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Helping English Language Learners Develop a Love of Reading

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Helping English Language Learners Develop a Love of Reading

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Helping English Language Learners Develop a Love of Reading

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Here’s how to build a culture of reading to welcome students who are learning a new language, particularly those who come from strong oral storytelling traditions.

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Supporting Multilingual Learners with an Asset-based Approach - Participate Learning

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Supporting Multilingual Learners with an Asset-based Approach - Participate Learning

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Supporting Multilingual Learners with an Asset-based Approach - Participate Learning

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Taking an asset-based, rather than deficit-based, approach to supporting multilingual learners ensures their strengths are valued and recognized.

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10 Evidence-Based Practices for Teaching Multilingual Learners

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10 Evidence-Based Practices for Teaching Multilingual Learners

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Reflections on Teaching Multilingual Learners

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Using evidence-based teaching practices is important for all learners, including multilingual learners, because it ensures that the instructional strategies and techniques used in the classroom are effective. We use the term evidence-based because these teaching practices are supported by empirical evidence and have been shown to improve learning outcomes for students.

Some strategies and interventions are appealing to teachers, especially if students seem to enjoy them, but when working with multilingual learners, evidence-based teaching practices are especially important since these learners have unique learning needs. They are learning new material and skills in a new language and, as a result, may struggle with aspects of learning such as understanding the lesson's content, learning and retaining vocabulary words, and expressing their ideas in their second language.

All teaching with multilingual learners should have at it foundation a welcoming classroom environment. A positive and inclusive classroom environment is crucial to the academic success of multilingual students. This includes honoring their lived experiences, displaying cultural artifacts, and recognizing the value of different languages. Within an inclusive environment, the following evidence-based teaching practices can help teachers plan and deliver lessons that support multilingual learners in their content learning and language development.

Use multimodal instructional materials: Supplement grade-level texts without "watering down" the material. Using a variety of instructional materials such as videos, images, audio, and interactive media can help to engage multilingual learners and promote deeper understanding. These materials serve as a scaffold to make sense of grade-level text.

2. Teach key vocabulary: Teaching key vocabulary is an effective way to support the learning of multilingual students. Studies have shown that there is a strong correlation between vocabulary knowledge and student achievement. It is therefore necessary to explicitly teach academic language and academic content vocabulary, including explicitly teaching words that are critical to understanding the subject matter. Perhaps as important, students need adequate opportunities to practice in using the words in context.

3. Connect to student background: Learning is more meaningful when it is relevant to students. Teachers use students' cultural backgrounds and lived experiences to connect to lessons which can enhance student engagement and understanding. Using real- world examples that are relevant to students' lives and experiences helps them see the relevance of what they are learning and make connections to their own lives. Also, make connections between English and the students' home languages so that the relationship between the language they know and the one they are learning is clear. Point out cognates, ask students to translate words and sentences into their home language, and the like.

4. Use visuals: Using visuals such as pictures, diagrams, and videos can be an effective teaching strategy for multilingual learners. Visuals and multimedia help to provide context and promote understanding, regardless of the student's level of proficiency in the language of instruction.

5. Provide clear instructions: Providing clear and concise instructions is essential for multilingual learners to understand what is expected of them. Instructions should be explained clearly and written for students to refer to as the lesson unfolds. Many multilingual learners may be reticent about asking for clarification, especially in front of the class, so it is incumbent upon the teacher to make sure the steps for completing work are clear, concise and posted for student to see.

6. Using probing questions or topics in discussion: A good idea for this type of approach is to open a discussion about a controversial topic. This is a great way to get all students alert and engaged. Make sure that all forms of responses are accepted (e.g., agree/disagree, short answers, and sketching an idea) because although multilingual learners are capable of thinking about higher order concepts and answering higher order questions, their expression may not match their level of thinking. We want to elicit what they think and know, not their level of English proficiency.

7. Provide opportunities for language practice: Providing multilingual learners with opportunities to practice their language skills can help them develop confidence and fluency in the language of instruction. This can be accomplished through activities such as group discussions, debates, and presentations. Also collaborative learning can be an effective strategy for multilingual learners as it encourages peer-to-peer learning and provides opportunities for language practice. Turn and talk is a common technique but there are innumerable ways to structure peer interaction so that partners work together to accomplish an academic task.

8. Use hands-on activities. Lessons should include multiple opportunities to use hands-on materials or manipulatives to learn and practice the content and should include activities for students to apply content and language knowledge in their learning. Hands-on activities and materials enable students to forge connections between abstract and concrete concepts. Students make these connections most effectively when they are engaged in activities that integrate all language skills such as listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

9. Keep the focus on the lesson's content and language objectives: At the outset of the lesson, teachers orally share posted objectives for the lesson. The content objectives are often found in the text or are based on content standards. Language objectives make visible the language that will be learned or practiced during the lesson. Once the objectives are reviewed, teachers make sure that the lesson's activities support those objectives. When students know what content and language to focus on - based on objectives - their attention is captured and keeps them more actively engaged.

10. Use a variety of assessment methods: Using a variety of assessment methods can help to accurately gauge the progress and understanding of multilingual learners. This includes both formal and informal assessment methods, such as classroom discussions, quizzes, and presentations. Throughout the lesson, and especially at the end, it is important to determine how well students have understood and have retained key vocabulary and content concepts.

Evidence-based teaching practices can help educators design instruction that is culturally responsive and relevant to the diverse backgrounds and experiences of multilingual learners. To ensure that these practices are present in all lessons, many educators use the the SIOP Model lesson planning and delivery framework which is teacher-friendly and has been shown to be effective in improving student achievement as well as English language development. By incorporating evidence-based teaching practices such as SIOP, educators can create a learning environment that supports multilingual learners' academic success and fosters their engagement and motivation.

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10 Evidence-Based Practices for Teaching Multilingual Learners

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Using evidence-based teaching practices is important for all learners, including multilingual learners, because it ensures that the instructional strategies and techniques used in the classroom are effective. We use the term evidence-based because these teaching practices are supported by empirical evidence and have been shown to improve learning outcomes for students.

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Making Classrooms More Inclusive for Multilingual Learners

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Making Classrooms More Inclusive for Multilingual Learners

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Making Classrooms More Inclusive for Multilingual Learners

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Supporting Multilingual Learners’ Participation in Secondary Career and Technical Education Programs

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Supporting Multilingual Learners’ Participation in Secondary Career and Technical Education Programs

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Supporting Multilingual Learners’ Participation in Secondary Career and Technical Education Programs

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4 Practical Ways to Make Instruction Accessible for Multilingual Learners

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4 Practical Ways to Make Instruction Accessible for Multilingual Learners

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English Language Learners

Teachers can make small changes to amplify language opportunities that create pathways toward success for English learners.

Designing instruction that is accessible to English learners (ELs), or multilingual learners, is of the utmost importance. It's simply not enough to make content available to learners. That's like being given a car but no keys to use it. Equitable instruction is instruction that provides every learner with what they need for academic success.

In recent years, there has been a positive shift in the way educators view and teach multilingual learners-recognizing the linguistic, academic, and cultural assets they bring. The reality is that multilingual learners enter our classrooms with unique lived experiences and traditions that add value to instruction. Teachers face the challenge of ensuring that multilingual learners are gaining content and developing language without falling behind in either. Multilingual learners who experience grade-level instruction with additional linguistic support tend to do better in school and have a greater chance of mastery.

But how does that happen when we have mountains of content to cover and grades to gather? How do we create lessons that are accessible and meaningful for multilingual learners? What does that look like in the lesson plans and in instructional practice?

Methods That Make Instruction Accessible to ELs

Multilingual learners weren't talking even when I asked them to. Lack of linguistic support, uncertainty about expectations, fear or anxiety about speaking in a new language, and other factors seemed to contribute to their silence.

Sometimes the talk was uncontrollably loud.

Conversations often seemed to stray from the topic.

1. Infuse instruction with peer-to-peer discussion and exploration. This student-centered practice allows multilingual learners to build their listening and speaking vocabularies as they negotiate meaning. There may be much content to cover, but hiding it behind a lecture that multilingual learners may not comprehend does little good. It's important for multilingual learners to uncover their understanding through interacting with peers.

Using open-ended questions and posting them for students to see.

Providing sentence stems for responses.

Intentionally pairing students for discussion and modeling the routine.

When I began carving out more space for student talk, despite the fact that quiet classrooms were encouraged by colleagues and some administrators, it was challenging for a few reasons:

Provide a similar text in the student'sfirst language.

Do a side-by-side of the original text and an audio version.

Give them a side-by-side of the original text and a text a few reading levels lower.

You may be experiencing similar struggles. I found that structuring the peer discussion alleviated these problems and created an environment that controlled the chaos and provided routines and expectations that my students needed. My multilingual learners' voices were being amplified, and it began to surface in their confidence, comfort, and writing, so I knew we were on the right track. Most of the challenges that seemed to keep multilingual learners from participating in speaking with peers were eliminated by my intentional and planned routines for speaking, such as these:

2. Offer adapted or engineered texts when reading materials are dense. As multilingual learners get older, a common challenge is that content and reading selections become more complex. You can adapt or engineer texts, chunking them into pieces with annotations and synonyms, and even use a multilingual learner's first language. Sometimes, adapting a text looks like providing a side-by-side of the original text:

3. Provide daily opportunities for written expression in all content areas with the use of scaffolds and accommodations. Daily writing can be brief, such as quick pieces that are about 3 minutes or sketch notes using visuals and words. Multilingual learners benefit from seeing teachers model writing expectations and examples at various levels of proficiency.

Other scaffolds and accommodations for writing include offering sentence starters or paragraph frames and encouraging drawing, labeling, and use of the first language. Multilingual learners at beginning levels of English proficiency pull from all of their language repertoires to access their knowledge and demonstrate what they understand and can do.

Students will perform at different levels. It took me a while to realize that my students' products didn't have to be the same. I remember expecting all my students to write lengthy essays. One of my newly arrived multilingual learners could do that, but not in English yet. He wrote his first essay primarily in his language. Stepping outside of my comfort zone was at first a challenge. How was I going to assess writing that I was unable to read? Through collaboration with colleagues who could read the language, I was able to assess my student's writing. Some teachers in similar situations have used apps to translate students' writing.

When modeling academic language and effective communication, use words from the word wall.

When reading aloud, use and point to a strategy from a reading anchor chart.

When modeling writing, show how to use a translation dictionary, thesaurus or other dictionary.

4. Utilize classroom resources. Resources such as word walls, anchor charts, and translation dictionaries can enhance multilingual learners' understanding of concepts, especially when they include pictorial or visual support. The most effective resources act as co-teachers when we're unable to assist multilingual learners as they work independently. But even this doesn't happen by magic.

Teachers can directly teach students how to use these resources by referring to word walls, anchor charts, and dictionaries:

When we model for learners how to use resources and remind them that they can use them too, they are more likely to do it independently.

Sometimes my husband (who is quite a bit taller than I am) drives my car, and when I get back into the driver's seat, I silently thank the car designers for their efforts in assuring that I'm able to adjust the mirrors, move the seat up and forward, and even move the steering wheel-I need to see the road ahead of me. Everyone does. This analogy is how I visualize us as lesson designers for multilingual learners who need to see and have access to their grade-level curriculum. We design the lessons, and we can provide the access.

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4 Practical Ways to Make Instruction Accessible for Multilingual Learners

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Teachers can make small changes to amplify language opportunities that create pathways toward success for English learners.

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How to Support Multilingual Learners (MLLs) in the Classroom

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How to Support Multilingual Learners (MLLs) in the Classroom

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Stepping into school in the states, my brothers and I were all labeled ESOL, English for Speakers of Other Languages. My older brother had nine years of formal schooling in Spanish; my younger brother spoke Spanglish, a blend of Spanish and English; and I was learning to read and write in Spanish at home. The now outdated term ESOL, along with newer terms like ELL and ESL, are rooted in the idea that English is the only language that matters. These terms don't account for the many students, like my brothers and me, who are using and developing other languages outside of school. Cue the term multilingual learner. Used by WIDA-an organization that provides educators with key resources and instructional tools to support multilingual learners-the term multilingual learner acknowledges that students come in with linguistic experiences and assets and are becoming bilingual, sometimes even multilingual.

What Is a Multilingual Learner?

Multilingual learners (MLLs or MLs) are students who have been consistently exposed to multiple languages and who are developing proficiency in multiple languages. This term includes students who are referred to as English language learners (ELL), dual language learners, as well as long-term English learners.

