Have a Great Summer and Don't forget to READ!
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Alphabet Soup
ESL stands for English as a Second Language. It is an educational program for students who speak English as a second or other language. Some school districts use the acronym ESOL, for English as a Second or Other Language. Students who participate in an ESL program are often called ESL students.
ELL stands for English Language Learner. An ELL is a student who is still learning English as his/her second or other language. You may also see EL, or English Learner.
LEP stands for Limited Enlglish Proficient. It is the acronym used by the federal government to desribe students who may need instructional support from an ESL program. A student who speaks English as a second language, but has mastered English and no longer needs any support, is not LEP. All LEP students are assessed in English language proficiency every year, whether they participate in ESL classes or not.
SIOP is the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol. It is an instructional model designed for classroom teachers to use to support ESL students in classrooms that also include many non-ESL students. You can learn more about this model by clickin on SIOP above.
TESOL is a professional organization for Teachers of English as a Second or Other Language.
WIDA, or World-class Instructional Design and Assessment, is "a consortium of states dedicated to the design and implementation of high standards and equitable educational opportunities for English language learners." -www.wida.us
ELP stands for English Language Proficiency. WIDA has developed ELP standards for its member states, which now include North Carolina.
LOL stands for laugh out loud. Sometimes when the acronyms get to be too much, you just have to sit back and lol!
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What is Jose Tomas Hernandez Garcia's last name???
In the United States, we generally have three names: first, middle, last. When I tell you my name is Leticia Trower, you know that there is probably another name in between those two – my middle name. We just don’t use our middle names unless something official requires our complete name.
In Spanish-speaking countries, something similar happens. If I tell my friend Josefina that my name is Leticia Pinzon, she knows there are TWO names that I am leaving out! (Not to mention that I would be lying, since my name isn’t Leticia Pinzon, but let’s pretend it is). Josefina knows that I probably have a middle name, just like Americans. But unlike Americans, she knows I also have a “segundo apellido” – a second last name. And like middle names, these second last names don’t get used much – just on official stuff.
So what is a segundo apellido, and where does it come from? And by the way, why aren’t any of my Hispanic students’ parents married??? Aha! There is one answer to both of these questions.
I would hate to think that any of us would judge, but I have on occasion heard people bemoaning the fact that their Hispanic student’s parents have different last names and, therefore, must not be married. But this probably isn’t the case. In Spanish-speaking countries, a woman does not change her last name when she gets married! If Leticia Pinzon marries Julian Gonzalez, she remains Leticia Pinzon.
This is where the segundo apellido comes into play. When Julian Gonzalez and Leticia Pinzon decide to have children (like many married couples), the kids get both last names. Their father’s last name (Gonzalez) is their main last name, and their mother’s last name (Pinzon) is their segundo apellido – their second last name. Quiz yourself: their kids are Lupita Diana and Edgar Miguel. What are their full names? (See below for answers*).
Now, everyone in Chile knows Alejandro Pablo Lopez Suarez, and they know that his name is Alejandro Lopez. His middle name, Pablo, isn’t that important. Neither is his segundo apellido, Suarez. When his teacher looks for him on her class roster, she looks under L for Lopez. (She also knows exactly what to call his dad: Senor Lopez – and his mom: Senora Suarez!! That’s one advantage I would love to have!). But one day Alejandro moves to the US, and pandemonium ensues. His teacher writes "Alejandro Suarez" on his nametag. His birth certificate, social security card, and school records don't match each other -- one says Lopez Suarez, Alejandro; another says Lopez-Suarez, Alejandro; and the other just says Lopez, Alejandro. Even Alejandro isn't sure what his name is anymore!
But Alejandro has it easy compared to Maria. Poor Maria doesn’t have a middle name! So when her teacher sees “Maria Flores Lobo,” she sees three names: first, middle, last. But of course, Maria Flores Lobo is actually a first name, a last name, and a segundo apellido, as you now know!
So… what is Jose Tomas Hernandez Garcia’s last name? You probably answered “Garcia.” But now that you have read this, I’m sure you know it is actually Hernandez. When he comes to the U.S., he may Americanize it to Hernandez-Garcia, with a hyphen. Or he may just drop the Garcia altogether. Then again… he may keep his full name just as it is, and now you know what to do with it when you meet him!
*The children’s names are Edgar Miguel Gonzalez Pinzon, or Edgar Gonzalez; and Lupita Diana Gonzalez Pinzon, or Lupita Gonzalez.
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