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I chose this document in order to be able to determine what level my future students are at. This will be very helpful when determining what scaffolds certain students need and how I can measure my students' progress.

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I chose a concept map because it is something students can fill out as I read books out loud to the classroom. They can work on this before, during, and after the read aloud in order to enhance their comprehension of what was read.

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Five Senses Graphic Organizer: A Planning Strategy for Descriptive Writing

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I chose this video because it shows how a teacher is getting her students to think about something to write. I thought this might be easier to help EB/EL students when I ask them to write in their journal (would help them brainstorm ideas and learn how to word their ideas).

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I chose this PDF because it clarifies what academic language is. Additionally, it breaks the academic language down into categories which makes it easier on teachers to know which terms their students may not be familiar with.

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I chose this picture because it shows how you could use a word wall to help explain new academic terms to students. It would also give the students something to refer to if they forgot what a term means.

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I chose this document because it separates language objectives by subject. Additionally, it varies in complexity so that you can choose an objective that your student will actually understand.

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I chose this document because it gives examples of both content and language objectives. It also provides stems to use for language objectives which I can use in the future.

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I chose the SOLOM because it will help me determine how proficient my students are at speaking English. I can also use this to track their progress to see how I can further help them develop their oral language skills.

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This article offers guidance for selecting vocabulary words when teaching ELLs and explains the difference between Tier 1, 2, and 3 words.

A student's maximum level of reading comprehension is determined by his or her knowledge of words. This word knowledge allows students to comprehend text. As the teacher, you can explicitly teach word meanings to improve comprehension. However, to know a word means knowing it in all of the following dimensions:

The ability to define a word

The ability to recognize when to use that word

Knowledge of its multiple meanings

The ability to decode and spell that word

Therefore, it is vitally important to teach key words that children will need to comprehend texts, learn the content in those texts, and pass tests. Words are taught through direct instruction of word meanings as well as through discussions about words (including prefixes, suffixes, and roots) - all combined with a lot of reading.

For English language learners (ELLs), vocabulary development is especially critical for their ability to read and comprehend texts. The selection of vocabulary words to teach ELLs can be grouped into three tiers.

Tier 1 words

Tier 1 words are words that ELLs typically know the concept of in their primary language, but not the label in English. For example, a Tier 1 word might be butterfly. This is a word that English language learners may not know, but it can be easily taught by pointing to a picture of a butterfly during text discussion.

Another Tier 1 word might be march (move like a soldier). A word like march can be easily instructed during text discussion by marching in place. But because this word has multiple meanings, it also merits further instruction. This can be accomplished through oral language activities that follow the text discussion.

Teaching Tier 1 words

We take it for granted that native English-speakers know most Tier 1 words, but this is not the case for ELLs. Many Tier 1 words may be unknown to ELLs and key to the comprehension of a passage. Different types of Tier 1 words require different teaching strategies:

Some Tier 1 words cannot be demonstrated and do not have multiple meanings, but students will need to know them. An example of this is the word uncle. A simple explanation of the word's meaning during the story reading will suffice. Or, if the teacher and students are bilingual, a quick translation is sufficient.

Idioms and everyday expressions (like "make up your mind," "let's hit the books," and "once upon a time") are also in the Tier 1 category. Teachers will need to explain the meanings of these phrases to students.

Some Tier 1 words are simple cognates (like family/familia or preparation/preparación). The cognates in this category consist of words that are high-frequency words in Spanish and English. They may not require substantial instruction because students may know the word meanings in Spanish. The teacher can merely state the English cognate and have students provide the Spanish cognate. Or, the teacher can provide the English cognate and students can say both the English word and Spanish cognate.

It is also important to point out false cognates and give the correct translation. Examples of false cognates are: rope/ropa (clothing) and embarrassed/embarazada (pregnant). There are also some false cognates that have multiple meanings in one language, and one or some of those meanings do not coincide with the meaning of the other language.

Here is a list of helpful Spanish-English cognates.

Tier 2 words

Tier 2 words are more complex than Tier 1 words. They may also be more abstract. These include:

1. Words that are important and useful to understanding the text, such as: character, setting, plot, even numbers, and country.

2. Words that have connections to other words and concepts, such as: between, among, by, combine, and estimate.

3. Words for which students understand the general concept, but need greater precision and specificity in describing a concept or a person, such as: sets, tables (for math or science, or for a table of contents), shy, ashamed, and stubborn.

Teaching Tier 2 words

Tier 2 words appear in grade-level texts. They can be worked with in a variety of ways so that ELLs build rich representations of them and connect them to other words and concepts. Different types of Tier 2 words require different teaching strategies:

Some Tier 2 words will not require elaborate discussion, because they can be demonstrated. These include words with multiple meanings, such as trunk, which can be taught by using gestures to show that it is part of an elephant, part of a tree, part of our body, and the back of a car.

