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Edutopia. (2021). 10 Strategies That Support English Language Learners Across All Subjects. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/article/10-strategies-support-english-language-learners-across-all-subjects/ Description: Includes technology-based strategies such as using translation apps and digital storytelling tools. Best Practice Support: Integrates technology to enhance comprehension and expression in ELLs.

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English Language Learners

Teachers of any subject can use these tips to help English language learners be more engaged and at ease in class.

While we bring the mental health needs of our students into laser focus this year, it's still crucial that we keep the social and emotional world of our English language learners (ELLs) front and center. Just like their peers, ELL students come to our classrooms with the burning need to be seen and acknowledged for their unique personalities, life experiences, and talents. But language challenges can obstruct all these amazing facets of their personalities. Additionally, the social pressures of suddenly being in person again and needing to communicate may make them feel anxious, isolated, and embarrassed.

Because of the often-obvious communication difficulties, grade-level and subject-area teachers understandably often rely on ESL (English as a Second Language) teachers to step in and help these students. However, even if you aren't an ESL teacher, there's a plethora of strategies you can use to help these incredible students feel comfortable sharing their strengths and unique perspectives on the world.

Helping ELL Students Across All Subjects

1. Closed captioning isn't just for the hearing impaired. If you're showing video content, turning on closed captioning supports ELL students' comprehension as well as everyone's literacy skills. According to a 2017 study, the simple act of using closed captioning improves learning, even for students without learning challenges.

2. Voice typing in Google Docs (under the Tools menu) provides students with a voice-to-text option that can help learners who have some oral language but struggle with spelling and writing. By clicking the arrow next to the language, students can even dictate a text in their native language, if need be, and then use Google Translate to translate it.

For older students, or for those who are somewhat more advanced in English but need material translated immediately, the Google Translate app also lets you hold your camera (on a smartphone/iPad, etc.) up to a document and instantly see it in another language, no typing required.

3. Offer choices of what students can say if they're called on and aren't sure how to respond. This helpful anchor chart, for example, offers students options other than the ubiquitous "I don't know."

4. Add gestures to reinforce communication.Remember that in order to communicate, we need to ensure that the sounds coming out of our mouth create a mental image or concept in our listener's mind. You can increase comprehensible input (the amount of language that's understood) by using good, old-fashioned gestures. If you want to take it a step further, TPR (Total Physical Response) is a method of teaching vocabulary that uses physical movements to react to verbal input, similar to how young children naturally learn language at home.

5. Draw or write key words frequently as they come up during instruction to help students further decode what you're saying. You can also use Google Image search to help students visualize what your words refer to and share the images.

6. Utilize a chart: A PECS (Pictorial Exchange Communication System) chart can help individuals with communication challenges to express themselves. By pointing to an image on a classroom-themed PECS chart, students can let you know, for example, that they need to go to the bathroom by pointing to an image of a lavatory or that they are thirsty, sad, or confused, need a pencil, and so on. You can give them a laminated copy to tuck into their desk or hang one up on the wall for little learners. You may want to encourage students to say the words aloud as they point to the images to decrease their dependence on the chart. Try searching Google for "PECS chart for classroom" to find a chart that fits your needs.

7. Add images: A picture is truly worth a thousand words, but for ELLs, images are worth exponentially more. Document cameras provide ELL students with much-needed visual input of texts, worksheets, books, and other printed materials or realia. Project pages from a novel or picture book as the students follow along, display handouts and student writing samples, or use math manipulatives to solve a problem together. Document cameras make a world of difference in showing ELL students exactly what you're talking about rather than trying to explain it.

8. Pair up: If you want to pair an ELL newcomer with a bilingual student to help them, ask the ELL student to choose a student or two whom they'd prefer to work with, if possible. This prevents you from inadvertently pairing them up with someone they don't feel comfortable asking for help or with whom they really don't get along.

9. Give students a "language toolbox," a notebook full of pages of illustrated vocabulary words organized by theme that students can use as a reference. This is like a simplified version of an illustrated dictionary that younger ELLs can look through by theme to see vocabulary related to the colors, days of the week, classroom items, family members, and so on. In my classroom, I put these pages in plastic page protectors inside a binder for each student to flip through quickly. They can pull it out to help them fill in missing vocabulary when they write or as an easy reference whenever they need it.

10. Use a microphone or voice amplification system, which can help ELL students hear the nuances of your voice more clearly and understand you better. Record the lesson (if permitted), and digitally share the resulting video or audio with ELL students who might benefit from hearing/watching a replay. Similarly, ELLs have a hard time producing sounds correctly when the speaker's mouth is covered by a mask. Consider sharing posters of mouth formations or videos of you unmasked, creating some of these sounds.

Think about trying these strategies to help alleviate the communication difficulties that can prevent ELL students from becoming fully engaged in their learning and sharing who they are and what they can bring to the classroom.

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10 Strategies That Support English Language Learners Across All Subjects

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Teachers of any subject can use these tips to help English language learners be more engaged and at ease in class.

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Colorín Colorado. (n.d.). ELL Strategies & Best Practices. https://www.colorincolorado.org/ell-strategies-best-practices

Description: Offers specific ideas and strategies to support ELLs' language and literacy development, including lesson planning tips and differentiation techniques.

Best Practice Support: Emphasizes creating inclusive environments through relationship-building and scaffolding, aligning with research on effective ELL instruction.

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This section provides specific ideas and strategies to support ELLs' language and literacy development, such as tips for planning lessons and the use of language objectives, as well as broader approaches such as using informal assessment and differentiation for varying language levels.

What You'll Find in This Section

Learn how educators can support the success of their English language learners (ELLs). They will be useful for a wide range of audiences, including new and veteran teachers of ELLs, paraprofessionals, tutors, and administrators at the school and district level.
Photo by Allison Shelley for EDUimages

Each student comes to school not only with unique academic needs but also with unique background experiences, culture, language, personality, interests, and attitudes toward learning. Effective teachers recognize that all of these factors affect how students learn in the classroom, and they adjust, or differentiate, their instruction to meet students' needs.

Here are some strategies for differentiating instruction for your English language learners, as well as ideas for taking students' level of English language proficiency into account when planning instruction.

Need some help finding ways to help your English language learners? Read these inspirational stories about English language learners, teachers and paraprofessionals who have overcome obstacles standing to achieve success.

What's even better than a bright idea? A bright idea that works! Educators from across the country have discovered excellent ways to tackle some common classroom stumbling blocks. Below are their step-by-step suggestions on how to handle issues like the fourth-grade slump or the development of critical thinking skills.

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

ELLs may need some additional support or guidance in order to make the most of PBL, and the following resources share ideas on how to make it a successful experience for all students.

Designing instruction based on student strengths (what the student can do) provides an important foundation for success and offers opportunities to build upon those strengths in order to address areas where the student is struggling. Learn more about this approach from the following resources and videos.

Learn how educators can support the success of their English language learners (ELLs). They will be useful for a wide range of audiences, including new and veteran teachers of ELLs, paraprofessionals, tutors, and administrators at the school and district level.
Photo by Allison Shelley for EDUimages

Each student comes to school not only with unique academic needs but also with unique background experiences, culture, language, personality, interests, and attitudes toward learning. Effective teachers recognize that all of these factors affect how students learn in the classroom, and they adjust, or differentiate, their instruction to meet students' needs.

Here are some strategies for differentiating instruction for your English language learners, as well as ideas for taking students' level of English language proficiency into account when planning instruction.

Need some help finding ways to help your English language learners? Read these inspirational stories about English language learners, teachers and paraprofessionals who have overcome obstacles standing to achieve success.

What's even better than a bright idea? A bright idea that works! Educators from across the country have discovered excellent ways to tackle some common classroom stumbling blocks. Below are their step-by-step suggestions on how to handle issues like the fourth-grade slump or the development of critical thinking skills.

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

ELLs may need some additional support or guidance in order to make the most of PBL, and the following resources share ideas on how to make it a successful experience for all students.

Designing instruction based on student strengths (what the student can do) provides an important foundation for success and offers opportunities to build upon those strengths in order to address areas where the student is struggling. Learn more about this approach from the following resources and videos.

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This section provides specific ideas and strategies to support ELLs' language and literacy development, such as tips for planning lessons and the use of language objectives, as well as broader approaches such as using informal assessment and differentiation for varying language levels. Learn how educators can support the success of their English language learners (ELLs).

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Ensuring that ELLS feel  comfortable learning a New Language

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Ensuring that ELLS feel  comfortable learning a New Language

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Edutopia. (2023). Ensuring That ELLs Feel Comfortable Learning a New Language. https://www.edutopia.org/article/supporting-ells-learning-english

Description: Discusses strategies to make ELLs feel comfortable in the classroom, such as showing interest in their backgrounds and encouraging peer interactions.

Best Practice Support: Highlights the importance of emotional safety and belonging, which are crucial for language acquisition and academic success.

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English Language Learners

These strategies for supporting English language learners, especially older students, can help reduce any embarrassment they may feel.

The process of learning a language requires risk-taking, perseverance, and feeling uncomfortable. This is especially true for English language learners (ELLs) studying in the United States, where peers who are native speakers of English may not have the experience of learning a language outside of their home country. The process of language acquisition can last for years, even a lifetime. Embarrassment is a common feeling, but there are ways that educators can help reduce this to encourage language growth.

Doing some of the following strategies on a regular basis one-on-one or in classroom settings can encourage language learners and remind them that language learning can be a struggle for everyone and it comes with an array of challenges and feelings. It is also important to use these methods as you feel appropriate (in moderation) in order to create a welcoming learning environment that is free of criticism and full of encouragement and positive reinforcement.

Helping ELLs to be comfortable learning a new language

Acknowledge effort. This may include something as simple as coming to school on a regular basis. Some students, especially older teenagers in high school, may have a difficult time maintaining good attendance. So anytime they come to school, show them how proud you are to see them and how you recognize that they are working hard at school or, in some cases, making an effort to attend classes even when they work at jobs outside of school in the evenings and on weekends.

Recognize growth. Remind students of the progress they have made since first arriving in the United States or in your school or classroom. Use specific examples of their growth that may encourage them (show them a sample of their writing from previous months or years).

Show sincere and frequent interest in talking with them. Make small talk with ELLs as they are comfortable. Ask them about their interests and their home country and culture. In addition, encourage classmates to talk with ELLs. Create opportunities for one-on-one and small group communication. Ensure that all classmates have a translator on their phone so they can use it in their interactions with ELLs as needed. Also encourage ELLs to share words in their native language with native speakers of English during their informal chats. This can help build their confidence to engage with others in the classroom and is a way to encourage their assets.

Make an effort to learn words and phrases in their home language. If you know their language, that's great. Use it. Integrating the learner's native language is a scaffold to help students learn English. Encourage classmates to learn some words in the ELL's home language, as well.

If you don't know their language, ask them to teach you words and phrases. Greet them with "Hello" in their language when they arrive to class and "Goodbye" when they leave so that you're showing them how you are also in the process of language learning. Have fun with it and smile when you make mistakes. Model this language exchange for the native speakers in the classroom, and encourage them to also learn words in the native languages of their ELL classmates.

Compliment language skills. Praise anything you feel warrants a good word about a particular language skill-pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, handwriting, reading, writing, even risk-taking with language production. A study published in Harvard Business Reviewfound that in business, "top performing teams give each other more than five positive comments for every criticism." Consider this when supporting language learners.

Focus less on pronunciation and more on comprehension. When I first started teaching the English language, I worked primarily with Japanese, Korean, and Chinese students who were studying abroad in the United States. They placed much focus on improving their pronunciation-so much that this impeded their opportunity to socialize extensively with native speakers of English. They frequently expressed insecurities with their pronunciation and asked to be corrected.

Although identifying pronunciation mistakes may be welcome to some language learners, this may discourage others from trying more or cause them to feel less confident. As a language learner myself, I remember feeling hopeless when I was told by an older native speaker of the language (through a translator) that I wouldn't be able to have a conversation with her until I perfected my pronunciation.

The above methods can equally be applied in the world language classroom, where students may feel embarrassment, which can inhibit their proclivity to speak or use the language creatively and take risks in their writing. As both a learner and a teacher of languages, I hope that the process of acquiring language is a joyful one for all those who experience it. Anyone who engages with a nonnative speaker- whether a teacher, administrator, or classmate- plays an important role in this.

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Ensuring That ELLs Feel Comfortable Learning a New Language

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These strategies for supporting English language learners, especially older students, can help reduce any embarrassment they may feel.

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Strategies for ELL Success: A Guide for Educators

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Strategies for ELL Success: A Guide for Educators

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Colorín Colorado. (n.d.). Strategies for ELL Success: A Guide for Educators.

https://www.colorincolorado.org/teaching-ells/guide

Description: Provides guidance on creating welcoming environments, understanding students' educational backgrounds, and building partnerships with multilingual families.

Best Practice Support: Supports holistic approaches to ELL education by involving families and acknowledging students' prior experiences.

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Learn how educators can support the success of their English language learners (ELLs). They will be useful for a wide range of audiences, including new and veteran teachers of ELLs, paraprofessionals, tutors, and administrators at the school and district level.
Photo by Allison Shelley for EDUimages

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Strategies for ELL Success: A Guide for Educators

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Learn how educators can support the success of their English language learners (ELLs). They will be useful for a wide range of audiences, including new and veteran teachers of ELLs, paraprofessionals, tutors, and administrators at the school and district level. Photo by Allison Shelley for EDUimages

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6 essential Strategies for Teaching English Language Learners 

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6 essential Strategies for Teaching English Language Learners 

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Kaplan, E. (2018). 6 Essential Strategies for Teaching English Language Learners. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/6-essential-strategies-teaching-english-language-learners

Description: Outlines six key strategies, including focusing on productive language skills and integrating language skills across the curriculum.

Best Practice Support: Encourages active language use and differentiation, essential for ELLs' language development.

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Over 10 percent of students in the United States-more than 4.8 million kids-are English language learners (ELLs), and the number is on the rise. Though these students do not learn differently than their native-English-speaking peers, they do have particular educational needs.

To learn about these needs-and best practices for addressing them-I interviewed a range of educators and observers, including Larry Ferlazzo, an educator and author of The ESL/ELL Teacher's Survival Guide; longtime teachers of English as a second language (ESL) Emily Francis and Tan Huynh; and the journalist Helen Thorpe, who spent a year observing a teacher who works with ELLs.

The group emphasized that the strategies listed here, which include both big-picture mindsets and nitty-gritty teaching tactics, can be incorporated into all classrooms, benefiting both native English speakers and ELLs.

1. Cultivate Relationships and Be Culturally Responsive

No surprise here. A successful classroom, our educators agreed, is one in which students feel known, appreciated, and comfortable taking emotional and intellectual risks. That requires intentional planning and consistent messaging by the teacher.

Emily Francis, an ESL teacher in Concord, North Carolina, makes clear that she wants her students to "embrace their culture and their language as a foundation of who they are" and to consider their acquisition of a new culture and language "not as subtractive, but as additive." To help support students who may never have attended school before or may be coping with migration-based trauma, Francis emphasizes that little things make a big difference. "The first thing that I need to think about is, how is my student feeling in my classroom?" she says. "Are they sitting next to a buddy they can ask a question in their home language? Do they feel comfortable tapping me on the shoulder if they have to go to the bathroom?"

But creating a supportive environment is also about cultivating an appreciation of diversity-it's critical that both the curriculum and the classroom environment honor and reflect the lives of the students. For instance, Francis makes certain that her classroom library is reflective of her students' diverse backgrounds and identities.

ESL teacher Katie Toppel, who teaches near Portland, Oregon, champions the value of home visits to get to know students' families and takes care to incorporate the particulars of students' lives, such as pets' names and favorite sports, into lessons. Students are most engaged when they feel a personal connection to a lesson or unit, a connection that's created in part by a teacher's investment in culturally competent relationships.

2. Teach Language Skills Across the Curriculum

English language learners should not be learning the fundamentals of English in isolation; they should be applying their developing language skills to rich academic content in all subjects.

"It is key that in mainstream classrooms, teachers understand their role as language teachers," says Valentina Gonzalez, a district leader in Katy, Texas, suggesting that all teachers should be aware of the specialized idiom they work within. "If we teach math, then we teach the language of mathematics. If we teach science, then we teach the language of science." Math teachers, in other words, should take the time to teach the unfamiliar vocabulary of mathematics- add, subtract, calculator, solve -concurrently with the teaching of math skills.

3. Emphasize Productive Language

The educators I interviewed agreed that productive language skills-hard-to-master dimensions of language fluency like speaking and writing-should be front and center from day one, even if students feel hesitant about them.

Beginning ELLs often develop receptive language skills like listening and reading first. Educators who are unaware of the typical path to fluency may believe that students who can follow verbal or written directions will be able to produce oral or written language, but that's usually not the case.

To support reluctant speakers, Tan Huynh, an educator who blogs at Empowering ELLs, suggests using sentence frames. "For example, when a science teacher wants ELLs to produce a hypothesis, they might offer the sentence, 'If _____ was added, then _____ because _____.' This sentence frame provides clues that empower ELLs to sound and think like scientists," Huynh says.

Andrea Honigsfeld, a professor of education at Molloy College in Rockville, New York, suggests that all lessons touch on every letter of the acronym SWIRL, which stands for Speak, Write, Interact, Read, Listen. The approach intentionally privileges productive language skills "from the beginning," she says.

4. Speak Slowly-and Increase Your Wait Time

Easier said than done. Still, many of the teachers I spoke to said this simple change is vital. You can record yourself speaking in class to measure your cadence, and adjust.

"Adding in an extra three to five seconds after we pose a question offers all students time to think," explains Gonzalez. "However, for English learners, it also gives time to translate, process their thinking, translate back into English, and develop the courage to answer. If we call on students too quickly, many of our students will stop thinking about the answers-or trying to answer at all."

That means undoing some of our own habits, according to Larry Ferlazzo, a high school ESL teacher in Sacramento, California. "Researchers have found that typically most teachers give one to two seconds between asking a question and expecting a student response," he says. "The same researchers have shown that if you wait three to five seconds, the quality of responses is astronomically greater."

5. Differentiate-and Use Multiple Modalities

All kids learn better when they engage with material in multiple ways: Lessons that involve writing, speaking, drawing, and listening, for example, give students four opportunities to deepen their understanding of the work. For ELLs, those additional engagements also provide a little breathing room so they can work through the language barrier.

Helen Thorpe, a journalist who spent a year observing Eddie Williams's classroom in Denver in order to write a book about immigrants called The Newcomers, marveled at Williams's method of differentiation. "Eddie would enunciate very clearly in English multiple times, he would write it on the board, and he would go to the projector to give a visual. And, finally, he'd be asking the kids to verbalize aspects of the lesson themselves," she says, tracing Williams's efforts to move his students from receptive to productive language fluency.

Toppel uses a strategy called QSSSA to scaffold classroom discussions with ELLs. The letters stand for Question (the teacher poses a question, then gives ample think time); Signal (a designated motion like a thumbs-up, a finger on the nose-something that lets students indicate that they're ready to answer); Stem (the teacher provides a sentence starter for the question-for example, for "What is your favorite place to read a book?" the stem might be, "My favorite place to read a book is _____"); Share; and Assess.

6. Incorporate Students' Native Languages-and Don't Be Afraid of Technology

Bilingualism is the goal, of course, not replacement.

Ferlazzo uses a strategy called "preview, view, review," which leverages a student's native language skills as a foundation for learning the new language. He introduces a topic and encourages students to preview it in materials in their home language (often using multilingual videos and other online resources); he then teaches the topic in English, and then has students review the information in their home language.

Ferlazzo also encourages teachers to embrace technologies that students find helpful, like Google Translate. He stresses that the app can be a useful way for students to translate words quickly-but warns that it can quickly "become a dependency" if it's used as more than a handy dictionary.

Thorpe agrees that Translate can take pressure off teachers, who sometimes find that they "just stand at the front of the room and say things over and over. And if the kids didn't know what those words are, they're out of luck." Translation technology means you can say it once (or twice) and let the students use the technology to translate key words and phrases.

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6 Essential Strategies for Teaching English Language Learners

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We interviewed educators with decades of experience in teaching ELLs and tapped a network of experts and observers to find the strategies that work.

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ELL Strategies: Accountable Talk in Classroom Discussions. 

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ELL Strategies: Accountable Talk in Classroom Discussions. 

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Colorín Colorado. (n.d.). ELL Strategies: Accountable Talk in Classroom Discussions. https://www.colorincolorado.org/video/ell-strategies-accountable-talk-classroom-discussions

Description: Demonstrates how to engage ELLs in meaningful classroom discussions using accountable talk practices. Best Practice Support: Enhances speaking and listening skills, fostering academic language proficiency.

