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Culturally Responsive Teaching for Multilingual Learners: Tools for Equity

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Welcome to the Companion WebsiteChapter 1Video 1.1: Why Culturally Responsive Teaching MattersChapter 2Video 2.1: What It Means to Value Diversity

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Turning Around My Co-Teaching Experience

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Turning Around My Co-Teaching Experience

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Every teaching partnership has a story. One of my partnerships started off with tension but became the most collaborative experience of my 14 years of teaching.

Let me share with you how Shawna Carnahan and I turned our relationship into a thriving, dynamic relationship that we all strive for.

Starting off without a plan

The year we started working together was when we both taught 5th grade. Shawna had already worked in the school for a year, and I was just entering my first year.

The year I joined was also the first year each grade in the elementary school had a designated language specialist, so everyone was trying to figure out the definition of that role. All we knew was that I had to work with the five grade-five teachers and work with their multilingual students.

We had an in-class support schedule where I went to classes to assist students. But unfortunately, I failed to establish a co-planning schedule with each teacher individually. We only met during grade-level team meetings. My intention was to co-plan, but with five teachers on the team, it was impossible to "group plan" with each teacher having a different teaching style.

I spent most of that first year in classes supporting language learners, but there was very little co-teaching. That was a predictable outcome since one cannot truly co-teach without co-planning first.

Because we could not co-plan, we lost the ability to know each other as people and professionals, and to draw on each other's skills and experiences. Co-planning is not just for instruction. It also serves to incubate a newly born teaching relationship. Without co-planning time, I usually was resigned to supporting from the side.

Restarting with co-planning

I returned the second year with renewed hopes for dynamic teaching relationships. Now that I was no longer a new teacher at the school, I understood the school's systems and how I could fit into them. Therefore my first goal was to establish a schedule with my team. At one of the meetings, I had them co-create my schedule. My only criteria were:

There must be one co-planning period per 10-day cycle

Schedule co-teaching times during double blocks (i.e, 70 minutes of instruction), no more 35-minute co-teaching blocks

More time given to teachers with more language learners

With a co-planning and co-teaching schedule made, I now had the opportunity to start over with trying to form a dynamic teaching partnership.

Co-plan strategically

There were two strategic things I did that made co-planning successful with Shawna. Unlike the first year - when some of my colleagues wanted me to plan literacy lessons they would teach - I co-constructed lessons with teachers who wanted to co-plan. With this approach, I was able to support instruction in ways that felt familiar and comfortable to Shawna because I simply built on her ideas and worked to be responsive to her personal teaching style.

The second thing I did was use the collaboration time to engage in High-Impact Co-planning, which is characterized by the following phases:

Phase 1 - plan the unit's assessment tasks and rubrics

Phase 2 - plan backward from the assessment

After planning the assessment tasks and rubrics, I was able to focus on planning at the weekly level. I would always ask, "What do we want students to do by next Friday." This simple question would always lead us back to the assessment tasks and the rubrics.

We would outline our ideas on a week-at-a-glance document. Co-constructing this document made our instruction crystal clear, which in turn made our collaboration much more defined (Frey, Fisher, & Hattie, 2016).

One trick that really made formatting easy was as we were co-planning, I turned our ideas into visuals directly on the teaching slides. This helped capture the ideas, made them visual, and empowered us to co-construct the big ideas to put on the slides together.

Once we settled on the major push for the week ahead, I added the finishing touches during my personal prep time. It was a better investment of co-planning time to agree on the objectives of next week's lessons than planning out all the small details for each day.

Shawna trusted me enough to leave much of the formatting of the teaching slides to me. This freed her up to do other work and left her feeling that she has an ally in me.

Co-teach intentionally

Co-planning intentionally effortlessly blossomed into co-teaching strategically. By the end of every co-planning session, we had these key co-teaching questions answered:

What are we teaching?

Who is teaching what?

How will we teach it?

When in the lesson sequence am I teaching that?

Whenever it was Shawna's turn to teach, I still stood in front of the room to help scribe ideas, to facilitate conversation, to model a process, and to add ideas. I cannot emphasize enough the power of scribing for your co-teacher because it communicates support and collaboration.

Scribing also allowed me to add ideas more easily than I could from the back or side of the room. I could add with confidence because we had already co-planned, and Shawna and I used a single presentation document.

Even when she led a lesson, I was intimately familiar with the lesson because I often took our ideas and formatted them on our teaching slides. This made co-teaching feel fluid (to us and to our students) like a balanced, coordinated dance.

Whenever I taught, I stood at one side of the board to subconsciously make space for Shawna to join. My body language communicated that I wanted to share the teaching with Shawna, never take over. Additionally, as we co-taught and while students were working on the task, I would often come check in with Shawna to share our observations and determine if it was time to move onto the next phase of the lesson.

When I led a particular lesson, we made decisions jointly. This was purposeful because I knew that I was a guest in her room, and I wanted to nurture a truly collaborative relationship.

Incorporate mini-reflections

As part of the Collaborative Instructional Cycle, co-reflecting is essential (Honigsfeld & Dove, 2019). Fortunately, co-reflecting can occur throughout the collaboration and not just the end. I often would ask, "What did you think about how we did [ x or y]." This simple question would allow us to informally reflect, which then led to more refined instruction.

Sometimes I would do this just after we co-taught; or at the beginning of a co-planning session, after looking at students' work together; or after a co-planning session. Informal reflection was an integrated part of our collaboration.

Nurture relational trust

In our podcast conversation I asked Shawna what she thought helped turn our collaboration around. She kindly said that I was persistent in working together. She also said that I had no ego about working together. Together, this formed our relational trust (Bryk & Schneider, 2003). I did specific things to nurture our relationship (even during our first year) such as:

doing small acts of kindness (e.g. erasing the board, setting up the projector)

building on her ideas instead of offering completely new ones

finding moments to celebrate and things to positively recognize

These moments did occur during co-teaching, but they occurred more often during co-planning as co-planning without students present is a more relaxed and safer place - and a less territorial space - to form trust.

The releasing of control and sharing of a classroom starts during co-planning. For many who have not co-taught before, they need to feel that the language specialist will not evaluate them, will be affirming, and will make them feel comfortable working as a team. Co-planning is the nursery for collegial trust.

My most collaborative relationship

If you had told me in advance that, by the end of my second year working with Shawna, it would be one of the most transformative partnerships and the most collaborative teaching relationship ever, I would have doubted you.

However, when I look back at our turn-around story, it was all possible because we created a schedule that included co-planning time and used co-planning strategically to focus on the big aspects of the unit.

If you had walked into Shawna's room to watch us co-teach (above), you would have thought that we had been co-teaching together for many more years, not just two. It certainly felt like we had a dynamic co-teaching relationship on the surface. What people might not realize is that below the co-teaching success was a foundation of co-planning.

In the comment section, share your own turnaround collaboration story if you have one. I hope you do, or will one day soon.
References
Bryk, A., & Schneider, B. (2003). Trust in Schools: A Core Resource for School Reform. Educational Leadership, 60(6), 40-45. Retrieved July 5, 2020, from http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/mar03/vol60/num06/Trust-in-Schools@-A-Core-Resource-for-School-Reform.aspx

Fisher, D., Frey, N., & Hattie, J. (2016). Visible learning for literacy, grades K-12: Implementing the practices that work best to accelerate student learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Literacy.

Honigsfeld, A., & Dove, M. G. (2019). Collaborating for English learners: A foundational guide to integrated practices. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

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127. Turning around my co-teaching relationship | Empowering ELLs

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Every teaching partnership has a story. One of my partnerships started off with tension but became the most collaborative experience of my 14 years of teaching. Let me share with you how Shawna Carnahan and I turned our relationship into a thriving, dynamic relationship that we all strive for.

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Resources | Reading & Writing with English Learners

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Resources for Helping ELLs with Distance Learning

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Resources for Helping ELLs with Distance Learning

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SupportEd

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Bridging Two Worlds: Supporting Newcomer and Refugee Youth

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Bridging Two Worlds: Supporting Newcomer and Refugee Youth

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Amazing Resource from Dr Jan Stewart and Dr Lorna Martin

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Author(s)

Dr Jan Stewart and Dr Lorna Martin

Publisher

CERIC

ISBN

978-1-988066-27-1

Bridging Two Worlds provides teachers, school administrators and counsellors with the knowledge and practical resources to deliver more informed and culturally responsive career development and guidance to newcomer and refugee youth from Kindergarten to Grade 12. This book and the study upon which it is based grew out of the Canadian spirit of cultural diversity and inclusivity. Bridging Two Worlds offers data-informed curriculum development and instructional ideas that recognize and address educational gaps as well as cultural or experiential differences that impede progress.

In the first section, the book considers issues that relate to school-based learning and teaching. While not all newcomers to Canada face the cumulative effects of trauma, interrupted learning and new-language acquisition, all educators should be aware of how these affect human development and learning. The second section focuses on educator competency - preparing and training teachers and counsellors to work with newcomer and refugee children and youth. It includes relevant core competencies from the Career Development Guidelines and Standards of Practice and 30 sample lessons for educators. The book concludes with a section devoted to student learning outcomes for life/work development. Learning outcomes from the Blueprint for Life/Work Designs are provided with accompanying suggestions for instruction across all elementary and secondary grade levels.

Get Your Copy

About the Author

Dr Jan Stewart is a Professor in the Faculty of Education at The University of Winnipeg. With over 30 years of teaching, research and field experience, Dr Stewart has achieved expertise working with children and youth who have been affected by conflict, trauma, violence, abuse, mental health issues, neglect and human rights violations. She has led international research and teacher development programs in Zimbabwe, South Sudan and Uganda, and she has conducted national and international seminars and conferences around the world. She is the author of The Anger Workout Book for Teens, The Tough Stuff Series, The STARS Program and Supporting Refugee Children: Strategies for Educators.

Dr Lorna Martin is a President Emerita of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) and has held positions in the Faculty of Education at both the University of Winnipeg and the University of Manitoba. She has supported counselling and psychotherapy initiatives for more than 25 years, consulting with health, justice and family services representatives. She is an author and editor of multiple books and resources focusing on counselling and psychotherapy, supervision, ethics, standards of practice, suicide prevention and postvention, and education.

Publishing of the Playbook was made possible in part by the generous contributions of Knowledge Champions.

In the News!

Sareena Hopkins, Executive Director, Canadian Career Development Foundation

Grounded in solid research and underpinned by values of diversity and inclusivity, this timely publication is brimming with practical lesson plans and instructional resources. This is an absolute must-read for educators and others seeking to welcome and support newcomers and refugee families.

Kathy Whynot, English as Additional Language & Newcomer Children and Youth Learning Specialist, Department of Education & Early Childhood Development, Government of New Brunswick

New Brunswick educators have benefitted from Dr. Stewart's work and we believe that her unique experiences, vast insight and depth of knowledge in this area is unparalleled in our country. The comprehensive information and data-informed materials, including lesson plans to build teacher capacity and case studies for analysis, will be essential resources for educational leaders across the country as they plan for their increasingly diverse classrooms and schools.

John Driscoll, President, Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association

A well-researched and much-needed resource for educators and school counsellors who support newcomers and refugee youth. A must-have book for the toolkit of those working with newcomer and refugee youth or for those who need to understand this emerging career decision-making area.

James Baker, PhD, Banting Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Sociology, McMaster University and Manager, Programs and Research, Association for New Canadians, Newfoundland and Labrador

With the growing number of newcomer and refugee children and youth settling in Canada who have experienced trauma, this book represents an excellent resource to those current and future educators, settlement workers and healthcare practitioners who are working, or will be working, with such a vulnerable population. I recommend it highly.

Leah Hamilton, PhD, Associate Professor; Bissett School of Business, Research Development Officer; Office of Research, Scholarship and Community Engagement, Mount Royal University

Bridging Two Worlds: Supporting Newcomer and Refugee Youth is an invaluable guide to curriculum implementation and integration based on a rigorous, three-year research program. Importantly, the guide includes 30 detailed lesson plans designed to foster core competencies to help teachers effectively address the needs of newcomer and refugee children and youth. These include a powerful "privilege walk" designed to heighten awareness of the social and economic inequality faced by newcomers. If you are interested in building culturally responsive bridges in the school system, this book will be an invaluable resource.

Paula Markus, Program Co-ordinator, ESL/ELD Toronto District School Board (retired 2017) and Sessional Lecturer, University of Toronto-OISE

Bridging Two Worlds: Supporting Newcomer and Refugee Youth is a much-needed volume that presents a Canadian research-based perspective on supporting the adjustment challenges and mental health needs of students from immigrant and refugee backgrounds. School administrators, guidance counsellors and teacher educators will especially appreciate the rich section of lesson plans to build teacher capacity in supporting newcomer and refugee students. Thoughtfully structured teacher development activities cover topics ranging from supporting the needs of students with interrupted learning and using restorative practices to support refugee students to looking at gaps among students created by privilege and fostering peace education. This book will be welcomed by all Canadian educators who want to better serve the needs of newcomer and refugee youth.

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Bridging Two Worlds: Supporting Newcomer and Refugee Youth | CERIC

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Author(s) Dr Jan Stewart and Dr Lorna Martin Publisher CERIC ISBN 978-1-988066-27-1 Bridging Two Worlds provides teachers, school administrators and counsellors with the knowledge and practical resources to deliver more informed and culturally responsive career development and guidance to newcomer and refugee youth from Kindergarten to Grade 12.

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Some great GO-TO Activating Strategies:

KWL Begin the lesson with a three-column organizer: What I Know, What I Want to know, what I Learned. Have students fill in the first two columns in advance of the lesson. Return to the last column as a summarizing strategy for the lesson.

Carousel Brainstorming On chart paper around the room (or on paper that is passed around groups), ask small groups of students (3-4) to respond to a question or statement posed at the top of the paper. (These questions/statements should represent components of their upcoming learning.) After a short period of time, student groups move on to another piece of chart paper/topic, and read what has been written about that topic and add to or respond to it. Key reminder: Ahead of time prepare the chart paper and the different topics, insuring that you have enough "stations" so that every group is at one station during each rotation. These charts and responses can be used as the lesson activator, representing the prior knowledge and current understandings of the group

​Word Splash Students are given a "splash" of the key words from the lesson. They should write a few meaningful sentences to capture (relying on their background knowledge) using these words. http://www.abcya.com/word_clouds.htm

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Some great GO-TO Activating Strategies: KWL Begin the lesson with a three-column organizer: What I Know, What I Want to know, what I Learned. Have students fill in the first two columns in advance of the lesson. Return to the last column as a summarizing strategy for the lesson.

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Talk Moves - Teaching Students How to Have a Conversation by Loa Richardson | This newsletter was created with Smore, an online tool for creating beautiful newsletters for individual educators, schools and districts

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by Carol Salva Is it really a good idea to spend time having students write in content-area classes? The answer is YES! Here are some reasons and a few ideas on how to make writing time practical.
I have been a content-area teacher, both with and without in-class support, and everyone will agree that content teachers have a very heavy load. The stakes are higher than ever, and we could run through a very long list of issues facing teachers today, from grading to insignificant planning time. The issues are real, and time is limited! However, the more I work with teachers, the more I see examples of the value in integrating writing in all content areas.

A Concrete Example from the Field

In our trainings and in our book, Boosting Achievement, Anna Matis and I frequently mention a master teacher, Joseph Maurer. Joseph's math class was an excellent example of how writing and producing language in content areas can boost achievement of all learners. I was fascinated by Joseph's class, not only because he had documented years of impressive standardized assessment scores, but also because this was an anomaly for the area. Joseph taught in an area that was predominantly Hispanic and over 95 percent Free and Reduced Lunch (low socioeconomic status). And yet, he was able to close achievement gaps for so many students.

Mr. Maurer was utilizing several high-impact teaching strategies, but the one that struck me the most was writing. The students in Joseph Maurer's classroom had math journals that were filled with reflective writing about their math learning. There was a great deal of language being used, in class both orally and in writing. I was so thrilled about the learning environment that I requested to have my own son (who is not an English Learner and is gifted in the area of math) placed into Mr. Maurer's Algebra class. Anthony would tell me that Mr. Maurer was a great math teacher and that he let the students talk about math a lot. I noticed that his homework included fewer calculations and more writing reflection with sentence stems such as "I solved this problem by..." "I noticed..."

Mr. Maurer began offering staff development with me, and he strongly recommended that other math teachers incorporate writing into their instructional minutes. In our trainings, he shared that writing is basic to thinking, and according to Fulwiler (1983), writing promotes introspection and speculation. Additionally, in content areas, Fulwiler offers that students can use writing to individualize their instruction. Writing is personalized by nature because the author enters the writing wherever they are in their thinking.

A Practical Approach

Writing to learn in a content classroom need not be time consuming or misaligned with the lesson. For example, students can do a two-minute quick write to reflect or a short journal entry to warm up. Or, a favorite among content teachers is a short writing piece that serves as an Exit Ticket at the end of class. Content teachers have told me that Exit Tickets are valuable for many reasons:

"I get a check for understanding."
"It's a great formative assessment."
"The kids have to think about what we did today."
"I don't care how they write it; I want them to reflect on the science we learned."

YES! These are all great thoughts on how Exit Tickets can be powerful for content-area teachers.

As these comments suggest, writing is already happening as part of many content teachers' pedagogy.

I suggest a simple tweak to the idea of an Exit Ticket to get even more bang for your buck. For any classroom, I suggest that teachers consider framing the lesson so that we begin class by telling students what the Exit Ticket will be and including a sentence stem as part of the Exit Ticket. The sentence starter directs thinking and can help a teacher explain the learning intentions.

If we review the Exit Ticket with the learning targets, now our Exit Ticket is doing "double duty" for content area teachers. Not only will students use writing to reflect, but they also have an opportunity to understand the learning targets from the beginning of the lesson. Reviewing the objectives ahead of time, including the expected Exit Ticket, is a way to communicate the success criteria. It ties to what John Hattie (2009) calls "Teacher Clarity." Hattie describes Teacher Clarity as communicating the learning intentions and success criteria for the learning intentions (Almarode, 2017). His work supports that this effort has a significant effect on learning outcomes.

What About the Student Who Can't Yet Write?

Everyone can reflect. Everyone can put something down on paper. According to Carroll and Wilson in Acts of Teaching (2007), even pre-literate children have intention when they scribble or draw. We want the learners in a safe space to reflect on what they understand, what they wonder, and/or what they are confused about. So allowing any reflections and minimizing corrections of spelling or mechanics can support both content-area learning and writing ability as students internalize the new writing structures they encounter.

The sentence stem we mentioned in the Exit Ticket example above also gives your English learners an opportunity to write a complete academic sentence. If they are just gaining the ability to write (in English or in any language), you're offering them a chance to practice forming English words at the same time. So we allow native language to negotiate meaning, we ask everyone to use the sentence stem, and then we set students off to reflect in a way that most supports their learning.

Am I Supposed to Teach Students How to Write?

Yes, but in a way that makes sense for your subject. Teachers who are unfamiliar with teaching spelling, grammar, and the mechanics of writing need not despair. Spelling, grammar, and mechanics are not the main goal in a content-area classroom. The content is the main goal. Begin with a two-minute quick write, a writing warm up, or the Exit Ticket example above, and be sure to include a sentence stem that includes academic language of your subject. Consider how much language and writing students will produce over the school year if they write just one academic sentence each day. Over 180 days, these structured writing activities will go a long way to teaching the language of any content area...and they should also go a long way in boosting the learning of the entire class.
Read more about writing to learn with emergent English learners.

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by Carol Salva Is it really a good idea to spend time having students write in content-area classes? The answer is YES! Here are some reasons and a few ideas on how to make writing time practical. I have been a content-area teacher, both with and without in-class support, and everyone will agree that content...

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In blog post, I shared a lesson I started with our SIFE (Students with Interrupted Formal Educations) ELs. This lesson led to another wonderful week where students created a wonderful presentation to show the rest of the class. Stories That Sparkle Powerful Conversations
All our newcomer ELs are expected to present their learning in our ESL class, of course, the bar remains high for SIFEs. Just like Kanako Suwa says,
" Simplifying is GIVING UP, Scaffolding is BELIEVING. Simplifying is dumbing down/lowering expectations.

Scaffold = same expectations and content + supports put in place to help Ss meet the expectations."

With the understanding that these students are capable of more - I encouraged them to create their own book using the sentences they had formed from the book
My students were very excited when they noticed that they were creating their own book using the information they understood.

Both students were able to create and publish their own book but only one student had the strength to record the reading. It does take a lot of courage to do this knowing that your voice is being heard by others and you're not sure of yourself in the targeted language.

So the platform I use to publish my students' stories is WriteReader. This platform is student-friendly and it can be used by students K-12.
One of my students used the camera to take some pictures of the book that matched his text, another student took photographs of her own illustrations.

Here's Yousef's book: (link includes voice/reading)

Both of my students did a great job and they are very proud of the work they accomplished.
You see, it really doesn't take much to help our English learners (and SIFE) to perform at their highest potential.

If you choose to use this platform to publish your students' stories, please let me know! I'd live to share them with my students as well.

Thank you so much for reading!

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In blog post, I shared a lesson I started with our SIFE (Students with Interrupted Formal Educations) ELs. This lesson led to another wonderful week where students created a wonderful presentation to show the rest of the class.

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What Does Immersing Yourself in a Book Do To Your Brain?

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Only connect. –E.M. Forster The act of taking on the perspective and feelings of others is one of the most profound, insufficiently heralded contributions of the deep-reading processes. Proust’s de…

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Parts-of-speech.Info - POS tagging online

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Parts-of-speech.Info - POS tagging online

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automatic Part-of-speech tagging of texts (highlight word classes)

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Reflections on Teaching English Learners

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Educators are well aware of the oft-cited achievement gap experienced by English learners. The term achievement gap implies that some students don't do as well as others academically because they aren't trying hard enough, aren't motivated, or aren't as capable as higher performing students. However, in the past decade there has been growing awareness - and evidence - that there is a pervasive opportunity gap for these students.

A recent report provides some interesting results regarding the opportunity gap. The authors observed nearly 1,000 schools across five diverse school systems and concluded that there are ways to close the opportunity gap. The report recommends that each day students should have the following four resources:

Consistent opportunities to work on grade-appropriate assignments.

The idea that English learners can only be successful if they're given watered-down materials and assignments has been refuted. Research with the SIOP Model, as well as other studies such as the one linked above, have found that when English learners are provided with appropriate supports, or scaffolds, these learners can be successful in learning grade-level concepts and material and can meet academic standards. Supports are intended to make content comprehensible while at the same time develop students' English proficiency. Proven supports include:

Presenting information in chunks, so that students can process both the concepts presented and the language used. Some English learners may be mentally translating the information and need time to do so. After a chunk of information is presented (or read), ask students to do something to actively process the information such as summarizing it with a partner, answering questions, or filling in part of a worksheet. This process makes large amounts of information more manageable.

Pre-teaching vocabulary. Vocabulary knowledge is key to understanding text, however, vocabulary lists in textbooks are usually created for English-speakers. Be sure to select words and phrases that will support readers' understanding of the story, text passage, or lesson. For example, a math lesson's objective might be to divide multi-digit numbers using an efficient strategy. Typically, the teacher would select key vocabulary such as, divide, quotient, multiply, dividend, and divisor. These are essential content vocabulary terms for students to know but English learners would likely also need to learn the meaning of efficient and strategy. It is assumed that students know these general academic words, but they are vocabulary terms English learners need to learn for this lesson and for use across content areas.

Using graphic organizers. In many content-area lessons there is a lot of information and language for English learners to digest. Graphic organizers provide a visual illustration so that students can better understand the material while also learning its associated vocabulary.

These are but a few of myriad ways to support English learners' comprehension of grade-level work, and many resources are available to help teachers make grade-level lessons comprehensible for English learners.

Strong instruction where students do most of the thinking in a lesson.

The authors define strong instruction as, "instructional practices that allow students to grapple with appropriate material in robust ways." Some teachers maintain a mindset that students are empty vessels in need of filling. In fact, students come to school with lots of experience and knowledge and use what they bring as a springboard for new learning. Teaching involves more than presenting information, it includes equipping students to think for themselves, to find information, and to be challenged by new ideas. Some of the most effective instruction I've observed is found in classrooms where teachers introduce a topic (or story, or math or science procedure), then students work together to think more deeply about the topic, followed by regrouping for review or sharing students' ideas. Teachers move seamlessly from whole class to small groups or partners, then back to whole group. Small groups may be used for a quick think-pair-share or turn-and-talk, and at other times a group of 3 or 4 students work together to grapple with an idea or topic, research the answer to a question, or problem solve. Grouping is flexible and there may be several grouping configurations in one lesson, each designed to encourage students to do the thinking. Two cautions related to this point:

Be aware of wasted instructional time. A pet peeve of mine is watching time that could be used productively disappear, never to be reclaimed. For example, designed as a way to get students to think about a topic and interact with peers, teachers frequently ask students comprehension or prediction questions such as, "Based on what we've read, where do you think our main character will go next? Turn and talk to your elbow partner." The answer to this question, and most others teachers ask students to discuss, takes about 15-20 seconds, but it is not unusual to observe three to five minutes of valuable instructional time devoted to answering simple questions. Minimal amount of student thinking occurred in this example and the lost minutes add up to hours over the course of a week, a month, a year. English learners are students who can least afford wasted instructional time.