In addition, many Tier 2 words are cognates. In this tier, they are high frequency words in Spanish and low frequency words in English. This means that Spanish-speaking ELLs will have a head start with these words (such as coincidence/coincidencia, industrious/industrioso, and fortunate/afortunado) because they will know both the concept and an approximation of the label in English.

The Tier 2 words that should be targeted for pre-teaching include words that cannot be demonstrated and are not cognates.

ELLs should be expected to master Tier 2 words in order to do well on comprehension and on tests.

Tier 3 words

These are low-frequency words that are found mostly in content books in the upper grades. Examples include witticism, isotope, procrastinate, amoeba, or words that are not demonstrable or cognates. These words are rarely encountered in the early grades, but if they do appear, you can translate them or briefly explain them in either English or in the ELLs' first language.

Note: It is advisable at all grade levels to have bilingual dictionaries available in the classroom. If you do not know the translation for a vocabulary word into students' native language, it is an easy reference and clarification tool. Also, when reading texts on their own, students can look up unknown words and ensure their own comprehension.

References

Beck, I., McKeown, M. & Kucan, L (2002). Bringing words to life: Robust vocabulary instruction. New York: The Gilford Press.

Calderón, M., August, D., Durán, D., Madden, N., R. Slavin & M. Gil (2003 and in press). Spanish to English Transitional Reading: Teacher's Manual. Baltimore, MD: The Success for All Foundation.

Calderón, M. & L. Minaya-Rowe (2004). Expediting Comprehension to English Language Learners (ExC-ELL) Teachers Manual. Center for Data-Driven Reform in Education, Johns Hopkins University.

Calderón, M. & L. Minaya-Rowe (in press). Teaching Reading, Oral Language and Content to English Language Learners - How ELLs Keep Pace With Mainstream Students. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Reprints

For any reprint requests, please contact the author or publisher listed.

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Selecting Vocabulary Words to Teach English Language Learners

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This article offers guidance for selecting vocabulary words when teaching ELLs and explains the difference between Tier 1, 2, and 3 words. A student's maximum level of reading comprehension is determined by his or her knowledge of words. This word knowledge allows students to comprehend text.

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I chose this resource because it explicitly states what words are considered Tiers 1, 2, and 3. This will be very helpful when I am a teacher and need to focus on which Tier of words to teach my students.

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These glossaries are to provide permitted testing accommodations of ELL/MLL students. They should also be used for instruction during the school year. These glossaries may be downloaded, printed and disseminated to educators, parents and ELLs/MLLs.

Bilingual glossaries are an essential and expected test accommodation for ELLs/MLLs in the State of New York. The languages of these glossaries cover the top 10 languages at the state level, with new languages added based on changing language populations in the NY State student demographic data.

Schools should provide testing accommodations to ELLs/MLLs, as needed, on all NYS ELA and content-area assessments (i.e., Mathematics, Science and Social Studies). Districts/schools must make all necessary arrangements to make these accommodations available for ELLs/MLLs who need them. Please click here for the New York State Office of Bilingual Education and World Languages Webpage on "Assessment and Testing Accommodations".

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These glossaries are to provide permitted testing accommodations of ELL/MLL students. They should also be used for instruction during the school year.

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I chose this document because it has both the english words and the corresponding words for other languages. I think this could be really helpful when I teach EBs/ELs because I can clarify that they know what certain words mean.

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I chose this video because it goes into explicit detail on how to teach math to ESL learners. I really liked how in depth she explained all of her ideas and I think I could use these ideas in the future.

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I chose this graphic organizer because it allows students to learn the meaning of new vocabulary words, draw a picture of the new word, and use it in a sentence. I think this could be helpful for EBs/ELs when they are learning new science terms.

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I chose this document because it lists science cognates in English and Spanish. Since I want to teach in Texas where there are many Spanish speakers, I think this could be helpful for m future students.

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I chose the KWL chart because it would allow me to know what my students already know about certain topics. Then I would be able to determine if they understood the lesson with the "what I learned column."

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I chose this graphic organizer because it will help students organize the information they learn about historical events. This would be helpful for EBs/ELs to look back on and he facts written down with what they are associated with (for instance having a name under "who?").

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I chose this website because it offers 7 helpful ways for teachers to prepare EBs/ELs for state tests. I think this will be very helpful for me to look back on as a teacher and to get some ideas to better help my students.

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What are summative assessments in education?

Summative Assessments are-in simple words-the way educators determine what a student has learned. They are typically tests or cumulative assignments that provide teachers with insights into the overall success of their instructional methods. Summative assessments also reveal if students have or have not mastered the learning targets or standards. Additionally, summative assessments provide school administrators, districts, and other key decision makers with actionable data and insight into how successfully a curriculum or teacher performs.

Summative assessments must be created following specific guidelines, which are outlined in detail below. In brief, summative assessments must provide valid, reliable data points that can be compared across classrooms, across time, and across graders in order to measure student growth and teacher, district, or curriculum efficacy.

What does a summative assessment measure?

Summative assessments measure student learning along with teacher and curriculum effectiveness. Unlike formative assessments, which are often low-stake check-ins, summative assessments are typically high stakes, serving not only as the cumulation of a unit, semester, or school year, but also frequently serving as the key factor in a student's grade or an administrator's decision about a teacher or curriculum.

Teachers who incorporate mastery learning into their instructional process rely heavily on summative assessments to measure whether or not a student has mastered the content taught. When they have finished their units, teachers offer a summative-or cumulative-test, project, or essay to determine if students have reached the key learning targets. If a student does not reach a predetermined score (80%, according to most mastery learning models), teachers adjust what content comes next and often provide strategic interventions to provide students with the time needed to truly master the content. In this way, summative assessments can be thought of as formative, in that teachers inform next steps based on summative results.

Why are summative assessments used in education?

Summative assessments are highly valued in education due to the valuable data they provide. Unlike formative assessments, which are typically more subjective and rarely designed to be used across classrooms or schools for comparative purposes, summative assessments are created for validity and reliability.

Validity in summative assessments-or the ability of an assessment to actually measure what it is supposed to measure-ensures that teachers can be confident that students have or have not mastered the key learning objective. Additionally, valid summative assessments mean that educators and administrators are able to trust the summative assessment's data about whether or not a teacher or curriculum performed as expected. A summative assessment's validity ensures that decisions are made according to the true learning targets and not some side topic that may have unintentionally found its way into the assessment.

Reliability in summative assessments-or the ability of an assessment to reproduce consistent outcomes across time and setting regardless of grader-ensures that teachers and administrators are making decisions using accurate data, not outlying data. This is especially important in situations where a teacher's salary or a controversial curriculum hangs in the balance.

Many educators have found that online tools allow them to more effectively gather and analyze data for validity and reliability, and to measure trends over time. Additionally, online tools allow teachers to quickly spot anomalies so they know which students need enrichment or intervention.

How do you write a summative assessment?

Summative assessments must be written according to a few specific guidelines.

First, in order to ensure a summative assessment is valid, teachers must:

Determine the key learning objectives or standards that they will teach.

Decide on what format will best showcase whether or not that objective or standard has been met. In some cases, a multiple choice test might work best; in others, teachers may need to choose something more along the lines of an essay or project.

Ensure that students understand the learning objectives, the method of the summative assessment, and the grading scale or rubric. Students are far more likely to not only perform better on summative assessments but also to engage and take ownership in their learning when they clearly understand what they are being asked to do and why.

Plan and teach curriculum that closely aligns with the learning objectives and parallels the summative assessment.

Second, in order to ensure a summative assessment is reliable, teachers must:

Create a comprehensive grading plan-or rubric-to ensure data is consistently and correctly gathered.

Ensure classroom instruction and curriculum follows the same plan across classrooms or year over year, depending on how the teacher is planning to use the data from the summative assessments.

Decide on how the summative assessment will be given in order to ensure consistent results across classrooms or time. Does it always need to be given at a specific time of day or of year? Does the classroom need to be set up a certain way? Does the teacher provide specific prompts or help during the assessment?

Create and execute the summative assessment according to the predetermined guidelines. Many teachers find it helpful to bring their summative assessments to their Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) for help in spotting questions that could take away from the test's validity or reliability.

Grade the summative assessment according to the predetermined guidelines. Many teachers find it helpful to bring in "blind graders"-fellow staff or other experts to grade the assessments without any background knowledge of students or classroom instruction.

Third, teachers should take time to analyze the results of their summative assessment. Did students master the learning targets or standards? Did this unit drive their understanding and comprehension forward? Or will they need intervention and help before moving on to the next unit or goal? Teachers should then make decisions about how to proceed.

Fourth, teachers should report findings to the stakeholders-students, parents, administrators, and the like. Students are far more likely to improve their learning when they receive descriptive feedback-clear, exact descriptions of what a student got right or wrong, and more importantly, why they made certain mistakes and how to correct them.

Finally, many teachers find it valuable to bring the results of their summative assessments back to their PLCs. While there, teachers find support in analyzing data, understanding results, and creating intervention plans.

How do summative assessments fit in with the 5 types of assessment?

There are five foundational types of assessments:

Diagnostic assessments, or pre-assessment, which teachers use to gauge students' pre-knowledge and zone of proximal development. These typically occur once at the beginning of a unit.

Formative assessments, which teachers use to determine where student knowledge is at mid-unit. These typically occur frequently throughout the unit.

Summative assessments, which teachers use to determine student growth at the end of a unit. These typically occur once at the end of a unit.

Interim assessments, which districts use to measure specific grades across schools. These typically occur once a year.

Benchmark assessments, which bigger bodies (e.g. states) use to measure overarching student growth and school effectiveness. These typically occur once a year.

Typically, teachers create their diagnostic assessments to mirror their summative assessments in order to easily compare the results of a summative assessment to its unit's diagnostic assessment. This allows teachers to quickly and easily see if students grew in the desired knowledge during the unit.

Additionally, many teachers work to align the majority of their formative assessments with their summative assessments. For example, teachers may use questions similar to the questions found on the summative assessments as exit tickets throughout the unit. They do this to tap into the "testing effect" of formative assessments: by allowing students to "test" themselves in a low-stakes environment, they are enabling students to recall up to 67% more of what they've learned on the final summative assessment than students would have via other study methods.

While summative assessments are not always interim and benchmark assessments, these two categories would fall under the same umbrella as summative assessments, as both teachers and administrators use interim and benchmark assessments to not only determine what students have learned, but to make decisions about staffing, curriculum, or school success.

What are examples of summative assessments?

While there is no one right summative assessment, it is important that teachers use or create summative assessments that will provide valid, reliable data across classrooms or year over year. For example, many teachers use:

Curriculum Tests: Although a teacher may tweak the test created by the curriculum here or there to align with their state or district's learning targets, using the curriculum test provides a large degree of validity and reliability, and teachers can easily use the same test (with the same tweaks) in every class for as long as they use that curriculum.

Rubrics: It is essential that teachers create strong, detailed rubrics when they choose to use writing assignments or final projects. Although it may take the teacher a few rounds with their Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) and iterations in classrooms, eventually teachers should land on a rubric that they can use year over year for reliable data.

Multiple Choice Tests: These are perhaps the easiest summative assessments to use in terms of gathering and comparing data. However, it can be easy to create multiple-choice questions that don't align well with the learning objectives, which compromises the validity of the test. Teachers do well to bring their multiple-choice tests to PLCs to get peer feedback on their summative assessments before bringing them to their class.

Again, it's important to note that regardless of what type of assessments teachers choose to use, these assessments should be used to gauge student learning and make critical decisions about how to enhance the learning process so students receive the best learning opportunities possible.

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Chris Hull | Otus Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer

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The Ultimate Guide to Summative Assessments

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If you want to learn more about summative assessments, this guide is a great place to start. You'll find examples, resources, and more!

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I chose this resource because it goes into step-by-step details on how to create beneficial summative assessments. I think this will make me consider many things when I have to make tests in the future and will help my tests be more fair.

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I chose this document because it goes into more detail on how to use the TELPAS. Additionally, it explains why the TELPAS is important and how it can be used to improve students' understanding of the English language.

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By Sarah Ottow
The Latin root word for "assessment" is assidere which means to sit beside. In my work as an English Language Learner (ELL) specialist, I advocate for educators to intentionally sit beside their students to more deeply understand and support their learning trajectory at the classroom level. That is to say, I strongly advocate for an intentional formative assessment approach for ELLs.
Schools can go beyond traditional summative and interim measures to ensure a more balanced assessment approach that brings to light the nuanced and complex process of academic language development. By implementing formative assessments for ELLs, educators can develop a "language lens" that uncovers and showcases the growth of this culturally and linguistically diverse population.

Where do we start?

First, we can examine what comprises our current assessment systems in place. We have large-scale, "big data" summative assessments that give us "big data" once a year on student proficiency. We also have interim assessments that measure growth against benchmarks periodically throughout the year, often with the audience largely being district and school-level stakeholders.
These summative and interim assessments provide "snapshots" of ELL performance and are not always reliable or valid on the ELL population. Therefore, we need to ask ourselves if we have systemic, systematic formative measures in place that provide feedback on teaching and learning specifically for our ELLs? Do we have a "photo album" approach of ELL development? If not, we can add specific formative practices into our assessment system that celebrate student growth and provide next steps for instruction at the classroom level.

What are some effective formative assessment practices for ELLs?

What's important to remember is that formative assessment is flexible and intended to focus on feedback for both the teacher and the student. As an initial step, I highly recommend that teachers keep portfolios of student writing samples to show individual student growth over time. Through portfolios like journals and learning logs, student work can be the centerpiece in conferences and school data meetings.
Next, I suggest that teachers work with students to co-create appropriate goals for using more sophisticated academic language. It's critical to promote student ownership of the assessment process through goal setting, self-assessment as well as peer assessment opportunities.

How can collaboration strengthen formative assessment?

A critical step in strengthening ELL formative assessments is to create and sustain collaborative time to analyze student work. Evidence-based conversations between educators about what students are producing can directly lead to ideas for effective student feedback and instruction. Professional learning communities are also opportunities for collaboration with ELL specialists to deepen content teachers' understanding of language and literacy. One final tip is to consider building data walls of multiple measures of ELL data quarterly to facilitate data-driven coaching cycles and team planning. In these ways, we can offer a "photo album" approach to show progress over time, celebrating students' journey of academic language development.

We know that ELLs are a diverse group of students with unique assets and varying factors affecting academic performance. Many educators need support in reaching ELLs and teaching academic language yet they often don't know where to start. By implementing more formative assessments for ELLs with the appropriate language supports, teachers can better understand their students and become stronger teachers of academic language. After all, all teachers are indeed language teachers!

Formative Assessment Ideas

Journals or learning logs to show growth over time in a portfolio

Academic conversations to explain new learning

Cornell notes or graphic organizers to structure note-taking

Student-teacher conference or small group discussions to recount learning

Exit slips to show "I think..", "I wonder...", "I still want to know..."

Fill-in-the-blank or "cloze" activity using sentence frames

Reciprocal teaching

Recording student language through technology

Drawing or role playing

Gallery walk of student work where students give each other feedback on stickies

Word or concept sorts based on unit themes or student-created categories

One word or one phrase response using whiteboards

Self-checklist or peer-checklist

Label or sequence visuals like pictures, photos or realia (real life objects)

Student-generated questions for peers

This blog is part of the Supporting English Language Learners Series with support from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. For more, stay tuned for the culminating podcast, infographic and publication.
For more, see:
Sarah Ottow is the founder, director and lead coach at Confianza: Educating for ELL Equity. Follow Confianza on Twitter: @ELL_Confianza Stay in-the-know with all things EdTech and innovations in learning by signing up to receive the weekly Smart Update. This post includes mentions of a Getting Smart partner. For a full list of partners, affiliate organizations and all other disclosures please see our Partner page.

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Supporting English Language Learners with Formative Assessments

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By Sarah Ottow - By implementing formative assessments for ELLs, educators can develop a "language lens" that uncovers and showcases their growth.

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I chose this resource because it gives many examples (with pictures) of helpful formative assessments for English learners. I think this is a quick and easy reference I can use in the future for when I start making my own formative assessments.

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Portfolio Assessment| Assessment in Learning 2

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I chose to include this video because it provides an in-depth explanation on how to make and use student portfolios. This will be helpful in the future because it will allow me to remember everything I should ask students to include in their portfolios and how I can assess them through it.

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I chose to include this chart because I think it will be helpful to know the contrast between language differences and disabilities. When I am actually in a classroom, I think these differences will be very subtle so it will be nice to have a resource to look back on.

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This document is very similar to the other one; it also outlines the differences between language differences and disabilities. Yet again, I think trying to distinguish between these two will be very hard and this document will help me pinpoint what my future students' problems are.

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I chose this document because it will help me better understand if an EB/EL student is showing characteristics of gifted and talented. Since this can be shown in many different ways, having a diagram like the TABs one will help me categorize my students' strengths.

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Texas is a wonderfully diverse state where more than 30 languages are spoken. Approximately 34% of Texas residents speak a language other than English. Of that group, 85% speak Spanish.

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I chose this resource because it outlines why EBs/ELs may not be identified as gifted and talented and what characteristics they might demonstrate. Additionally, it provides many resources to help with the identification process that I can use in the future.

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Kahoot! | Learning games | Make learning awesome!

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Kahoot! is a game-based learning platform that brings engagement and fun to 1+ billion players every year at school, at work, and at home.

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One resource I chose was Kahoot. I think this is a fun game to use in the classroom and would allow me to test what my students have learned!

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English can be a language to learn, and when students are learning a new language, they are usually juggling additional challenges.

However, there are an array of ESL games and apps available for students, parents, and educators to take advantage of that can help with learning English. In this guide we will highlight the best apps and games for ESL learners and tutors.

ESL apps and games for children

Teaching English to children requires several different educational approaches, but there are a variety of apps and games designed to make learning English fun .

It is important to choose games that are age and language-level appropriate. Listed below are some examples of apps and games specifically made for children:

Kids Picture Dictionary: Kids Picture Dictionary helps language learners connect words with pictures and improve their vocabulary. The site includes sections on animals, appliances, body parts, clothing, food, events, houses, numbers, schools, sports, things, and places.

M onkey Puzzle: Monkey Puzzle is an education app that is specifically aimed at ESL students at the A1-A2 CEFR level. It contains some mini-games to help with reading skills and you can download it on the App Store.

Little Bird Tales: Little Bird Tales helps language learners through multimedia storytelling. Students can take pictures, draw, record, and write text to help create their multimedia stories. This helps them develop oral and written language skills. Little Bird Tales is available for free on the App Store.

Kids Learning Ville: Kids Learning Ville has a number of games and activities on their site aimed at ESL students. There are memory games, crocodile games, and pirate games that cover introductory language essentials like food, drinks, animals, colors, clothing, transportation, numbers, time, school supplies, and many more subjects.

Hangman: Hangman is a great game to play with young ESL students. Simply draw out the hangman diagram, think of a word, and have students guess letters to fill in the blanks. This is a great way to get familiar with the English alphabet and to think about letter combinations.

I Spy: I Spy is another option to play with younger language learners. Have one person locate an item in your vicinity, then they need to offer a clue for finding the item (e.g. I spy, something brown. Item = desk). This helps language learners think about different characteristics while recalling vocabulary that is associated with the clue's characteristics.

Simon Says: Simon Says is another good choice to play with young ESL students. You can choose to be Simon yourself, or you can have children play Simon as they become more comfortable. Prompt students to follow your actions every time that you say "Simon says." If you say an action without saying "Simon says" and a student does the action, they must sit down. This helps with listening comprehension and expanding vocabulary.

ESL apps and games for teens and adults

The following apps and games are age and language-level appropriate for teens and adults:

Duolingo: Duolingo helps language learners listen, read, write, and speak a new language. Duolingo has several different mini-games, challenges, and activities to help learn a language. When you get something right, you earn coins, but when you get something wrong, you lose lives. There is a web version available and the mobile app can be found on both the Apple Store and Google Play for free.

Memrise: Memrise is a free website and app that helps build up language learners' vocabulary by memorizing words and phrases. They offer different courses, blog posts, and interactive videos to help ESL students learn real-life phrases and understand language in a real-world context.

20 Questions: 20 questions is a guessing game where an individual chooses a person, place, or thing for other participants to guess by using only "yes" or "no" questions (e.g. Is it a person? Is it blue? Is it large? etc.). The game requires a small group of participants (between 2-5). This helps with critical language thinking, vocabulary expansion, and creativity.

Categories: Categories is a game that is focused on vocabulary. Create a list of different categories that you have recently learned (states, animals, foods, etc.). Choose a letter and set a time limit. Once you choose your letter and time limit, you need to write as many different words that start with the same letter and fit into each category.

Crossword puzzles and word searches: Crossword puzzles and word searches help expand vocabulary, solidify definitions, and create contextual connections to help improve language usage and comprehension. You can find both in your local newspaper, you can purchase them online, or there are numerous free ones available online like The Word Search or Dictionary.com's daily crossword puzzle .

ESL apps and games for ESL teachers and classrooms

There are specific ESL apps and games that teachers can utilize in the classroom for alternative language learning approaches. Again, the types of games and apps you utilize should be based on age and language level. Below is a list of possible apps and games for ESL teachers and the classroom:

Quizlet: Quizlet is a great resource for educators to create a variety of flashcards, practice quizzes, interactive games, and assessments for your students. Quizlet has a variety of pre-made study sets available, or you can create your own. Quizlet is free to use, there is a web version, and an app for both Apple and Android users.

Kahoot: Kahoot is a popular choice for educators to create a game-based lesson. You can assess ESL students in a fun manner through multiple-choice surveys in all subject categories in the classroom. Kahoot is free to download. There is a web version and a mobile app that you can find on the App Store and Google Play.

Cram: Cram is a database full of pre-made flashcards and essays created by students and educators. Students/educators can utilize the pre-made options, or create their own to help with understanding concepts and learning new important information. There is both a free website and apps available.

Mad Libs: Mad Libs is a book composed of phrasal templates that require players to fill in the blanks in different stories with English categories (e.g. nouns, adjectives, pronouns, exclamations, body parts, animal, etc.). While the outcome is generally a funny story that doesn't make a whole lot of sense, this game requires language learners to use their vocabulary and understand different parts of speech. Educators can purchase the original Mad Libs booklets, look for alternatives online like Mad Takes , or create their own.

Jeopardy: Jeopardy is a great game to play to test/assess knowledge in a fun manner. It is a classic television game show where the game host provides the answer, and the players answer with a question. Players choose a specific amount of points from one of the categories provided. The more points, the harder the question. You can create your own game board using a whiteboard or projector, or you can find different pre-made games using sites like Jeopardy Labs . Eslgames.com offers a " how to play ESL Jeopardy " page on their site to help educators create their own board and understand the rules. Jeopardy helps language learners think critically about language usage, expand their vocabulary, and answer in question formats.

Additional ESL resources and learning options

Games and apps are not the only way to teach language learners, there are many other ESL resources to consider. Students learn in different ways, so it is important to diversify your teaching methods to tailor to different learning styles . Listed below are additional ESL resources students and educators can take advantage of:

Tutors: A student may need extra one-on-one time to bolster their language comprehension and fluency and an English tutor is a great way to do so. Take your time and do your research as it is important to pick a good tutor for you or your child. As students dedicate time towards learning a new language, they may lose some of their native language fluency - especially if they are in a region where their native language is not commonly spoken. There are so many different online language tutors to choose from, teaching and everything in between.

