Anonymous wrote:Google translate
Just speak English they will pick it up, your other students will know what to do. Make color and number books, read Brown Bear, Brown Bear.
Ummmm.... How are you a certified ESL teacher and not know this? Or are you a classroom teachers who only took the test to get their ESL certification?
FYI huge Eritrean community in Virginia

25+ teaching ESL

You still need to work on your reading comprehension, ESL teacher. OP clearly stated she's a first grade teacher and didn't say anything about being ESL certified. --ESOL teacher

Google translate
Just speak English they will pick it up, your other students will know what to do. Make color and number books, read Brown Bear, Brown Bear.
Ummmm.... How are you a certified ESL teacher and not know this? Or are you a classroom teachers who only took the test to get their ESL certification?
FYI huge Eritrean community in Virginia

25+ teaching ESL

Are you in MCPS? There are liaisons for that community

Anonymous wrote:What is his proficiency in it? Can he read or write it?

She is a first grader and has been in a refugee camp in Israel for at least a year so I doubt she is literate.

Anonymous wrote:You speak Spanish to the kids who speak Spanish?

Yes, if they are newcomers and don’t speak any English. We go over the basics and answer their questions. Plus I have plenty of interpreters in my students who are fluent in both languages.

What is his proficiency in it? Can he read or write it?

Anonymous wrote:You speak Spanish to the kids who speak Spanish?

I'm not OP but I'm an ESOL teacher, and what OP probably means is that when we get a student who only speaks Spanish, there are plenty of students willing to help out and translate. They can explain things like how the lunch system works, what to do if you're hurt or feel sick, what to do in a fire drill, how to check out a book from the media center etc. There's also Google translate in a pinch.

When no one else in the building speaks a child's language and the child doesn't understand any English, it's important to have some way to communicate especially at first when the child is terrified and confused. OP is trying to make sure she has a way to communicate with this child.

Anonymous wrote:I just found a video on YouTube with an Eritrean man on You Tube teaching a basic lesson in Tigrinya. Have you spoken with the child's parents? Do they speak English and even if they don't they might be able to try and help you a bit.

They don’t speak any English. I’ll check out the video. Thanks!

I just found a video on YouTube with an Eritrean man on You Tube teaching a basic lesson in Tigrinya. Have you spoken with the child's parents? Do they speak English and even if they don't they might be able to try and help you a bit.

You speak Spanish to the kids who speak Spanish?

Can’t imagine how this would work.

Welcome to America!

Not an app, but there's this site: https://www.tigrinyatranslate.com/en/

Google translate

I’m a first grade teacher and I found out today that I am getting a new student who is a refugee from Eritrea who speaks Tigrinya. We have plenty of ELLs in our school but they all speak Spanish. Does anyone know of an app that might help with some interpretation?