Social and Emotional Learning and ESL Students
Social and Emotional Learning and ESL Students
Many of these students are in ESL programs and may struggle to connect with their peers due to language barriers. Social and emotional learning has the potential to bridge these gaps, fostering connections and unifying your school community.
By Frances Fragela | Spanish Content Development Specialist
Starting at a new school is challenging, and being the new kid is even tougher. Every fall across America, millions of children face the daunting task of attending a new school.
A growing number of these students are in ESL (English as a Second Language) programs and may struggle to connect with their peers due to language barriers. This language gap can leave them feeling excluded and unable to participate fully in their classes. Social and emotional learning has the potential to bridge these gaps, fostering connections and unifying your school community.
Emotional Regulation
Social and emotional learning provides strategies that help students manage their emotions. These skills help ESL students express themselves and understand their peers, even with limited English language proficiency.
With Friendzy, we ensure everyone is on the same page, discussing crucial concepts like resilience, self-regulation, and impulse control. Our program achieves this using emotional regulation tools like the Daily Check-In tool, classroom lessons, games, coloring pages, and so much more.
Using these tools and lessons daily helps students sharpen their emotional intelligence, which allows ESL students to cope with the challenges of adapting to a new language and culture. As educators, we don't want language to be a barrier to learning.
Create a Positive School Climate
ESL students often feel excluded and unable to connect with other students. Social and emotional learning helps create a positive and inclusive school climate where all students feel valued and supported. A positive school environment enhances the overall well-being and success of ESL students.
A key component of the Friendzy social and emotional learning program is establishing a unified language across schools. Students learn This common vocabulary through catchphrases throughout the school year. Catchphrases like: Nos Necesitamos Unos A Otros, Tu Primero, y En Equipo Alcanzamos Sueños.
Unified language transcends the classroom and is encouraged among teachers, principals, and even parents. When children and adults interact, Friendzy's unified language provides an entry point for meaningful conversations.
In dual-language schools, vertical alignment enables ESL students to learn catchphrases in both English and Spanish. This approach helps them enhance their emotional intelligence and expand their vocabulary in both languages.
Improving Social Integration
Most public schools have inclusion classes, where ESL students are integrated into the main classroom. The teacher is responsible for providing them with the space to translate or use their first language. This can present challenges and create language barriers between students and teachers, but these barriers can be addressed through effective instruction.
A primary objective of the social and emotional learning core competencies encourage teamwork and collaborative activities. Group work encourages ESL students to interact with their peers, practice language skills in a social context, and learn from native speakers. Collaborative projects and activities are particularly effective in promoting language acquisition and social integration.
Our En Equipo Alcanzamos Sueños Craft encourages collaboration and allows students to practice these skills.
Create a unified school environment using our bilingual programming! Fill out the form below to schedule consultation and Friendzy program overview:
