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This website, though American, offers useful ideas like learning a few words in their language, inviting in members of their community, etc.

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Where do my students come from?

The English language learners (ELLs) in your classroom may represent diverse languages and cultures from around the world. The majority of ELL families in the United States come from Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America. These Hispanic families may have many things in common, such as customs, foods, dances, values, and the Spanish language. However, there are also many rich cultural differences within and between countries like Argentina, Mexico, Cuba, and El Salvador.

The more you learn about where your students come from, the easier your job will become. This includes learning more about their language, culture, values, family, and home environment. This knowledge will help you to better support your students in the classroom and to receive more support from home. There are many ways to make this linguistic and cultural diversity a huge asset. Your efforts will also make ELL students feel more welcome.

View a list of the many languages (with percentages) spoken by ELLs in the United States, 2000-2001.

Language

At home, your ELL students and their families communicate in the language they know best. Although there are regional and social variations of Spanish, Spanish is one commonly understood language.

The more Spanish that you know as a teacher, the more you will be able to reach out to your Hispanic students and their families. Even a little Spanish can go a long way. Here are a few things that you can do:

Learn a few basic words and everyday expressions in Spanish

Although it may seem like a small gesture, using Spanish phrases can mean a great deal to your students and their families. Making the effort shows that you respect and value their language. These lists of Spanish/English cognates and common classroom words and phrases will help get you started.

Try taking a Spanish class

Learning more Spanish will improve your communication with Hispanic students and their parents. And by going through the process of learning a second language, you will better understand the challenges faced by your students, who have to learn English and subject matter at the same time. You will also become more aware of effective strategies for teaching your students.

Culture

Try to really learn where your ELL students come from. Move beyond the "Latino/Hispanic" label. Is this student a Mexican immigrant or a second generation Mexican American? Is he or she from Central America, a Caribbean island, or South America? Your students and their families have interesting histories and a rich cultural heritage to share.

Here are two things you can do to learn more:

Inform yourself

Read about your ELL students' countries, regions, and customs. You can find information in books, articles, and on the Internet. Even just looking in encyclopedias or travel guidebooks will give you a basic overview of their countries.

Invite their culture into the classroom

Invite students and/or family members for show-and-tell, story-telling, food tasting, dancing, etc. Doing this will likely raise the self-esteem of ELL students and generate greater respect from their peers.

Values

Hispanic families often immigrate to the United States with high hopes for better educational opportunities for their children that can lead to economic improvement. Even if parents do not speak English or cannot read in Spanish, they often share some of the following values and beliefs about education:

Respect for the teacher and school

In Latin America, parents tend to put teachers on a pedestal. They respect education. It is assumed that the teacher's job is at school and the parent's job is at home.

Hispanic parents in the United States care deeply about their children's education, but they may not be used to taking an active role. It is up to you, the teacher, to explain that in the United States it is common for teachers to welcome and invite parents to be in touch, come in for conferences, help with reading and homework at home, and make decisions together with the school.

High expectations

Hispanic parents in the United States tend to make big sacrifices for the future of their children. They often move far from home and work long hours so that their children can succeed in school and in life. So it is no surprise that these parents have high expectations and aspirations for their children's success in school.

Family relationships

Family is often the cornerstone of Hispanic social structure. Families have a strong sense of interdependence, mutual respect, and co-parenting. Grandparents, godparents, aunts, uncles, and older siblings may be helping to raise your ELL students. This extended family might live at home, visit frequently, or live nearby. Many Hispanics travel back and forth between their native country and the United States. Understanding this family structure might help you to gain trust and participation from both the immediate and extended family members.

Home environment

Although you do not want to pry for information, the more you can find out about where your students come from, the better you will understand their strengths, needs, and real-life circumstances. One way to find out is to get to know their families - whether at school, in their home, or in the community. But if a family is very reluctant to meet with you, respect their wishes and understand that they may have good reasons for this.

Having answers to the following questions may help you to better work with your students and their families:

Who lives at home? Parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, older siblings? How many of them speak English? How many know how to read in English and/or Spanish?

How long have they been in the United States? Why did they come?

How familiar are they with the U.S. school system?

What is the child's prior educational experience?

Has the child been formally instructed in English before? If so, for how long?

Do they come from a big city or a rural town?

Does your student have a quiet place to study? Is there someone to help with homework?

Most of this information can also be obtained by using a written "Getting to Know You" survey or through informal conversations.