Be careful not to overuse language frames. Used as scaffolds for oral or written expression, sentence frames are effective in helping students communicate ideas using complete sentences and specific vocabulary. Sentence frames are intended to support students in producing language that they wouldn't be able to produce on their own, but they can be overused which stunts authentic expression as I discuss in this post.

Many students go through the motions of participating in lessons without actually being connected cognitively or emotionally. Compliance is not the same as engagement. Student engagement may be easier to see than describe. In this video, you'll find students across grade levels working together productively. Some specific ways to encourage student engagement include:

Grouping students to work collaboratively. As seen in the video, students enjoy working with peers on well-structured assignments. Teachers facilitate productivity by first modeling the tasks and showing an example of the final product, then setting time limits on aspects of the assignment, and circulating amongst students to offer assistance as needed.

Explicitly linking the topic or assignment to students' background knowledge and experiences. For example, hook students by asking questions such as, What would you do in that situation? Have you ever had a similar experience? If you were in this situation, what would you advise? Tell us about how your family might react, Based on your own experience, how might you solve this problem? An important aspect of asking probing questions is to really pay attention to what students have to say orally or in writing. Encouraging students to express their thoughts based on their own experiences can be a powerful way to engage with the topic whether it be characterization in a story, an historical event, or a topic in science.

Capitalizing on the assets students bring to the classroom by providing activities that are meaningful, interesting and relevant to them. Create student agency by allowing English learners to research topics that interest them, on their own or with peers, and offering alternative means for completing assignments based on their interests, e.g., drawing, writing, or filming. When students are given voice and choice in how they learn, they are more likely to take responsibility for their own learning and engage more deeply in assignments.

Teachers who have high expectations for all students and believe they can meet grade-level standards.

All too often, English learners are characterized by what they cannot do: they cannot speak English, they aren't prepared for mainstream classes, their parents cannot attend school events. Deficit-based attitudes contribute to low expectations for students' academic prospects. Decades of research has made clear that If teachers believe that their students are unlikely to learn, they tend to teach in ways that make this expectation a reality. In contrast, most of us are drawn to a person who believes in us and we don't want to disappoint that person. Students perform better for teachers who communicate high expectations for them. These teachers take time to develop relationships with their students which pays dividends in the classroom. Teachers who have high expectations let each student know that they are important and can be successful. They make comments such as, "I see you finished that assignment. I knew you could do it." "I appreciate you showing up for tutoring this morning. I know it will help you do well in that class." Authentic expressions of affirmation signal your confidence in students and can have a positive impact on their success. We would all do well to communicate to students the essence of Mr. Rogers' approach: You are special. I like who you are.

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Educators are well aware of the oft-cited achievement gap experienced by English learners. The term achievement gap implies that some students don't do as well as others academically because they aren't trying hard enough, aren't motivated, or aren't as capable as higher performing students.

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Using the SIOP Model to Promote the Acquisition of Language and Science Concepts with ELs (Article from the Bilingual Research Journal)

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Using the SIOP Model to Promote the Acquisition of Language and Science Concepts with ELs (Article from the Bilingual Research Journal)

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Research Evidence for the SIOP® Model (Blog post by Dr. Jana Echevarría)

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Research Evidence for the SIOP® Model (Blog post by Dr. Jana Echevarría)

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Reflections on Teaching English Learners

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The SIOP Model is an empirically-tested, research-based model of sheltered instruction that serves as a framework for planning and delivering instruction in content areas such as science, language arts, history, and mathematics. It also helps ESL (English as a second language) and ELD (English language development) teachers incorporate content topics and classroom tasks into their language lessons. SIOP reflects best practices from the research literature, each of its components are grounded in research, and it has a solid research base from empirical studies conducted on the SIOP Model itself. Some of the findings include the following:

The observation protocol has a 5-point scale for each feature on the SIOP Model which measures its level of implementation. A study was conducted to establish the validity and reliability of the SIOP protocol and found the SIOP instrument to be a highly reliable and valid measure of sheltered instruction (Guarino, et al., 2001);

A professional development process was developed including training materials and videotapes, and it has been shown to be effective in improving teachers' practice as they work with English learners (Echevarria, Vogt, & Short, 2000; Short, Fidelman, & Louguit, 2012);

When the features of the SIOP Model are implemented to a high degree, the achievement of English learners improves (Echevarria, Short, & Powers, 2006; Echevarria, Richards, Chinn & Ratleff, 2011);

The features of the SIOP Model provide the language accommodations that English learners need to improve literacy skills. When teachers applied the features effectively, student reading scores in English improved (McIntyre, Kyle, et al., 2010);

Students in middle and high school classes (mathematics, science, social studies, language arts, ESL, health, and computer) with SIOP-trained teachers outperformed comparison students (those without trained teachers) on the IDEA Language Proficiency Tests (IPT) to levels of statistical significance in oral language, writing, and overall mean scores, indicating that the SIOP Model had a positive impact on the development of English language proficiency (Short, Fidelman, & Louguit, 2012);

There are multiple schools and districts that report increased student performance when teachers implement the SIOP Model (Echevarria, 2012; Echevarria, Short & Vogt, 2017);

English-speaking students as well as English learners in SIOP classes outperformed similar students in control classes (Short & Himmel, 2013).

These and other ongoing studies show that the SIOP Model is a scientifically validated way for teachers to provide effective instruction to second language learners (referred to as English learners in the research studies). Findings show that English learners benefit academically when the features of the SIOP are part of everyday teaching.

Research evidence for SIOP's efficacy is followed by articles describing SIOP research applications in practice.
Research Evidence for the Efficacy of the SIOP Model
Al-Aloom, L.B. (2019). Effective sheltered instruction observation protocol (SIOP) model strategies among Arab ELLs. Capella University, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 27544311.

Al Fadda, H. A. (2020). Implementation of the Sheltered Instructional Observation Protocol (SIOP) Model in the Saudi Classroom: EFL Teachers' Perspectives. Arab World English Journal, 11 (2) 339- 360. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.24093/awej/vol11no2.24

Alfaro, Y. (2020). The effect of elementary teachers trained in the SIOP Model on the achievement of English language learners in the English reading domain. University of St. Francis, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 28149422.

Batt, E. (2010). Cognitive coaching: A critical phase in professional development to implement sheltered instruction. Teaching and Teacher Education 26, 997-1005.

Bertram, R. L. (2011). Sheltered instruction: A case study of three high school English teachers' experiences with the SIOP Model (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (UMI No. 3486471)

Bose, D. (2012). Effects of just-in-time online training on knowledge and application of the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) model among in-service teachers. Available from Idaho State University, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 3536205

Boughoulid, M. (2020). The SIOP Model as an empowering teaching method for English language learners: A study case. European Journal of English Language Teaching, 6 (2), 39-53.

Calderon, C. T., & Zamora, E. (2014). Factors affecting the implementation of sheltered instruction observation protocols for English language learners. National Forum of Educational Administration & Supervision Journal, 31 (3), 20-32.

Chen, C-T, Kyle, D. & McIntyre, E. (2008). Helping teachers work effectively with English language learners and their families. The School Community Journal, 18 (1), 7-20.

Chen, G., Ling, W., Li, L. & Shi, Y. (2020). A research of digital integrated circuit design curriculum's bilingual education based on methodology of SIOP. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, 412, 484-488.

Daniel, S. & Pray, L. (2017). Learning to teach English language learners: A study of elementary school teachers' sense-making in an ELL endorsement program. TESOL Quarterly, 51 (4), 787-819.

Dodici, A. (2011). The relationship between teachers' multicultural attitudes and their instructional practice with English language learners: A mixed method study. (Doctoral dissertation). Doi 10.15760/etd.141

Echevarria, J., Richards-Tutor, C., Canges, R., & Francis, D. (2011). Using the SIOP Model to promote the acquisition of language and science concepts with English learners. Bilingual Research Journal, 34 (3), 334-351.

Echevarria, J., Richards-Tutor, C., Chinn, V., & Ratleff, P. (2011). Did they get it? The role of fidelity in teaching English learners. Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, 54 (6), 425-434.

Echevarría, J., & Short, D. (2004). Using multiple perspectives in observations of diverse classrooms: The Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP). In H. Waxman, R. Tharp, & S., Hilberg (Eds.), Observational research in U.S. classrooms: New approaches for understanding cultural and linguistic diversity (pp. 21-47). Boston: Cambridge University Press.

Echevarria, J., Short, D., & Powers, K. (2006). School reform and standards-based education: An instructional model for English language learners. Journal of Educational Research, 99(4), 195-210.

Eggington, K., Eggington, W., & Zeichner, K. (2010). Teacher research used to evaluate sheltered instruction in a science classroom setting. Electronic Journal of Literacy Through Science, 9.

Friend, J., Most, R., & McCrary, K. (2009). The impact of a professional development program to

improve urban middle-level English language learner achievement. Middle Grades Research Journal, 4 (1), 53-75.

González, M. (2016). Preparing teacher candidates for the instruction of English language learners. Networks, 18 (2). DOI: 10.4148/2470-6353.1005

Gruver, J. & Bowers, J. (2020). Evolution of inquiry questions in a cyclic professional development program. Canadian Journal of Action Research, 20, 3, pp 3-18.

Guarino, A.J., Echevarria, J., Short, D., Schick, J.E., Forbes, S., & Rueda, R. (2001). The Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol. Journal of Research in Education, 11(1), 138-140.

Guzman, R. (2015). A study of the impact of English language learners: Literacy development through the SIOP Model. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 3701484.

Hayden, R. (2019). English proficiency in classes using Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) compared to classes not using SIOP. Capella University, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 22616011.

Himmel, J., Short, D.J., Richards, C., & Echevarria, J. (2009). Using the SIOP Model to improve middle school science instruction. Washington, DC: Center for Research on the Educational Achievement and Teaching of English Language Learners. Retrieved from http://www.cal.org/create/publications/briefs/using-the-siop-model-to-improve-middle-school-science-instruction.html

Honigsfeld, A., & Cohan, A. (2008). The power of two: Lesson study and SIOP help teachers instruct ELLs. Journal of Staff Development, 29 (1), 24-28.

Inceli, O. (2015). The perceptions of English teachers to the SIOP Model and its impact on limited English proficiency. Journal of Ethnic and Cultural Studies, 2 (1), 15-28.

Ingram, S. (2018). An analysis of the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol Model on academic performance of English language learners. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 0355555247.

Li, J., Steele, J., Slater, R., Bacon, M., Miller, T. (2016). Teaching practices and language use in two-way dual language immersion programs in a large public school district. International Multilingual Research Journal, 10 (1). 31-43. DOI: 10.1080/19313152.2016.1118669

Kang, A. (2005). How to promote comprehension and participation in CBI courses: The SIOP Model. English Teaching, 12, 159-196.

Kareva, V. & Echevarria, J. (2013). Using the SIOP Model for effective content teaching with second and foreign language learners. Journal of Education and Training Studies, 1 (2), 239-248.

Koura, A. & Zahan, F. (2017). The impact of the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol Model on student teachers' teaching skills and self-efficacy. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 8 (4), 704-714. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17507/jltr.0804.09.

Merritt, E.G., Palacios, N., Banse, H., Rimm-Kaufman, S.E., & Leis, M. (2016). Teaching practices in Grade 5 mathematics classrooms with high-achieving English learner students. The Journal of Educational Research. DOI: 10.1080/00220671.2015.1034352

McIntyre, E., Kyle, D., Chen, C., Muñoz, M. & Beldon, S. (2010). Teacher learning and ELL reading achievement in sheltered instruction classrooms: Linking professional development to student development, Literacy Research and Instruction, 49 (4), 334-351.

Mundo, K. (2011). Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) implementation by K-12 mainstream teachers. (Master's thesis). Retrieved from https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/e840/9fb2c48205e1a90209b13e67d5d1675a4dd8.pdf

Nakagawa, H. (2017). The Teacher Perception and Receptiveness of Sheltered Instruction Observation

Protocol (SIOP) Model within a Japanese University Context. Northcentral University, ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 10608145.

O'Neal, D., Ringler, M. C., & Lys, D. B. (2009). Skeptics to partners: University teams with district to improve ELL instruction. Journal of Staff Development, 30 (4), 52-55.

Owen, S. (2018). The Effect of Emphasizing Key Vocabulary On Student Achievement With English Learners. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd/5021

Piazza, S., Williams, C., Protacio, M.S., David, V., Tigchelaar, M. & Kuo, H-C. (2020). Improving instruction for English learners: A professional development study using SIOP. Journal of Teacher Education and Educators, 9 (3), 283-405.

Polat, N. & Cepik, S. (2015). An exploratory factor analysis of the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol as an evaluation tool to measure teacher effectiveness. TESOL Quarterly, 50 (4), 817-843. Doi 10.1002/tesq.248.

Portillo, C. (2015). Teachers' perceptions on the use of Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol as a districtwide professional development reform. (Doctoral Dissertation) Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (UMI No. 3723058)

Reyes, J. & Gentry, J. (2019). Pre-service administrators' experiences with effective research-based learning strategies for English language learners. In K. Young, C. Brown & S. Harris (Eds.) Educational Research Review, 20, 23-38.

Rivera, E. (2019). The impact of the sheltered instruction observation (SIOP) on the achievement of English language learners (Order No. 27736339). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global: The Humanities and Social Sciences Collection. (2377940533).

Rodriguez Moux, S. (2010). Teacher's perceptions of sheltered instruction observation protocol for teaching young English language learners: A qualitative case study. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 3398868.

Short, D., Cloud, N., Morris, P., & Motta, J. (2012). Cross-district collaboration: Curriculum and professional development. TESOL Journal, 3 (3), 402-424.

Short, D., Echevarria, J., & Richards-Tutor, C. (2011). Research on academic literacy development in sheltered instruction classrooms. Language Teaching Research, 15 (3), 363-380.

Short, D., Fidelman, C., & Louguit, M. (2012). Developing academic language in English language learners through sheltered instruction. TESOL Quarterly, 46 (2), 333-360.

Short, D., & Himmel, J. (2013). Moving research on sheltered instruction into curriculum and professional development practice. Paper presented at American Educational Research Association (AERA) Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, April 2013.

Song, K. (2016, February). Systematic professional development training and its impact on teachers' attitudes toward ELLs: SIOP and guided coaching. TESOL Journal. Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/tesj.240/full doi: 10.1002/tesj.240

Song, K. (2016). Applying an SIOP-based instructional framework for professional development in Korea. TESL-EJ, 20(1).

Song, S.Y. & Samimy, K. (2015) The beliefs of secondary content teachers of English language learners regarding language learning and teaching. International Journal of TESOL and Learning, 4 (1), pp. 3-19.

Suweken, G., Waluyo, D., & Okassandiari, N. L. (2017). The improvement of students' conceptual understanding and students' academic language of mathematics through the implementation of SIOP Model. International Research Journal of Management, IT & Social Sciences, 4 (4), 51-60. DOI: 10.21744/irjmis.v4i4.519

Torres, N. (2006). Administrative support for English language learners: How the SIOP Model empowers teachers, administrators, and English language learners. (Doctoral Dissertation) Available from ProQuest Dissertations Publishing. (No. 3231250)

Üzüm, B., & Petrón, M. (2018). Glocal experiences in your own backyard: Teacher candidates developing understanding of equity, diversity, and social justice. In A.F. Selvi and N. Rudolph (Eds.), Conceptual shifts and contextualized practices in education for glocal interaction, intercultural communication and language education. Singapore: Springer Nature. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6421-0_6

Üzüm, B., Petrón, M., & Berg, H. (2014). Pre-service teachers' first foray into the ESL classroom: Reflective practice in a service learning project. TESL-EJ, 18(3), 1-15.

Vidot, J. L. (2011). The efficacy of sheltered instruction observation protocol (SIOP) in mathematics instruction on English language learners. (Doctoral dissertation) Available from http://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/943/

Watkins, N. M., & Lindahl, K. M. (2010). Targeting content area literacy instruction to meet the needs of adolescent English language learners. Middle School Journal, 41 (3), 23-32.

Welsh, L. & Newman, K. (2010). Becoming a content-ESL teacher: A dialogic journey of a science teacher and teacher educator. Theory Into Practice, 49; 137-144.

Whittier, L. E., & Robinson, M. (2007). Teaching evolution to non-English proficient students by using Lego Robotics. American Secondary Education, 35 (3), 19-28.

Ye He, W.J. & Faircloth, J. (2018) Preparing teachers for English learners: Integrating academic language and community service projects, The Social Studies, 109:1, 13 26, DOI: 10.1080/00377996.2017.1403874

Zito-Nash, J, (2017). Impact of Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) Strategies on reading achievement of English language learners in the primary grades. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing, 0355139677.
Research Application Of SIOP
Balconi, A. & Spitzman, E. Content area teachers' challenges writing language objectives: A document analysis. TESOL J. 2020; 00:e530. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesj.530

Colburn, A. & Echevarria, J. (1999). Meaningful lessons. The Science Teacher, 66 (2) 36-39.

Coppersmith, S., Slapac, A., & Song, K. (2018). Infusing linguistically and culturally responsive practices for English learners in social studies methods. Social Studies Education Review, 8 (1) 45-66.

Dumas-Landisi, M. & Honigsfeld, A. (2010). ELL instruction that works for all. Educator's Voice, 3, 74-81.

Echevarria, J. (2006). Helping English language learners succeed. Principal Leadership, 6 (5) 16-21. Reston, VA: National Association for Secondary School Principals.

Echevarría, J. (2012). Effective practices for increasing the achievement of English learners. Washington, DC: Center for Research on the Educational Achievement and Teaching of English Language Learners. Retrieved from http://www.cal.org/create/resources/pubs/

Echevarria, J., & Colburn, A. (2006). Designing Lessons: Inquiry approach to science using the SIOP Model. In A. Lathman & D. Crowther, (Eds.). Science for English Language Learners (pp.95-108). Arlington, VA: National Science Teachers Association Press.

Echevarria, J., Frey, N. & Fisher, D. (2015) What it takes for English learners to succeed. Educational Leadership, 72, 6, pp. 22-26.

Echevarria, J. & Hasbrouck, J. (2009). Response to intervention and English learners. Center for Research on the Educational Achievement and Teaching of English Language Learners (CREATE). Retrieved from www.cal.org/create/resources/pubs.

Echevarria, J., Powers, K. & Elliott, J. (2004). Promising practices for curbing disproportionate representation of minority students in special education. Issues in Teacher Education, 13 (1), 19-34.

Echevarria , J., & Short, D. (2010). Programs and practices for effective sheltered content instruction. In California Department of Education (Ed.). Improving education for English learners: Research-based approaches (pp. 250-321). Sacramento, CA: CDE Press.

Echevarría, J., & Short, D. (2011). The SIOP Model: A professional development framework for comprehensive schoolwide intervention. Washington, DC: Center for Research on the Educational Achievement and Teaching of English Language Learners. Retrieved from http://www.cal.org/create/publications/briefs/professional-development-framework.html

Echevarria, J., Short, D., & Powers, K. (2008). Making content comprehensible for non-native speakers of English: The SIOP Model. The International Journal of Learning, Volume 14, Issue 11, pp.41-50. Article: Print (Spiral Bound). Article: Electronic (PDF File; 639.531KB).

Echevarria, J. & Vogt, M. (2010) Using the SIOP Model to improve literacy for English learners. New England Reading Association Journal (NERAJ). 46 (1) 8-15.

Holly Hansen-Thomas (2008) Sheltered Instruction: Best Practices for ELLs in the Mainstream, Kappa Delta Pi Record, 44:4, 165-169, DOI: 10.1080/00228958.2008.10516517

Himmel, J., Short, D., Richards, C. & Echevarria, J. (2009). Using the SIOP Model to Improve Middle School Science Instruction. Center for Research on the Educational Achievement and Teaching of English Language Learners (CREATE). Retreived from www.cal.org/create/resources/pubs.

Nora, J. & Echevarria, J. (2016) No More Low Expectations for ELLs (N. Duke & E..Keene, Eds.) Not This But That series. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Prabjandee, D. (2016). Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP): Overview, misconceptions, and considerations for implementation. Journal of Education, 27 (3), pp.1-17.

Qabaja, Z. M.M., Nafi, J.S., & Abu-Nimah, M.I. (2016). The effect of using the "SQP2RS via WTL" strategy through science context to 10th graders' reading comprehension in English in Palestine. Journal of Education and Practice, 7 (26) p137-151.

Shanahan, T. & Echevarria, J. (2019). Policies the suppoer inproving the literacy levels of English learners. State Education Standard. Alexandria, VA: National Association of State Boards of Education.

Short, D. (2017). How to integrate language and content learning effectively for English language learners. EURASIA Journal of Mathematics Science and Technology Education, 13 (7b), 4237-4260. doi 10.12973/eurasia.2017.00806a

Short, D. (2000). What principals should know about sheltered instruction for English language learners. NASSP Bulletin, 84 (619), 17-27. doi:10.1177/019263650008461902

Short, D. (2013). Training and sustaining effective teachers of sheltered instruction. Theory Into Practice, 52 (2), 118-127.

Short, D. & Echevarria, J. (December 2004/January 2005). Promoting academic literacy for English language learners. Educational Leadership. 62 (4) 8-13.

Short, D., & Echevarria, J. (1999). The sheltered observation protocol: A tool for researcher-teacher collaboration and professional development. (Educational Practice Report No. 3). Santa Cruz, CA and Washington, DC: Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence.

Vogt, M. & Echevarria J. (2015) Reaching English Learners: Aligning the ELA/ELD Framework with SIOP. The California Reader, 49 (1) 33.

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The SIOP Model is an empirically-tested, research-based model of sheltered instruction that serves as a framework for planning and delivering instruction in content areas such as science, language arts, history, and mathematics. It also helps ESL (English as a second language) and ELD (English language development) teachers incorporate content topics and classroom tasks into their language lessons.

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Teaching summarizing with Hashtags (Posted by @emdreevesESL on Twitter)

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Teaching summarizing with Hashtags (Posted by @emdreevesESL on Twitter)

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How do my ESL students summarize information to review for exams???? Through hashtag definitions and visual representations! Hashtags are a great way to teach summarization! #ELLs #ESL #USHistory @SmyrnaBulldog

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How do my ESL students summarize information to review for exams???? Through hashtag definitions and visual representations! Hashtags are a great way to teach summarization! #ELLs #ESL #USHistory @SmyrnaBulldog https://t.co/qxtoxrXq8L

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How do my ESL students summarize information to review for exams???? Through hashtag definitions and visual representations! Hashtags are a great way to teach summarization! #ELLs #ESL #USHistory @SmyrnaBulldog pic.twitter.com/qxtoxrXq8L
— Emily Davis (@emcdavisESL) October 30, 2019

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How do my ESL students summarize information to review for exams???? Through hashtag definitions and visual representations! Hashtags are a great way to teach summarization! #ELLs #ESL #USHistory @SmyrnaBulldog https://t.co/qxtoxrXq8L

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
How do my ESL students summarize information to review for exams???? Through hashtag definitions and visual representations! Hashtags are a great way to teach summarization! #ELLs #ESL #USHistory @SmyrnaBulldog https://t.co/qxtoxrXq8L

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How do my ESL students summarize information to review for exams???? Through hashtag definitions and visual representations! Hashtags are a great way to teach summarization! #ELLs #ESL #USHistory @SmyrnaBulldog

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Teacher Skills to Support ELLs by Dr. Deborah Short and Dr. Jana Echevarría 

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Teacher Skills to Support ELLs by Dr. Deborah Short and Dr. Jana Echevarría 

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3-Reads Math Problem Strategy (Shared by @G1naTeachLearn on Twitter)

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3-Reads Math Problem Strategy (Shared by @G1naTeachLearn on Twitter)

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#multilinguals #content #math #wordproblems #strategy 3 reads #inquiry #EAL #ESL #sfusdmath https://t.co/8rmGmfAkLM

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#multilinguals #content #math #wordproblems #strategy 3 reads #inquiry #EAL #ESL #sfusdmath https://t.co/8rmGmfAkLM https://t.co/HDQEsmj8FG

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#multilinguals #content #math #wordproblems #strategy 3 reads #inquiry #EAL #ESL #sfusdmath https://t.co/8rmGmfAkLM pic.twitter.com/HDQEsmj8FG
— Gina Ballesteros R.🇪🇨 🇰🇪 🇺🇸 🇨🇳 🇲🇾 🏳️‍🌈 (@G1naTeachLearn) September 13, 2019

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#multilinguals #content #math #wordproblems #strategy 3 reads #inquiry #EAL #ESL #sfusdmath https://t.co/8rmGmfAkLM https://t.co/HDQEsmj8FG

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#multilinguals #content #math #wordproblems #strategy 3 reads #inquiry #EAL #ESL #sfusdmath https://t.co/8rmGmfAkLM https://t.co/HDQEsmj8FG

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#multilinguals #content #math #wordproblems #strategy 3 reads #inquiry #EAL #ESL #sfusdmath https://t.co/8rmGmfAkLM

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SIOP® - Writing Effective Language Objectives - Blog from Jana Echevarría

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SIOP® - Writing Effective Language Objectives - Blog from Jana Echevarría

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Reflections on Teaching Multilingual Learners

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Writing language objectives can be hard! Teachers are generally comfortable writing content objectives because those are based on content standards that teachers are familiar with and are sometimes…

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Scaffolding Secondary Reading - October 25th, 2019 BCTESOL Conference by Loa Richardson | This newsletter was created with Smore, an online tool for creating beautiful newsletters for individual educators, schools and districts

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Do you know how to teach a person how to read when they don't know how to decipher text? Maybe they can read in their first language... maybe not! Yikes! Where do we start? What do we focus on?