ESL websites: There is a surplus of websites that are useful for English language learners as well as educators. Some notable examples include:

Reverso: Reverso is an online translator based on AI technology that seeks to provide accurate results by offering translations in context. While other quick online translation tools are known for being inaccurate from time to time, Reverso has improved accuracy through this AI integration.

Television/movies: You can watch televisions or movies in the language that you are learning to help absorb certain words or phrases. Start by watching movies with subtitles, then as time goes on, turn off the subtitles. It may be helpful to get the most out of using television or movies as a learning resource to watch television/movies that you are familiar with, but if you want a challenge, choose to watch some material that you are unfamiliar with.

The benefits of game-based learning

There are numerous ways to learn, but learning through games is a unique approach that features a variety of different educational benefits for all students. There are online browser games, to help language exchange games/websites , and educational apps learn English online, below we've listed some of the benefits behind game-based learning:

Educational games are competitive and they can encourage participation: Playing games can help reduce feelings of isolation and exclusion through increased involvement and engagement.

Educational games create a fun way to learn: Traditional learning methods can be considered less fun than game-based learning, and they can create additional stress. This can result in less participation and a negative attitude towards learning. When you create a fun way to learn, students become more engaged and your educational attempts can become more effective as a result.

Educational games help develop important skills: Game-based learning helps students develop problem-solving, strategic thinking, creativity, teamwork, hand-eye coordination, reading, memorization, and many other skills that are important for effective education.

Educational games improve technology fluency: Many of the language learning games available are online or through applications. When a child learns how to access the games, and how they work, it creates a foundational understanding of how computers or (other technology being used) function.

Educational games create a less stressful form of assessment: Educational games give teachers an alternative method for assessing what students have learned. You can identify knowledge gaps by playing these games without making students feel overwhelmed or stressed with traditional assessments like exams, quizzes, or tests. You can then tailor your future lessons to address areas that need additional coverage.

The importance of learning English

In 2021, more than 1.35 billion people claimed to speak English as their native or second language around the world. Below are some of the reasons why more individuals are choosing to learn English and why learning English is important:

English is the global language of business: English is the most common language used in business, and an increasing number of multinational companies are beginning to adopt English as their primary business language.

Speaking English can improve job prospects: Speaking multiple languages can increase your job prospects , and since English is the global language of business, learning English can help position you in a better place for employment. Additionally, English fluency can help you earn more money as well.

Learning English helps your brain: A National Library of Medicine study shows how the growth of foreign-language acquisition has positive effects on the brain. The parts of the brain that language acquisition affects are responsible for memory, conscious thought, and creativity. A different study from the National Library of Medicine shows how bilingualism helps delay cognitive decline and onset symptoms of dementia.

Learning English can be useful when traveling: Since English is the most common language spoken, when you travel, there is a greater likelihood that you will be able to communicate with others using English. Learning English can help with things like recommendations, directions, tips and warnings.

What is ESL?

"ESL" stands for English as a Second Language. ESL students are non-native speakers who are looking to learn English.

Some schools have specialized ESL programs that are designed to ease language learners in. These programs are generally taught by a teacher who has specialized in or received additional training on the ESL curriculum. In most cases, these programs will be taught with smaller class sizes in a more intimate setting to provide more one-on-one opportunities and interactions.

Although there are specialized educators and ESL programs for ESL students, it is common for ESL students to be placed immediately in a mainstream classroom. Educators should be prepared to teach ESL students English based on the language proficiency level they are at.

ESL levels of English language proficiency

For a student whose first language is not English, it is important to understand where they stand with English language proficiency and to make an appropriate individualized education program (IEP). Language "fluency" can be a hard metric to measure, so the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) was created by the Council of Europe as an international guideline to measure language ability on a six-level scale, from A1 (language beginners) to C2 (language masters). The CEFR English language levels are as follows:

" A1 (Basic User): Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. Can introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows, and things he/she has. Can interact simply provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.

A2 (Basic User): Can understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate relevance (e.g. very basic personal and family information, shopping, local geography, employment). Can communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters. Can describe in simple terms aspects of his/her background, immediate environment, and matters in areas of immediate need.

B1 (Independent User): Can understand the main points of clear standard input on familiar matters regularly encountered in work, school, leisure, etc. Can deal with most situations likely to arise whilst traveling in an area where the language is spoken. Can produce simple connected text on familiar topics or of personal interest. Can describe experiences and events, dreams, hopes & ambitions and briefly give reasons and explanations for opinions and plans.

B2 (Independent User): Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialization. Can interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity that makes regular interaction with native speakers quite possible without strain for either party. Can produce clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects and explain a viewpoint on a topical issue giving the advantages and disadvantages of various options.