Learn more about identifying your students' language preferences and abilities.

Reaching out

Children's author and literacy advocate, Pat Mora, discusses how teachers and librarians can reach out to parents of ELLs.

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Learning about Your Students' Backgrounds

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The English language learners (ELLs) in your classroom may represent diverse languages and cultures from around the world. The majority of ELL families in the United States come from Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America. These Hispanic families may have many things in common, such as customs, foods, dances, values, and the Spanish language.

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This website suggests activities to do with an ELL class where you compare and introduce different cultural practices to learn more about each other

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This website suggests activities to do with an ELL class where you compare and introduce different cultural practices to learn more about each other

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by Susan Verner 15,214 views

Teaching internationals isn't like teaching people from your own country.

Not only do they speak a different language from you (and often from each other), they hold different cultural values. Culture, though it may seem easy to understand, is in fact a very complex and intimate part of who a person is. What makes culture more difficult to understand is that it permeates so much of who a person is without that person even realizing it. This activity is designed to help your students appreciate different cultures among the world's people and to develop cultural sensitivity toward each other as well as the rest of the globe's populations. Your students will be creating their own culture and the elements that are part of it and then sharing that culture with one another.

Consider Using This Activity to Develop Cultural Sensitivity

1. Elements of Culture

Before your students get creative with their own cultures, your class should take a look at the finer points of their own cultures. If you teach a class composed of the same nationality, you can use that nationality as your example. If you teach a class of internationals, use your own culture as the example, and then have them note the same points from their own cultures. Explain that culture comprises much of who we are without us even realizing it. Culture shows itself in our beliefs, our values, our habits, our expectations, our language, and our traditions among other things. Take a closer look at either your culture or your students' culture by thinking about and noting specific elements on the board. Make a note of each of the following. I have used the USA as an example.

Country/Nationality

USA/American

Language

How to say the following words?

Hello

Goodbye

Please

Thank you

Sorry

Cheers

English

What do you do when you meet someone for the first time?

What do you do when you meet someone you know?

Shake hands

Shake hands, hug, kiss

What do you say when someone sneezes?

God bless you

What are actions you should never do in your culture? (Cultural Taboos)

Show someone your middle finger or use it to point or do other actions, pick your nose or fart in public

What are some reasons you celebrate?

Birthdays, religious holidays, historical events, a personal accomplishment/success

As you answer these questions with your class, encourage students to offer other examples they might know from their own or other cultures.

2. The Scenario

Once your students have an understanding of how culture manifests itself, it is time for them to create their own cultures. This is the scenario. Space exploration has reached a new height, and your country has discovered life on many other planets far from your solar system. These planets are small, and their populations are small as well. Though they are in close geographic proximity, they had no knowledge of each other's existence until your country visited the planets. Your country is organizing an interplanetary conference where these peoples will meet each other for the first time. Each student's task is to create a culture for one of those small planets.

3. The Cultures

Have students start by thinking up a name for their planet/culture and describing its geography as well as its people. Depending on your class, you might want them to illustrate the planet and people and display them around the room.

Once your students have created the planet, they should think more about the beings who live there by answering each of the following questions:

What do the people do all day and/or all night?

Do they work?

What do they do for fun?

What do they eat and drink?

What kinds of sports do they play?

What kinds of music do they listen to?

What are some of their laws?

What is most important to each person?

What do the people not care about?

Once your students have answered these questions, have them go back to the questions you answered about your own culture and answer those questions about their fictional planet. Encourage students to be creative throughout the culture creation experience.

4. The Meeting

Once your students have developed their own cultures (and kept the information to themselves), it is time for all the people groups to meet. Half of the class will do the role play at a time while the other half watches. Have the students who are playing in the role play come to the front of the room. Each person will be acting as a person from the culture he created. In this part of the activity, the peoples are meeting each other in an informal atmosphere, like a party or mixer. They should perform their greetings, use their language and display other elements of the cultures they created. If someone from another culture performs one of the taboos, the person should act offended. Once the students have had enough time to meet and greet each other, have the groups change places and repeat the meeting.

5. The Debrief

After all your students have played the greeting, ask them about the experience. How did they feel when they were meeting people from other cultures? Were they uncomfortable at any point? Did anyone do anything that offended them? How did that feel? Did anyone do anything that made them feel welcome or happy? What was it? Encourage your students to share as many details about the experience as they are comfortable doing.