In this post, I have two ways for you to get this content. You can watch the YouTube video below or scroll down to access the podcast.

In this show, you'll get an overview of Balanced Literacy and some foundational understanding of how you can help a person gain the ability to independently read words in your target language.

This show is meant to explain how to teach someone how to decipher text. We know that reading is much more than that.

Of course it is. But many upper elementary and secondary teachers get training in how to help students analyze text, think deeply and critically about the text. We differentiate for students who cannot easily read grade level text. But WHEN are they getting better at decoding the words? When are they working on the ability to read words with automaticity?

Where do we start if the student isn't able to read in their first language? This is a training we would not normally get. Or if we do, it doesn't make sense in our reality. This show gives you the understanding of best practice for teaching a person to read. Let's get the gist of that... and then I'll tell you how I hack it!

I use these Balanced Literacy slides to explain best practice (at a high level) to teachers. I use slides like the ones below when I'm explaining to students why they need to read more (easy reading, shared reading, ANY reading..) and how they will begin to decipher text. KEY is that they (and we) remember that they will understand more English every day. I do a very basic phonics inventory at the beginning of the year and mid year to show them growth. I take anecdotal notes when possible to see that they are progressing. I don't do any phonics lessons until the second semester. We read together A LOT. They are flooded with low stress opportunities to speak in English with frames and read together starting on Day One.
I also want to be sure that you have access to this padlet. It has many resources I use to help students grow their mindset, help them learn English and help them begin to read.
But???

Are you thinking something like....

But what should this look like in an ESL classroom? (Check out Episode 26)

But my kids are not motivated at all. (Check out Episode 5 and so many others)

But my kids are not respectful to each other, the room is a zoo! (Episode 15)

But my students don't believe that they can do it. (Episode 17, Episode 5, every episode really)

But I am a content teacher, what can I do to help with this? Please check out all the other podcasts here! My PLN has helped me address these types of issues and so much more.

I will soon be doing a show that gives you more ideas of how I talk to the kids so they begin to take ownership of this process.

I use the slides above but I have some lessons that might be helpful to you.

Hope this was helpful, folks! I'd love to hear your thoughts about it in the comments or reach out to me on Twitter. I'm still learning and input from you would only further my journey, I am sure.

Hey! Shout out to everyone I saw recently in St. Louis, Mooresville, Louisville and Detroit! If you want to join me IRL, here are a few places I will be in the Fall of 2019. Also check out the Upcoming Events page to get a more current list if you're listening to this at another time.

Almost time for BCTESOL! I'm the keynote on October 25, 2019.

On November 4, Kansas educators can join me at Greenbush Education Service Center

to a full day of Boosting Achievement in Orlando, Florida. Nov 6th!

Right after that I will be a featured speaker in Denver for COTESOL on November 8,2019.

November is also a month where you can catch me in Edmonton, Canada. Edmonton Regional Learning Consortium is bringing me there to deliver 7 Steps to a Language Rich Interactive Classroom. Listen to a podcast I did with them about it here.

In November I will also be in New York!

I'm honored to be a Keynote for The Long Island Regional Bilingual Ed Resources Network. More info on that to come!

December brings a chance to attend a full day of Using Technology to Boost Achievement of ELLs (Dec 2nd):

And on Dec 5th MELL in Missouri has an amazing opportunity to get a full day of Boosting Achievement in Springfield, MO. They are subsidising this event so it is a very low registration fee!

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BAP060 Teaching Older ELs to READ. The Basics!

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Do you know how to teach a person how to read when they don't know how to decipher text? Maybe they can read in their first language... maybe not! Yikes! Where do we start? What do we focus on? In this post, I have two ways for you to get this content.

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10 Tips for Teachers Using the Station Rotation Model - Dr. Catlin Tucker

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Teachers are already blowing up my Twitter feed with awesome photos taken during their first few station rotation lessons! It's exciting to see so many teachers trying this blended learning model and creating opportunities for small-group instruction, real-time feedback, collaboration, and differentiated learning. 1) Use your teacher-led station for a range of activities beyond differentiated [...]

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https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1oQEb3p6j9gJzT8fklEHLXG2bA5SS8hKTY8FhI8GyI6s/edit#slide=id.g4ba2651152_0_2

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Posted by Jill Kester

On August 22, 2018

0 Comments

We hope you've had a restful summer and have taken some time to reflect on the previous school year as well as think ahead to what awaits you this fall. Over the summer, we have had the opportunity to do the same in our work with teachers of English learners (ELs) in several states. We know that successfully supporting ELs requires so much professional and personal expertise, but the extra effort will definitely enable you to prepare your ELs for success.

To help you gear up for this academic year, we'd like to share our top five strategies to position your ELs for success whether you are a content, ESOL, or bilingual teacher. For each strategy, we give a brief explanation and then an example of what it could look like in practice. You can also click here to download our corresponding infographic.

1. Learn about your ELs and their families.

It's crucial to know your ELs before designing effective instruction for them, and that background knowledge should extend to their families as well. All teachers of ELs should know their students' English language proficiency level, home language literacy skills, educational and family background, and strengths as well as challenges. To learn more, you can create a plan for conducting home visits with your colleagues as soon as possible to engage with and get to know ELs and their families. For more information, see our blog posts on three easy steps to getting to know your ELs and their families and effectively communicating with EL families .

2. Set goals to embed more EL strategies into instruction.

We know that scaffolding instruction is one way to provide ELs access to engage with challenging content material. We suggest you add a new scaffold to your repertoire this year. For example, you could focus on increasing the use of of academic conversations to build ELs' language and content knowledge or using scaffolded formative assessments to inform your instruction of ELs. Consider collaborating with a colleague so you can support each other in achieving your goals, which leads us to our next strategy.

3. Set expectations for collaborating.

It's important to determine what the tasks are in co-planning lessons, who has expertise in which area, and who will lead each task. For example, when planning units, you could determine how the ESOL teacher might share her expertise on academic language throughout the lessons and how the content or grade level teacher might develop content objectives. If you don't have the luxury of co-planning time, you could share some scaffolds for the lesson's texts such as graphic organizers that might benefit your ELs.

4. Make sure your classroom is culturally responsive.

All ELs should feel included and see their cultures represented in the classroom, and administrators should help set the culturally inclusive tone at the school level. One seemingly simple way to start the year right is to ensure all teachers and administrators pronounce ELs' names correctly and that hallway and office signs are posted in students and families' home languages.

5. Make visuals for classroom routines.

ELs may need extra support so they know what's expected of them in terms of classroom routines that may be unfamiliar to them. Consider creating a visual that ELs can refer to that outlines expectations for routines such as as turning in written work and asking questions during instruction, for example.

While there are many more ways to help ELs at the beginning of the school year, we've shared our top five strategies to set your ELs up for a successful academic year. Please share how you ensure your ELs will have a successful year! We look forward to collaborating with you this year to further support your ELs.

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Top 5 Strategies to Position English Learners for Success This Year - SupportEd

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We hope you've had a restful summer and have taken some time to reflect on the previous school year as well as think ahead to what awaits you this fall. Over the summer, we have had the opportunity to do the same in our work with teachers of English learners (ELs) in several states.

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In an effort to increase equity, some high schools are eliminating standard classes and enrolling everyone in honors classes. A far more effective approach would be to change the way we teach elementary school.
Getty

Garrison Keillor's fictional Lake Wobegon was famously a place where all the children were above average. In one large suburban school district, some high schools are trying to turn that dream into a reality by putting all students in honors classes.

A growing number of high schools in Maryland's Montgomery County, which serves 163,000 students, are doing away with standard classes in subjects like health, social studies, science, and English. Instead, all students are being placed in honors classes. District-level officials say they're not sure how many of the county's 25 high schools have adopted this policy-and they're neither encouraging nor discouraging the trend-but leaders of the local PTA estimate that more than half have gone the honors-only route in at least one core subject.

The impetus is laudable: Educators are concerned that the district's increasing numbers of disadvantaged students -students of color, English language learners and those from low-income families-are ending up in standard classes, while white and Asian students are overrepresented in honors classes.

"We were essentially tracking students," one high school social studies teacher told the Washington Post, "and it was affecting black and brown students disproportionately. We were seeing segregation, for lack of a better word."

Those defending the all-honors idea say it raises teachers' expectations-and most students, they contend, will rise to meet them. Besides, they say, the curriculum and tests are the same for honors and non-honors classes, with the only difference being that students in honors classes are able to get more credit, boosting their GPA and giving them a leg up in college applications. (The district's official guidelines say the curriculum is the same, but "honors courses require greater use of abstract and higher-level thinking skills, and require research and projects of a more rigorous and challenging nature.")

This is only the latest twist in a decades-long effort to mold the American high school into an engine of economic justice and social mobility-an effort that has yet to bear fruit. High school used to be an elite institution: in the 19th century, relatively few students went past eighth grade. But between 1870 and 1940, the number attending high school increased by a multiple of almost ninety, even though the country's population only tripled.

Faced with a massive influx of ill-prepared students, high schools introduced tracking. Students headed to college-generally those from wealthier families-were placed on the academic track, while others were relegated to vocational tracks or courses like "Language Activities" and "Health and Happiness." Often students were funneled into tracks based on their IQ scores, which were thought to measure inherent and unchangeable intellectual capacities.

Fortunately, it became politically unacceptable to openly advocate tracking beginning in the late 1960s. But de facto tracking has continued unabated, both between and within schools. The largest-scale form of tracking is socioeconomic school segregation: high schools in poor neighborhoods rarely provide the same quality of education as those in affluent areas. In pursuit of equity, high-poverty schools have started directing more of their students to AP classes. But that that often only leads to watered-down rigor and high rates of failure on externally graded AP exams.

In schools serving diverse populations, tracking is internal. Students from lower-income families usually populate the standard classes, while others enroll in honors-or in "college-level" classes like AP or International Baccalaureate. If schools make honors classes the default setting, as those in Montgomery County are doing, what will likely happen is that higher-achieving students will desert them in favor of those college-level classes, turning honors classes into the de facto standard track.

The reason for the persistence of tracking isn't just a matter of low teacher expectations. Nor is the fundamental cause racism or implicit bias. The basic problem is that-just as in the late 19th and early 20th century-many students, and especially those who are disadvantaged, are arriving at high school unprepared to do high school-level work. The differences in academic ability that become so apparent in high school don't begin there. And as long as educators and reformers keep focusing their efforts at the high school level, without looking carefully at what happens before high school, they're doomed to failure.

If you want to see tracking that is not only openly conducted but enthusiastically embraced-and that is the root cause of the de facto tracking that inevitably occurs in high school-all you have to do is look at American elementary schools. There it's called " leveled reading." The premise is that reading comprehension is a set of skills, like "finding the main idea" and "identifying a sequence of events." Teachers demonstrate those "skills," using a text chosen because it seems to lend itself to whatever the skill-of-the-week is. Students then "practice" the skills using texts at what are considered their individual reading levels, which may be far below their grade level. The idea is that if students master the supposed skills on books easy enough for them to read independently, they'll eventually catch up to where they need to be.

There's no evidence this system works, and for good reason. Cognitive scientists have known for decades that the most important determinant of reading comprehension isn't abstract skill; it's how much background knowledge the reader has relating to the topic. Children who arrive at school with more general knowledge and vocabulary-usually because they've picked it up from their highly educated parents-start out as better readers, and they continue to acquire more and more knowledge through their reading. Their unluckier peers are shunted off to the lowest reading levels, confined to books with simpler concepts and vocabulary.

Especially since the advent of high-stakes reading tests, the lower groups are also the least likely to get exposure to subjects that might actually build their knowledge, because the theory is that working on "reading" is more important. Struggling readers are often pulled out from social studies or science classes to receive extra "skills" instruction. High-poverty schools where test scores are low have virtually eliminated everything but reading and math from the curriculum. And children with relatively little knowledge and vocabulary are unlikely to pick it up from their leveled books, which aren't organized by topic. To build knowledge, a curriculum should stay on the same topic for a couple of weeks or more.

For students whose reading scores are low, the focus on reading "skills" can continue through middle school. When they get to high school, many have had no systematic exposure to history, science-or anything but "reading" and math. That leaves huge gaps in knowledge that can prevent them from understanding and retaining information in high school-level textbooks. If you don't know what Europe is-or the difference between a city and a country-it's a struggle to grasp the issues underlying World War I or II.

"Leveled texts," one reading expert has succinctly declared, "lead to leveled lives." That leveling-or tracking, if you will-isn't impossible to undo once students reach high school, but it requires a lot more than putting everyone in classes labeled "honors." A small but growing number of elementary schools across the country are starting to provide all children with access to the kind of knowledge that kids from more educated families acquire at home-and that equips them for success in high school. That's what needs to happen in Montgomery County and other districts concerned about equity in high school. It may not result in all children being above average, but it should make "average" a lot better than it is now.

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To End High School Tracking,We Need To End Tracking In Elementary School

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Garrison Keillor's fictional Lake Wobegon was famously a place where all the children were above average. In one large suburban school district, some high schools are trying to turn that dream into a reality by putting all students in honors classes.

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To better serve students, the College Board is offering testing supports for English learners (EL) during SAT School Day, the PSAT 10, and the PSAT 8/9. Testing supports include:

Translated test directions

Use of bilingual word-to-word glossaries

50% extended testing time

EL students who use supports during SAT School Day will receive scores they can send to colleges.

Who's Eligible

Students who meet the following criteria at the time of testing can use EL supports:

They are enrolled in an elementary or secondary school in the U.S. or U.S. territories.

They are an English learner as defined by their state or by federal policy.

They use the same supports in class or for other assessments.

Details About Testing Supports

EL students can use as many of our testing supports as they need.

Translated Test Directions

Directions are available in 13 languages each for SAT School Day, the PSAT 10, and the PSAT 8/9. Download the translated directions below and give them to students on test day. It is not necessary to request these in SSD Online.

Word-to-Word Glossaries

The bilingual word-to-word glossaries students use on test day must be from the College Board's approved list, available below. Schools will provide the necessary glossaries to students on test day, collecting them when testing is complete. It is not necessary to request these in SSD Online.

50% Extended Time

To ensure that student scores are processed correctly and on time, SSD coordinators must go to SSD Online's EL Supports tool to request extended time. Follow the tool's instructions to submit requests. Schools don't need to submit documentation, but the use of supports should be based on the students' documented need.

After requests are approved, students' names will be listed on the school's Nonstandard Administration Report (NAR) so that coordinators know the correct room assignments.

When EL students use 50% extended time on test day, time is added to each test section.

Students using 50% extended time for EL purposes will test in the same room(s), and use the same test materials, as all other students using 50% extended time for Reading.

Extended time for EL students can only be used on the test date for which it was requested. Unlike accommodations for students with disabilities, EL supports are temporary.

Note: Requests aren't needed for PSAT 8/9, unless approval is required by your state.

2019 Deadlines to Request Extended Time

About four weeks before testing, schools must have all extended time requests for EL students submitted into SSD Online. Specific deadlines are below.

Note: If you're offering assessments as part of a state contract, your deadlines may be different. Contact your state with questions about the deadlines for your school.

Tests That Don't Use EL Supports

Supports aren't available for weekend SAT administrations, SAT Subject Tests, or the PSAT/NMSQT.

FAQs

Does my school need a contract with the College Board to use EL supports?
No. Contract and non-contract schools can offer supports to EL students.

Which languages are covered by EL supports?
Translated directions are available in the following languages:
Spanish, Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Gujarati, Portuguese, Polish, Chinese, Haitian-Creole, Hindi, Russian, Urdu and Vietnamese.

Our word-to-word glossaries list includes over 100 languages.

How do schools submit requests for EL students who also have disabilities?
All requests can be made via the SSD portal. EL supports should only be requested if they are above and beyond what a student is already using as part of an accommodation for disabilities. For example, if a student is already approved for 50% extended time in Reading as part of an SSD accommodation, a request for extended time for EL should not be submitted.

Do schools need parental consent?
Schools should have consent from a parent or guardian to share student information with the College Board and request EL supports for students under 18. Students over 18 can grant consent.

If a school does not have documentation of parental approval through other processes (IEP, 504 Plan, EL classification, etc.), a consent form is provided in the EL Supports tool on SSD Online. The school should maintain the form with the student's records; it does not need to be sent to the College Board.

Resources
SAT School Day Translated Test Directions PSAT 10 Translated Test Directions PSAT 8/9 Translated Test Directions

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To better serve students, the College Board is offering testing supports for English learners (EL) during SAT School Day, the PSAT 10, and the PSAT 8/9. Testing supports include: Translated test directions Use of bilingual word-to-word glossaries 50% extended testing time EL students who use supports during SAT School Day will receive scores they can send to colleges.

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The first few days of school lay the groundwork. They help to create a foundation and atmosphere for the rest of the year. Here are a few of my favorite ways to start the year off with students. You can adjust these to meet your students' age level, but mostly they can be accommodated to fit K-12.

I picked these activities because they keep ELs at the heart by building community, encouraging interaction, lowering the affective filter, and they can be used later in the year for more academic lessons.

A good old fashioned scavenger hunt is a great way to get kids moving and help them get to know one another. You could create a scavenger hunt around finding things in your classroom, for example the "Turn in assignment tray" or the folder for absent work. You could also create a scavenger hunt based on your syllabus or the textbook. Students could work in groups or pairs to find important dates, chapters, etc. One more way to use a scavenger hunt at the beginning of the year would be to find peers. For instance, find a classmate with similar shoes, or find a classmates born in the month of September, etc.

If you enjoy using technology or you want to try implementing tech in your classroom, Flipgrid might be your thing! It's a great platform for students to share a quick video recording. You assign a topic of conversation, they record their reply, and view and respond to their classmates. They can view their own response and redo it before posting it. I've found that shyer students tend to like Flipgrid as a way of speaking up in class. The tool empowers student voice. At the beginning of the year, assigning students to share who they are, how to correctly pronounce their name, and something we wouldn't know by looking at them or a fun fact works well. Be sure to share your own so students have an example and get to know you as well.

Bring a bag to class filled with 10 objects that tell something about you. This will help students get to know you and build connections. In my bag, I might bring a book because I love to read, a fire truck toy because my husband is a firefighter, a tiny globe because I travel and love the world, etc. Then ask students to bring a bag filled with 10 objects that represent themselves. Over the next few days, provide time for a few students daily to share. Throughout the year, this method can be used for content learning too. Students can bring in objects related to a specific unit of study and share in groups why they belong.

Students bring a picture from home, select one from their phones (if allowable), choose an object from their belongings (such as in their backpack). They are the expert on this picture/object. They pair up and use question/sentence stems to get to know one another. Let them meet with several peers. I begin by sharing one myself (see below). The class asks me questions with the option to use the sentences stems provided. This activity is later used for content too. For example, students select a vocabulary word or a section from the unit that they feel they are experts on. They pair up and hold their expert/novice conversations. This activity can be found on page 73 in
7 Steps to a Language Rich Interactive Classroom by John Seidlitz and Bill Perryman.

As a teacher, this was one of my favorite activities at the beginning of the year and my students loved it too. I learned about it from Georgia Heard who wrote a book on the topic called . I gave them a black line heart on white paper and inside they drew and illustrated all the people, places and things that they love. I shared with them my example as a way for them to learn more about me and my experiences. But I also showed them examples I saved from former students. After creating their Heart Maps, they shared with their classmates too. Heart Maps (HM) continued to be used throughout the year for writing inspiration. Students looked back at their HM to decide on topics they wanted to write about. For instance, one student drew a picture of her grandmother. Later that year she wrote a biography of her grandmother, a story about a time she and her grandmother made special Mexican cookies together, and a how-to take care of your grandmother. will take you to some handouts and more directions on Heart Maps.

6. Read Aloud
There are many wonderful choices for a first day read aloud. Reading aloud to any age group of kids is beneficial. Even secondary students can benefit from a teacher reading aloud to them. Read alouds, especially on the first day, tend to create a calming atmosphere as well as build community. Here are some popular first day read alouds:

Here are some additional first week activities that I won't go into detail about but are popular and worth mentioning: Learner Surveys, Social Contracts, Time Capsules, Bingo, Tic-Tac-Toe, 2 Truths and a Lie.

All in all, the goal is to build community from day one and then to sustain it. If we want students to learn, think, and get along, then creating an atmosphere that breeds those qualities is key.

Feel free to leave a comment with a first week of school activity that you love!

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The first few days of school lay the groundwork. They help to create a foundation and atmosphere for the rest of the year. Here are a few of my favorite ways to start the year off with students. You can adjust these to meet your students' age level, but mostly they can be accommodated to fit K-12.

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Now available (free online): 
California Practitioners’ Guide  
for Educating English Learners with Disabilities
https://t.co/o20zRCiCCT

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Now available (free online): 
California Practitioners’ Guide  
for Educating English Learners with Disabilities
https://t.co/o20zRCiCCT https://t.co/uUitmOg1CS

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Now available (free online):
California Practitioners’ Guide
for Educating English Learners with Disabilitieshttps://t.co/o20zRCiCCT pic.twitter.com/uUitmOg1CS
— ELnetworkSDCOE (@ELnetworkSD) July 5, 2019

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props_source.data.text
Now available (free online): 
California Practitioners’ Guide  
for Educating English Learners with Disabilities
https://t.co/o20zRCiCCT https://t.co/uUitmOg1CS

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
Now available (free online): 
California Practitioners’ Guide  
for Educating English Learners with Disabilities
https://t.co/o20zRCiCCT https://t.co/uUitmOg1CS

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
Now available (free online): 
California Practitioners’ Guide  
for Educating English Learners with Disabilities
https://t.co/o20zRCiCCT

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Americans speak a lot of languages.

Using individual-level census data, we found the most commonly spoken language at home other than English and Spanish in each state and Washington, D.C.

German, French, and Vietnamese are common in several states.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Americans speak a ton of languages, and this map shows which languages other than English and Spanish are the most common in each state and Washington, D.C.

The US Census Bureau's American Community Survey annually asks more than 1 million Americans questions about their lives, families, and backgrounds. One question asks respondents what language they mainly speak in their homes.

Using individual-level responses from the 2017 American Community Survey assembled and published by the Minnesota Population Center's Integrated Public Use Microdata Series program, we found the most common language spoken at home in each state, excluding English and Spanish.
Read more: 50 maps that explain how America lives, spends, and believes
English is, unsurprisingly, the most commonly spoken language across the US, and Spanish is second most common in 46 states and the District of Columbia. So we excluded those two languages in the above map.

The map shows a wide variety of languages. German is the most commonly spoken non-English, non-Spanish language in nine states, with French most common in six states and D.C. Vietnamese was the most common language in six states. Pennsylvania stands out for the prevalence of an archaic offshoot of West Central German known as Pennsylvania Dutch, spoken predominantly by Amish and Mennonite communities.

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This map shows the most commonly spoken language in every US state, excluding English and Spanish

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Americans speak a lot of languages. Using individual-level census data, we found the most commonly spoken language at home other than English and Spanish in each state and Washington, D.C. German, French, and Vietnamese are common in several states. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

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by Valentina Gonzalez

Primary language support (PLS) is the use of students' first languages to build on the development of their target language. For example, if a child first learned Italian at home and then begins school in America, the primary language of Italian would be used as a leverage to build the English language.

Primary language support is not the same as bilingual instruction. Bilingual instruction differs from PLS because in bilingual instruction, content is taught in the student's primary language. On the other hand, PLS is used in English instruction to make content comprehensible and to lower the linguistic load. Students' primary languages are used as a leverage to support the acquisition of English.

For many decades in the United States, primary language support has been a highly controversial topic in education. Some argue that the use of primary language may delay ELs' English language development. However, Claude Goldenberg states in a 2013 article for American Educator that, "there is an inherent advantage of knowing and being literate in two languages."

Primary language support benefits English learners because it promotes an assets-based stance. PLS views students from a strengths-based lens and makes us ask, "What literacy do students come to us already having? How can we use their primary literacy in order to grow literacy in a new language?"

PLS also lives under the premise that language is tied to a student's identity. And if we believe that, then we honor students' identities by making room for all of their native languages. We make connections to their linguistic repertoire and teach them how to do the same.

Primary language support is easily given when a teacher or paraprofessional speaks the same language as the student. However, it can still be provided if you don't speak the languages your students speak. As an ESL teacher, I had students who spoke various languages including Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, Korean, Mandarin Chinese, Urdu, Telugu, Egyptian, Japanese, and many others. There's a common misconception that, when you have many students that speak a variety of languages, it's too difficult to use primary language support. Here are some ways to use PLS even when you don't speak your students' primary language.

1. Bilingual Dictionaries: Bilingual dictionaries can be an excellent resource for students who are literate in their primary language and are able to use them effectively in mainstream classrooms. However, for students who have difficulty reading in their primary language, they are of little use. It's important to find out how well your students listens, speaks, reads, and writes in their primary languages. You can find out by asking the children, asking parents, and making observations. If you have access to a book in the child's primary language, ask him or her to read to you. Even if you can't understand the language yourself, you can make observations about the student's reading and speaking. Does the student sound fluent or are they reading word for word? Are they sounding out words and getting stuck? Are they pointing to the words? Do they seem to be exhausted by the text? If they selected the text, does it look age appropriate? All of these observations will help you determine if a bilingual dictionary will be an appropriate PLS for your student.

2. Label the Classroom: Label the room in English and in the students' primary languages. Students can help with this. The labels are a great source for reading materials during transition times of the day, such as lining up for lunch or recess or at the end of class. Teachers point to the labels and students chorally read or echo read the words in English. Some teachers play reading games with the labels, such as asking students to find the object in the room that ends with "ER." The primary language support provided by the labels in students' primary language helps make the new vocabulary comprehensible.

3. Encourage Primary Language Use: Encourage students to continue reading, writing, speaking, and listening in their primary language at home. , Goldenberg asserts that many experimental studies show that "learning to read in their home language helps ELs boost reading skills in English." Sometimes parents will ask if they should speak English at home with their children, and it is recommended that parents communicate with their children in the language they feel most comfortable with. According to Wayne Wright , "reading or being read to at home in the home language promotes literacy development and allows parents to participate in their child's education." One way to support students with primary language literature is to begin purchasing it for your classroom or school library. Many popular books come translated in various languages. When you have extra funds, start buying books that reflect your students. They will love seeing their language represented.

4. Preview-Review: In its essence, Preview-Review is done with a teacher or paraprofessional who speaks the same language that the student speaks. You begin by previewing a lesson with the student in his/her primary language. Then the lesson is taught in English. Finally it is reviewed in the primary language. So what if you don't speak the students' languages? You can modify Preview-Review by offering students an avenue to explore the content ahead of time in their primary language. Then teach in English. And finally express themselves (orally or in writing) in their primary language for the review. Some teachers share upcoming units of study with parents and recommend that parents talk to their kids about the topics in their primary language before they are taught in class. This is another way to modify Preview-Review.

5. Cognates are words that are related in two languages. For example, (English) and (Serbian). Whenever possible, explicitly teach cognates. Even though cognates may seem obvious to us, for some students they are not obvious. As students begin to see the relationship between the two languages, they will become attuned to cognates.

It is not uncommon to hear teachers say that they want students to only speak in English during their class period. Often they are well intentioned. They want students to learn English. They want them to practice English. They want them to be successful not only in their class but in their future, too. However, if we acknowledge that language is central to our identities but we tell someone they can't use their native language, then what message are we conveying? Keeping in mind that learning happens when we feel that we belong - that we are safe, that we are valued - how can we convey a message that creates a safe, comfortable, accepting environment?

There is no way to turn off a language that is already within someone. If you were a second language learner in a classroom, your primary language would be there whether your teacher allowed you to use it or not. By inhibiting students, we are blocking their cognitive ability to grow as learners and thinkers in the content area. This also breeds assimilation rather than acculturation. Assimilation is the process of becoming like everyone else, similar, and erasing one's identity. Assimilation a subtractive approach, while acculturation honors both cultures and represents bicultural living, an additive approach.

As you move forward from here, think of where you are in using PLS with students. Perhaps you were on the fence about it before. Maybe you used to think that it wasn't an option in an ESL setting, or you didn't think it was important. Think about what your next steps will be from here. How will you support English learners as they continue to acquire language and content without losing their own native language and culture?

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Primary Language Support in General Education Classrooms

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by Valentina Gonzalez What is Primary Language Support? Primary language support (PLS) is the use of students' first languages to build on the development of their target language. For example, if a child first learned Italian at home and then begins school in America, the primary language of Italian would be used as a leverage...

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Long-term ELs (LTELs) are students who struggle to exit our language services. I place LTELs into two groups. Many LTELs can navigate social interactions and follow instructions, but their grammar is mangled by missing articles, inconsistent tenses, and contorted sentence structures. For others, their spoken social language improves drastically while their written academic language remains in the informal register. Regardless of the types of LTELs you have, they remain in the program long-term because they struggle to be independent.

Categories of long-term ELs

Group 1: Highly proficient listening and speaking skills, but struggles to comprehend academic texts and to produce formal writing; reading below grade level.

Group 2: Able to understand spoken English, but oral and written language is grammatically incorrect; reading below grade level.

Let's analyze a word. What word do you see in the word independent ? Most people say that they see the word . Who are LTELs usually dependent on? Teachers! We are called to this profession because we love helping and supporting ELs. In fact, Haas and Brown found that LTELs are highly susceptible to dropping out of school (2019). However, in our desire to aid them, we might be guilty of doing much for them. Over time, they become dependent on us.

They need to internalize the strategies that we use to help them comprehend content. LTELs also need to utilize the strategies we employ when writing.

In my rush to help students complete a task or to learn content, I miss the real learning opportunity: the chance to teach life strategies.

Metacognitive Students

Metacognition is the academic term for awareness or thinking about thinking (Saaris, 2017). In a school context, metacognition means students thinking about students learn. We all have students who, after receiving instructions, raise their hands to say, "I need help" or "I don't know what to do." Metacognitive students ask themselves such questions as:
When students ask themselves these questions, they become less dependent on us and much more dependent on the strategies that promote learning.
Likewise, metacognitive ELs think about the language they are learning and how to apply strategies to learn a language. ELs can still grow their language skills without having to be metacognitive. However, it takes them a longer time, which is why they are considered long term ELs . For LTELs, learning a language is something done them. For the ELs that develop language more quickly, language is something that do themselves.

Metacognitive ELs ask such questions as:

How is English different than my home language?

How is English similar to home language?

What strategies can I use to understand?

What strategies can I use to communicate?

Hattie's research suggests that students who think metacognitively are more likely to make a year and a half of growth for every year of instruction (2008).

Applying Hattie's research to ELs, we can infer that LTEL students are not as adept at thinking about or reflecting on how to learn a language. They just allow learning a language to happen instead of actively employing strategies to make learning a language more effective.

Teaching metacognitive thinking

Whenever I teach, I make an effort to ask students to reflect on the effectiveness of the strategies they used to learn. This reflection is the main way that I teach metacognition.

For example, I was working with a 5th grader named Long. He has plateaued in his language development because he has not yet been able to make the switch from social to academic language when talking about school content.

During one particular session, I had to pre-teach the carbon cycle to prepare him for tomorrow's class. The teacher provided an article and video as resources. We decided to use the Youtube video first. As I worked with him, I said, "Long, because we're watching a science video, there's going to be lots of facts. What are some strategies we can use to help us watch a science video?"

He mentioned things such as:

pausing the video to think about the information

turning on the subtitles

auto-translating the subtitles from English to Vietnamese, and

slowing down the speed of the video.

He identified pausing the video as the strategy he wants to try. I asked him when we should use that strategy. Long answered that when there is new information or when there's too much information to understand. I praised him for his reflection, and we started watching the video.

When he paused, I asked him what he understood. After Long explained what he had learned, I asked him what he might do to remember it. This led to a discussion about the need for taking notes. Since he is familiar with mind-mapping note taking, I suggested a box method where one side contained a place for him to draw pictures and the other side was reserved for making notes about the drawing.

We continued watching the rest of the video - periodically stopping it to allow him to process the information and transfer his understanding onto his notebook. To develop his metacognition, I had him reflect on how this box-drawing-annotating method worked for him compared to the mindmap. Long said that he preferred this method more because he could draw images and not just take written notes. The last question I asked was, "Why is it important to take notes while watching a science video?", and he gave thoughtful, appropriate responses.

There were two layers to this lesson:

1. Content: the carbon cycle.

2. Process: what strategy he used to learn the content

In the video below, you will see my metacognitive reflection with Long about note-taking.

The Metacognitive Questions

I would argue that every lesson has content and opportunities to think metacognitively about learning. If we teach only content without teaching metacognitive skills, then we've only taught half the lesson. Teaching content without teaching metacognitive thinking ensures that students become dependent on us because they do not have strategy awareness.

Echevarria, Vogt, and Short (2017) suggest in Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners (5th edition) that there are three things we have to teach when teaching a strategy:

In the lesson with Long, I go through each of these phases with him.

When to use the strategy: When watching a science video, we need to use strategies to understand the content.

How to use the strategy: Create two columns, one for images and one for writing.

Why use the strategy: Science content builds on each other, so understanding each part of a process is important to fully understand the whole.

Takeaway

In the future, I will teach Long to ask these questions to himself when he learns new content. However, the first step is to just have him stop and realize that there are strategies we can use to make learning easier. This leads to greater independence and confidence. Strategies empower students and make them feel that they are capable, competent, and intelligent. They start to develop a sense of agency and comfort about school rather than feeling marginalized and struggling.

As he becomes more metacognitive, I can shift his awareness to other strategies that he can use to help him learn a language, to switch from a social to an academic register, and to examine similarities between Vietnamese and English.

Students do not become Long-Term English learners by choice. They are just not aware that there are strategies to choose from to improve their learning experiences. When they develop this awareness, their language won't plateau but will grow towards the sky and beyond.

References

Echevarria, J., Vogt, M., & Short, D. J. (2017). Making content comprehensible for English learners: The SIOP model . Boston: Pearson.

Haas, E., & Brown, J. E. (2019). Supporting English learners in the classroom: Best practices for distinguishing language acquisition from learning disabilities . New York: Teachers College Press.

Hattie, J. (2008). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement . Abingdon: Routledge.

Saaris, N. (2017, February 23). Mastering Metacognition: The What, Why, and How. Retrieved from https://www.activelylearn.com/post/metacognition

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96. Why some students remain long-term ELs? | Empowering ELLs

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Long-term ELs (LTELs) are students who struggle to exit our language services. I place LTELs into two groups. Many LTELs can navigate social interactions and follow instructions, but their grammar is mangled by missing articles, inconsistent tenses, and contorted sentence structures. For others, their spoken social language improves drastically while their written academic language remains in the informal register.

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April 2018 | Volume 75 | Number 7
Learning to Write, Writing to Learn

Larry Ferlazzo

English language learners (ELLs) don't always have to produce long pieces of writing to increase their proficiency. They can practice important writing skills and improve their confidence as writers by doing shorter bursts of writing. These shorter writing opportunities are called "micro-writing" or "quickwrites" and are supported by the Common Core writing standards, which note that students should devote both short and extended time frames to writing. Even if your state has not adopted the Common Core, it's likely your standards have similar expectations.

I define "micro-writing" as a task that takes 3-10 minutes. I generally combine micro-writing with a short sharing activity afterward (such as small groups of students reading what they wrote) to reinforce listening and speaking practice. There are many benefits to this practice, including its application of what researchers have dubbed The Progress Principle -the finding that people are most motivated by experiencing everyday progress, no matter how small.

What follows are some ways you can use micro-writing with your ELLs (or any student, for that matter) and resources that support the practice.

Activate Background Knowledge

As educators, we know it's important to help students connect their background knowledge to new information and concepts. Research specifically with ELLs finds that activating and building prior knowledge plays an influential role in improving their academic literacy across content areas. Its impact can be seen in everyday classwork and in formative and summative assessments.

Prior to starting a thematic unit on holidays with my beginning English language learners, I shared images from around the world of people celebrating Christmas, Rosh Hashanah, and the Islamic holiday Eid al-Adha. I then asked students to write or draw (if they didn't know the necessary English words) for five minutes about a holiday important to their culture and something they thought they knew about a holiday from a different culture.

After writing and sharing, not only were students ready to engage in subsequent lessons, but they were also able to quickly clear up some misconceptions students had about different holidays.

Reflect on and Transfer Knowledge

Reflecting after a lesson is just as important as activating students' background knowledge before a lesson. Reflection can help students apply what they have learned in school to another context outside of the classroom -which is, in many ways, the primary goal of education.

Analogies and allegories can enhance this learning transfer. For example, Abraham Lincoln once told a story regarding his strategy for working with Mormons in Utah (who initially opposed some of his policies). He basically made a deal to leave them alone, and they left him alone. This is what Lincoln told a Mormon leader:

When I was a boy on the farm in Illinois there was a great deal of timber on the farm which we had to clear away. Occasionally we would come to a log which had fallen down. It was too hard to split, too wet to burn, and too heavy to move, so we plowed around it.

In other words, there are some battles not worth fighting. I told this story to my U.S. history class of ELLs when we were learning about the Civil War. I asked my students to write about something in their lives that they could connect to that story. Students shared examples of handling tensions with parents and teachers (among other stories), and we then had a lively discussion about how to determine when something is worth fighting for and when it is not.

Finally, I will often ask students to write a few quick sentences sharing how what we learned in the day's lesson might come in handy sometime in their future lives. In one recent study, researchers had students write one paragraph after a lesson sharing how they thought what they had learned would be useful to their lives. Writing several of these quick-writes during a semester led to positive learning gains, especially for those students who had previously been labelled "low performers."

Encourage Self-Explanation

Another way to promote greater understanding of key concepts is to have students explain in their own words-to others or to themselves (called "self-explanation")-what they are learning. Substantial research has shown that this type of explaining helps students identify their incorrect assumptions and generalize concepts for future applications.

Our school recently administered the PSAT to students, including ELLs at the early-intermediate level and higher, to measure college readiness. A few days prior to the test, my students explored an interactive feature from the New York Times to guess the unemployment rate for people who hold a bachelor's degree compared with those who graduated only from high school. I then shared the accompanying article that described the differences in more detail and asked students to write why they thought those differences existed. I like to think this activity resulted in greater motivation on test day, but, of course, this kind of "self-explanation" quick-write can be used after learning anything new from a lesson.

Incorporate Creativity and Critical Thinking

Traditional reading strategies like making a prediction and asking a question are obviously important for students to practice. Although not all reading strategies are ideal to use in micro-writing, summarizing is one that lends itself well to the practice after students have read a text or watched a video. For instance, my U.S. history students were studying the missions in California. They were researching for an essay about whether the missions' founder, Father Junipero Serra, should have been named a Catholic saint. I read aloud portions of articles that reflected both stances that students could take-some from supporters of Serra and others citing Native American objections. In a series of micro-writing assignments, students summarized the articles. They later used those summaries when they wrote their final essays.

When I want to mix things up, I provide students with more creative reading response prompts. Students are typically more motivated to write and share their responses to these prompts, while building higher-order thinking skills:

Plot Twist: Choose a part of the book you have read and explain how you would change the story. Why would you make this change?

Dear Diary: Pick a character from your book, and write an entry in his or her diary.

Rename it: Write a new title for your book. Explain why you chose this title.

What if?: Write a question about your book that begins with "What if?" (for example, in The Hunger Games, "What if Katniss didn't volunteer as a tribute?") and then write a response to your question.

Draw on Images

The New York Times Learning Network's series " What's Going on in This Picture?" is an ideal source to turn to when you want to show students images and then have them write to an accompanying prompt. For example, in viewing a photograph of a protester being arrested by police, one ELL student wrote: "I see police take away woman. She want justice. It danger to do this in my country."

The site also offers a curated collection of the 40 best photos and prompts, or you could create your own. Here are a few other photo prompt ideas I've used:

How do you think the person who took the photograph felt at the time? Why?

Imagine a conversation between two or more of the people in the photo. What would they say to one another?

What do you think each of the people in the photo are thinking, and why?

If the image included areas outside of the frame, what else would you see? Why do you believe that?

How does this image remind you of experiences you've had in your life?

Use Frames and Structures

Writing frames and writing structures can be effective tools for ELLs (and all student writers, for that matter) when they're completing micro-writing and other assignments. These supports can take the form of sentence starters, fill-in-the-blank paragraphs, and writing formulas like "ABC" (A nswer the question, B ack it up with evidence, make a C omment or C onnection). For example, after studying Mexico in our ELL geography class, I asked students to use the ABC format and respond to this question: "What was the most interesting thing you learned about Mexico?" They used these sentence frames:

I think the most interesting thing about Mexico is ___.

The author of our textbook said on page ___, "___."

This would be interesting because ___ (or "This reminds me of ___).

Students then recopied their completed sentence frames into paragraph form, shared their paragraph with classmates, and used peer feedback to make improvements.

For other micro-writing ideas, refer to my collection of downloadable examples of writing frames and structures.

Writing practice through micro-writing won't "make perfect." But, combined with peer and teacher feedback, opportunities to share with classmates, and plenty of time for thinking, micro-writing can boost students' writing, reading, speaking and listening skills in English.

Larry Ferlazzo teaches English language learner, mainstream, and International Baccalaureate classes at Luther Burbank High School in Sacramento, California. His latest book, co-authored with Katie Hull Sypnieski, is The ELL Teacher's Toolbox (Jossey-Bass, 2018). Hull Sypnieski also contributed ideas to this article.

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April 2018 | Volume 75 | Number 7 Learning to Write, Writing to Learn Larry Ferlazzo English language learners (ELLs) don't always have to produce long pieces of writing to increase their proficiency. They can practice important writing skills and improve their confidence as writers by doing shorter bursts of writing.

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— Leanne Hart (@hartoflearning1) July 6, 2019

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The Best Podcasts For ESL/ELL/ELT Teachers | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... https://t.co/kiGlOYh6Eh

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The Best Podcasts For ESL/ELL/ELT Teachers | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... https://t.co/kiGlOYh6Eh

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The Best Podcasts For ESL/ELL/ELT Teachers | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... https://t.co/kiGlOYh6Eh
— Dr. Carol Salva (@DrCarolSalva) July 6, 2019

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The Best Podcasts For ESL/ELL/ELT Teachers | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... https://t.co/kiGlOYh6Eh

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The Best Podcasts For ESL/ELL/ELT Teachers | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... https://t.co/kiGlOYh6Eh

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The Best Podcasts For ESL/ELL/ELT Teachers | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... https://t.co/kiGlOYh6Eh

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Supporting Secondary ELLs at the Entering and Emerging Levels

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Supporting Secondary ELLs at the Entering and Emerging Levels

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Resources for Building Background Knowledge

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Resources for Building Background Knowledge

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Ask any student what they love most about learning English, and "grammar" isn't an answer you're likely to hear.

Many of them see it as a necessary evil-something they're forced to practice in order to improve their fluency. Rarely is it something they speak fondly of.

It doesn't have to be that way. If you make learning grammar fun, students will actually learn to love it.

Switch your boring, old grammar activities for ones that are exciting and engaging, and watch your classroom transform. Your students will become more capable and confident English speakers in no time!

Why Students Hate Studying Grammar

Grammar-focused lessons usually involve a lot of repetitive drills, which can be a real bore for students. While repeating something over and over again may be a good way to memorize it, it's not engaging or stimulating. Some students find that no matter how many times they do grammar drills, they still can't get a good grasp on the target language.

This can be frustrating, as it makes them feel as though they're not making any progress. Instead, they need to apply these grammar points in creative ways, such as in free-flowing conversation or problem-based learning activities.

Another problem with repetitive drills is that the materials used are often difficult for students to relate to. If the topics or questions aren't relevant to their daily lives, hobbies or interests, how can the connect with it?

Thankfully, there are things you can do to make students enjoy learning grammar. Here are some of the most effective activities you can run in your classroom.

1. Show Videos

Students love watching videos.

The entertainment factor makes them more engaged and inspired and therefore more likely to learn. This makes videos ideal tools for teaching grammar.

The internet is packed full of great resources for this, such as the BBC Learning English YouTube channel. Here, you'll find quick, six-minute English videos on a range of topics, as well as grammar videos based on hot topics from recent news stories. There are also some handy videos to explain word pairs that students often confuse, such as "which" and "what," "while" and "during" and "been" and "gone."

The British Council is another handy resource for both students and teachers, with "Grammar Snack" videos for beginners and intermediate English speakers. Each video takes a grammar point and presents it in a natural conversation before breaking down the rules of how to use it. Then, there are some exercises for students to try.

Another convenient video resource is FluentU. FluentU takes real-world videos -like music videos, movie trailers, news and inspiring talks-and turns them into personalized language learning lessons. These authentic videos teach your students about the culture alongside the language, which definitely makes lessons more interesting!

FluentU videos are conveniently organized into lessons, so your class can easily work towards a particular objective, topic or skill. But FluentU is about so much more than videos: You also get access to interactive flashcards and vocab lists, annotated subtitles and personalized quizzes that evolve as students learn.

Access the full video library for free with a FluentU trial!

2. Get Personal

In order to engage with the subject matter, students need to be able to relate to it. An easy way to do that is to make it personal.

Instead of boring, irrelevant drills and exercises, run activities that allow students to draw on their own personal experiences. This way, they learn more about each other. If you get involved, they can get to know their teacher much better, too.

You can use certain grammar points to present your own photos or tell a personal story, then have your students do the same. You can also use grammar to create personal questions and surveys. Take "let" and "make," for example. Using these words, students can ask each other questions about their personal lives. Here are some examples:

Does your boss make you work overtime?

Did your parents let you drink alcohol when you were a teenager?

Does your sister let you borrow her clothes?

Perfect English Grammar has some "let" and "make" worksheets you can use, too.

You can apply this principle to just about any type of grammar. More advanced, confident students can do this in solo public speaking exercises in front of the class, while beginners or intermediate students can try in pairs.

3. Create a Competitive Quiz

A quiz is always a good way to wrap up the end of a course, semester or topic. Plus, competitive activities always inject some extra energy and enthusiasm into the classroom. When there's a title or a prize at stake, even the shyest of students start getting involved.

It's easy to set up, too. All you have to do is create a quiz with different sections relating to certain grammar points your students have studied so far. Each section should have five to 10 questions. You'll also have to create an answer sheet, which students will use in pairs or small groups. Letting them work together takes the pressure off, making it feel more relaxed and fun.

Then, separate each section of questions and stick them up on the wall all around your classroom. Students will have to go around the room, tackling each question in their teams and writing the answers on their sheet.

This makes it much more fun than simply handing out a worksheet like it's a test paper. It forces students to get out of their seats and move around the room, getting their bodies and brains more active. Just make sure students aren't using their phones. There are always bound to be sneaky people who take photos of all of the questions and go back to their seats to work on them. This defeats the point of the exercise, so be on the lookout.

At the end of the class, you can add up the scores and crown the winning team as the "grammar champions" and even award a trophy or a prize. When you're giving the answers, don't just read them out without any explanation. Give yourself time to go through them in detail so students can see where they went wrong and fix their mistakes. This is the perfect learning opportunity for them.

4. Play Games

Introduce a game to your class, and you'll hear the entire room breathe a sigh of relief. Students are always pleased to hear that they get to switch standard worksheets and tests for games with boards, cards, dice and balls. When they're playing, they'll have so much fun that they won't even feel like they're studying!

You don't always need to have equipment, though. You can play speaking grammar games, such as "Never Have I Ever..." to get students to use present perfect tense or "Would You Rather..." to talk about imaginary scenarios. These are both ideal options for intermediate students.

If you're teaching beginners or young learners, card-based games like "Happy Families" and "Go Fish" provide more structure and guidance. With these, they can practice using "Do you..." to ask questions.

If you have access to a projector or an electronic whiteboard, ESL Games also has a great range of interactive, grammar-based games you can use in your classroom.

English is a particularly difficult language to learn, and confusing grammar is the main culprit for that.
Emma Thomas is an ESL teacher in Bangkok with more than five years of experience in teaching students of all ages. You can read more about her experiences as a teacher in Thailand at Under the Ropes.
When you're a native speaker, switching between different tenses, phrases verbs and idioms comes naturally. For an ESL student, it takes dedicated and consistent practice.
Bring English immersion to your classroom!
To make things easier for them, break things down into bite-size portions when you're teaching grammar lessons. That way, it's much less daunting, and they'll enjoy learning more. It will be easier for you to teach, too. It's a win-win!

If you liked this post, something tells me that you'll love FluentU, the best way to teach English with real-world videos.

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Are Your ESL Students Bored By Grammar? Here Are 4 Ways to Spice It up!

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Ask any student what they love most about learning English, and "grammar" isn't an answer you're likely to hear. Many of them see it as a necessary evil-something they're forced to practice in order to improve their fluency.

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ESL Rural Mural

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Do you want your ESL grammar lessons to be memorable and dynamic?

Fret not, because with a little time investment, you can turn grammar days into engaging lessons.

With the shift from teacher-directed instruction to a hands-on, student-directed contextualized approach, you can teach the building blocks of the English language in a way that appeals to your learners.

Modern technology helps make it possible for educators like you to inject fun into teaching grammar.

But how, exactly? Below you'll find four types of resources that you can use to build interesting grammar lessons, plus several example activities for each.

How to Make Grammar Meaningful for Your ESL Students

Here are three main ideas to keep in mind while creating grammar lessons.

Contextualize.We all know that grammar should never be taught in isolation. By teaching your students grammar in context, they will understand its usage better. Each of the four sources below can be used to teach grammar in context.

Incorporate all skills. Grammar cannot be taught as a stand-alone teaching item. Incorporate your target grammar in your reading, listening and writing activities to help reinforce your students' understanding of its usage.

Teach thematically. Always teach with a theme in mind. Your students will be thankful because it helps them make connections to daily context, which in turn helps your students remember better.

4 Rousing Resources for Cleverly Teaching Grammar to ESL Students

1. Singing Songs
Simple present Simple past Modal verbs Various
Ever wonder why music is so popular? It's a way to express one's emotions and chill out. People also use music as a means to escape from reality. Music brings people closer together. Music also helps your ESL students learn English better. Try using songs to teach grammar and make your grammar teaching come alive.

Song Resources
Listening
Additionally, here's an awesome site specifically for using songs to teach English. Clicking on a song will pull up a page telling you its level, song facts, a link to its lyrics and video, and most importantly, the language lessons found in the lyrics.
Speaking
Grammar Activities with Songs

Select a song appropriate for your class level and age of your students. Remove certain words from the lyrics related to the target grammar you intend to teach, and replace it with a blank instead. Pass out these lyrical fill-in-the-blank worksheets for students to try and complete on their second listen.
Writing
Prior to starting any speaking activity, encourage your students to participate in a karaoke session to warm up. For this, it's best to choose a simple song with lots of repetition to boost your students' confidence.