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In this video from Syracuse, NY, learn more about "accountable talk," a strategy that fosters discussion, building upon others' responses, and developing academic language. This video is part of our special project on best practices for evaluating ELL educators from Syracuse, New York.

Related resources

For related resources, see the following:

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ELL Strategies: Accountable Talk in Classroom Discussions

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In this video from Syracuse, NY, learn more about "accountable talk," a strategy that fosters discussion, building upon others' responses, and developing academic language. This video is part of our special project on best practices for evaluating ELL educators from Syracuse, New York.

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Edutopia. (2021). Using Tech Tools With ELLs. https://www.edutopia.org/article/using-tech-tools-ells Description: Explores various tech tools and their applications in supporting ELLs' language development.

Best Practice Support: Encourages the integration of technology to provide interactive and personalized learning experiences.

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Through videos and interactive online tasks, early elementary students can increase fluency and build vocabulary.

Cavan Images / Alamy Stock Photo

Since late August, I have been teaching hybrid, early elementary students who are learning English. Transitioning into a hybrid environment has been challenging and created a new learning curve for both educators and students.

Within our hybrid setting, students are split into two groups. They attend school for in-person learning two days a week, and teachers and students all have virtual learning one day a week. In the hybrid learning environment, I am able to teach, model, and introduce the new content vocabulary and language skills to my students face-to-face. Then, during remote learning days, my students are asked to complete engaging and interactive virtual tasks to show what they know and demonstrate their understanding of the new content.

Our district's one-to-one technology program has made a big difference for my students in our Title I school, as my early learners are equipped with iPads to use both in class and at home. Through these devices, I'm able to foster communication skills that support the language domains of reading, writing, speaking, and listening, as well as the academic standards that accompany them within the hybrid setting. Our technology allows me to collect evidence to keep track of my students' continuous development and growth.

Our iPads not only support students' creation and engagement within the hybrid learning tasks but also enhance communication between teachers and parents, which contributes to the students' academic success. Educators and parents are able to come together virtually with the devices and monitor the students' progress and development. In creating assignments for my students to complete during their remote days, I rely greatly on the gradual release model. With this teaching technique, I'm able to model and introduce new content during our face-to-face learning. Students and I are able to practice the skill together in class, and then during remote days students are asked to use the new skill independently to demonstrate understanding.

One of the advantages of using this technology during hybrid learning is that I'm easily able to differentiate and provide proper supports for my students. For example, I can create teaching videos for students to watch as many times as needed to understand content. I can record videos of myself reading a story, which allows students to watch them as often as needed when completing virtual tasks. Using my Memoji on my iPhone allows me to make engaging and fun videos of myself explaining directions. Recording and adding a simple audio recording of myself speaking enables students to hear vocabulary words read aloud or explanations of their definitions.

I have taught my students how to use the iPad's dictation accessibility feature to type their answers to questions as well as how to highlight text on the iPad and choose the speak selection accessibility feature to hear words read aloud. This is a great support when students are asked to practice their fluency skills and they are unsure of how to pronounce the words in front of them. I can add pictures, animations, or images to the task to support learning new content vocabulary words or understanding new concepts.

Engaging Lessons and Activities Foster Better Communication

With the Apple Clips app, I created a weekly flipped learning videos series titled "iCan with Clips." In these videos, parents and students can see and hear me demonstrate and explain new literacy skills. I chose to use the Apple Clips app to create my videos because the live titles feature, similar to closed captions, allows students and families to read Spanish subtitles to support understanding the new concept.

This app also allows me to add fun background music, emojis, filters, and digital posters. The gradual release model is embedded within these videos, so as the students watch me model the lesson, they're asked to try it with me on the iPad. They are then prompted to complete the task independently pencil-to-paper or create their own learning video to share with me on Seesaw.

I have also enjoyed creating interactive multimodal activity books to support the new content vocabulary units and literacy skills we're learning. (My free iBook explains how to create one.) Using the book template in the Apple Pages app, students are able to show what they know within the digital books during their weekly remote learning days. Within these books, I can reinforce what we have learned together in class, and then students complete differentiated tasks throughout the activity book using the iPad's features and tools such as the camera, video, audio, and drawing.

Students are also asked to use manipulatives and resources in their homes in personalized activities. When we return the following week to learn together in class, I am able to collect and assess the students' activity books to have a better understanding of how their academic skills are developing. Each book is equipped with a teacher rubric to use in assessing the book to allow parents and students to talk and take note of the child's progress or need for remediation on certain skills.