Then help your students understand why they had the experiences they did. Have pairs of students share the specifics about their cultures with each other. If possible, match students with someone who offended them in the meeting. As they discuss, each person should take notes about the other person's created culture, listing the same information they have about their own culture. After students have shared, change the pairings and have students gather information about another culture.

6. Discussion

Once students have gathered information about two other created cultures, come back together as a class. Ask students to share any insights they got learning the specifics about another culture. Then place students in groups of four or five for some discussion time. Give each group a copy of the following questions.

When have you felt uncomfortable or offended in real life because of a cross cultural experience?

How does the activity we did compare to real life?

What can we learn from the in class cultural conflicts?

How can we be more sensitive to people from other cultures in real life?

7. Response

After students have discussed their experiences in both the class activity and real life, ask them to share their own experiences in writing. You might have them write a paragraph, an essay, a letter, a newspaper article, or something else. Individuals can use the discussion questions for inspiration, or they can write about their own ideas. Whatever they choose to write about, ask students to include a paragraph on what they learned from the entire experience.

They say it's a small world after all, and that is truer every day. Helping your students understand each other and other peoples of the world does more than make your ESL class run smoothly. It helps them become globally sensitive people who can make a difference in the future of our world.

Do you do activities specifically designed to help your students be culturally sensitive?

What do you do?

P.S. If you enjoyed this article, please help spread it by clicking one of those sharing buttons below. And if you are interested in more, you should follow our Facebook page where we share more about creative, non-boring ways to teach English.

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Project-based learning (PBL) offers many benefits to English language learners (ELLs), including hands-on activities, peer interaction, rich language use, and a chance to explore personal interests.

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Tips for motivating and engaging ELL students

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Those who have already obtained a master's degree in ESL may have the upper hand, but TESL students and the vast majority of other teachers have limited knowledge of how to work with English as a Second Language (ESL) learners, also called English Language Learners (ELLs). At some point in their career, almost all teachers will have a student whose native language is not English. Engaging with ELLs does not have to be an uphill battle - in fact, it should be an enriching experience for the teacher, the ESL learner, and the rest of the class.

As with all teaching, going the few extra steps to prepare engaging lessons - namely by injecting your own personal experiences and incorporating those of your students - will do wonders to interest your students in the curriculum. You can also draw inspiration from and use these teaching resources and tools. Says one teacher, "Teaching ESL is about 1/3 knowing the ins and outs of the English language, 1/3 being a good communicator, and 1/3 being a good actor. You really need to be excited in this job." Here are 10 tips for motivating ESL learners and elevating the educational and cultural environment for everyone involved:

Tip #1: Create a cultural dialogue.

This suggestion tops our list because it is offered by every teacher who has worked with ESL students. Learning in an English-speaking classroom doesn't mean force-feeding American patriotism. It must be a two-way street. Create an environment that embraces your students' own cultures and backgrounds. Show a real interest. Ask the students to teach you phrases in their own language, especially positive phrases like "Good job," and use these phrases interchangeably with their English counterparts. Do presentations on their culture's history, food, and background, and encourage the students to formulate their own demonstrations. Invite the parents into the classroom, even if they don't speak English, to participate and get to know the entire class. This approach helps teach all your students that having a family that speaks another language is something to be celebrated.

Tip #2: Engage with your students' special occasions and interests.

On a related note, many American teachers develop special activities for holidays- Halloween, Passover, Christmas, Valentine's Day, and so forth - as well as American pastimes - baseball, lemonade stands, overconsumption. Ask your students to share their own holidays and interests, and incorporate these ideas into your classroom. One of the best ways to get a child or adult talking is to ask them about their personal life. Whipping out a handout that includes something that relates meaningfully to their lives will strengthen their interest in the classroom community and the material itself.

Tip #3: Use scaffolding techniques to help students accomplish tasks.

Scaffolding is the support given during the learning process that is tailored to the needs of your students. Since ESL learners generally need a new kind of support, it can be helpful to think of scaffolding as divided into three categories:

1. Verbal scaffolding: slowing speech, enunciating words, paraphrasing, rephrasing, using "think-alouds," etc.;

2. Procedural scaffolding: one-on-one teaching, coaching, modeling, small-group instruction, partnering, and pairing; and

3. Instructional scaffolding: use of pictures, regalia, graphs, graphic organizers, audio-visual aids, and so forth.

Being aware of how you use these tools in the classroom can help you better plan for the needs of your students. Eventually, the goal is for the student to figure out the task at hand on their own and no longer need the additional support.

