Tasked with school help, many parents lack English

Since her daughters’ school closed for the coronavirus outbreak, Mariana Luna has been thrust into the role of their primary educator, like millions of parents across the U.S. But each day, before she can go over their schoolwork, her 9-year-old first has to help her understand what the assignments say.

A Spanish speaker originally from Mexico, Luna uses Google Translate on her phone and, when she gets stuck, asks her daughter to translate instructions and emails from teachers.

“To be honest with you, it has been difficult for me because of the language more than anything,” said Luna, whose daughters attend a school in North Las Vegas, Nevada. “My husband does speak the language a little more, and when he comes home from work, he is the one who gives me the most support with the girls, but since I have not worked and have only been at home, I do not speak the language as well.”

The shift to distance learning has created unique challenges for English language learners and their parents, who are tasked with keeping them on track despite their own struggles and lack of familiarity with the educational system.

There were more than 4.8 million English language learner students in public schools in 2016, nearly a tenth of total enrollment, according to the most recent U.S. Department of Education statistics. While some teachers are taking extra measures to help them, there is concern these students will be left behind the longer schools are closed during the pandemic.