Create a scene with your toys, and write about it with pencil and paper. Take a picture of your paper, and share it with me on your device.

Record a podcast telling me about your weekend, sequencing the order of events using complete and detailed sentences.

Capture a picture of your backyard, and use the markup feature to draw over the picture and design or build the yard of your dreams. Then create an audio recording describing your dream yard.

Complete an interactive scavenger hunt to find new vocabulary words around the house, and share them through photos, text labels, and audio recordings.

Other interactive and creative remote tasks I have asked students to complete:

As I navigate through teaching in a hybrid environment, my little language learners continue to grow, thanks to our district's one-to-one technology program. With the support of our devices, teachers and students can create, communicate, and engage in meaningful learning.

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Using Technology to Support Young English Language Learners in a Hybrid Classroom

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Through videos and interactive online tasks, early elementary students can increase fluency and build vocabulary.

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Common Sense Education. (n.d.). Best Apps and Websites for ELLs.

https://www.commonsense.org/education/top-picks/best-apps-and-websites-for-ell

Description: Curates a list of recommended apps and websites tailored for ELLs to practice language skills.

Best Practice Support: Offers resources that cater to diverse learning needs and promote autonomous learning.

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Common Sense Education provides educators and students with the resources they need to harness the power of technology for learning and life. Find a free K-12 Digital Citizenship curriculum, reviews of popular EdTech apps, and resources for protecting student privacy.

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a. Learning for Justice. (n.d.). Culturally Responsive Teaching. https://www.learningforjustice.org/professional-development/culturally-responsive-teaching

Description: Offers strategies for incorporating students' cultural backgrounds into teaching practices.

Best Practice Support: Promotes equity and inclusion by validating students' identities and experiences.

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Culturally responsive teaching recognizes the importance of including students' cultural references in all aspects of learning, enriching classroom experiences and keeping students engaged.

Corona High School teacher, Marcos Torres, talks about being culturally responsive in his classroom.

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Skip to main content Culturally responsive teaching recognizes the importance of including students' cultural references in all aspects of learning, enriching classroom experiences and keeping students engaged. Corona High School teacher, Marcos Torres, talks about being culturally responsive in his classroom.

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PBS Teachers Lounge. (n.d.). Teaching ELLs Through a Cultural Lens.

https://www.pbs.org/education/blog/teaching-english-language-learners-through-a-cultural-lens

Description: Discusses the importance of viewing ELL instruction through a cultural perspective.

Best Practice Support: Encourages the integration of culturally relevant materials to enhance engagement and learning.

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Education and Community | English Language Learners and Literacy

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Dale Erquiaga talks about English language learners and literacy.

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b. Colorín Colorado. (n.d.). What ELL Proficiency Levels Mean. Retrieved from https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/what-ell-proficiency-levels-mean Description: Explains the significance of different proficiency levels and their implications for instruction. Best Practice Support: Enhances understanding of language development stages, informing instructional planning.

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a. WIDA. (n.d.). Can Do Descriptors. Retrieved from https://wida.wisc.edu/resources/can-do-descriptors Description: Provides descriptions of what ELLs can do at various stages of language proficiency across different domains. Best Practice Support: Assists educators in setting realistic goals and tailoring instruction to students' proficiency levels.

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10 Strategies That Support English Language Learners Across All Subjects. 

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10 Strategies That Support English Language Learners Across All Subjects. 

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Edutopia. (2021). 10 Strategies That Support English Language Learners Across All Subjects. https://www.edutopia.org/article/10-strategies-support-english-language-learners-across-all-subjects/

Description: Presents strategies like using closed captioning, voice typing, and visual aids to support ELLs in various subjects.

Best Practice Support: Promotes multimodal learning and accessibility, aiding comprehension and engagement.

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English Language Learners

Teachers of any subject can use these tips to help English language learners be more engaged and at ease in class.

While we bring the mental health needs of our students into laser focus this year, it's still crucial that we keep the social and emotional world of our English language learners (ELLs) front and center. Just like their peers, ELL students come to our classrooms with the burning need to be seen and acknowledged for their unique personalities, life experiences, and talents. But language challenges can obstruct all these amazing facets of their personalities. Additionally, the social pressures of suddenly being in person again and needing to communicate may make them feel anxious, isolated, and embarrassed.