Tip #4: Maximize inter-student interaction.

Cooperative learning is proven to be effective for ESL learners. Students see the teacher as the authority figure. Getting them to speak in front of you or in front of the whole class can be difficult, but they usually feel more comfortable interacting with their peers. Ask your students to teach one another simple playground games, like tag or four square. You could even have the class interact with and help each other use some of these apps for learning English as a means to facilitate conversation, learn, and have fun. When planning group or pairing activities, design different groupings depending on the needs and purposes of the lesson. This interaction gives the ESL students a chance to practice English in a less threatening setting. Although they shouldn't feel threatened at all, because you should always...

Tip #5: Correct errors with compassion.

Your ESL students will make mistakes, and you should let them. After all, we learn best through making mistakes. And if you're interrupting your students to correct them every five words, they're going to get frustrated, lose their train of thought, and feel attacked. Give your students time to think and respond, and let them realize they've made a mistake and try to correct it themselves. Everyone has opinions, and everyone wants the floor to speak them occasionally. Give them the space they need to formulate ideas.

Tip #6: Speak clearly.

It may seem obvious, but it is important to ensure your students understand what is expected of them. At the start of each activity, go over both the content and the language objectives; with both children and adults, these objectives can be simple and straightforward. At the end of the lesson, review the objectives to ensure they've understood everything. One teacher even suggests recording snippets of your class for your own review. He says, "It's amazing how many times you'll find yourself saying words that are natural to you, but might throw off the students (think about how many times you say 'ya know,' 'like,' 'well, ya see,' 'the thing is,' so kind of extra words with no meaning." Recording yourself to make sure you're being crisp, concise, and to the point.

Tip #7: Use hands-on and project-based activities.

This is actually applicable to all teachers in all disciplines: Students like hands-on and project-based activities, and effective teachers use them to help their students engage in learning through exploration. Hands-on activities generally include scaffolding components, and project-based activities often incorporate the students' own interests and cultural backgrounds. There's no need to stick to a monotone reading of the textbook. Think outside the mold with the goal of experimental fun. One teacher suggests an activity that involves setting up a "marketplace" in the classroom and asking students to buy, sell, and trade different items. This hits a few key objectives, including inter-student interaction and the practical art of negotiation. A number of teachers suggest using music in the classroom - sing pop songs together, create songs for vocabulary lists, and so forth. If you play an instrument yourself, by all means, bring it into the classroom!

Tip #8: Be adaptable, but maintain high expectations.

A challenge like learning in a new setting is just that: a challenge. It doesn't mean you should lower your expectations or give out A's for effort. Outline realistic benchmarks and assessments, and take into account the students' needs for time, support, difficulty, and product. Adapt the amount of time for completing a task; adapt the amount of scaffolding; adapt the task (for example, by allowing use of a dictionary or simplified instructions); and adapt the type of response such as permitting drawings, a verbal response, or a translated response. Students want to respond to their teachers' high expectations positively, so if you foster a positive classroom environment while maintaining your high (and realistic) expectations, your students will rise to the challenge.

Tip #9: Encourage students to speak in their native language.

Some teachers make the mistake of telling their ESL students that their native tongue is not allowed in the classroom. But maintaining and developing this native language actually helps their acquisition of academic English. According to a 1995 study by Virginia Collier and Wayne Thomas, dual language models of schooling have a substantial effect on student progress, "enhancing student outcomes and fully closing the achievement gap in second language." Support of the primary language is therefore critical to helping your students succeed both in your class and in the years to follow, and ideally, instruction occurs bilingually - that is, the "curricular mainstream [is] taught through two languages."

Tip #10: Seek resources.

When you need advice or ideas, or if you simply want a sounding board, sseek assistance from full-time ESL teachers or even general teachers who are bilingual themselves. Identify and recruit volunteers from your personal and professional life, or any of these ESL and TESOL Twitter accounts who speak the students' language. Administrators can even work with community leaders who are involved in community development with immigrant families.

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Surefire Tips for Motivating ESL Learners

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Those who have already obtained a master's degree in ESL may have the upper hand, but TESL students and the vast majority of other teachers have limited knowledge of how to work with English as a Second Language (ESL) learners, also called English Language Learners (ELLs).