Aside from a karaoke session, pose questions about the song they have just sung to get your students talking. Discuss the main theme and the target grammar points.

Working in pairs or groups, have students write a response to the song or write an entirely new set of lyrics for the tune, preferably using the target grammar. To add an element of fun, you can get the pairs/groups to sing out their verses.

For example, in the song " Don't Worry Be Happy, " you could highlight verbs such as "wrote," "lay," "give," "call," etc. Students could rewrite the song entirely, or just the verses (leaving the repetitive phrase "Don't worry, be happy" in the song). Monitor to ensure students are sticking as closely to the rhythm as they can.

2. Watching Movies

Everyone loves a good movie, and they form lasting impressions in our minds, making them great resources for ESL lessons.

Choose a movie with powerful scenes that you can use to teach grammar in the classroom. I'm sure your students will remember it for a very long time.

Movie Resources

Below are two links to sites with full movie transcripts.
Listening
To watch the actual movies, you can borrow a DVD from your school library, purchase one on Amazon or access the movie through a paid streaming site online, such as Netflix or Hulu.
Reading and Speaking
Grammar Activities with Movies

Have your students watch a short segment of a movie and afterwards provide them with a transcribed dialogue. Discuss the target grammar and then set them loose on a treasure hunt, searching for (and highlighting) examples of that feature in the script from that scene. Watch the scene a second time so students can hear the grammar in action again.

In a different lesson, have students read the script of a scene they have watched. Highlight the grammatical item, such as present tense verbs and write them on the board. If the present tense is your focus, ask your learners what's happening in the scene, and get them discussing-using the present tense of the verbs you've written on the board.

For example, here are a few lines from " Home Alone," with some present tense verbs highlighted:

Kevin's mother is on the phone, talking to a friend. She packs clothes on the bed, while her husband is in the bathroom. A small boy, KEVIN, walks into the room.

"Mom, Uncle Frank won't let me watch the movie. But the big kids can. Why can't I?"

"Kevin, I'm on the phone," responds his mother.

" It's not even rated R. He's just being a jerk."
Writing
"Kevin, if Uncle Frank says no, then it must be really bad."

Kevin jumps on the bed. His mother tells him to get off, but he ignores her. Kevin picks up a book that is a travel guide to France. "Hang up the phone and make me, why don't you."

Storyboards are useful tools that can lend itself to writing. There are a number of free online storyboards creators you can use in your lesson. Have your students recreate the scene discussed in a previous lesson and show it on a storyboard.

Encourage your students to write speech bubbles and other pieces of information, such as the setting and action, in each box provided in the storyboard. This hands-on activity will surely arouse your students' interest.

3. Short Stories

Rong Chang - This website has a huge collection of short narratives for beginners. The stories are varied and each comes with an audio component and a script.

Short stories are timeless, and often contain themes and morals that makes good teaching resources. Categorize any stories you find according to themes and grammar items for future use.
Reading
Short Story Resources

Grammar Activities with Short Stories
Listening
Provide your students with a selected short story. First, read the story and discuss the content. Then, deconstruct a passage by highlighting some examples of target grammar items and discussing how they're used. Extract a sentence containing the grammar item and have students substitute in other words, to use the grammar structure in new contexts.

For example, in the sentence "He is taller than his brother," students can replace "taller" with "bigger," "shorter," "fatter," "slimmer," etc. to practice comparative adjectives.
Writing and Speaking
To kickstart your grammar lesson, have students listen to a short recorded script, like one from these listening exercises from 5-Minute English. This helps them to tune in and get ready to focus on the lesson.

Pass out a fill-in-the-blanks worksheet of the script. If you're teaching a beginner or low intermediate level class, you can include options for every blank space, so that students can cross out the wrong words. Ideally, the words that your students are expected to fill in are examples of the target grammar items to be taught. Draw your students' attention to these words and then explain how they can be used.

Use the short story that your students have read as an extension activity. Now that the grammar topic has been explicitly taught, invite your students to use their creativity to create a dialogue involving characters or a scene from the story. Put the actual story aside so students aren't tempted to grab anything word-for-word, but leave up any nouns or adjectives (or other structures) that have been highlighted.

This exercise aims to reinforce students' understanding of the story and the target grammar topic taught. After the scripts have been written, have students take on each of the characters and read out their parts!

4. Cartoons

Most of us love cartoons, as they take us back to our childhood or teen years. Cartoons evoke fun and they're easy to read, which is why they also make a great grammar teaching resource. Bring them into the classroom and see your students' faces light up.
Speaking and Writing
Cartoon Resources

Grammar Activities with Cartoons

Provide your students with a comic strip containing blank speech bubbles. Have them verbally guess the speech. This is a fun exercise, as there will be a variety of answers that may turn out to be hilarious.
Writing
Reveal the original comic and write it on the board. Then teach the target grammar item explicitly.

After verbally guessing the speech and learning the grammar from the original comic, have students fill in the speech bubbles on their own, using the target grammar but changing the content to be different from the original. This may be suitable for advanced students. You can tweak the activity for beginners by getting them to fill in the blanks. For intermediate students, you can give helping words to guide them in their writing.

Select an online comic strip creator and get your students to have free rein over the space by creating their own comics. The only restriction in the activity is for students to use the grammar item they have learned. Students can choose their own characters and print their completed comics for display.

Alternatively, you can have students fill in the first and last speech bubbles of a comic strip.

There you are: a wide range of ideas to keep your students motivated and occupied in your grammar lessons.

You can add a touch of fun into grammar by incorporating a variety of activities and resources. Invest some time in compiling your resources, and you'll be thankful you did when you see a difference in your students' levels of motivation in the classroom.

I can assure you that grammar lessons will never be the same again!
Bring English immersion to your classroom!
Emmie Sahlan has taught English Language and Literature for ten years and has been teaching ESL for the past five years.

If you liked this post, something tells me that you'll love FluentU, the best way to teach English with real-world videos.

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Teaching Grammar to ESL Students? Here Are 4 Sensational Sources They'll Enjoy

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Do you want your ESL grammar lessons to be memorable and dynamic?Fret not, because with a little time investment, you can turn grammar days into engaging lessons.With the shift from teacher-directed instruction to a hands-on, student-directed contextualized approach, you can teach the buildi

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As language teachers, we are completely accustomed to hearing our students make errors in their oral production. The errors vary in severity and their potential to cause miscommunication. For example,...

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Grammar Archives | ELL Strategies | Empowering ELLs

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As language teachers, we are completely accustomed to hearing our students make errors in their oral production. The errors vary in severity and their potential to cause miscommunication. For example,...

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Growing Language and Literacy Blog Article

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Growing Language and Literacy Blog Article

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Translanguaging

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This past month I participated in a book study for Growing Language & Literacy as part of #EllChat_BkClub. One of the biggest take-aways was the idea of translanguaging. Multilingual students use &...

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Turn Google Slides into Interactive Notebooks

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Turn Google Slides into Interactive Notebooks

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First of all, WELCOME! We are glad to have you in our professional learning network. If you are reading this, I want to formally welcome you to a wonderful, passionate group of ESL educators and advocates who will support you along the way. In this article, you will find ideas for professional learning, resources to dig into, leaders in the field, and much more.

So you secured an ESL position. And you're wondering...how can I prepare for this job? ​

1. Get to know your state laws regarding ELLs. Each state follows specific laws regarding how students are screened for services, how parents are notified, and the programs offered for English learners. It will be important for you to know what those are in your state and how your district complies. This will help you advocate for families as they enter your campus. When you attend parent-teacher conferences, staffings, RTI meetings, etc. the knowledge you have will enable you to speak confidently about the rights of English learners.

2. Find out what type of programs and curriculum your school offers for serving English learners. Your campus may offer a bilingual program and an ESL program. It may only offer an ESL program. Some ESL programs are pull out models and other are coteach. There are many that use a combination of both pull out and coteach. They pull out students at earlier levels of English proficiency and coteach in classrooms where students have higher levels of English proficiency. If you are pulling students out for intense small group instruction, you'll want to know if there is a curriculum you'll follow.

3. Explore the resources and curriculum that you will be using with students. Basically, take a look at what you have so that you will be familiar with the resources and so that you can start a wish list of your needs. When the school year starts, things will get busy! You won't have time to explore your resources. Looking at them now will help you when you need just the right picture or game or book on ___. In addition, take a look at the books your school or department have. Think about the demographics (and if you don't have that yet, that's something you'll want to get your hands on). If you begin to notice that your campus is lacking on books that represent the student population, start a wish list of culturally inclusive book. Colorin Colorado has a great list that can help you begin. When funding is available, submit your list! Some teachers try to get culturally inclusive books funded through Donor's Choose or by asking their PTA/PTO for funds.

4. Build an online bank of resources you'll have at the tip of your fingers. These are websites and blogs that will help you continue to learn and grow. But most importantly, they are current and offer relevant information regularly. I made a Bookmark folder with all of these on my computer and I constantly add more. Keep in mind, that these are just a starting point! 5. Professional learning. Some people like to learn by reading and others enjoy trainings. So I'm going to share with you books and online learning that you can do now.Start reading professional books that can support your knowledge base for English language development. There are many outstanding books to select from. Below you'll find a short list of my favorites. But you can find a longer, more comprehensive list by clicking here. If there's a specific need you have, contact me and I'll point you in the right direction.
Books:
The ELL Teacher's Toolbox
6 Principles to Exemplary Teaching of English Learners
EL Excellence Every Day
7 Steps to a Language Rich Interactive Classroom
(below you will find a link and picture to many of my other favorite EL related professional learning books)

Online learning or Virtual learning:
​These are the top 10 EL Leaders on Twitter who I constantly count on to share high quality resources and ideas (plus 1). They are in no particular order. Plus 1. Me! Don't forget to follow Valentina Gonzalez too. I love sharing greatness!

Once you follow all these people, look at who they are following and follow some of their followers.

You can also join the ELLchat_BkClub and participate with us in reading and discussing books on Twitter. Find out more about the virtual club by clicking here.

Popular ELL related hashtags to view and use are: #ELL, #ELLs, #ELLchat, #ELLchat_BKclub, #ESL

Feel free to join our FaceBook group called Advocating for ELLs. It's a great place to ask a question, share a success story, learn something new, share information, etc.

And VirtuEL is an excellent FREE online PD offered by Tan and Carol. You can log on anytime and view the past presentations.

If you like listening to podcasts, I suggest these:
Cult of Pedagogy with Jennifer Gonzalez
Highest Aspirations with ELLevation
Boosting Achievement with Carol Salva

6. Begin building relationships with the teachers you will be working with either in a co-teach setting or otherwise. Some ESL teachers work in co-teach settings going into classrooms. If you will be co-teaching, building a strong, healthy and positive relationship with your partner is paramount. Start by getting to know you partner on a personal level. Then move into logistics of how you will co-teach. What will that look like, feel like, sound like? Who will do what? And when?
On the other hand, if you will be pulling students out of classrooms to work in small group settings, it's still important to build rapport with teachers. You will be sharing students with these teachers. Though you won't be in the same instructional space, you will still need to communicate linguistic and academic information about the students. Building a relationship with these teachers will help send the message that we are working as a team.

I am sure there's more. But I think these 6 things are plenty to begin with. And if you ever need support, reach out to me or any of the people I listed in #5 or on the Advocating FB Page. This community of educators truly cares about helping students and teachers.

And one last thing. a piece of advice that my best friend often has to remind me still to this day (and i've been in education over 20 years)...It's a marathon not a sprint.

​I can't wait to hear about your journey.

Valentina Gonzalez

It's a marathon not a sprint.

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First of all, WELCOME! We are glad to have you in our professional learning network. If you are reading this, I want to formally welcome you to a wonderful, passionate group of ESL educators and advocates who will support you along the way.

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Carol Salva just shared a great website that students can access multiple leveled texts.
https://www.newsinlevels.com/

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#VirtuEL19 SWIRLing with the app Book Creator

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Strengthening ELL Literacy Skills with iPad

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Strengthening ELL Literacy Skills with iPad

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Strengthening ELL Literacy Skills with iPad

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Digital Tools for English Language Learners

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@MissDiezENL @Toppel_ELD @gardnerkb1 @emilyfranESL I am very familiar w the units of study for reading & writing. Workshop differentiates well but as educators we must plan intentional scaffolding & accommodations or ELLs will struggle. Here’s an article about this with downloads for rdg & wtg https://t.co/iEUJLHXM7K

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🌍 ναℓєηтιηα gσηzαℓєz

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@MissDiezENL @Toppel_ELD @gardnerkb1 @emilyfranESL I am very familiar w the units of study for reading & writing. Workshop differentiates well but as educators we must plan intentional scaffolding & accommodations or ELLs will struggle. Here’s an article about this with downloads for rdg & wtg https://t.co/iEUJLHXM7K https://t.co/FwGiiKZSsJ

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🌍 ναℓєηтιηα gσηzαℓєz

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🌍 ναℓєηтιηα gσηzαℓєz

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I am very familiar w the units of study for reading & writing. Workshop differentiates well but as educators we must plan intentional scaffolding & accommodations or ELLs will struggle. Here’s an article about this with downloads for rdg & wtg https://t.co/iEUJLHXM7K pic.twitter.com/FwGiiKZSsJ
— 🌍 ναℓєηтιηα gσηzαℓєz (@ValentinaESL) June 16, 2019

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@MissDiezENL @Toppel_ELD @gardnerkb1 @emilyfranESL I am very familiar w the units of study for reading & writing. Workshop differentiates well but as educators we must plan intentional scaffolding & accommodations or ELLs will struggle. Here’s an article about this with downloads for rdg & wtg https://t.co/iEUJLHXM7K https://t.co/FwGiiKZSsJ

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🌍 ναℓєηтιηα gσηzαℓєz

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
@MissDiezENL @Toppel_ELD @gardnerkb1 @emilyfranESL I am very familiar w the units of study for reading & writing. Workshop differentiates well but as educators we must plan intentional scaffolding & accommodations or ELLs will struggle. Here’s an article about this with downloads for rdg & wtg https://t.co/iEUJLHXM7K https://t.co/FwGiiKZSsJ

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@MissDiezENL @Toppel_ELD @gardnerkb1 @emilyfranESL I am very familiar w the units of study for reading & writing. Workshop differentiates well but as educators we must plan intentional scaffolding & accommodations or ELLs will struggle. Here’s an article about this with downloads for rdg & wtg https://t.co/iEUJLHXM7K

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🌍 ναℓєηтιηα gσηzαℓєz

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Lexicogrammar - Sardinha - - Major Reference Works - Wiley Online Library

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Lexicogrammar (or lexico‐grammar) is a level of linguistic structure where lexis, or vocabulary, and grammar, or syntax, combine into one. At this level, words and grammatical structures are not seen as independent, but rather mutually dependent, with one level interfacing with the other.

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VirtuEL 2020 begins with our keynote presenter, acclaimed author, blogger and educator, Larry Ferlazzo!

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Not going to sugarcoat this: 
We are never going to close the gaps until teachers let students do most of the talking.

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Not going to sugarcoat this: 
We are never going to close the gaps until teachers let students do most of the talking.

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Not going to sugarcoat this:
We are never going to close the gaps until teachers let students do most of the talking.
— David Kauffman (@david_kauffman) June 14, 2019

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Not going to sugarcoat this: 
We are never going to close the gaps until teachers let students do most of the talking.

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Not going to sugarcoat this: 
We are never going to close the gaps until teachers let students do most of the talking.

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Not going to sugarcoat this: 
We are never going to close the gaps until teachers let students do most of the talking.

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ERIC Identifier: Publication Date: Author:
Source:

Communicative Language Teaching: An Introduction and Sample Activities. ERIC Digest.

This digest will take a look at the communicative approach to the teaching of foreign languages. It is intended as an introduction to the communicative approach for teachers and teachers-in-training who want to provide opportunities in the classroom for their students to engage in real-life communication in the target language. Questions to be dealt with include what the communicative approach is, where it came from, and how teachers' and students' roles differ from the roles they play in other teaching approaches. Examples of exercises that can be used with a communicative approach are described, and sources of appropriate materials are provided.

WHERE DOES COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING COME FROM?

Its origins are many, insofar as one teaching methodology tends to influence the next. The communicative approach could be said to be the product of educators and linguists who had grown dissatisfied with the audiolingual and grammar-translation methods of foreign language instruction. They felt that students were not learning enough realistic, whole language. They did not know how to communicate using appropriate social language, gestures, or expressions; in brief, they were at a loss to communicate in the culture of the language studied. Interest in and development of communicative-style teaching mushroomed in the 1970s; authentic language use and classroom exchanges where students engaged in real communication with one another became quite popular.

In the intervening years, the communicative approach has been adapted to the elementary, middle, secondary, and post-secondary levels, and the underlying philosophy has spawned different teaching methods known under a variety of names, including notional-functional, teaching for proficiency, proficiency-based instruction, and communicative language teaching.

WHAT IS COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING?

Communicative language teaching makes use of real-life situations that necessitate communication. The teacher sets up a situation that students are likely to encounter in real life. Unlike the audiolingual method of language teaching, which relies on repetition and drills, the communicative approach can leave students in suspense as to the outcome of a class exercise, which will vary according to their reactions and responses. The real-life simulations change from day to day. Students' motivation to learn comes from their desire to communicate in meaningful ways about meaningful topics.

Margie S. Berns, an expert in the field of communicative language teaching, writes in explaining Firth's view that "language is interaction; it is interpersonal activity and has a clear relationship with society. In this light, language study has to look at the use (function) of language in context, both its linguistic context (what is uttered before and after a given piece of discourse) and its social, or situational, context (who is speaking, what their social roles are, why they have come together to speak)" (Berns, 1984, p. 5).

WHAT ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF COMMUNICATIVE EXERCISES?

In a communicative classroom for beginners, the teacher might begin by passing out cards, each with a different name printed on it. The teacher then proceeds to model an exchange of introductions in the target language: "Guten Tag. Wie heissen Sie?" Reply: "Ich heisse Wolfie," for example. Using a combination of the target language and gestures, the teacher conveys the task at hand, and gets the students to introduce themselves and ask their classmates for information. They are responding in German to a question in German. They do not know the answers beforehand, as they are each holding cards with their new identities written on them; hence, there is an authentic exchange of information.

Later during the class, as a reinforcement listening exercise, the students might hear a recorded exchange between two German freshmen meeting each other for the first time at the gymnasium doors. Then the teacher might explain, in English, the differences among German greetings in various social situations. Finally, the teacher will explain some of the grammar points and structures used.

The following exercise is taken from a 1987 workshop on communicative foreign language teaching, given for Delaware language teachers by Karen Willetts and Lynn Thompson of the Center for Applied Linguistics. The exercise, called "Eavesdropping," is aimed at advanced students.

"Instructions to students." Listen to a conversation somewhere in a public place and be prepared to answer, in the target language, some general questions about what was said.

1. Who was talking?

2. About how old were they?

3. Where were they when you eavesdropped?

4. What were they talking about?

5. What did they say?

6. Did they become aware that you were listening to them?

The exercise puts students in a real-world listening situation where they must report information overheard. Most likely they have an opinion of the topic, and a class discussion could follow, in the target language, about their experiences and viewpoints.

Communicative exercises such as this motivate the students by treating topics of their choice, at an appropriately challenging level.

Another exercise taken from the same source is for beginning students of Spanish. In "Listening for the Gist," students are placed in an everyday situation where they must listen to an authentic text.

"Objective." Students listen to a passage to get general understanding of the topic or message.

"Directions." Have students listen to the following announcement to decide what the speaker is promoting.

"Passage." "Situacion ideal...Servicio de transporte al Aeropuerto Internacional...Cuarenta y dos habitaciones de lujo, con aire acondicionado...Elegante restaurante...de fama internacional."

(The announcement can be read by the teacher or played on tape.) Then ask students to circle the letter of the most appropriate answer on their copy, which consists of the following multiple-choice options:

a. a taxi service

b. a hotel

c. an airport

d. a restaurant

(Source: Adapted from Ontario Assessment Instrument Pool, 1980, Item No. 13019)

Gunter Gerngross, an English teacher in Austria, gives an example of how he makes his lessons more communicative. He cites a widely used textbook that shows English children having a pet show. "Even when learners act out this scene creatively and enthusiastically, they do not reach the depth of involvement that is almost tangible when they act out a short text that presents a family conflict revolving round the question of whether the children should be allowed to have a pet or not" (Gerngross & Puchta, 1984, p. 92). He continues to say that the communicative approach "puts great emphasis on listening, which implies an active will to try to understand others. [This is] one of the hardest tasks to achieve because the children are used to listening to the teacher but not to their peers. There are no quick, set recipes.

That the teacher be a patient listener is the basic requirement" (p. 98).

The observation by Gerngross on the role of the teacher as one of listener rather than speaker brings up several points to be discussed in the next portion of this digest.

HOW DO THE ROLES OF THE TEACHER AND STUDENT CHANGE IN COMMUNICATIVE LANGUAGE TEACHING?

Teachers in communicative classrooms will find themselves talking less and listening more--becoming active facilitators of their students' learning (Larsen-Freeman, 1986). The teacher sets up the exercise, but because the students' performance is the goal, the teacher must step back and observe, sometimes acting as referee or monitor. A classroom during a communicative activity is far from quiet, however. The students do most of the speaking, and frequently the scene of a classroom during a communicative exercise is active, with students leaving their seats to complete a task.

Because of the increased responsibility to participate, students may find they gain confidence in using the target language in general. Students are more responsible managers of their own learning (Larsen-Freeman, 1986).

WHERE CAN I LEARN MORE ABOUT COMMUNICATIVE TEACHING?

All of the following documents on communicative language teaching are in the ERIC database. They can be read on microfiche at any library housing an ERIC collection or purchased in microfiche or paper copy from the ERIC Document Reproduction Service (EDRS), 7420 Fullerton Road, Suite 110, Springfield, VA 22153-2852 (1-800-443-3742).

REFERENCES

Ben-Barka, A. C. [1982]. "In search of a language teaching framework: An adaptation of a communicative approach to functional practice." (EDRS No. ED 239 507, 26 pages)

Das, B. K. (Ed.) (1984). "Communicative language teaching." Selected papers from the RELC seminar (Singapore). "Anthology Series 14." (EDRS No. ED 266 661, 234 pages)

Littlewood, W. T. (1983). "Communicative approach to language teaching methodology (CLCS Occasional Paper No. 7)." Dublin: Dublin University, Trinity College, Centre for Language and Communication Studies. (EDRS No. ED 235 690, 23 pages)

Pattison, P. (1987). "The communicative approach and classroom realities." (EDRS No. ED 288 407, 17 pages)

Riley, P. (1982). "Topics in communicative methodology: Including a preliminary and selective bibliography on the communicative approach." (EDRS No. ED 231 213, 31 pages)

Savignon, S. J., & Berns, M. S. (Eds.). (1983). "Communicative language teaching: Where are we going? Studies in Language Learning," 4(2). (EDRS No. ED 278 226, 210 pages)

Sheils, J. (1986). "Implications of the communicative approach for the role of the teacher." (EDRS No. ED 268 831, 7 pages)

Swain, M., & Canale, M. (1982). "The role of grammar in a communicative approach to second language teaching and testing." (EDRS No. ED 221 026, 8 pages) (not available separately; available from EDRS as part of ED 221 023, 138 pages)

Willems, G., & Riley, P. (Eds.). (1984). "Communicative foreign language teaching and the training of foreign language teachers." (EDRS No. ED 273 102, 219 pages)

Readers may also wish to consult the following journal articles for additional information on communicative language teaching.

Clark, J. L. (1987). Classroom assessment in a communicative approach. "British Journal of Language Teaching," 25(1), 9-19.

Dolle, D., & Willems, G. M. (1984). The communicative approach to foreign language teaching: The teacher's case. "European Journal of Teacher Education," 7(2), 145-54.

Morrow, K., & Schocker, M. (1987). Using texts in a communicative approach. "ELT Journal," 41(4), 248-56.

Oxford, R. L., et al. (1989). Language learning strategies, the communicative approach, and their classroom implications. "Foreign Language Annals," 22(1), 29-39.

Pica, T. P. (1988). Communicative language teaching: An aid to second language acquisition? Some insights from classroom research. "English Quarterly," 21(2), 70-80.

Rosenthal, A. S., & Sloane, R. A. (1987). A communicative approach to foreign language instruction: The UMBC project. "Foreign Language Annals," 20(3), 245-53.

Swan, M. (1985). A critical look at the communicative approach (1). "ELT Journal," 39(1), 2-12.

Swan, M. (1985). A critical look at the communicative approach (2). "ELT Journal," 39(2), 76-87.

Terrell, T. D. (1991). The role of grammar instruction in a communicative approach. "Modern Language Journal," 75(1), 52-63.

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES

Berns, M. S. (1984). Functional approaches to language and language teaching: Another look. In S. Savignon & M. S. Berns (Eds.), "Initiatives in communicative language teaching. A book of readings" (pp. 3-21). Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

Gerngross, G., & Puchta, H. (1984). Beyond notions and functions: Language teaching or the art of letting go. In S. Savignon & M. S. Berns (Eds.), "Initiatives in communicative language teaching. A book of readings" (pp. 89-107). Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

Larsen-Freeman, D. (1986). "Techniques and principles in language teaching." Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Littlewood, W. (1981). "Language teaching. An introduction." Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Savignon, S., & Berns, M. S. (Eds.). (1984). "Initiatives in communicative language teaching." Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.