Because of the often-obvious communication difficulties, grade-level and subject-area teachers understandably often rely on ESL (English as a Second Language) teachers to step in and help these students. However, even if you aren't an ESL teacher, there's a plethora of strategies you can use to help these incredible students feel comfortable sharing their strengths and unique perspectives on the world.

Helping ELL Students Across All Subjects

1. Closed captioning isn't just for the hearing impaired. If you're showing video content, turning on closed captioning supports ELL students' comprehension as well as everyone's literacy skills. According to a 2017 study, the simple act of using closed captioning improves learning, even for students without learning challenges.

2. Voice typing in Google Docs (under the Tools menu) provides students with a voice-to-text option that can help learners who have some oral language but struggle with spelling and writing. By clicking the arrow next to the language, students can even dictate a text in their native language, if need be, and then use Google Translate to translate it.

For older students, or for those who are somewhat more advanced in English but need material translated immediately, the Google Translate app also lets you hold your camera (on a smartphone/iPad, etc.) up to a document and instantly see it in another language, no typing required.

3. Offer choices of what students can say if they're called on and aren't sure how to respond. This helpful anchor chart, for example, offers students options other than the ubiquitous "I don't know."

4. Add gestures to reinforce communication.Remember that in order to communicate, we need to ensure that the sounds coming out of our mouth create a mental image or concept in our listener's mind. You can increase comprehensible input (the amount of language that's understood) by using good, old-fashioned gestures. If you want to take it a step further, TPR (Total Physical Response) is a method of teaching vocabulary that uses physical movements to react to verbal input, similar to how young children naturally learn language at home.

5. Draw or write key words frequently as they come up during instruction to help students further decode what you're saying. You can also use Google Image search to help students visualize what your words refer to and share the images.

6. Utilize a chart: A PECS (Pictorial Exchange Communication System) chart can help individuals with communication challenges to express themselves. By pointing to an image on a classroom-themed PECS chart, students can let you know, for example, that they need to go to the bathroom by pointing to an image of a lavatory or that they are thirsty, sad, or confused, need a pencil, and so on. You can give them a laminated copy to tuck into their desk or hang one up on the wall for little learners. You may want to encourage students to say the words aloud as they point to the images to decrease their dependence on the chart. Try searching Google for "PECS chart for classroom" to find a chart that fits your needs.

7. Add images: A picture is truly worth a thousand words, but for ELLs, images are worth exponentially more. Document cameras provide ELL students with much-needed visual input of texts, worksheets, books, and other printed materials or realia. Project pages from a novel or picture book as the students follow along, display handouts and student writing samples, or use math manipulatives to solve a problem together. Document cameras make a world of difference in showing ELL students exactly what you're talking about rather than trying to explain it.

8. Pair up: If you want to pair an ELL newcomer with a bilingual student to help them, ask the ELL student to choose a student or two whom they'd prefer to work with, if possible. This prevents you from inadvertently pairing them up with someone they don't feel comfortable asking for help or with whom they really don't get along.

9. Give students a "language toolbox," a notebook full of pages of illustrated vocabulary words organized by theme that students can use as a reference. This is like a simplified version of an illustrated dictionary that younger ELLs can look through by theme to see vocabulary related to the colors, days of the week, classroom items, family members, and so on. In my classroom, I put these pages in plastic page protectors inside a binder for each student to flip through quickly. They can pull it out to help them fill in missing vocabulary when they write or as an easy reference whenever they need it.

10. Use a microphone or voice amplification system, which can help ELL students hear the nuances of your voice more clearly and understand you better. Record the lesson (if permitted), and digitally share the resulting video or audio with ELL students who might benefit from hearing/watching a replay. Similarly, ELLs have a hard time producing sounds correctly when the speaker's mouth is covered by a mask. Consider sharing posters of mouth formations or videos of you unmasked, creating some of these sounds.

Think about trying these strategies to help alleviate the communication difficulties that can prevent ELL students from becoming fully engaged in their learning and sharing who they are and what they can bring to the classroom.

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10 Strategies That Support English Language Learners Across All Subjects

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Teachers of any subject can use these tips to help English language learners be more engaged and at ease in class.