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Engaging ELL students in the classroom and their families too

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Engaging ELL students in the classroom and their families too

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In this course, you will learn how to better and more successfully engage your ELL(s) and their families in the school and community. You will learn how to engage your ELL student in the classroom setting as well as in various aspects of the school including extracurricular activities and the inner workings of the school and education system. You will also be introduced to strategies for engaging the families of your ELL students in the school community and the wider community of your city and state. You will interact with a variety of case studies that highlight teachers, schools, and communities in different cities throughout the United States and the ways in which they successfully engage ELLs and their families. From sharing their experience, you will have the tools necessary to implement strategies and procedures for engaging your ELLs and their families. Upon completing this course, you will be able to: * Define the culture of ELLs in K-12 classrooms across the U.S. * Recognize cultural impact on learning and formal education * Assess your school's engagement of ELLs and their families * Incorporate culturally sensitive techniques to engage ELLs in the classroom and school * Implement strategies for engaging ELLs' families in the school and larger community * Design a plan for engagement of ELLs and their families in your school * Create a checklist for school and community resources for engaging ELLs and their families

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Strategies to Engage ELLs in the Classroom - Introduction to Key Aspects of Engaging ELLs and their Families | Coursera

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Video created by Arizona State University for the course "Engaging ELLs and Their Families in the School and Community". Welcome to week 1 of the course! This is an important module, as it sets the foundation for many of the strategies presented ...

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This website suggest ways of you bringing their culture into the classroom

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This website suggest ways of you bringing their culture into the classroom

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What are some other ways you can tap into background knowledge if it's very different from your own? You can start by choosing a single topic to research that you think might be relevant to your students. These might include learning about:

your students' native countries, cultures, or educational systems

historical figures, musical and artistic traditions, geography, or biodiversity from your students' countries so that you can connect your lessons to something that the students already know.

Family liaisons are an excellent source of information here and can also guide you to choose examples that are likely to be appropriate and meaningful to students.

Helping students make connections

You can also find ways for your students to contribute their own cultural experience, funds of knowledge, talents, and interests in the classroom. You can do this by asking students to:

show how a topic connects to their lives

give an example of a particular idea as they would experience it in their native country

bring music or art from their culture and describe its significance and meaning to their classmates.

Another activity is to ask students to interview their family members in order to learn more about their memories and experience. ELLs may find interviews valuable because even if they speak their native language at home and are surrounded by their culture, they may not have had an opportunity to learn about their family members' life experiences and values.

Note: These strategies will work in mainstream classes as well as students may engage more deeply with content when they can relate it to historical and cultural information shared by family members.

Proceeding with care and sensitivity

If you plan to ask students to contribute their experiences to the class, it is important to keep a few things in mind. First, Dr. Cynthia Lundgren and Giselle Lundy-Ponce remind teachers to consult with multiple sources and not to expect students to be the sole 'ambassador' for a culture. They write, "Do not put a particular student on the spot without asking them beforehand if they are comfortable sharing information with the whole class. Each student is an individual and their experiences may or may not be similar to that of the group they represent."

It is tempting to view your students as the experts, and it is certainly important to draw on what they have to offer to the class, but it is also important to discuss whether they feel comfortable doing so beforehand, and to avoid putting them on the spot - particularly about cultural, political, or religious subjects that might be particularly sensitive.

This is also important because students may not feel comfortable sharing their culture or prior experiences for a wide range of reasons, including trauma or stigma. For example, some Indigenous students from Latin America "hide" their culture and identity because of the persecution (sometimes violent) that they have faced in their home countries. Be patient with your students, and look for ways to increase their confidence in the classroom as you get to know each other. They may share information with you privately that they do not wish to share with the class. Honor their confidence and look for other ways for them to contribute.

Related resources

Video: Getting to know your students

Teacher Omar Salem talks about the importance of getting to know your ELLs, their interests, and their concerns.

Go beyond the textbook

Look for resources that go beyond the textbook that will engage students and involve them in the learning process so that they find elements they can connect to and learn from. These may include:

Artwork

There are many ways to bring educational content to life through art, and to use art as a starting point for discussing different cultural traditions. For example, in a history class, you may offer students a couple of different artistic representations of historical events from different perspectives, and ask whether a particular perspective resonates with their experiences.

