Perfect Phrases for ESL Everyday Situations

Perfect Phrases for ESL Everyday Situations

CHAPTER   image
Elementary and High School
The early learning centers or nursery schools take your child up to five years old. At the age of five, depending on the month of their birth and the cutoff date in the school, children begin mandatory elementary school in kindergarten. Children who have not attended any of the preschool options begin kindergarten at this age as well. Some elementary or primary schools include kindergarten and continue through eighth grade; others continue only through fifth grade, and children then go on to junior high school or middle school for grades six, seven, and eight.
High school for all usually comprises grades nine, ten, eleven, and twelve. Ninth grade is called the freshman year of high school, tenth grade is the sophomore year, eleventh grade is the junior year, and twelfth grade is the senior year of high school in the public school system. A child is permitted to quit school legally at age sixteen, but this is discouraged. Those who do leave before finishing high school are called dropouts. A high school diploma is a definite plus in finding work, so dropouts often go on to earn a GED. Additionally, students who choose to attend a college in the United States must have completed coursework that is equivalent to what is taught in American high schools.
To register your child in public school, which is free for all residents of school age, you need to identify your school district and then your local school according to where you live within your town or city. Using the Internet, telephone, or in person, communicate with the board of education, go to the town or city hall, or just visit the principal’s office of the school nearest your home. Sometimes parents reverse the process. If they have a preference for a particular school or school district, they try to buy or rent their living accommodations within the area served by that district. For doing that, a real estate agent could be helpful.
This may be a good time to visit your local library for information and direction. Librarians can be very helpful with information about the schools and may even cut through some red tape. When you visit the school, you will need to show a proof of residency (for example, a telephone bill, electric bill, water bill, lease, mortgage, or driver’s license) with your name and local address on it. You will be asked for your child’s medical files with a record of medical exams and vaccinations. The school will provide a medical form for your doctor to fill out.
Once registered, your child is eligible for many types of support to help him or her succeed in school. An ESL or ESOL instructor will help the student make the transition to an English-only classroom. Depending on the school, the student may be main-streamed and take pull-out classes in English with other ESL students or be taught in a bilingual setting. In any case, help from a private tutor may be necessary at first. If the student has any disabilities (learning, psychosocial, speech, reading) that might interfere with learning, he or she may be eligible for services, free of charge and usually during school hours, from a specialist.
It really doesn’t matter whether you are enrolling a child in kindergarten, the early grades, or especially high school; in every case, the transition is difficult for the student and for you. To manage the transition, you can gain an advantage by forming relationships with the people who know the school, the system, and shortcuts to reduce some of the stress.
Some people at the school you and your child should meet as soon as possible are the principal, the school secretary in the principal’s office, your child’s teachers, and any teaching aides in the classroom. Your child may also have additional teachers for special subjects such as gym or P.E. (physical education), music (vocal and/or instrumental), art, and others. You should also meet with the school counselor.
It is your responsibility to have school records, test results, and notes on your children translated into English. Your children may be tested and observed to determine the most appropriate placement. You will have a say in the placement process.
Phrases for Learning About Your New School
image    May I schedule an appointment to discuss my child’s needs?
image    May I observe a class?
image    How do you address different learning styles?
image    My child___________(is a visual learner, learns best by listening, tends to move around a lot, likes to be active, is a hands-on learner, is extremely shy and afraid of speaking).
image    Do you use computers in the classroom?
image    Do we need a computer at home for homework? Can you suggest one that works for most of the students?
image    Is there homework every night?
image    Is there a list of school supplies my child should bring to school?
image    At what grade do the students change classes, and how does that work?
image    May I have a school calendar with information on ___________(holidays, vacations, half-day sessions, snow days).
image    Do the students have___________(lockers, gym lockers)?
image    May I see the playground?
image    What equipment is there___________(on the playground, in the gym)?
image    How old is the equipment?
Phrases for Learning About Your New School: Eating
image    Does the school have a cafeteria that serves lunch? May I send lunch with my child?
image    My child is___________(allergic to peanuts, a vegetarian, a picky eater).
image    Do some children go home for lunch?
image    Is there a buddy system for new students so during lunch they aren’t eating alone?
image    Are there staggered lunch periods?
Phrases for Discussing Problems in School
image    My child was in a Montessori school in our country and is not used to this type of learning.
image    My son/daughter is finding it difficult to adjust to your school.
image    My son/daughter needs help.
image    I’m concerned about___________(difficulties with homework, problems socializing with other students, isolation, bullying).
image    What do you suggest to help parents cope during these difficult transitional times, especially parents with limited English?
image    We are concerned about drug and alcohol use among young children. What are the school’s preventive measures against these problems?
image    Please tell us about your school’s policies on___________ (bullying, alcohol use, drug prevention).
Phrases for Discussing Problems in School: Bullying and Safety
image    I understand bullying is a major issue in the United States. How do you control it?
image    How is bullying dealt with by the___________(students, teachers, staff)?
image    Could you share the policy for treating the___________ (bully, victim)?
image    Are there monitors in the halls and restrooms?
Phrases for Speaking with the Teacher and Other School Personnel
image    I would like to set up an appointment to discuss my ___________(child’s, son’s, daughter’s) progress.
image    I would like to schedule a parent-teacher___________ (meeting, conference).
image    Are you available___________(before school, after school, during the school day)?
image    Please call___________(me at home at [your phone number], my cell phone at [your cell phone number]).
image    Please e-mail me at___________(your e-mail address).
image    Please contact me as soon as possible about dates and times so I may___________(adjust my schedule, arrange for transportation, clear my calendar, get babysitting for my other children). Thank you.
