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Teachers may believe effective instruction means nonverbal teaching due it being an easy, accessible support to provide. While they do boost students comprehension and understanding of content, such supports do not supplement language or directly teach language.

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As a special education teacher, I can identify with this misconception. I often find myself relying heavily on visuals to teach my students. I assume too often that because they have a visual representation for vocabulary or content, they understand what is being taught. Without academic, functional, social language explicitly instructed to them, I cannot expect them to progress linguistically, academically, or socially. This holds true for when I utilize sign language and my students Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices. If I do not pair such means with verbal English language and teach the language directly, they will not become more proficient.

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Raising awareness of this misconception is the first step its reversal. A small way I can help by sharing the importance of explicit English language instruction and strategies for support with my colleagues. Lynne Díaz-Rico indicates that (2018) "Conceptual understanding and language are intertwined-one supports the other. The expert teacher takes responsibility for both" (p. 4). By sharing my knowledge with my colleagues, I can assist them in helping their students achieve language proficiency.

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Consideration of the way students are taught, or the pedagogy, is crucial. Most students interact with technology outside of school on a daily basis. Teachers can capitalize on technologies as an instructional strategy for English language instruction. It can be utilized to present instruction in a cognitively stimulating way, while still ensuring it is differentiated for students at every level.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison provides ample interactive websites for learning and resources to support English language instruction.

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Research Guides: ESL/ELL Education: Interactive Websites for Learning

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Research Guides: ESL/ELL Education: Interactive Websites for Learning

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Within my classroom, ESL Fast would be an excellent English language resource to utilize. It provides various social conversations with audio, short stories, and essays with
exercises for English learners at all proficiency levels. In particular, the scripted conversations will provide explicit language instruction for my moderate/severe students with significant language delays.

It provides explicit language instruction, modeling, and activities to ensure comprehension of effective conversation skills. It will help guide my students through social conversations across a variety of contexts, as well as promote generalization of skills.

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ESL Fast - A huge free online English learning resource

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A huge free online English learning resource, thousands of conversations, short stories, and essays with audio and exercises for listening, speaking, reading, and writing, for in-class and after-class use.

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Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System. (2023). ESL/ELL Education: Interactive Websites for Learning. Research Guides at University of Wisconsin-Madison. Retrieved March 11, 2023, from https://researchguides.library.wisc.edu/c.php?g=177873&p=1169756

Díaz-Rico, L. T. (2018). The Crosscultural, Language, and Academic Development Handbook: A Complete
K-12 Reference Guide. Pearson.

Rong-Chang ESL, Inc. (2023). English Teaching and Learning Materials. ESL Fast. Retrieved March 11, 2023, from https://www.eslfast.com/