Or you might want to compare artwork depicting similar kinds of events as they occurred in different countries, such as revolutions, battles, the signing of a famous document, inaugurations, elections, protests, and major milestones. Perhaps students can share depictions of those kinds of events in their country as a way to open up the discussion and connect their experience to the content as well. Students can examine artistic style, theme, the artist's intent, and the materials used while comparing artistic works from different cultures as a way of applying what they learning about the content.

Finally, be sure to invite students to share artwork and traditions from their own cultures and look for ways to connect what they share with the curriculum.

Using artwork that depicts day-to-day events and celebrations can also be a provocative starting point for a discussion about the similarities and differences between other cultures, and a way of affirming the students' daily lives, traditions, and lifestyles in the classroom. You may find that these connections are even more powerful than you expected, as seen in the student story below.

Video: Why an indigenous student hid his identity

ESOL resource teacher Manuel Portillo Gomez shares the story of an Indigenous student who kept his cultural identity hidden for much of the year until Manuel planned a lesson plan about Guatemalan basket weaving.

Music & dance

Students are a great resource for sharing music, and older students especially like to share music, discuss the meaning, and connect it to content. If the song is in a language some students do not understand, ask the student to translate it and discuss the meaning. Songs from other countries often describe political events or re-tell folk stories in poetic form.

When it comes to dance, students may enjoy sharing videos of traditional dances from their own cultures and talking about when certain dances are performed. You never know - you may just have a performer in your midst who would like to share some talent with the class, as teacher Omar Salem discovered below!

Video: My students' many talents

Teacher Omar Salem describes a student who sings, dances, manages her own YouTube channel, and edits all of the video.

Culture kits

I got this idea from the Dakota County library system in Minnesota. They have a learning resource called "Bifolkal Kits" that patrons can check out. The kits have themes such as the "The Fifties," "Work Life," or "African American Lives." Each kit contains items relevant to the topic, reading materials, and questions that can be asked of a person who has experience in that area. It would be a wonderful addition to a curriculum if students created their own Culture Kits with special items that would bring culture alive as a way of sharing their cultures and discussing what can be learned from different multicultural traditions.

Special traditions, celebrations, and recipes

Invite students to share special traditions, holidays, and foods from their cultures throughout the year and across the curriculum. For example, students could describe a favorite recipe in writing or in a presentation (with plenty of practice beforehand). Ask students early on in the year what holidays they celebrate and what those celebrations look like, and invite families to share their own experiences with the class.

Video: Thirty kinds of "mole"

Juan Felipe recalls a conversation with a student who comes from the town of Hidalgo, which is famous for having many different kinds of mole, a Mexican sauce.

Realia

Using concrete objects, often called "realia," is a great way to build background knowledge and tap into students' existing background knowledge. Some objects may be very familiar, while others may be to new students. Other objects may have particular significance for students. Students can share what they know about particular objects through drawing, writing, or native language discussion groups before sharing a summary with the class.

Video: Using "realia" to build background knowledge

Albuquerque teacher Ali Nava describes the "realia" activity she used to introduce Burro's Tortillas and some of the items she brought into the classroom for the lesson.

Note: You can also see materials related to this lesson plan in our classroom module created in collaboration with Dr. Diane August.

Use things that are familiar

In addition to making important cultural connections, look for ways to tie learning to everyday objects that students are likely to have seen and used (without making assumptions, as discussed below). For example, ESOL specialist Katy Padilla prepared her ELLs for a lesson about vascular plants by pre-teaching the concept with straws - an even more relevant example since they were previewing the content in their special Secret Science Lunch Club!

Video: Making the connection between vascular plants and straws

Katy describes the challenge of the week, which is designed to increase ELLs' use of the target vocabulary.

Look for "mirror books" for your students

Using books, stories, and poems where students can see themselves, also called " mirror books," is a powerful way to tap into their experiences. Culturally relevant books are a great place to start. However, finding books about broader experiences, family traditions, or familiar situations that students recognize and relate to can be powerful as well.

Middle school teacher Anna Centi, who teaches newcomers in Dearborn, Michigan, also notes that her students dig in more deeply when they feel that connection and that she has been able to push them with more rigorous texts. You can see Miss Centi's students, most of whom come from Yemen, reading A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park in an excerpt from our award-winning film, You Are Welcome Here below.