Multilingual Learners vs. English Language Learners

The term multilingual learner considers that students may not only be learning English. Many students are practicing and learning other languages elsewhere. Using multilingual learner breaks away from an English-only mindset found in the term English language learner.

Moving towards more inclusive and asset-based language can allow for translanguaging in the classroom. Through translanguaging, students use all linguistic and cognitive resources, including the other languages they speak, to make sense of the academic content being delivered in the language they're learning. This fluid approach to language honors students' linguistic repertoire and encourages students to use any languages they know. For example, a multilingual learner studying character traits can express, "I like este libro [this book] because la protagonista [the protagonist] is brave y inteligente [and intelligent]." Translanguaging, therefore, validates ML's learning processes and bridges the family and classroom communities.

Misconceptions about Multilingual Learners

Multilingual learners are not a monolithic population. MLs come from a range of cultural, linguistic, and educational backgrounds. Some multilingual learners come in with formal schooling in another language, while other learners may be stepping into a classroom for the first time. Some students may also have recently moved to the U.S., while others may have been living in the states for years. Instruction should therefore be differentiated to meet each learners' unique needs.

Unfortunately, current multilingual instruction and accommodations may discount where students are coming from and what students know. It may be a misconception that MLs are critically behind; as a result they may be unfairly placed in foundational classes. The reality is plenty of multilingual learners are gifted students and need to be challenged but are not given the opportunity. Schools should work with families and community liaisons to provide screening in other languages in order to learn more about students' backgrounds, educational experiences, and academic skills before placing them in classes.

Strategies for Teaching MLL Students

Help multilingual learners achieve language proficiency with the following instructional strategies.

Build on Background Knowledge

Connect with students' own experiences by activating their prior knowledge before a lesson. Use a graphic organizer like a KWL chart to lead a discussion on what students know and want to know. Once students have shared their knowledge, build on to that and explain information they may come across, like historical or cultural references, vocabulary, or figurative language. Allow them to express themselves in their preferred language or through multimodal forms of communication like drawing or gestures.

Build Vocabulary

Help MLLs develop vocabulary by previewing and teaching academic vocabulary as well as unfamiliar vocabulary prior to a lesson. Use graphic organizers, like word maps, to help multilingual learners make connections between words. Then provide opportunities to practice using the new words in different contexts.

Engage in Conversations

In the traditional ELA classroom, multilingual learners may only spend 2% of the school day speaking. MLs need additional time for oral language practice to build oral proficiency. Provide multilingual learners clear speaking prompts using graphic organizers, sentence frames, or more academically rigorous response frames for oral language practice. Before using prompts, model how to use them so students can see and hear an example of how they can use these tools to express themselves.

Check for Comprehension

When reading, be sure to ask questions that check comprehension. This can be asking students to summarize what was read or asking students to apply a skill, like cause and effect. Understanding the basic plot and key language within a story will help students with the analysis that follows. Graphic organizers, like flow charts and Venn diagrams, help students organize their thoughts and use higher-order thinking skills.

Encourage Collaboration

Collaborative learning is a powerful tool that allows for students to learn from each other. Group or partner students for peer-to-peer activities like think-pair-share. This gives multilingual students the opportunity to communicate beyond yes or no questions and engage in language practice. Plus, all students will be able to share ideas and generate questions together, which creates a sense of classroom community.

Use the following checklist to support multilingual students in the classroom.

Welcoming Multilingual Learners

As our understanding of how people learn language evolves, terms like multilingual learner emphasize that students learning English bring with them rich linguistic and cultural backgrounds and require teachers to acknowledge the assets MLLs already bring to their learning. To make students feel at home, create a welcoming learning environment where they feel empowered to share what they know and to not be afraid to explore what they don't.

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Join Dr. Luz Yadira Herrera and Dr. Giselle Carpio-Williams for a learning session and discussion about honoring and building upon multilingual learners' existing strengths in the webinar, " Building From Strengths: Centering Multilingual Learners' Cultures and Language Practices."

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How to Support Multilingual Learners (MLLs) in the Classroom

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Find best practices to support multilingual learners (MLLs) in the classroom.

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Small Steps Lead to Big Changes for Multilingual Learners

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Small Steps Lead to Big Changes for Multilingual Learners

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Small Steps Lead to Big Changes for Multilingual Learners

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From icebreakers to AI prompts, thoughtful strategies can ensure all students are included in the classroom culture.