New Names

Watching a YouTube video about SDAIE instruction for my YOED 6020 class made me reflect on something I experienced in teaching ELL first graders.  One of the first discussions I had with my ELL students was about their siblings.  This was an informal discussion during recess involving a small group of kids.  They were telling me about their families.  I asked simple questions like, "How many brothers and/or sisters do you have?", "Are they older or younger?", and "What are their names?"  Answers to the last question surprised me.  Most of them said, “I don’t know.”  I was totally puzzled by this response.  I said, “What do you mean you don’t know?  What do you call them?”  All of the kids just avoided the question except one little girl.  She looked at me and said, “Well I don’t know their names in English.”  That statement put a lot in perspective for me.  I explained that names do not have to be translated, and sometimes English speakers have a hard time pronouncing names in different languages correctly.  At that moment, I vowed to do everything in my power to pronounce their names as their families did.  This is something that I have a tendency to struggle with.  However, I decided even if I had to try everyday all year, I would let those children know that their names were important to me, and by extension, their identities.