Researchers say more resources needed for English as an additional language students this fall

Some parents and teachers are bracing for the so-called "COVID slide," where students may be behind in their school work due to the pandemic. 

However, for English as an additional language students and teachers, there are more challenges than usual. 

"They're new to everything that is happening," said Kareen Reid, a PhD student at the University of Saskatchewan's college of education. "So chances are that they're thinking about what the classroom would look like come the upcoming term."

Reid and U of S education professor Janet Okoko are studying the experience of newcomers in the classroom. Reid is a mother of two who came to Canada with her family from Jamaica in 2016. 

She said parents are thinking about what school will look like during the pandemic, how will their children cope with the new crisis and what teachers may be teaching. 

"It's been a setback for students, but especially for newcomer students," Reid said. "So being that they have been out of school for a while, they might get comfortable speaking their own language."

Going back to speaking English in the classroom "might be challenging for these newcomers students," she said.

Okoko said families are facing a number of challenges, which vary based on their own unique situations. In general, there may be socioeconomic challenges, cultural challenges, family challenges, or difficulty adjusting to physical distancing, she said.

Parents may also be facing issues when it comes to online learning, because they may be learning the online tools themselves, Okoko said.

At the same time, some newcomer families are also working through the Black Lives Matter movement. 

"There's a lot of things happening there," Okoko said. 

Budget cuts affect teachers: researcher

Reid said in her work, EAL teachers have told her they're being affected by recent budget cuts. 

"It's really a challenge for them to deal with the population they have to serve, especially [if] the school is highly diverse and a high percentage of newcomer students are there," she said. 

There may also be catchup to do with students after the remote-learning period.

"It may be that ESL [English as a second language] teachers would have to work double time to bring back students to where they were," Reid said.

Mask use in schools could also present challenges for EAL students who rely on lip reading to learn the language, she said. 

Okoko said school districts need more support, which can then be passed on to teachers.

"They may need to be working with more children. They may need more support in the classroom. And so that may require additional resources," she said. "So such things need to be put in place."

As well, Okoko said families should be facilitated in supporting their children educationally.

"They are very key in the learning process," Okoko said. 

"Ways could be found to support families — which could be both within the educational arena or even the settlement agencies — so that they are informed on how they can support their children and help them both at home and in school."