Note: It is critical for teachers to be sensitive to what students have been through and not to ask a lot of direct questions about personal stories, especially in front of others; training in trauma-informed instruction is essential in order to lead conversations about students' experiences safely. Yet figuring out how to do this with care is worthwhile as it gives students a chance to connect more deeply with content and share their own stories if they wish. You may wish to request that training be offered to staff since it can benefit all adults in the school community.

Use literature, stories, and folktales from across cultures

By reading texts from different cultures, you can encourage students to connect what they are reading to their own experiences. While this seems like a simple and logical place to start, it will take some research to find just the right additions for an educational unit, as well as to find literature that is authentic and culturally relevant. If you are working with bilingual colleagues or cultural liaisons, ask them if they have recommendations or can help you make the best selections for your students.

Libraries across the nation have increased the amount of multicultural literature available from a wide variety of countries and cultures. Some of the material is written in other languages, and some of it is translated into English. There are also many publishers who have focused on increasing multicultural literature in the classroom, and Language Arts series often will have a multicultural connection with suggestions of books to read with the class. To read about one high school teacher's use of multicultural literature in the classroom, read Time is Not on Our Side: Literacy and Literature for High School Language Learners, on our sister site, AdLit.org.

In addition, you can also look for connections across stories. For example, many cultures have a story version of "Cinderella", as seen in the video below.

Video: Introducing different versions of Cinderella

In this classroom video, Albuquerque teacher Clara Gonzales-Espinoza introduces a character study of Cinderella by sharing a number of diverse versions of the Cinderella story, chosen to reflect the cultures of her students.

Note: You can also see materials related to this lesson plan in our classroom module created in collaboration with Dr. Diane August.

Use storytelling in the classroom

Many cultures have a rich tradition of storytelling that often gets lost in the U.S. with the focus on developing literacy skills. Many of the common stories in cultures have been translated and written in story form, but children also enjoy telling and acting out stories. There are many resources to help build storytelling skills, and some students may also have a relative who is a great storyteller and would be willing to visit the class and tell a story. The class can have great discussions about what made the story interesting, what the story was trying to tell them, and if they know other stories that are similar.

Asking students to share folk tales

In addition, you can ask students to share popular folk tales or legends from their own culture or bring them to life through writing, artwork, or a digital storytelling activity. You may find that many cultures have similar stories based on a certain theme, or that students have heard different versions of the same story. This is also an excellent way to engage families - who also will have strong opinions about the "right" way to tell a certain story!

Video: "How many of you have heard that story?" Teaching folklore through students' cultural experiences

Juan Felipe describes a project he oversaw for a Chicano folklore class in which students interviewed their families and compiled stories, jokes, and legends they had grown up hearing.

Video: My favorite section in the library

Storyteller Lucía González describes how family stories led to an important discovery in the library.

Avoid assumptions

Just as it's important not to put students on the spot, it's important not to make assumptions about the experiences they may (or may not) have had. For example, Dr. Ayanna Cooper shares a story in the video below about U.S. history teachers who mistakenly thought their Haitian students were African American students who had a deep knowledge base about U.S. history. As mentioned above, the better you know your students, the better you can plan lessons that will give all students access to grade-level content.

Finding resources for culturally responsive instruction

Teachers spend a lot of their own money to add to the school curriculum in order to meet the needs of their students. Adding culturally relevant curriculum and materials shouldn't be an additional financial burden on the teacher. Many schools are willing to fund the purchase of culturally relevant items if the teacher has researched the purchase and can explain how it will enhance student learning. If the school does not have resources, there may be funding at the district level or diversity grant funding available to teachers. You can find additional researched-based information in our resource collection about culturally responsive instruction.

Closing thoughts

Accessing students' background knowledge is a powerful way to make your instruction more culturally responsive and meaningful for all students. In the end, the efforts that teachers make to add a rich, cultural dimension to the curriculum will enhance student learning and comprehension, and create excitement in the classroom. The most wonderful thing about adding diverse cultural perspectives to the lesson is that it is a way of letting your students know - particularly ELL students - that their diverse experiences and backgrounds are valued in your classroom. Students may also be motivated to explore content and deepen their understanding of material.

As students share insights with you and with each other, they will develop appreciation for other cultural perspectives and they may find that there are more similarities than differences among them - and that might prove to be the greatest lesson of all.

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How to Connect ELLs' Background Knowledge to Content

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What are some other ways you can tap into background knowledge if it's very different from your own? You can start by choosing a single topic to research that you think might be relevant to your students.