In my eyes, bullying is unacceptable in schools. Every student should have the right to go to school, feel safe and learn without the risk of harassment.