Students are now turning in work in Spanish

@NJChicaa (121847)
United States
March 11, 2025 2:43pm CST
The demographics of our school district have changed quite a bit. We have a large % of "multilingual learners" (formerly called ESL--English as a Second Language). I have students who I can only communicate with via phone or handheld translator. It is crazy that they are putting them in college prep courses when they literally can't speak a sentence in English. Yeah I'm sure I'm really getting through with my lecture about photosythesis or meiosis. My work BFF and I talk about this all the time. It is craziness but there is no easy answer. I accept their assignments late because I know that it takes them time to translate the material/questions into Spanish, get it all done, and then translate it back into English. If they are trying their best to get the work done then I am more than happy to be accommodating. Several times over the past month, however, I've had students (plural) submit work written in Spanish. Um, I don't speak Spanish. I never even took it in high school. I took 5 years of French (starting in 8th grade). My knowledge of Spanish words was acquired after almost a dozen vacations in Cozumel, Mexico. I can say apple, orange, beer, ice, "check please", "no more tequila", bathroom, butter, good morning, good night, please, and thank you. I've had to reject their work and tell them to translate it so I can grade it. I'm just waiting for administration to say that we have to accept work in another language and then do the work to translate it. I'm sure it is coming.
4 people like this
4 responses
@snowy22315 (186384)
• United States
11 Mar
Ha, I bet you know bathroom too.
2 people like this
@NJChicaa (121847)
• United States
11 Mar
yes that is included in my list
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (186384)
• United States
11 Mar
@NJChicaa oh sorry, I overlooked it
1 person likes this
@lilacskies (9874)
• United States
11 Mar
They better pay you extra if they make you translate the students' work.
2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (48829)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
11 Mar
What? Your fuhrer hasn't had them deported yet?
1 person likes this
@NJChicaa (121847)
• United States
11 Mar
Oh I'm sure he will try
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (92769)
• United States
11 Mar
That's interesting now..lets see what happens..Ill be curious to know if admin makes it so you have to accept it..that wont be right no way.
1 person likes this