Phrases You May Hear While Visiting a New School
image    We send report cards out with the children to bring home ___________(every marking period, every six weeks).
image    Classes begin at 9 a.m.
image    In an emergency, what is the best way to contact you?
image    Here is a list of supplies that all new students need.
image    We have a fire drill every semester.
image    Don’t worry about the noise; it’s just a fire drill.
image    I’m sorry about the condition of the___________(parking lot, halls, restrooms); the custodian is out sick today.
image    I can meet with you about your son/daughter on Monday morning at 8:00, before classes start.
image    If you wait until recess is over, we can speak about this more.
You will have other choices of schools in which to enroll your children: private schools, including Montessori schools, Waldorf schools, and charter schools. Some parents even opt for homeschooling. The phrases in this chapter are also helpful in investigating these choices. Since the investigation process is time and energy consuming, your child may begin in the public school in your area, and you or they may elect to change later. Your local library can help with the legwork in getting information on these alternatives.
Phrases Specific to Middle School and High School Students
image    Are there any sessions to help me prepare for college? What are they?
image    Does this state have any college fairs for me to attend?
image    Are there certain elective courses I should be taking?
image    How may I use the summers to prepare for college?
image    I don’t___________(want to, plan to, need to) attend college for my future career.
image    I want to study___________(music producing, TV news reporting, weather forecasting).
image    How can I find out more about___________(these fields, technical schools)?
image    How about internships? Do you know of any in the field I want to enter?
image    I’d like to speak to former graduates who have entered ___________(these fields, these technical schools, these colleges/universities). Can you put me in touch with them? You may give them my___________(name, e-mail address, cell phone number).
image    Would you be able to___________(recommend me, give me a recommendation, write me a letter of recommendation)?
image    What courses do I still have to take? Is there any way around taking statistics?
image    Do you think a tutor could help me? Could you recommend one? Thanks.
image    What about applying for___________(financial aid, scholarships, work-study programs)?
Idioms and Other Vocabulary
Adjust to: get used to
Buddy system: putting together two students—a new one with one who has experience and can make it easier for the new student
Bully: person who engages in bullying another person (The person being threatened is called the victim.)
Bullying: threatening, frightening someone because the person is different
Change classes: move from class to class for different subjects (math, science, etc.) instead of being in one room with one teacher for most subjects
Charter schools: schools that have been given state government money to operate but are not operated by the public school system
College fairs: gatherings of students interested in attending college after high school for them to get information from school representatives
Comprise: contain within oneself
Cope: handle, take care of
Counselor: a person whose job is to help people with problems
Custodian: a person whose job is to take care of keeping a building, such as a school, in order
Cutoff date: date when something stops
Discouraged: not looked upon as a good idea
Dropouts: students who stop attending high school before they graduate
Elective courses: classes you may choose to take after taking all required classes
Equivalent to: equal to, the same as
ESL, ESOL: English as a Second Language, English for Speakers of Other Languages
Financial aid: money loaned or granted to students from a governmental body or other organization for college or university education
Fire drill: a practice session on how to leave the school if there is a fire
GED: general equivalency diploma, received by students who don’t finish high school but study what they would have studied in high school and pass a test on that material
Gym: short for gymnasium, a special location with equipment for physical activity and sports
Half-day sessions: days when there is only a half day of school for various reasons, such as a teachers’ meeting or special celebration
Homeschooling: teaching children at home, not in school
Internships: work programs for students to get experience in a field of study
Isolation: being kept separate from other students
Legwork: traveling to get work accomplished
Letter of recommendation: letter saying someone has the qualities to be good at a job or in a school
Mainstreamed: made part of a regular class
Mandatory: required
Marking period: amount of time in a school year at the end of which grades are issued
Monitors: people, sometimes children, whose job is to watch for trouble
Montessori school: school offering an alternative educational approach
Music producing: job that involves the overall control of the preparation of music production
Opt: choose, select
Options: choices
Picky eater: person who is very particular about what he or she likes to eat
Playground: area outside a school used for physical activity and sports
Plus (n): an advantage, an edge
Policies: systems of actions required in different situations
Preventive measures: actions to stop undesirable things from happening
Psychosocial: related to the mind and behavior, interpersonal
Pull-out classes: special training provided to students outside of their mainstream classes
Put me in touch with: connect me to
Reading: training to read more efficiently or working on reading conditions such as dyslexia where letters or words are read incorrectly
Recess: time of rest during the school day
Red tape: rules that slow down efforts to get things done
Report cards: teachers’ written reports about students’ school-work, which are sent home for parents to read and sign
Reverse: change to do in the opposite way
Scholarships: money given by an organization to help pay for education
Shortcuts: ways to do things faster
Shy: not comfortable speaking with strangers and, sometimes, people you’ve met
Snow days: days where there is too much snow to attend school
Source: a good location
Speech: special training in correct speaking
Staggered: arranged so that people are not all doing something at the same time
Technical schools (also technical colleges): schools where students, who have completed high school or earned a GED, concentrate on learning and doing, especially creating, building, or repairing objects and equipment
Transitional times: times of change from one situation to another
Waldorf schools: schools offering an alternative approach to education
Way around: way to not have to do something
Work-study programs: work that students do at a college or university to help pay for their expenses