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Communicative Language Teaching: An Introduction and Sample Activities. ERIC Digest.

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ERIC Identifier: Publication Date: Author: Source: This digest will take a look at the communicative approach to the teaching of foreign languages. It is intended as an introduction to the communicative approach for teachers and teachers-in-training who want to provide opportunities in the classroom for their students to engage in real-life communication in the target language.

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English language learners (ELLs) have been getting more attention in educational research than ever before. They face unique challenges in the classroom, but there are proven programs and techniques that can boost their achievement and help them reach the same benchmarks as their native English-speaking peers.

Here you will find the latest reports and research-based recommendations on reaching, teaching, and assessing ELLs. Many reports also address areas where more research is needed. This section may be especially useful for researchers, graduate students, policymakers, curriculum developers, and school administrators.

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English language learners (ELLs) have been getting more attention in educational research than ever before. They face unique challenges in the classroom, but there are proven programs and techniques that can boost their achievement and help them reach the same benchmarks as their native English-speaking peers.

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Teaching ELLs-What Does the Research Say?

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Teaching ELLs-What Does the Research Say?

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Nearly 3 in 4 American classrooms now includes at least one English-language learner, and these students make up roughly 1 in 10 public school students.

While their numbers continue to rise quickly, the evidence on what works best to help non-native speakers become proficient in English-particularly the more formal academic language needed for school success-has been harder to come by.

What does the federal law say about how schools should approach ELL instruction?

The federal requirement stems from the landmark 1974 case Lau v. Nichols, in which the U.S. Supreme Court found that Chinese-American English-learners in California who were not given educational accommodations to help them learn English did not receive equal access to education.

In essence, this was discrimination due to their language and national origin, a violation of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Lau 's mandate has been preserved in subsequent versions of the main federal K-12 law, including the version approved by Congress late last year which states that school districts must take "affirmative steps" to counter students' language barriers and ensure ELLs can "participate meaningfully in schools' educational programs."

In 2015, the Education Department's office for civil rights issued a letter updating how districts should approach ELLs. Districts must use instructional practices and programs that are backed by scientific evidence and effective in helping students speak, listen, read, and write English and meet challenging state content standards.

What are the most common types of instruction for students learning English as a second language?

Most U.S. schools use variations on one or all of the following:

Pullout/push-in tutoring: English-learners attend core academic classes in English, while being provided separate instructional support in the language either by an ELL specialist during the class or in a separate session outside of class. This method is most often used for English-learners with at least some proficiency in the language.

Sheltered English instruction: English-learners, particularly those with low English proficiency, are taught in a stand-alone classroom. The teacher may focus several hours of the day on direct language instruction as well as academic content. Within a classroom, students often are grouped by their English proficiency so that lessons can be tailored for different levels. Most of these programs are designed to be short-as little as a single year-but some critics have argued that such programs can delay ELLs' access to regular content. Among the most common versions of this is the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol, or SIOP. Three states-Arizona, California, and Massachusetts-have laws requiring sheltered English instruction and limiting the use of bilingual instruction. (California voters will have an opportunity to overturn the restrictions on bilingual education later this year.)

Bilingual instruction: Students receive ongoing language and subject matter instruction in both their native language and English. These programs may serve ELLs only, in a multiyear "developmental" program or a short-term "transitional" program. By contrast, dual-language immersion programs include both native and non-native speakers. These often begin with most of the content taught in the target, or non-English language. Gradually, the time spent teaching in both languages is evenly split, with the goal of making all students exit the program proficient in both languages. This is most commonly used for programs with a high percentage of ELL students of a single native language, such as Spanish or Chinese.

What does research say about the effectiveness of different ELL instructional methods?

While all three main types of ELL instruction have been in use for decades, there is relatively little rigorous research on the general effectiveness of each method, and evidence is particularly scarce on the most effective methods for specific ELL populations, such as young versus older ELLs, or those of different language groups. This is particularly concerning since federal civil rights law requires districts to take into account an ELL's English-proficiency level, grade, educational background, and in some cases, native-language background to determine appropriate services.

A series of Stanford University studies, including a 2015 study in the journal Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis, found that English-learners in bilingual programs had language arts and math scores that grew as fast or faster than those of ELLs in sheltered English immersion, but students in developmental bilingual programs showed slower growth in math than those in other types of bilingual and sheltered-English instruction.

Moreover, in 2015, a four-year randomized controlled trial evaluation of the Portland, Ore., dual-language immersion programs found that students who participated in the programs outperformed their other English-learner peers in English-reading skills by a full school year's worth of learning by the end of middle school.

A rigorous federal research review in 2013 found that no evaluations of sheltered English immersion met its quality standards. There have been a few studies since then, including a cluster-randomized study of Project GLAD, a version of sheltered immersion, which found mixed results for the approach, in part because teachers implemented it very differently from school to school.

"It would be hard right now to do a good [randomized controlled trial] of SIOP because of its broad spread in schools," said Theresa Deussen, a co-author of the Project GLAD study. "Most teachers don't use [structured immersion] as a coordinated package of integrated strategies. ... Instead, they think of it as [individual] 'tools in the toolbox.'"

What instructional practices help ELLs learn academic content?

Regardless of the overall program structure, the Institute of Education Sciences, the Education Department's research agency, has identified rigorous evidence that the following teaching practices are effective in teaching academic content to ELLs:

Teach a set of academic vocabulary words intensively, over several days and a variety of activities.

Integrate instruction in spoken and written English into content-area teaching, such as using science laboratory reports to teach writing in English.

Provide ongoing, structured chances to develop writing skills.

Provide small-group interventions for students struggling with specific problems in literacy or language development.

How long does it typically take for English-language learners to become proficient in English?

A landmark study of California ELLs in 2000 found students in both bilingual and sheltered English programs typically took three to five years to become proficient in oral English and five to seven years to become proficient in academic English. This timeline is still generally considered standard by ELL educators, but the new version of the federal K-12 law gives districts three years to bring students to full proficiency and allows them to include former English-learners in the ELL accountability subgroup for up to four years.

A 2015 study by Education Northwest of ELLs entering kindergarten in Washington state found that half reached proficiency in 3.8 years, but 18 percent of the students were not proficient within eight years. The timelines varied significantly by the English level students had upon entering kindergarten, and also by their home language.

For example, Korean-speaking students reached proficiency on average in less than three years, while Spanish-speaking students took on average more than four years. However, the study did not have enough data to suggest why ELLs of different language groups had different rates of learning English.

"It seems like it would be more difficult for a Chinese speaker to learn English than a Spanish speaker, but it doesn't always hold true," said Jason Greenberg Motamedi, an Education Northwest senior researcher and the author of the study.

"It may be less the fact that they speak a particular language than other characteristics we can't see here. 'Spanish' may be just standing in for a whole host of other things [such as low income or immigrant status]. Half of the Spanish speakers are second or third generation in Washington. They've grown up there, but clearly there are structural barriers that are preventing them from [reaching English proficiency]."

How long it takes students to reach proficiency has a huge bearing on longer-term outcomes.

A 2013 study found English-learners who reached proficiency by the end of kindergarten showed no academic gap with native English speakers, while students who did not reach proficiency by the end of 1st grade showed significant gaps in reading and math compared to native English speakers. While these gaps narrowed in reading over time, they grew in math.

Is effective ELL instruction the same for immigrant and native-born students?

While many English-learners do arrive as immigrants, the vast majority-some 80 percent-are born in the United States and enter U.S. schools at the beginning of their academic careers.

For ELLs who enter the United States before the start of their school years, the instructional approach is generally the same, though Motameti and other researchers' studies have found that students who enter kindergarten with very low English proficiency take longer to catch up. There have not been significant studies looking at whether particular instructional approaches are more effective for immigrant versus native-born ELLs who start in kindergarten or preschool.

Research suggests older ELLs, particularly "newcomers" who enter in middle and high school, have needs, particularly in content-area language and instruction, that are quite separate from those of ELLs who were born in the United States or who came in early grades.

A 2015 case study of so-called "newcomer schools" in Ohio and New York City suggested that they can be more supportive environments for older ELLs, but may be associated with lower academic achievement. An earlier three-year study by the Center for Applied Linguistics found that the most effective "newcomer schools" provided: flexible course scheduling; teachers skilled and regularly trained in ELL supports; basic adolescent literacy interventions coupled with ELL interventions; content instruction designed to fill gaps in academic learning; and ongoing monitoring of student progress.

The most effective programs also provided significant extended-learning time, including before and after school, on Saturdays, and in summer. They connected immigrant students with family and social services, and provided supports to help students transition to college, careers, and practical life after high school.

Do federal civil rights laws related to ELL instruction apply to charter schools, too?

Yes. The Education Department's office for civil rights issued guidance in 2014 confirming that charter schools, like any public schools, must take steps to support students learning English and ensure their admissions, disciplinary, and other policies do not disproportionately affect ELLs or their parents. For example, OCR entered a resolution agreement with the BASIS DC Public Charter School after finding that students who did not speak English at home were not appropriately screened for their English-language skills, and teachers incorrectly believed that only the school's reading lab teacher was responsible for providing ELL services.

Is there a bilingual advantage?

Students who become fully fluent in multiple languages generally perform better academically than either fluent monolingual students or students who are not fully proficient in more than one language. However, researchers are still not sure how much of an advantage there is or what accounts for it.

In the past decade, cognitive and neuroscience studies have suggested that fully bilingual students can switch between cognitive tasks faster than monolingual students. However, a 2014 analysis in the journal Psychological Science found that studies between 1999 and 2012 that found a link between bilingualism and executive control were more likely to be published than those that found either no effect or a negative result. This suggests that journals may be more willing to publish studies that find bilingual benefits.

What can we expect from ELL research in the near future?

More than 45 states now use one of two English-language proficiency assessments: the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment, or WIDA, or the new ELPA 21 test. Because these two tests have become so common, researchers are in the process of developing crosswalk studies to compare proficiency and achievement across different states. This would enable better comparisons of different state and district approaches to identifying, supporting, and eventually reclassifying English-learners.

"For the first time ever we can get an image of what proficiency development looks like across the nation," Motameti said. "A year ago or two we couldn't do that."

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Teaching English-Language Learners: What Does the Research Tell Us?

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Nearly 3 in 4 American classrooms now includes at least one English-language learner, and these students make up roughly 1 in 10 public school students. While their numbers continue to rise quickly, the evidence on what works best to help non-native speakers become proficient in English-particularly the more formal academic language needed for school success-has been harder to come by.

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Commentary

Too often, teachers suppress valuable language diversity

A few weeks ago, at a central Los Angeles after-school homework club full of students who were bilingual in Spanish and English, I asked a young girl I was working with if she spoke Spanish. "¿Hablas español?" She responded casually, "No, pero mi mamá habla español." No, but my mom speaks Spanish. Amused by the response, I reflected on my instinct to classify her language in to separate categories in the first place. We as students and teachers internalize an instinct to classify language as either/or: as English or Spanish, as good or bad, as correct or poor form. These classifications end up reinforcing deficit views of students who aren't monolingual, middle-class English speakers.

It is impossible to avoid the insidious narratives about the language deficiencies of students who have been "minoritized"-or pushed to a subordinate position by social expectations. From catchy news articles, to research rooted firmly in monolingual, middle-class practices, these narratives are hard to escape. In fact, whenever I meet someone new, and they learn that I was a teacher, two talking points never fail to come up: the tragedies of the word gap and the failure of certain students to learn academic language.

But these tragedies are fabricated. The researchers of the 1995 study that introduced the "crisis" of the word gap claimed that children from low-income households were entering school with 30 million fewer words than their more economically advantaged peers. This conclusion has come under fire in recent years both from activists who criticize the study's impact on policymakers and from researchers who question its methodology and cultural biases. In fact, later studies failed to reproduce the so-called word gap.

Validity aside, this and similar studies also make implicit judgments about the value of certain ways of speaking and writing that are rooted in monolingual ideals. The "dilemma" of students learning academic language-the language used in textbooks or on standardized tests-then permeates instruction and evaluation. Such a narrow focus discounts the huge variety of language skills needed for communication and success, and limits students' learning opportunities.

These two manufactured dilemmas attempt to strictly demarcate language boundaries. The titles we give to languages (e.g. standard, academic, slang, formal, etc.) imply the worth of the language being labeled, but the hierarchies that result are not objective.

In fact, students who are bi- or multilingual effectively engage in complex language practices every day. But, because their practices don't fit into our monolingual models of language, we neglect to recognize it.

Even as appreciation for bilingualism grows in our schools, that appreciation is not equal. The bilingualism of students from monolingual backgrounds is celebrated, while the bilingualism of other students is treated as a problem to be "fixed."

See Also: " The Truth About Bilingualism: It's Only for Some Students"

Take the girl in homework club as an example. I watched her move deftly between making a plan with her mother in Spanish, completing her homework in English, and engaging with her peers in two languages. She demonstrated her linguistic knowledge and social dexterity throughout the afternoon, but will her teachers recognize the talent she has?

As educators, we're especially attuned to the labeling and categorization of language. With honest intentions, we take up what we're taught in our teacher preparation: that language can be standardized. Unfortunately, what results is the denial of deeper-learning opportunities for our students as we judge them to be not proficient in any language when, in reality, they are just not practicing the language we find valuable.

This is not new in education. My father and his nine siblings were prohibited from developing their Spanish-English bilingualism in school. After they were disciplined multiple times for speaking Spanish in school, my grandparents were forced to be complicit in the erasure of their language.

Their teachers didn't consider that they were cheating their students out of the opportunity to develop their unique language skills. Now, my father and his siblings have to pay for others to teach their children the valuable skill of bilingualism that they were denied and that other students are rewarded for cultivating.

This suppression of diverse language practices is not limited to students who speak languages other than English. There is also diversity and value within English-speaking communities that we should not attempt to eradicate. Fortunately, there are various ways that all of us as educators can help our students develop their language practices for all of the spaces they pass through. Here are a few:

* Encourage flexible language practices (translanguaging). Allow students to draw on all of the tools in their language toolbox to learn, communicate, and express themselves. For example, if we ask students to make an outline for a paper they are assigned, they could be allowed the freedom to use any format and language that help them organize their thinking.

* Raise language awareness (metalinguistic awareness). Guide students to see patterns in their own language and the language of others so that they're more conscious about the decisions they make.

* Promote context-rich language development (legitimate peripheral participation). Provide real examples of language use in different spaces-such as communicating needs at a doctor's visit, negotiating policies with school leaders, or applying to a job in the hospitality industry-and allow for real, guided communication in those spaces.

* Build student-centered classrooms. Get to know the students we teach and provide flexible lessons and projects that guide them in connecting new information to their prior knowledge.

Valuing diverse language practices is difficult in our current system of education. Many assessments prevent multilingual students from demonstrating their full language ability, yet these tests are core to the education system in the United States. Teachers are held accountable for a narrow definition of achievement. Communities' values and practices are often ignored in the schools that serve them.

I know from personal experience that it's not easy to adopt the practices I've detailed here. I know that language is not static and that rules governing its use are subjective. Too often, I bowed to the constant warnings from teacher educators, researchers, and principals of the failure that awaited my students who did not learn the correct kind of language in my classroom.

It's time to recognize that our insistence on labeling and classifying language is not a necessary evil. Let's allow our students to tell us what they can do with language instead of asking them to always make it fit into our own models.

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Stop Trying to Standardize Your Students' Language

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Commentary A few weeks ago, at a central Los Angeles after-school homework club full of students who were bilingual in Spanish and English, I asked a young girl I was working with if she spoke Spanish. "¿Hablas español?" She responded casually, "No, pero mi mamá habla español." No, but my mom speaks Spanish.

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Put sentence patterns first. Humans chunk everything into patterns. The larger the chunk, the lighter the load on working memory as we process language. However, if you put the teaching of single words and conjugations first you will raise a breed of slow and hesitant speakers.

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Put sentence patterns first. Humans chunk everything into patterns. The larger the chunk, the lighter the load on working memory as we process language. However, if you put the teaching of single words and conjugations first you will raise a breed of slow and hesitant speakers.

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Put sentence patterns first. Humans chunk everything into patterns. The larger the chunk, the lighter the load on working memory as we process language. However, if you put the teaching of single words and conjugations first you will raise a breed of slow and hesitant speakers.
— Dr Gianfranco Conti (@gianfrancocont9) March 11, 2019

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Put sentence patterns first. Humans chunk everything into patterns. The larger the chunk, the lighter the load on working memory as we process language. However, if you put the teaching of single words and conjugations first you will raise a breed of slow and hesitant speakers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
Put sentence patterns first. Humans chunk everything into patterns. The larger the chunk, the lighter the load on working memory as we process language. However, if you put the teaching of single words and conjugations first you will raise a breed of slow and hesitant speakers.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
Put sentence patterns first. Humans chunk everything into patterns. The larger the chunk, the lighter the load on working memory as we process language. However, if you put the teaching of single words and conjugations first you will raise a breed of slow and hesitant speakers.

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Variations abound in state classification of long-term English learners (LTELs).

The broadest study ever undertaken of long-term English learners (LTELs) in U.S. public schools underscores the need to better understand how students receive this classification, and why the classification varies widely across and within states.

Since LTEL status may negatively impact future educational opportunities and outcomes, the study recommends a much closer examination of how LTELs are classified across the U.S. which could impact English learner master plans.

Experts on multilingual learners at the University of Wisconsin-Madison conducted the nearly year-long study by using population data from 15 states that track students who remain classified as English learners for five or more years. They found the population of LTEL students varies from two to 24% across the states studied.

"Currently, one in five students in the U.S. comes from a home in which a language other than English is spoken, and English learners are the fastest growing subgroup of K-12 students in the country," says Sarah Ryan, director of Research, Policy, and Evaluation for WIDA.

According to Ryan, WIDA is in a unique position to conduct longitudinal research on language learners, "We have exclusive access to data on the entire population of young language learners in most U.S. states, which no other organization has collected. And we have an opportunity and responsibility to use the data in ways that lead to greater equity for multilingual children and youth."

While previous research has focused on LTEL populations in primarily Arizona, California, New York, and Texas, Ryan and her colleague, Narek Sahakyan, wanted to better understand this population nationally.

LTELs are defined as English-language learners who have not yet reached a minimum threshold of English-language proficiency after five to seven years in a U.S. school. The researchers defined a common "minimum threshold" as a composite proficiency level of 4.5 on the ACCESS for ELLs English-language proficiency assessment to identify potential LTELs. It is the lowest threshold used to reclassify students as fully English-proficient between 2009-10 and 2014-15, the study's timeframe.

"Each state sets its own threshold of ACCESS scores required for reclassification, so what it means to be a LTEL varies from state to state," explains Sahakyan. "Early estimates claim as many as one-quarter to one-half of ELs would become classified as LTELs, but we really had no data from other states to back that up. Our study addresses this gap."

He adds: "The rates of potential LTELs we uncovered may underestimate the size of this population since about 20% of students in the study discontinued participation in the ACCESS assessment before meeting state criteria for reclassification. We suspect that many of these students moved out of the state or country."

Reclassification is key because it can serve as a gatekeeper to more advanced courses and learning opportunities, especially when EL students reach middle and high school. Often, when English-learner students reach the secondary level, they are clustered together into separate courses.

"So instead of taking biology in 10 th grade, ELs might take 'sheltered biology.' And a sheltered version of a class does not usually offer college-preparatory credit," warns Sahakyan, pointing out that taking a non-college-tracked course in high school could result in missed learning opportunities that will have an impact on future educational and economic success.

In their report, Ryan and Sahakyan point to the dilemma for education researchers and practitioners in identifying and examining LTELs as a subgroup, while knowing that labels can be stigmatizing to students.

"The process of labeling a subgroup of students as LTELs can perpetuate the inequity we aim to address. Yet, by not using this terminology, we might silence growing and necessary attention focused on meeting the needs of these students, which are often overlooked," explains Ryan. In the report, the researchers write, "We have no easy or simple solutions ... and we continue to grapple with it."

Ryan and Sahakyan suggest that large variability in LTEL rates across states could result in part from different state policies and, at the district and school levels, variable policy implementation. They hope the findings will encourage state policymakers to look more closely at their own data to better understand the LTEL population in their respective states, and to explore how and why the size of this population varies across districts.

In the end, it is about accountability to students and their families, says Ryan. "Federal legislation dictates that states have an obligation to ensure that English-learner students are successful in school, college and society."

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States Classify Long-Term English Learners Very Differently - Language Magazine

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The broadest study ever undertaken of long-term English learners (LTELs) in U.S. public schools underscores the need to better understand how students receive this classification, and why the classification varies widely across and within states. Since LTEL status may negatively impact future educational opportunities and outcomes, the study recommends a much closer examination of how LTELs are classified across the U.S.

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This. Is EPIC! 
A must use to support #ELs!! 🤩

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This. Is EPIC! 
A must use to support #ELs!! 🤩
 https://t.co/w9roW8JLIw

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This. Is EPIC!
A must use to support #ELs!! 🤩
pic.twitter.com/w9roW8JLIw
— Emily Fɾαɳƈιʂ 💫 (@emilyfranESL) June 6, 2019

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This. Is EPIC! 
A must use to support #ELs!! 🤩
 https://t.co/w9roW8JLIw

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This. Is EPIC! 
A must use to support #ELs!! 🤩
 https://t.co/w9roW8JLIw

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This. Is EPIC! 
A must use to support #ELs!! 🤩

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Ever thought about using podcasts in the classroom?

Our Edublogger's guide will help you understand:
🎙 What #podcasts are
🎙 How they can be used in education
🎙 How to access or create your own podcasts 

It also includes a PDF with 50 podcast ideas!

https://t.co/ESU8BUdGDF

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Ever thought about using podcasts in the classroom?

Our Edublogger's guide will help you understand:
🎙 What #podcasts are
🎙 How they can be used in education
🎙 How to access or create your own podcasts 

It also includes a PDF with 50 podcast ideas!

https://t.co/ESU8BUdGDF https://t.co/flGILGe1UZ

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Ever thought about using podcasts in the classroom?

Our Edublogger's guide will help you understand:
🎙 What #podcasts are
🎙 How they can be used in education
🎙 How to access or create your own podcasts

It also includes a PDF with 50 podcast ideas!https://t.co/ESU8BUdGDF pic.twitter.com/flGILGe1UZ
— edublogs (@edublogs) June 5, 2019

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Ever thought about using podcasts in the classroom?

Our Edublogger's guide will help you understand:
🎙 What #podcasts are
🎙 How they can be used in education
🎙 How to access or create your own podcasts 

It also includes a PDF with 50 podcast ideas!

https://t.co/ESU8BUdGDF https://t.co/flGILGe1UZ

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
Ever thought about using podcasts in the classroom?

Our Edublogger's guide will help you understand:
🎙 What #podcasts are
🎙 How they can be used in education
🎙 How to access or create your own podcasts 

It also includes a PDF with 50 podcast ideas!

https://t.co/ESU8BUdGDF https://t.co/flGILGe1UZ

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
Ever thought about using podcasts in the classroom?

Our Edublogger's guide will help you understand:
🎙 What #podcasts are
🎙 How they can be used in education
🎙 How to access or create your own podcasts 

It also includes a PDF with 50 podcast ideas!

https://t.co/ESU8BUdGDF

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New favourite activity! Works like magic for repetition, drilling key structures & spontaneous translation 🤩 Credit to @gianfrancocont9

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New favourite activity! Works like magic for repetition, drilling key structures & spontaneous translation 🤩 Credit to @gianfrancocont9 https://t.co/jwjOchbhFh

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New favourite activity! Works like magic for repetition, drilling key structures & spontaneous translation 🤩 Credit to @gianfrancocont9 pic.twitter.com/jwjOchbhFh
— Caoimhe C (@CaoimheMFL) June 7, 2019

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New favourite activity! Works like magic for repetition, drilling key structures & spontaneous translation 🤩 Credit to @gianfrancocont9 https://t.co/jwjOchbhFh

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New favourite activity! Works like magic for repetition, drilling key structures & spontaneous translation 🤩 Credit to @gianfrancocont9 https://t.co/jwjOchbhFh

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New favourite activity! Works like magic for repetition, drilling key structures & spontaneous translation 🤩 Credit to @gianfrancocont9

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Guiding Questions

1. Why is summarizing an important skill?

2. What structures help ELs summarize narratives?

This Article's Goal

The goal is to share a practice that develops ELs' ability to summarize an extended text.

Research Suggests

Dr. Marzano identified nine essential skills that improve student achievement across content (2000). The ability to summarize accurately is one of those nine.

Summarizing is briefly describing the main idea of an event or a text that is either visual, oral, or written. It requires the ability to understand many details, identifying the most significant information, and connecting the ideas in a cohesive manner. Summarizing a narrative involves describing the major events in the plot while summarizing a concept requires identifying and linking the various topics.

Summarizing helps ELs develop their thinking skills because they are making connections between details. It also develops the ability to evaluate details because only the most significant ones are included in the summary.

Summarizing is also a required skill of academic achievement because it helps ELs construct comprehension. Since this mental move is highly complex, the responsibility to explicitly teach it belongs to educators. Research suggests that when teachers help students understand academic vocabulary such as "summarizing," their achievement increases (Freeman & Freeman, 2008; Zwiers, 2008; Frances, et. al., 2006).

