When Technology Fails Our Students

This week I read an article which highlights a concern I frequently have when incorporating technology with English Learners.  I often speak with teachers who tell me they are making accommodations for their ELs because they allow them to use translators, or the website or online program they are using has an option for Spanish translation.  Unfortunately, these translator tools are not always accurate and do not benefit the students.  In the article "When ELA Tools Can't Adapt to Students' Native Language," Carmina Mendoza is a bilingual teacher working with fifth graders.  She uses a program that we actually use with some of our Newcomer ELs called DreamBox.  DreamBox covers gaps in math education for our students, and offers the option for Spanish translation.  According to Mendoza, however, the translations are not good.  They are translated word for word, which doesn't often lead to a comprehensible sentence.  Students can't understand the directions, and she often has to reword the sentences for them on the spot.  As a teacher who is not fluent in Spanish, let alone the many other languages my students may speak, I cannot tell if the translations are good or not, and I certainly can't translate for the students myself. 

In addition to the inaccurate translation issues, there is another problem that some of the technology programs don't take into account.  Even if the translation is good, students still may not understand what they are reading.  I was surprised to discover that what is considered a grade 4 level text in English actually becomes a grade 6 level text when translated to Spanish.  The lexile is higher because the translation becomes multi-syllabic.  Mendoza used the popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid book as an example.  Not only that, but as she points out, these translations are only effective if students are literate in their native languages, which is not often the case.

For this reason, some tech companies are choosing not to continue offering Spanish translations at all.  i-Ready is one such program.  Instead, they recommend that teachers assign materials that are on the students' current English levels.  They explain, "That’s why i-Ready integrates English-language support 'through strategic scaffolds' designed to mitigate student frustration and build English skills. 'We have visual supports, images that can help them with language acquisition without the need for native language skills,' Salinas says.'We also have an audio feature that allows English learners to hear a text read aloud multiple times, since generally their listening skills are stronger than their reading skills.'

While this seems to make sense, given the limitations of the translation technology, there are still some concerns.  These supports seem to be effective for native English speakers, while still offering only small growth for ELs.