"Fantasma!" Zaymar exclaims as he points to the bookshelf in our classroom.

It is naptime and he cannot sleep. Instead, he wants a "libro," a book and is trying to tell me which one he would like me to get for him. For the past five weeks, this boisterous and playful child has attended my preschool in the heart of San Francisco's Western Addition neighborhood, an environment unlike the home and family he has left behind in his native Nicaragua. Sent to the United States by his parents who remain there, Zaymar is now being raised in his new home by his aunt and grandmother, Peta whom he adores.

Several times throughout the day, he holds up his fingers looking at me with a hopeful expression asking how many "horas" it will be until she returns. A creative and highly expressive child, Zaymar enjoys sharing his thoughts, feelings, and experiences with his classmates and me. Unfortunately, beyond the simple vocabulary I have learned from growing up in California, I cannot speak his native Spanish language and as a result am left attempting to communicate with him in any way possible. My situation with Zaymar is not unique; in classrooms across the county, from San Francisco to Miami, many teachers are struggling with the same issues:

• How do I begin to build trust, so critical to any child but especially with a young child who is just leaving his family for the first time and with whom I cannot communicate in the same language?
• How can I begin to help this child make sense of this new place and communicate basic directions so that he can follow the daily routine?
• How do I support, teach and create a relationship with this child without words?

In order to communicate effectively with these second-language learners, we must make some immediate adjustments to our classroom organization and communication style.

Pattan O. Tabors, Ed.D. in her book, One Child, Two Languages defines the central dilemma for second-language learners as such: "[T]hey cannot learn the new language unless they can engage in social interaction with those who speak the new language, but they have limited social access to those individuals until they learn the new language."

As a teacher, my task is to figure out how the second-language learners can gain access to the group; I must organize my classroom to increase and enhance the possibilities for these children to engage with each other naturally and inclusively, no matter what word they use for "play."

Some of Dr. Tabors' guidelines for classroom organization include the following:

• Physically set up "safe havens."
  Safe havens are areas where the second-language learners can settle in and play alone or in proximity of other children. This space should contain toys, such as LEGOs or Playdough, and should be a space the child can enter into play without having to negotiate. This is a place where the child can feel competent and occupied — a safe base.
• Use consistent routines.
  An established, structured schedule of activities allows the second-language learner to follow along by mimicking others. The second language learners can act like members of the group and understand generally what is happening. For example, I play a song every morning that notifies the children that it’s time to gather on the rug to talk about the day. The song involves lots of physical motions, so it immediately engages each child into the circle no matter what language he or she speaks.
• Create small groups of children.
  Second language learners can be mixed with English speaking children in small groups. Small groups allow more opportunity for interaction without forcing the children to have to negotiate entry into play.

As teachers of second-language learners, we are asked to draw upon every resource, skill, experience, and talent we have. My daily life with Zaymar requires all of my ingenuity, creativity, and perseverance. I had to find out what "Fantasma" meant to Zaymar in his mind. One day I finally discovered its hidden meaning, "monster, fantasy creature or phantom." The book he wanted contains many such creatures.

My years in special education with non-verbal children, combined with my experience teaching toddlers who were developing their "first" language bring useful knowledge and skills to this relationship. A highly expressive face, decisive gestures and a flair for the dramatic have served me well!

The following techniques have proven to be very effective in working with second-language learners and will be recognized by Early Childhood educators as the same strategies used with toddlers in supporting their language development.

• Respond to the child, even if you don't understand. Try to pick out a word or gesture, or through the context of the situation, try to understand what he/she might be trying to communicate.
• Try to catch the words the child repeats often or those that seem to have strong significance. Whether it means monster or grandmother, learn the meaning and use the word and then offer the word in English.
• Use simple words and phrases repeated often and in context.
• Always attach a word or words to the object, action, or experience at hand.
• Word to object: holding, touching or pointing to the thing you are talking about
• Word to action: motions, body gestures, and movements that communicate the meaning of the word
• Word to experience: offer strong sensory events in your classroom, which give whole body understanding of the vocabulary, related to it For example; cutting a pumpkin offers rich smelling, squishing, and cutting. All are experienced and remembered by the senses, the body memory.
• Make language learning a game, make it silly, fun, humorous, and human. Songs and rhymes with movements convey meaning. For example, use a song that requires the child to go "up and down" as he or she sings "up and down."

As educators, we have the delightful and challenging experience of teaching children with whom we may not share a common cultural or linguistic base. I have been in classrooms in San Francisco where 12 different languages were spoken among the students and the teacher spoke only one, English. It is not unheard of for a district to serve children with over 100 different languages.

The education of non-native speakers of English has become our latest challenge in education. Let the inspiration of the child asking for the storybook about "Fantasmas" push us to understand and support their process in acquiring a second language.

Resources:

• One Child, Two Languages, A Guide for Preschool Educators of Children Learning English as a Second Language, Patton O. Tabors, Ed.D. Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co., Baltimore, Maryland, 1997.
• Meeting the Challenge of Linguistic and Cultural Diversity in Early Childhood Education, edited by Eugene E. Garcia and Barry McLaughlin, Teachers College Press, New York, N.Y. 1995.

Michele Ryan holds a Multiple Subjects Credential as well as Learning Handicapped and Severely Handicapped Credentials. She is on special assignment for San Francisco Unified School District's Professional Development Department providing resources, mentoring, and training for Early Childhood and School Age teachers. Michele has been a Child Development Specialist for school districts, colleges, and counties.

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