Past Practices

After "reading" a text, I would ask students what was its main idea. The responses I got ranged from lacking the essential information to answers that contained insignificant details. At other times, I would get back "What is 'a main idea'?" This was because the prompt ("What is the main idea of this text?") provided no support or guidance to developing readers.

Current Practices

I realized that I had to explicitly teach the skill of summarizing. I luckily invested time in reading Kylene Beer's This is a practical resource with ready-to-use strategies to help adolescent learners develop their reading skills. I found this book at the end of my first year of teaching, but I wished it was mandatory reading during my pre-service training. Even though I found it years ago, the ideas and concepts continue to support my work with adolescent readers today. When Kids Can't Read: What Teachers Can Do: A Guide for Teachers 6-12 (affiliate link).

I used this book somewhat like a "turn-read-go" approach. I turned to the chapter on the skill I needed students to cultivate, read the key points, and then applied it the next day. For example, Chapters 10-12 provided strategies on word recognition and fluency while Chapters 4-9 are dedicated to teaching reading comprehension. Reading Kylene's book was like having the Yoda of adolescent literacy teach beside me.

SWBS

Chapter 8 is devoted to post-reading strategies. One easy-to-implement strategy that helped ELs summarize texts is called "Someone Wanted to But So" ( MacOn, Bewell & Vogt, 1991) . Kylene found that this structure captured the main idea of any story. "Someone" refers to the main character in the story. "Wanted to" and the "but" capture the central problem the main character is facing. Finally, the "So" represents the solution.

An Example

I will use the fable of "The Three Little Pigs" to demonstrate this strategy. Below is how I used SWBS to summarize the story:

Someone: The three little pigs

Wanted to: run away from the wolf

But: the houses made of straw and sticks were not strong enough,

So: they ran and took shelter with the third pig, who had a brick house.

Below is a video of me teaching the process to a group of 7th grade ELLs who were reading Sold by Patricia McCormick. It took under 2 minutes to facilitate the process, and it helped bring students back to where we left off from the previous class.

An extended version of SWBS

When a story is rather complex and has many events or details, Kylene adds two more elements to this structure. She includes "Then" and "Finally" to SWBS. These two elements are explained below and continue on with the "Three Little Pigs" example:

Then: the wolf tried without success to blow the brick house down

Finally: the wolf gave up and the pigs were safe.

This example demonstrates how a story with many details and events can be summarized. Using this structure helps students develop comprehension of both nonfiction and fictional texts. In my class, I use it to help students summarize and comprehend nonfiction texts. When we move to literary texts, students then apply this strategy to assist their comprehension of a narrative.

More Resources

If you would like a sneak peak at the concepts and ideas in Kylene's then you can download this PDF that extracts the core strategies and ideas in each chapter. This PDF is provided by Jenn David-Lang's . When Kids Can't Read, What Teachers Can Do (affiliate link), The Main Idea website, which produces incredibly detailed summaries of each chapter from current education books Emily Mitchell's blog also covers the strategies in Kylene's book in depth .

. If you like a graphic organizer of SWBS, the Utah Education Network has created such a resource If you want more SWBS resources, the West Virginia Department of Education has collated PDFs, examples, and videos on how to use SWBS .

SWBS is one approach students can use when responding to the text. There are numerous others. If you want to give students a choice in how they respond to texts, consider reading Tara Smith's article published on Two Writing Teachers .

Take Aways

1.ELs can learn to summarize texts.

2.Summarizing is an important academic skill.

3.Teachers can provide a visual scaffold to teach demanding academic skills such as summarizing.

Next Blog Post

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog. I hope the SWBS structure will help your students master summarizing different text types. Please share your comments and questions below.

The next blog will describe my process of helping students summarize on-grade level nonfiction texts. The SWBS structure can work for nonfiction texts as well but works better with narratives. The next structure I will share can more appropriately capture abstract concepts and themes specifically in nonfiction texts.

Free PDF

Beers, K. (2003). When kids can't read: What teachers can do. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Freeman, Y. S., & Freeman, D. E. (2008). Academic language for English Language Learners and struggling readers: How to help students succeed across content areas. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.

Francis, D. J., Lesaux, N., Kieffer, M., & Rivera, H. (2006). Research-based recommendations for instruction and academic interventions. Houston, TX: Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics at the University of Houston for the Center on Instruction.

Zwiers, J. (2008). Building academic language: Essential practices for content classrooms, grades 5-12. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

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A4. When ELLs Can't Summarize, use SWBS | ELL Strategies | Empowering ELLs

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Why is summarizing an important skill? What structures help ELs summarize narratives? The goal is to share a practice that develops ELs' ability to summarize an extended text. Dr. Marzano identified nine essential skills that improve student achievement across content (2000). The ability to summarize accurately is one of those nine.

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What I tell teachers and leaders is to please consider what your expectations are and then to plan supports carefully for students to reach those goals. Language objectives can really help us focus here. If our expectations are that we want students to explain the difference between mitosis and meiosis, do they know how to compare and contrast? Do teachers know what's required to engage in the language function of compare/contrast? (Learn more about language objectives and functions ) If we want students to discuss the causes of the civil war, do they know how to synthesize and refer to evidence in doing so? And backing way up, if we expect students to look eye-to-eye and engage in active listening, do they know how to do that? There is so much involved in interactive discussions, and like any classroom procedure, this needs to be modeled and practiced. And reflected upon. And practiced again. And again.

Academic conversations can create the conditions and to provide the tools for students to go beyond turn and talk into deeper discourse. Academic conversations, when implemented thoughtfully, teaches students the language of specific functions of academic language across the content areas. If students are taught how to explain, infer, summarize, paraphrase, inquire, the list goes on...then they are much more likely to do so successfully, using the language (and content) we want them to use. In schools where the common, systemic expectation is structured yet authentic conversations, I see high levels of student engagement, rich oral language production, and more efficacious teachers (and leaders!) Here is a strategy we created at Confianza, called Paraphrasing Partners, to deepen learning and academic discourse. We use it in our professional learning and promote it in the classroom too! Start by modeling this partner activity using the language function of paraphrase. Then add other more advanced language functions like agree/disagree, challenge others' ideas, evaluate, synthesize, support ideas with evidence, etc.

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Going Beyond 'Turn and Talk': Academic Conversations for ELLs - Confianza

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by Sarah Ottow, Founder of Confianza and Author of "The Language Lens for Content Classrooms Guidebook" A lot of my time as a coach supporting schools is spent observing teachers and providing targeted feedback to help boost language development for their language learners-both multilingual learne

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Confianza LLC

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The Role of the Language Specialist in the 21st Century

By Sarah Said

It's 2019, and you're starting to see your role shift. Yes, you are the building ELL specialist. And, you're not doing your job quietly in the back of a General Education teacher's classroom on a kidney table hoping you and your students don't frighten the third grade teacher whose room you are servicing today. That's right, you service students now--not teachers. Your services benefit the whole class, not just the four kids who you are supposed to service. You're not tip-toeing out of the classroom with your group as you carry the ELL edition of the series your school uses for "curriculum" and hoping you're on the same page as "their actual teacher" as you go to your tiny closet of a room to serve "your" students. You actually co-teach now--not "I push in but we call it co-teaching," you really co-plan and co-teach.

Wow! That is too good to be true. But in the 21st century, the ELL specialist's wildest dreams may have to actually become true. It's like eating ice cream and the calories not even counting. Here is what I mean, in 2015, Confianza's first year, we had predicted that by 2025 one in every four students in a US classroom will be an English Learner. It is 2019, and the entity that I work in has figures close to that ratio. With this increase in numbers, schools really have to change their mindsets on how they view the ELL specialist. We are a resource, not the person who takes "those kids" out of the classroom. We are multilingual, not just the person who's door you are knocking on for translation when you need it because "that parent doesn't speak English." We support students and classrooms, not just help "those kids learn English."

My friends, things are a changin'! Schools and specialists need to understand that the role of the ELL specialist is adapting to the growing needs and population of learners. The idea of this post is to help everyone understand that we are really moving beyond the kidney table in the back of the general education classroom to becoming stronger partners and leaders in our buildings. Our roles in making a huge shift that we really need to keep up with.
Partnering as Co-Teacher and Co-Planner
When the ELL specialist stepping out from behind that kidney table and co-teaches and co-plans with the General Education teacher, it really benefits all who are in the room. The ELL specialist benefits from having an equitable space in the classroom where they can see their own instructional practices flourish, thus becoming a stronger teacher in that space. They improve their leadership skills through "live coaching" as they serve their students but also educate the classroom teacher. Their voice is heard on instructional practices for all thus improving their scale of planning and giving them opportunities to serve the classroom and school in different capacities.

The general education teacher benefits from learning the practices of the ELL specialist. How many classroom teachers in the past knew what a language objective was or how to properly execute TPR? Those who have the support of the ELL Specialist co-teaching in their classrooms can learn through the coaching support of that specialist. Isn't that what we want? Don't we want ALL teachers to support English Learners?

And of course, the students- ELL and Non-ELL- benefit from an inclusive environment where all students are being taught. Being in a building with a unique population of first and second generation American English Learners, we try to hold true to a co-teaching model. This means that a lot of language scaffolding and translanguaging happens in the classroom. I have been approached by others outside of my building who ask if it is a distraction to "general education students." If executed correctly, no. In fact, having English Learners in the classroom gives general education students a more worldly view of people. For students, being together means opportunities for learning about each other. I have been referred to as "maestra" by Spanish speakers and non-Spanish speakers in a co-teaching setting. For me, I feel that non-English Learners are embracing their peers by using their language in the classroom. This is what 21st century learning is about- equity, inclusion, and developing a global understanding. Non-English learners can come to see their peers' language abilities as assets- not deficits.

As Jaime Ponce stated in a Teaching Channel blog titled " " "English language learning was seen as less of a negative by all stakeholders -- there are so many cognitive benefits of speaking two languages. Bilingualism should be celebrated and not seen as a disability." (Ponce 2017). When English Learners are in the classroom with their peers, their peers develop that sense of asset based thinking. When they do, it boosts the confidence of English Learners. They participate more in classroom practices meant to build their language- such as presentations and cooperative learning activities- and they flourish in their learning. They also become proud of their native language heritage and value the ability to keep that native language. The Far Reaching Benefits of Co-Teaching For ELLs,

When co-planning and co-teaching for English Learners properly happens, key word here is properly, all staff and students are catapulted into the 21st century. All students become exposed to the same content and vocabulary. This gives them an equitable chance of success outside of the classroom.
ELL Specialist as an Instructional Leader
Yes, you read that right, "ELL Specialist as an Instructional Leader." You are the engine that will support all teachers, supporting English Learners. How are you doing that? You are going to lead ALL staff in professional development so that English Learners are seen as "Our Students" and not "Your Kids." Don't not be scared. Fearlessly, leave that comfortable seat with "your stuff" on it behind the kidney table and help others to learn how to support our children.

Frameworks like Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP), are as Jana Echevarria would put it "good for all students." That magical box of components needs to be open to everyone and you are the person with the key. Work with your administration to not only become more knowledgeable in those practices, but coach others in doing the same. Interaction (a SIOP component) is powerful in a whole classroom than it is with four kids on your safe table. Also, you can't be in that classroom all day long. Students will have more time for language instruction when the general education teacher is knowledgeable in this framework.

We are in a day and age where your colleagues need your support in building their instructional practices more than they need to you to "take these kids." As an ELL Specialist of the 21st century, you need to be up for the challenge. As Rachel Hollis writes in Girl, Wash Your Face , "a caterpillar is awesome, but it the caterpillar stopped there- if she decided that is good enough - we would all miss out on the beautiful creature she would become." (Hollis 2018). You need to expand your practices now in 2019. Yes, it's scary to have to train "Debbie Downer" in SIOP practices because she doesn't want "one more thing." However, to create that beauty for you and your kids, you have to be the butterfly who supports her and be that leader in your building.

With this all in mind, it is important to understand that "The skills required for working with adults are different from those needed for working with children. It cannot be assumed that all English language teachers are prepared for this changing role." (Short, Becker, Cloud, Hellman,& Levine 2018). Relationship building, leadership skill sets, and passion are important elements in becoming leaders in our buildings. The trust or we build with our colleagues is pivotal in having that success with teams. They need to trust our abilities, but also trust us as people. That trust is earned over time. This will not happen overnight. We need to have candid conversations with our building and district leaders to prepare for this change. They can lead you to the appropriate avenues and resources you need to build your own skill set.
Champions For Equity
As Sara Ahmed puts it, "Our lives as educators are full of rich and diverse experiences, but we cannot possibly have an understanding of every hand that has been dealt to our students." (Ahmed 2018). As educators of English Learners, we know how to have dialogue with students to be the listener in learning about life experience. We try to understand that the home lives of our students may not be what is typical in a school setting. At times, there are obstacles that prevent learning. Having those conversations with students and building relationships helps us understand what they need in a school setting.

The 21st century ELL Specialist goes beyond a thirty-five minute service session to advocate for their students inside and outside of the classroom. They work with their general education counterparts to work together to create an environment that is responsive to their needs. We support our teams in understanding the perspectives of the home cultures of the students in their classrooms. We advocate... we advocate... we advocate... and then we educate.

With the political landscape we are facing in this country, we need to be passionate in helping others understand the face and story behind the statistics. What we hear on the news, may be the reality of a students' past or what is happening in their households. We need to help our colleagues understand this without being patronizing or antagonizing.

Whether we are having a conversation with peers in the teachers' lounge, or speaking to our school boards to explain what our English Learner programs look like, we are responsible for being champions for equity. As those champions, we need to assure that our students can access content, native language support and any other types of service that they or their families may need. For some families, you are the life line that is helping them navigate the system.
Artist of the Multilingual and Multicultural Landscape
Being the artist of this landscape is more than translating paperwork and putting on a to engage parents once a year. You are building this in the classroom by assuring that all classrooms have native language resources, multilingual word walls, and a space to build that translanguaging corriente. You are working with the classroom teacher to have handouts with native language support. In your role, you may help them find culture artifacts from student cultures to display in their rooms. The classroom is set up to be responsive to student needs with your help, And you working with the students to take pride in their home language in culture in the classroom.

Outside of the classroom, you are finding ways to celebrate student cultures and languages in your building. This celebration educates peers and they begin to value their friends' identities as well as take pride in their own. In my school we have a weekly assembly called "Community Crew" (this is an concept), we have created a segment called culture crew. As a team, we chose a culture, holiday, or event to highlight. The presentations are student driven and there is parent collaboration. We have honored Hispanic Heritage Month, Black History Month, International Women's Day, Passover, Diwali, Korean Lunar New Year, Highlighted Christmas in many parts of the world, and the list keeps growing... It is important to have consistent education for students and staff on the traditions of our families. Culture fests and multicultural potlucks are not a bad thing to have, they're great. It just should not be your only cultural celebration. In your role, you lead this wonderfulness now!

In addition to celebrating cultures outside of the classroom, we also need to celebrate languages. As a 21st Century ELL Specialist, part of your responsibility to your school community is assuring that all languages are displayed, represented and honored in your building. This can be something as little as teaching your principal how to say hello in a newcomer's language (which can go a long way) or supporting your leadership team in having every child say thank you in their language on your school's community night in front of everyone. In my building, we have a tradition of school wide cheers that teachers use daily in the classroom, but are also honored at school events. Our ELL team has worked with families to create multilingual cheers that are said by all members of our school community. Having students hear and see their language is comforting and a confidence builder for them. 21st Century ELL Specialists make this happen.
Community Liaison
An ELL program is a strong as its parent and community backing. Your education and professional development goes beyond the classroom and school building. A mentor of mine and superstar ELL Educator , once told me that when she takes on a new role in a new community, she rides the school bus. She rides the school bus to learn the community, but she also rides the school bus when a newcomer arrives as a comfort to that student. In the 21st Century we need to be on the ground learning, this may be attending a service in a place of worship or attending a community festival. You will get a ton of insight just watching and being in the community.

Also, be visible in that community. When people start to see you in the community, they invite you in more. When you are an educator of English Learners, you have to be connected to the communities that your learners come from. The more connected you are, the more powerful your program's impact will be on the students that the program serves. When you are not connected to the community you are blindly teaching your learners. Open your eyes and learn-- this is the 21st Century.
We Can Do It!
Many of us already are "Beyond the Kidney Table" and really empowering our peers and students to grow together. Being positive about your impact will help you be successful in your implementation of a new type of programming. Trust is the Confianza Way. Trust in yourself and your abilities.
References:
Ahmed, Sara K. (2018) Being the Change: Lessons and Strategies to Teach Social Comprehension. Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Heinemann

The Far-Reaching Benefits of Co-Teaching for ELLs from Teaching Channel

Short, Deborah. Becker, Helene. Cloud, Nancy. Hellman, Andrea. New Levine, Linda. (2018) The Six Principles For Exemplary Teaching of English Learners. Alexandria, VA. TESOL Press

To Further Your Learning:

Why Schools Should Be Organized to Prioritize Relationships--from KQED

Teaching English Learners: What Does Research Say?--from Jana Echevarria

In Confianza's work with change agents in schools, we use our structured, inquiry-based Action Cycle process to Ask, Analyze, Act and Assess around a specific issue of concern. Our Action Cycle Guide for Implementing Equity, Language & Literacy Practices is now available for purchase . You can also participate in our facilitated Confianza Cafe with a Certified Confianza Coach. See our set of professional learning offering options .

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Beyond the Kidney Table in the Back of the General Education Classroom: The Role of the Language Specialist in the 21st Century

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Beyond the Kidney Table in the Back of the General Education Classroom: The Role of the Language Specialist in the 21st Century By Sarah Said It's 2019, and you're starting to see your role shift. Yes, you are the building ELL specialist.

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What is Translanguaging? | Psychology Today.   Interesting article on bilingual students, not necessarily biliterate students.  https://t.co/fr66gr92Mh

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What is Translanguaging? | Psychology Today.   Interesting article on bilingual students, not necessarily biliterate students.  https://t.co/fr66gr92Mh

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I have a very - and I mean very - outdated Best ESL-EFL Blogs list.

Instead of revising it for the first time in years, I decided to start anew by sharing my favorites and invite readers to add their own in the comments.

You might also be interested in my British Council post, The Top Blogs and Resource Sites For Teachers Of English Language Learners.

Here they are (in order to make this list, the blogs need to have at least one post each month), not in any order of preference:

Speaking of the British Council, they have greatly expanded the number of bloggers who are writing monthly posts on different topics. You can find them all here. I also write there, and you can find my posts here.
Valentina Gonzalez Carol Salva Christina Cabal Jana Echevarria Emily Francis Olya Sergeeva Learning the Language Svetlana Kandybovich Shelly S. Terrell Sandy Millin On The Same Page Web English English Teaching 101 Keep It Simple Activities
Let me know who I'm missing! Again, please keep in mind that the minimum requirement is one new post each month.

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Updated & Revised: The Best ESL/EFL Blogs - Share Your Favorites!

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I have a very - and I mean very - outdated Best ESL-EFL Blogs list. Instead of revising it for the first time in years, I decided to start anew by sharing my favorites and invite readers to add their own in the comments.

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A2: Like #education, #lessonplanning is a #political act. If we design lessons via a #monolingual and #monocultural lens, we become the #oppressors.  #C6BiliteracyFramework #Equity #D100Chat #SocioculturalCompetence #CriticalConsciousness #SocialJustice

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A2: Like #education, #lessonplanning is a #political act. If we design lessons via a #monolingual and #monocultural lens, we become the #oppressors.  #C6BiliteracyFramework #Equity #D100Chat #SocioculturalCompetence #CriticalConsciousness #SocialJustice https://t.co/MrnLHQusMs

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A2: Like #education, #lessonplanning is a #political act. If we design lessons via a #monolingual and #monocultural lens, we become the #oppressors. #C6BiliteracyFramework #Equity #D100Chat #SocioculturalCompetence #CriticalConsciousness #SocialJustice pic.twitter.com/MrnLHQusMs
— Dr. José Medina (@JoseMedinaJr89) May 22, 2019

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A2: Like #education, #lessonplanning is a #political act. If we design lessons via a #monolingual and #monocultural lens, we become the #oppressors.  #C6BiliteracyFramework #Equity #D100Chat #SocioculturalCompetence #CriticalConsciousness #SocialJustice https://t.co/MrnLHQusMs

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A2: Like #education, #lessonplanning is a #political act. If we design lessons via a #monolingual and #monocultural lens, we become the #oppressors.  #C6BiliteracyFramework #Equity #D100Chat #SocioculturalCompetence #CriticalConsciousness #SocialJustice https://t.co/MrnLHQusMs

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A2: Like #education, #lessonplanning is a #political act. If we design lessons via a #monolingual and #monocultural lens, we become the #oppressors.  #C6BiliteracyFramework #Equity #D100Chat #SocioculturalCompetence #CriticalConsciousness #SocialJustice

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Push-in 🆚 Co-teaching 👥🤔💡 (by @readysetcoteach) #edchat #education #edtech #elearning #k12

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Push-in 🆚 Co-teaching 👥🤔💡 (by @readysetcoteach) #edchat #education #edtech #elearning #k12 https://t.co/FvFzMIiYpA

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Push-in 🆚 Co-teaching 👥🤔💡 (by @readysetcoteach) #edchat #education #edtech #elearning #k12 pic.twitter.com/FvFzMIiYpA
— Alex Corbitt (@Alex_Corbitt) May 20, 2019

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Push-in 🆚 Co-teaching 👥🤔💡 (by @readysetcoteach) #edchat #education #edtech #elearning #k12 https://t.co/FvFzMIiYpA

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Push-in 🆚 Co-teaching 👥🤔💡 (by @readysetcoteach) #edchat #education #edtech #elearning #k12 https://t.co/FvFzMIiYpA

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Push-in 🆚 Co-teaching 👥🤔💡 (by @readysetcoteach) #edchat #education #edtech #elearning #k12

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COLOs in PreK?!  Absolutely! @SIOPModel #d123siop #d123

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COLOs in PreK?!  Absolutely! @SIOPModel #d123siop #d123 https://t.co/qKLpxozT7f

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COLOs in PreK?! Absolutely! @SIOPModel #d123siop #d123 pic.twitter.com/qKLpxozT7f
— Angela Goetz (@angiegoetz_el) May 20, 2019

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COLOs in PreK?!  Absolutely! @SIOPModel #d123siop #d123 https://t.co/qKLpxozT7f

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COLOs in PreK?!  Absolutely! @SIOPModel #d123siop #d123 https://t.co/qKLpxozT7f

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COLOs in PreK?!  Absolutely! @SIOPModel #d123siop #d123

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How Reading and Math Can Leverage Each Other

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How Reading and Math Can Leverage Each Other

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A MiddleWeb Blog

Let me begin by admitting that when it comes to reading and math, I lean more towards the reading side of education. I'd say typically that as educators we take a side.

The good news is that no matter which side you're on, by identifying what effective readers and mathematicians do, we can use strengths from one content area to capitalize on the other.

I had this particular aha moment in July 2017 after attending a session titled How to Connect Math and Literacy: Get Students Reading, Writing, and Speaking in Math Class by Alex Kajitani, California Teacher of the Year.

I really connected with many things he said, especially "Now, I don't claim to be an expert in the area of math, but I know a thing or two about students, reading, writing, and language development."

What happened then was that I bridged my knowledge of reading instruction to my new learning about math instruction. This is actually what we want to do for students everyday! Take something they know and add to it. Build on their knowledge. Transfer our skills from here to there. BOOM!

Creating math<!!!>reading synergy

It's important for us to recognize the relationship between reading and math and how these two seemingly different content areas can be used to leverage one another when we apply our skill sets and those of our students. Here's what that looks like.
Effective readers and mathematicians exemplify some similar characteristics.

1. Both understand how to create mental images. Effective readers visualize while reading a book or passage while effective math students create mental images of shapes and numbers whether they be dimensions, lengths or amounts, etc.

2. Both use context to understand the unknown. While reading text, effective readers are able to make meaning of words they are unfamiliar with by using context clues. Effective math students use mathematical symbols and formulas as clues that guide them in how to proceed in order to solve the problem.

3. Both effective readers and effective math students have stamina and perseverance when faced with an academic task. They are able to stick with their reading or math until they complete the job.

Why is knowing this important?

Recognizing that reading and math have connections is valuable to us as teachers. For example, if a student was progressing well in reading but struggling in math I might be able to capitalize on the student's reading abilities to build the math.

T: Lauren, look at how you have grown as a reader. Your reading level has advanced and you have read several books in many different genres this grading period. I'm proud of your hard work. What do you do to make sure that you continue to grow as a reader?

S: I read a lot. I take a book with me everywhere I go and I finish the books I start. When I finish one book, I pick a new book.

T: That's awesome. Sticking with your book shows focus and perseverance. You can use that same quality in math. When you start a math problem, don't give up. Just like with the books you read, keep with it until the end.

Now imagine the reverse situation - a student is strong in math but needs more scaffolding and support in reading. Begin by highlighting their math strengths and help them imagine the bridge from math to reading.

Showing students how to use their strengths from one content area in another content area is powerful for them. They begin to realize that learning is a process and it empowers them.

Math is about more than numbers

Math is not just about numbers and calculations. If we want our students to have a deep understanding of math, Kajitani says they need to think about it, talk about it, read and write about it, and share it. I couldn't agree more! We need our kids to SWIRL (Speak, Write, Interact, Read, and Listen) in all content areas including math.

Finally, it's important that we explicitly teach the academic vocabulary that is specific to math and to reading. There are many words that have multiple meanings. These can be confusing for English learners. And they can stump all students, not just English Learners.