C1 (Proficient User): Can understand a wide range of demanding, longer texts, and recognize implicit meaning. Can express him/herself fluently and spontaneously without much obvious searching for expressions. Can use language flexibly and effectively for social, academic, and professional purposes. Can produce clear, well-structured, detailed text on complex subjects, showing controlled use of organizational patterns, connectors, and cohesive devices.

C2 (Proficient User): Can understand with ease virtually everything heard or read. Can summarise information from different spoken and written sources, reconstructing arguments and accounts in a coherent presentation. Can express him/herself spontaneously, very fluently and precisely, differentiating finer shades of meaning even in more complex situations."

When an educator understands what level their ESL student is at, they get a better understanding as to where they should start with language learning to position the ESL student for success and to eventually include the student in all mainstream curriculum. Teachers can utilize online language level tests to help them determine their student's language level.

Important terms and acronyms to know

There are numerous terms and acronyms related to ESL that can cause some confusion among language learners, parents, and educators. The following terms/acronyms are commonly used words and phrases to become aware of:

English language learners (ELL): This term/acronym is another phrased coined for non-native-English-speaking students who are working towards English language proficiency,regardless of what their proficiency is classified as.

English as a foreign language (EFL): EFL is for non-native-English-speaking students who are learning English in an area where English is not the primary language used. For example, a student is learning English while located in France.

Teachers of English to speakers of other languages (TESOL): TESOL is a professional body of educators who are focused on researching, establishing, and educating language learners and other educators on the best practices and methods for teaching the English language.

Native language: An individual's native language refers to the first language they were exposed to in life.

Primary language: An individual's primary language refers to the language they use most often. For example, if a person was born in the U.S. and their native language was English, but they moved to an area of Mexico where they exclusively communicate in Spanish, their primary language is Spanish.

Bilingual: Being bilingual means that you can communicate with two different languages proficiently.

Language proficiency: Language proficiency refers to an individual's ability to participate in oral and written components of a language outside of their native tongue.

Language fluency: Language fluency refers to an individual's ability to participate in all components of a language outside of their native tongue (read, write, speak, understand).

Accommodations: Accommodations are changes made by educators to ensure that ESL/ELL students can viably participate in assessments. If you are excellent at math, but you don't understand the questions due to a language barrier, your assessment results may not truly reflect your math abilities. Some examples of accommodations are providing the assessment in the test-takers native language, giving additional time to complete the assessment, or providing a dictionary.

Basic interpersonal communication skills (BICS): BICS - also referred to as "playground English" - refers to the foundational English communication skills that can be supported using everyday language and hand gestures.

Limited English proficiency (LEP): LEP was the acronym originally coined for ESL/ELL students. The term is used for individuals enrolling in elementary/secondary education who do not have a sufficient enough level of English to meet state requirements.

Challenges that ESL students face in school

There are many different challenges and barriers to education that affect ESL students. All students are generally challenged in one way or another at some point during their schooling, but these barriers are specific to ESL students. These challenges are important to be aware of if you are a parent or educator:

Culture shock: It is common for ESL students to feel overwhelmed, confused, and anxious with unfamiliarity if they are in a new area - this is called culture shock. ESL students aren't always just learning a new language, they are oftentimes learning new social norms and expectations, studying new cultural aspects that are different from their own, and figuring out foundational aspects of life in their new country, all while navigating language barriers. This culture shock can result in a feeling of social isolation as well. When an ESL student is struggling with culture shock, it can deter from the effectiveness of their education.

Time constraints: When you are learning a new language while going to school, your entire time is not always dedicated to learning and this can feel overwhelming and discouraging. ESL students are being taught other subjects (math, science, health, etc.) without fully understanding the language in the first place. This can be a challenging barrier to overcome and it can often create knowledge gaps. Additionally, some educators may not be giving ESL students an appropriate time accommodation to fully understand and complete their work to the best of their ability.

Shame or embarrassment: When you are learning a new language, it can feel overwhelming and potentially embarrassing at times. This is especially true if you are surrounded by fluent speakers. Practicing is crucial for learning a new language, but it is common to take a step back and become an observer with feelings of shame/embarrassment instead of practicing.

Conclusion

As you can see, there are a wide variety of resources for ESL students, parents, and educators. While learning the English language can seem intimidating, these resources can help learners make the most of their study time, immerse themselves in the language, and have fun while they learn!

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ESL Games and Apps for English Language Learners

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English can be a difficult language to learn, and when students are learning a new language, they are usually juggling additional challenges. However, there are an array of ESL games and apps available for students, parents, and educators to take advantage of that can help with learning English.

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I chose this resource because it lists some great websites and apps for EBs. I think this would be a great thing to look back on and implement these learning tools in my classroom.