Stop Assuming What Your Students Know: A Biography

Both inside and outside English as a Second Language (ESL) classrooms, ESL students are constantly stereotyped and their knowledge of something (or lack thereof) is assumed. For example, there are many instances where ESL high school students' math knowledge is assumed to be at a higher or lower level than it actually is. Math is only one of numerous subjects where these assumptions occur. Geography and funding, even within the same country or region, can drastically change the level of education a student receives before moving to the United States. A 6th grade education in Mexico, looks very different than a 6th grade education in Ukraine, Uzbekistan, or the Philippines. Other countries have different expectations for different age groups when it comes to education systems. This all seems obvious, but often both ESL teachers and teachers of different subjects assume a student does or does not know something solely on what country they are from or what native language they speak. For those who aren't ESL instructors or don't interact often with ESL students, the concept of 'assumicide,' as coined by Dr. Anita Archer and referenced in "3 Assumptions Teachers Should Avoid," can also affect students who aren't a part of the ESL community. "Assumicide" can harm those students who may not remember concepts or never learned them in the first place due to a variety of factors (and issues) concerning the education system. 

Young Asian students looking toward the front
of the classroom with interest

As I have tutored and observed inside ESL classrooms as both a high school and college student, I constantly find myself asking students who I help what their background on certain subjects are because each student is at a different level. Some students learned exponents in their home countries. Others didn't. Some students learned terms like 'simile', 'metaphor', and 'hyperbole' is their native county. Others didn't. Assuming a student is already familiar with certain terms, even when translated to their native language, is a dangerous and often unhelpful game that many teachers play. This is often why translation services for assignments often aren't sufficient on their own. You can translate exponent to exponente or ekspozan or kielelezo all day, but unless a student understands the concept, that translation is empty in purpose. You can translate an English assignment asking students to identify different uses of figurative language to a native language that students can understand, but if that student doesn't understand what figurative language is, the assignment serves them no other purpose than frustration, confusion, and often times cheating in order to complete the assignment. The same concept is applicable for assuming lack of knowledge. Many students' foreign educations are extensive and perhaps even more advanced than American standards. Automatically assuming a student from a foreign country does not know what a 'theme' or 'biology' or 'World War II' means can be seen a racist and alienating. In order for teachers to avoid offending their students and contribute most effectively to increasing their education, I encourage teachers to be more transparent and up-front about their questions of background knowledge and context when helping with and creating new assignments. Additionally, translation is not always (and, in fact, most times not) a helpful accommodation without additional modification to student level needs. Most importantly, the most efficient and effective way to understand your students' backgrounds on topics covered in class is to (wait for it) ask them! This will save you time and energy while taking the pressure and shame away from students.