How to Communicate in Simple English to Reduce Language Barriers in the Classroom

Sep 14, 2022 - 01:00 pm

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIlf-yrrjouE9OeCWqA0QgkYTwsZ7xyMdrD  

In this workshop, we will examine language barriers that have to do with us as instructors, not with our learners. Even the most well-meaning instructors unknowingly use spoken and written language that is too complex for English language learners.

When we are not intentional about how we speak to people who are not 100% confident communicating in our native language, they are less likely to understand us, feel safe with us, speak to us, share their perspectives, or receive the information we convey.

Lee Shainis will share 8 tips for simplifying our language. Instructors will learn to communicate in ways that allow them to be better understood by English language learners. Learning to simplify our language is a never-ending skill but this training turns on a consciousness button that has never been turned on for many. We will begin to exercise the brain through relevant practice activities and expand our awareness around this important topic.

Lee co-founded the nonprofit Intercambio in 2000 and was the Executive Director for 20 years. He helped the organization connect 15,000 people in Boulder County through English classes and establish a national network of several hundred organizations. He has led over 100 Cultural Humility trainings, published articles about shifting power imbalances in adult education, and led over 100 workshops for educators and administrators nationwide around English acquisition, community engagement, and program sustainability.

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