Think about words such as plus, sum, mean, order, problem, even, odd, right, etc. The word sum sounds the same as some. Teaching the difference between the two similar-sounding words and how sum is used in math is important for ELLs. Or the word mean...it can be confusing for a student learning English when they think the word mean means not nice, but then they hear it in math and that meaning doesn't make sense.

Please don't get me wrong. I'm not saying that math and reading are the same thing. I'm merely saying there are similarities. And it's helpful to recognize them as we work with students who may feel they are stronger in one than in the other. Strengths-based learning. That's what we're all about, right?

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How Reading and Math Can Leverage Each Other

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Show students who are good in math how to leverage and apply those skills to reading. Or vice versa. It's all about carrying over our strengths, says Valentina.

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Think🤔 Does the environment foster assimilation or acculturation? Let’s step away from the melting pot idea. Embrace individuality, self-identity & preserve culture. #satchat #educhat #DiversityandInclusion #educhat #ellchat #teachingELs #edutwitter

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🌍 ναℓєηтιηα gσηzαℓєz

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Think🤔 Does the environment foster assimilation or acculturation? Let’s step away from the melting pot idea. Embrace individuality, self-identity & preserve culture. #satchat #educhat #DiversityandInclusion #educhat #ellchat #teachingELs #edutwitter https://t.co/3ySqQ2hw18

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🌍 ναℓєηтιηα gσηzαℓєz

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🌍 ναℓєηтιηα gσηzαℓєz

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Think🤔 Does the environment foster assimilation or acculturation? Let’s step away from the melting pot idea. Embrace individuality, self-identity & preserve culture. #satchat #educhat #DiversityandInclusion #educhat #ellchat #teachingELs #edutwitter pic.twitter.com/3ySqQ2hw18
— 🌍 ναℓєηтιηα gσηzαℓєz (@ValentinaESL) May 18, 2019

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Think🤔 Does the environment foster assimilation or acculturation? Let’s step away from the melting pot idea. Embrace individuality, self-identity & preserve culture. #satchat #educhat #DiversityandInclusion #educhat #ellchat #teachingELs #edutwitter https://t.co/3ySqQ2hw18

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🌍 ναℓєηтιηα gσηzαℓєz

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Think🤔 Does the environment foster assimilation or acculturation? Let’s step away from the melting pot idea. Embrace individuality, self-identity & preserve culture. #satchat #educhat #DiversityandInclusion #educhat #ellchat #teachingELs #edutwitter https://t.co/3ySqQ2hw18

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Think🤔 Does the environment foster assimilation or acculturation? Let’s step away from the melting pot idea. Embrace individuality, self-identity & preserve culture. #satchat #educhat #DiversityandInclusion #educhat #ellchat #teachingELs #edutwitter

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🌍 ναℓєηтιηα gσηzαℓєz

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by Carol Salva

"It's easy to say 'Don't give up.' But you don't know how the person feels when the failure happens to them."

Some of your English learners will not pass their standardized assessments this year. How are you supporting them for this reality? Here are my top tips for helping these students keep moving toward their goals.

Our bar for academic achievement should remain high for our English learners no matter where these students are on their learning journeys. Students who lack proficiency in English and/or lack the academic knowledge to reach mastery in their grade level classes are not to be pitied. We can't give up hope on these students, because the reality is that they be academically successful. Their timeline may be different than other students their age, but language is not a cognitive delay issue, nor is missing years of formal schooling. These are "lack of opportunity" issues. We must show students what is possible beyond this school year and encourage them to learn as much as they can so they are taking steps toward their life goals. In alignment with the work of Carol Dweck, we need to help the students believe that their abilities can improve. And that starts with believing in them ourselves.

Make sure the students and their families know "the plan." The fact that they know there a plan is as important, maybe more important, than the details of the plan. The plan may be the same for SIFE as it is for any high school student. For example, the plan may be that the students have an opportunity to retake classes and state assessments until they are successful. They are able to do that until they are 21 years old. At that time, they can work with a community partner to continue studying until they earn an equivalency degree. Or you may have a plan that offers more intensive instruction for students who are missing years of education or are new to English. Regardless of what the plan is, it only useful if the students are aware of the plan and don't just drop out before they fully understand how they can eventually be successful.

The students need to realize that they must master content that usually takes over a decade of learning to acquire. Focus on how much they are learning. Set long-term goals with them. Help them look beyond the short-term measurements. The standardized test isn't the finish line.

It is critical to council your newcomers and their families on how a person improves their literacy. We should not expect language learners to close their own gaps. But it is worth taking the time to show them what free resources are available to help them gain literacy and skills in math, science, social studies, etc. Our English learners can take ownership of their own learning when they are empowered with this knowledge. Free websites such as Khan Academy and NewsInLevels can make a huge difference to students who would like to accelerate their acquisition of language and content learning.

For those in the U.S. and parts of Canada, the United Way Helpline at 2-1-1, offers information about local and national health and human services programs. Operators connect families to services ranging from ESL classes to GED (graduation equivalency degree) classes to health care and more

While our community partners are vital for our families, I recommend counseling families and students to delay GED classes until public high school is no longer an option. For example, if I receive a 19 year old student with limited education and/or English proficiency, I want them to know that the services available for them are best they age out of the public school system. Not now. That child is entitled to two years of free public education, and we can build a lot of language and literacy in those two years. Our classrooms should be a step toward their goals no matter how close they are to aging out.

Stories of tenacity and perseverance are important for our students to see. Our students who miss years of formal education must understand what they are able to do with a growth mindset. But these messages must be balanced with a healthy dose of sheltered instruction. As educators we must create inclusive, language-rich environments with lots of comprehensible input so that the burden is not resting on the child.

Here are a few stories of perseverance I have shared with my students:

Francisco Jiménez is a professor at Santa Clara University and an author. He was also deported with his family at one time, struggled as a child learning English in U.S. classrooms, and missed months of schooling each year to work in fields as a migrant farm worker. Jimenez has written more than one book that can inspire English learners, and all students, to aim high and use education as a way to transform one's life. This NBC news article is a great place to start :

Emily Francis, is a Fab 5 Teaching Channel Teacher. She is a high school educator and the recipient of many accolades for her teaching of English learners and contributions to the field. She was recently on the Ellen Show to discuss her journey. In learning about Emily's journey, your students will see that she arrived in the U.S. as a non-English speaker and started high school with a sixth grade education from Guatemala. I used as part of my curriculum for two years, and it has been one of the most powerful tools I have in my toolbelt.

Kamal is a refugee who came to the U.S. in eighth grade with very little formal education and no English listening comprehension, speaking, reading, or writing skills. He spent one year in a regular middle school where he was unsuccessful at any state assessments. He entered high school and failed his state assessment for algebra more than one time. Kamal came to the U.S. from traumatic circumstances, and he still does not read or write in his native language of Arabic. He is attending a comprehensive high school and takes advantage of tutorials, clubs, and other supports that are available to all students. Kamal has faced many challenges, but he recently passed his state assessment for algebra and is working hard to master more content from other classes. Please share this video with your students so they see the mindset this student has and how it is propelling him toward his goals.

This padlet also offers more stories we can use to inspire our students who are overcoming challenges of gaining literacy and language.

If you get a chance to attend a Seidlitz Education training , you might hear us cite John Seidlitz from Sheltered Instruction in Texas :

Four Essential Messages to Send to Our Students:

Let's make sure these students feel important and show them that their learning is important. They should realize that their road may include retakes and possibly more time in high school than other students. Our job is to inspire them to do their best, to learn as much as they can, and above all, to keep moving forward.

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What Do We Do if We Suspect That Our English Learners May Not Pass Standardized Assessments?

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by Carol Salva "It's easy to say 'Don't give up.' But you don't know how the person feels when the failure happens to them." - Emily Francis Some of your English learners will not pass their standardized assessments this year. How are you supporting them for this reality?

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I highlighted this exit ticket from our 4th grade team at my last PD. I like that not only are they assessing the content, but they are assessing the language/vocabulary retention when they ask Ss to use certain words. Our exit tickets are usually #Ellchat_BkClub @MsSalvac

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I highlighted this exit ticket from our 4th grade team at my last PD. I like that not only are they assessing the content, but they are assessing the language/vocabulary retention when they ask Ss to use certain words. Our exit tickets are usually #Ellchat_BkClub @MsSalvac https://t.co/1BuO5dvI5t

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I highlighted this exit ticket from our 4th grade team at my last PD. I like that not only are they assessing the content, but they are assessing the language/vocabulary retention when they ask Ss to use certain words. Our exit tickets are usually #Ellchat_BkClub @MsSalvac pic.twitter.com/1BuO5dvI5t
— Carlota Holder (@carlota_holder) May 16, 2019

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I highlighted this exit ticket from our 4th grade team at my last PD. I like that not only are they assessing the content, but they are assessing the language/vocabulary retention when they ask Ss to use certain words. Our exit tickets are usually #Ellchat_BkClub @MsSalvac https://t.co/1BuO5dvI5t

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.original_text
I highlighted this exit ticket from our 4th grade team at my last PD. I like that not only are they assessing the content, but they are assessing the language/vocabulary retention when they ask Ss to use certain words. Our exit tickets are usually #Ellchat_BkClub @MsSalvac https://t.co/1BuO5dvI5t

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.metadata.attachment_props.text
I highlighted this exit ticket from our 4th grade team at my last PD. I like that not only are they assessing the content, but they are assessing the language/vocabulary retention when they ask Ss to use certain words. Our exit tickets are usually #Ellchat_BkClub @MsSalvac

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Collaborate for ELL Excellence Parts 1 & 2

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Collaborate for ELL Excellence Parts 1 & 2

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This is part II of a coffee chat with Andrea Honigsfeld, Maria G. Dove and Tonya Ward Singer on how to collaborate for EL achievement. Read part I here.

ANDREA: What would you want every single classroom teacher K to 12 to know about English Learners? How would you summarize your life's work?

TONYA: I advocate for a shift from adopting nouns as the solution to focusing on our verbs. Nouns are silver bullets. Nouns include strategies, books, curriculum, consultants, trainings. We like these, of course! Nouns are good tools, yes. And, our verbs make or break whether the nouns work.

ESSENTIAL MINDSETS AND ACTIONS

I frame my work with six essential verbs that make or break our impact. These are on this graphic inside the cover of EL Excellence Every Day.

Using all six verbs in synthesis is the key to impactful teaching with ELs, and all students.

One the outside of the circle, you have mindsets:

Expect excellence from every English Learner. To do that requires confronting biases about race, culture and language hierarchies that we may not even be aware we have.

Value EL assets. It's a gift to be multilingual. It's not, "Oh, I'm sorry that you speak another language. Let me give you a special class." Being multilingual is an asset. When designing instruction always ask, how do we tap into student's strengths?

The verbs in middle of the circle are our actions to be continuous inquiry about impact. We. . .

Engage students actively.

Observe to identify strengths and needs.

Support based on what we observe, and then

Reflect to refine teaching.

LEAD AND COLLABORATE FOR IMPACT

TONYA: This focus on verbs is very different than when a district has a top-down focus on silver-bullets. In a silver-bullet scenario, strategies are adopted as the solution. Leaders walk through classrooms to see that teachers are doing the strategies. They measure success based on "implementation," not impact.

By contrast, effective learning leaders and teachers watch students with humble inquiry about the impact of our approaches on students. We watch students to understand. . .

Who is and is not participating? What trends in participation (e.g. by race, by gender, by language group) exist?

What are students doing? Are students actively engaged in conversations, reading, writing, and problem-solving?

Are the tasks high-level and aligned to grade-level expectations?

If students are not actively engaged in high-level learning, then we collaborate to raise expectations and increase active and equitable engagement. If students aren't yet at our learning goals, we courageously ask, "what will we change in our approaches to get a different result?"

ASSET-BASED APPROACH

ANDREA: Definitely, that's another strong connection between your work and our work. We all are committed to an asset-based philosophy. We focus on what the children can do and what the teachers can do. We even transfer that asset-based approach to working with teachers and educators.

TONYA: Another theme is you talk about the complexity of collaboration. The complexity really calls for our humility. Working from a humble place is essential when we collaborate for to disrupt inequitable outcomes for kids.

MARIA: We often say, "In order to do this you have to leave your egos at the door." Because it's not about what I think or what you think. It's about what we want for our students. What is our best way to go about advocating for them?

ADVICE FOR TEACHER LEADERS

TONYA: What is one way that you help someone who's in a teacher leader position or a teacher specialist position have an impact on core teaching? If I am a teacher leader, what do you recommend in terms of my mindset for how I approach collaborating with others?

ANDREA: That's a very good question. One approach is starting with, what do I bring to the table? Often, teachers feel very uncomfortable, and we tell them literally, "We're going to give you bragging rights. You have to be able to share and actively promote your expertise what you're bringing to the classroom so that your colleague could recognize that you're not just a helper. You're not just an add on. You have a fully credentialed, highly educated colleague with whom you're going to collaborate with.

So the idea of seeing each other's value is very, very important and being able to articulate that. All the expertise I have, what can I do to support you with as a colleague?

MARIA: And I think because it's so complex having some type of a framework in which to collaborate within is really very helpful. A very simple one that we often talk about is the S.W.I.R.L. which stands for:

S peaking

W riting

I nteracting

R eading

L istening in every lesson, every lesson, every day.

So if you focus on that type of a framework when you're planning, then when you're executing your lessons that is the goal. We look for simplicity. I know that some districts that have used S.I.O.P. as a framework for their conversations and their lesson planning and their execution and that has worked well too. So not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. So if district personnel had been trained in SIOP or whatever type of framework, they're already using, literacy, math, etc., we should use that framework to help to provide some continuity within their conversations.

FOCUS ON ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT

TONYA: I really appreciate S.W.I.R.L. as that connects so much to how I approach instructional change. A good entry point for shifting instruction is to focus on active engagement and academic conversations across the curriculum. Conversations are not just for the sake of talking. We use academic conversations to deepen equitable engagement and learning before, during, and after close reading and then to engage students in collaborating to write with evidence.

MARIA: That stood out for me so much Tonya when I started to read your book. Right off the bat you're talking about conversations. You're talking about how to structure conversations for students as well as accountable conversations. I think sometimes teachers are a little fearful, especially in secondary to release their students to have these accountable conversations but they're so vital to the acquisition of the English language. How can students actually acquire the language if they're not speaking it?

BUILD LANGUAGE WITH CONTENT

ANDREA: And we have your book, of course, tabbed up. On top of the tabs that you have, we have our own stickers tabbing up. And one place where I just removed a tab, but we have found a direct connection to our work is distinguishing between receptive skills and productive language skills. And we use exactly the same language. Look at the language demand and the content demand as you collaborate, how each teacher will bring their expertise to the table as we talk about different kinds of cognitive or linguistic demands in the curriculum.

TONYA: Absolutely. And I don't think that's a coincidence because we're building from the standards and the research about what's most effective.

ADVOCACY. INTEGRATION. COMMUNITY.

TONYA: Let's each close with a word. What's one word that comes to mind that you want to share as we close this conversation?

ANDREA: I think advocacy would be one word that I'd like to throw out there. That it's amplifying the voice of those who might not have been heard. They have a voice. We're not giving them a voice. But enhancing and amplifying the voice of our students and their families so that they could be successful too.

MARIA: And I think my word is going to be integration. Of integrating our conversations as teachers, our students as learners, and our actually mindsets so that our English Learners are included when we talk about students.

TONYA: I will end with the word of community. The importance of community in our schools, including involving parents, involving all teachers, all stakeholders, working in service of our kids. But I also mean community of the consultants and the writers in the world and community of the people on social media who are reading this conversation, commenting and engaging online. It really does take community collaboration to create equitable schools.

So thank you so much for being part of this conversation today.

MARIA: This was fabulous. Thank you.

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Collaborate for EL Excellence - Part II - Tonya Ward Singer

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This is part II of a coffee chat with Andrea Honigsfeld, Maria G. Dove and Tonya Ward Singer on how to collaborate for EL achievement. Read part I here. ANDREA: What would you want every single classroom teacher K to 12 to know about English Learners? How would you summarize your life's work?

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Andrea Honigsfeld

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ELL 2.0: Oral Language Strategies for ELLs

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Teaching Advanced Literacy Skills to ELs

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Teaching Advanced Literacy Skills to ELs

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Contains 8 Topic Briefs

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Topic Briefs: Linguistically Diverse Learners and the NYS Next Generation P-12 Learning Standards

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The New York State Education Department (NYSED) is pleased to present to you a series of eight topic briefs produced for NYSED by Nonie K. Lesaux, Ph.D. from Harvard University & Emily Phillips Galloway, Ed.D. from Vanderbilt University.

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Jill Kester

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Larry Ferlazzo

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SupportEd

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Our interactive online courses are developed by a team of experts at SupportEd to provide guidance in using research-based strategies and best practices for supporting the academic achievement and language development of ELs. Our online professional development (PD) allows teachers and administrators to learn at their own pace while improving their classroom practice and support of ELs. Each participant becomes part of an online professional learning community as each course provides opportunity for dialogue with other course participants and the SupportEd team. Upon completion, participants will earn a certificate of participation that states the number of PD hours completed.

Our upcoming courses include:

Effectively Reaching Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education (SLIFE)

Effectively Advocating for English Learners (ELs)

Strategies for Making Content Accessible to ELs

All four courses provide a certificate for 10 hours of professional development upon completion.

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Professional Development Online - SupportEd

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Our interactive online courses are developed by a team of experts at SupportEd to provide guidance in using research-based strategies and best practices for supporting the academic achievement and language development of ELs. Our online professional development (PD) allows teachers and administrators to learn at their own pace while improving their classroom practice and support of ELs.

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Keywords: TOEFL, TOEIC, EFL, ESL, ELT, ESOL, TEFL, TEFL, TESOL, English as a Second Language, English as a 2nd Language, English as a Foreign Language, English learner, English language study

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Activities for ESL/EFL Students (English Study)

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Free Online English Learning: Study English with Quizzes, Tests, Crossword Puzzles, Exercises and other activities for students of English as a second language.

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Bilingual Vocabulary Quizzes (English Study Materials, ESL, EFL)

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Study foreign language vocabulary. Study English. Study Spanish. Study Korean. Study Japanese. Other languages, too.

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SupportEd

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6 Steps to Consider When Supporting ELs in Accessing Complex Texts
Making text accessible to our ELs can be quite the challenge, and finding a starting point can be even more difficult. Are you leveraging strategies and resources to maximize support and provide your ELs an equitable education experience? This sketch note share six steps to consider when supporting ELs in accessing complex, grade level text. Click here to read our corresponding blog post that details each step and explores specific examples to help support your ELs in accessing the texts you choose.

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6 Steps to Consider When Supporting ELs in Accessing Complex Texts Making text accessible to our ELs can be quite the challenge, and finding a starting point can be even more difficult. Are you leveraging strategies and resources to maximize support and provide your ELs an equitable education experience?

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Five Ways to Help ELLs Develop Pride in their Heritage

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Five Ways to Help ELLs Develop Pride in their Heritage

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Judie Haynes

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English learners (ELs) offer a rich resource from which mainstream teachers and students can learn about other languages and cultures. If teachers support the diversity in their classrooms, all students will begin to understand and value the many distinct cultures of the world. Teachers should take advantage of this natural resource that is in their classrooms and support ELs from diverse backgrounds to develop pride in their heritage. Following are some classroom practices that you and your colleagues can adopt to help the ELs in your school develop pride.
1. Discover the Strengths and Assets of English Learners to Build Relationships
The authors of Teaching to Strengths: Supporting Students Living with Trauma, Violence and Chronic Stress (Zacarian, Alvarez-Ortiz, & Haynes, 2017) write that every student enters the classroom with assets. Teachers need to discover and focus on these assets and give lots of encouragement and support for what the student can do rather than dwelling on what they can't yet do. One way to do this is to ask ELs to answer the prompt, "What I wish my teacher knew about me." Students of all ages and language development levels can participate in this activity. Even kindergarten ELs can take part in this activity by drawing a picture and labeling it, with the teacher's help. The authors also say that

as educators, our unconditional acceptance carries a message of belonging and emotional safety. It communicates, in words and deeds, that the student is welcome regardless of his background or current situation and is part of the fabric of the classroom and school.
2. Pronounce Newcomers' Names Correctly
Avoid the temptation to create a nickname or to Americanize a child's name. Ask parents or a native speaker to help you learn the correct pronunciation of your student's name. Mispronouncing students' names can have a long-term impact for students in that it negates their identity. This in turn affects self-esteem and academic achievement. Pronouncing students' names correctly shows respect for students and their culture, which can result in helping students to develop pride in their culture.
3. Learn Some Vocabulary and Expressions From Languages of the Students You Teach
Author Andrea Honigsfeld recently posted on Twitter that she recommends that teachers learn 20 phrases and sentences from a students' home language:

In the US context, I challenge every teacher group I work with to learn 20+ sentences from their students in every language spoken in their classrooms - can you imagine their reaction? It is hard work but so, so, so, worth it! Quoting a friend: Monolingualism can be cured! #ells

- Andrea Honigsfeld (@AndreaHonigsfel) April 3, 2019

This might be possible if most of your ELs speak Spanish. Many educators, however, teach in school districts where students are from 20+ different language backgrounds. If you teach in one of these districts, I think it's reasonable to learn some phrases and sentences from each students' language. Start with saying hello and goodbye. Imagine the power of greeting each student at the beginning of the day in their home language. That would make each EL feel welcomed and part of the classroom community.
4. Tie Culture to Curriculum
Tie the cultures of your second language learners to your curriculum whenever possible. We know that all children bring to school a wealth of experiences from their families, homes, neighborhoods, and communities. Children with diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds have stories and experiences that are unique. They should build on the knowledge their students and families have of the countries they come from and the cultures they represent. I once observed a second-grade teacher whose social studies curriculum included the study of cities. Instead of focusing on two U.S. cities, she chose one from a new ELs' country. This student was having a hard time adjusting to school in the United States. I was amazed at how much the study of Seoul, Korea meant to him and his family. They became an integral part of the unit and served as a resource for the classroom. Nothing is more powerful than this to support ELs' pride in their heritage.
5. Actively Encourage the Maintenance of English Learners' Home Language
Anna Valence concluded in her 2015 Doctoral Thesis that current research finds that the maintenance of students' home languages is essential for ELs' social, emotional, and academic growth. She states that "the maintenance of heritage languages is not merely beneficial but is essential to their psychological, cognitive, linguistic, social and academic success" (p. 2).

We do not want our students to learn English at the detriment of their home languages. For many years, it was thought that most families lost their home language by the third generation. There is much research that counters that today. Schools can join in the effort to maintain home languages by encouraging families to continue to use first language in their home. The presence of print and music in home language can be ties to bilingualism in second and third generations. How can teachers can support maintenance of home languages in their classroom? Here are a few ideas.

Make a separate set of labels of classroom objects for each of the different languages spoken in your classroom. You may have two or more labels on your door with the word door in English and in the different languages. Have ELs teach their classmates to pronounce words in their home language using the labels placed around the classroom.

Buy books in your ELs' home language, even if they do not read yet. They will recognize the written form of their language and feel proud that it is displayed in your room.

Set up a center with music and audio books from different languages. Give ELs a "brain break" to listen to music and stories in their home language.

Maintain a list of websites that have content material in different languages. Wikipedia and Simple English Wikipedia have translations of most of their entries. If ELs are newcomers and don't yet read in English, they can read the information in their home language and then learn it in English; there will be more comprehension, and they know the content in two languages.

Allow students from the same language background as your ELs to translate or interpret information for new students. This maintains and celebrates students' first language.

We, as teachers, can do much in our classroom to help our ELs develop pride in their heritage and feel an important part of the classroom community. Are there other ways you help your ELs develop or maintain pride in their heritage in your classroom? Please share in the comments.
References
Zacarian, D., Alvarez-Ortiz, L., & Haynes, J. (2017). Teaching to strengths: Supporting students living with trauma, violence, and chronic stress. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Vallance, A. L. (2015). The importance of maintaining a heritage language while acquiring a host language (Master's thesis). Retrieved from Honors College Theses (34).

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5 Ways to Help ELs Develop Pride in Their Heritage

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English learners (ELs) offer a rich resource from which mainstream teachers and students can learn about other languages and cultures. If teachers support the diversity in their classrooms, all students will begin to understand and value the many distinct cultures of the world.

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Greetings from Around the World Language Cards

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Greetings from Around the World Language Cards

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PBS

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Greetings from around the World - Language Cards | Let's Go Luna! | PBS LearningMedia

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Learn how to greet a friend in eight different languages with your favorite characters from Let's Go Luna!

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ESL Fun Games, Classroom Games and Exercises, Classroom & Online Games

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Fun Games for ESL Teaching and learning, interactive games, games online, printable board and card games, Hangman, Snakes and ladders

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ESL Beginner, Elementary, intermediate and Advanced Level Games & Exercises

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ESL Beginner, Elementary, intermediate and Advanced Level Games & Exercises, learn English online through games by levels

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TESOL

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| Know Your ELLs' Rights: A Quick Federal Law Review

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Our training for ESL/ELL specialization covers lots of ground. To make ourselves valuable resources for our students, we learn about linguistics, cultural connections, how to adapt assessments, and curriculum development. What we rarely learn about, though, are the laws behind ESL instruction-and that can be a problem, because a recent Associated Press investigation found that many districts throughout the nation are ignoring federal laws.