The English Language Learners: How to Serve our Diverse Students By: Rosario Tapia rosario.tapia@smail.astate.edu The English Language Learners: How to Serve our Diverse Students

What do you already know about ESL students? Take a moment to write down what you as an educator know about our ELL students. How are you serving them? Collaborate with peers share beliefs and ideas! What do you already know about ESL students?

Know the difference ELL (English Language Learner): an active learner of the English language who may benefit from various types of language support programs. This term is used mainly in the U.S. to describe K–12 students. ESL (English as a Second Language): formerly used to designate ELL students; this term increasingly refers to a program of instruction designed to support the ELL. It is still used to refer to multilingual students in higher education. LEP (Limited English Proficiency): employed by the U.S. Department of Education to refer to ELLs who lack sufficient mastery of English to meet state standards and excel in an English-language classroom. Increasingly, English Language Learner (ELL) is used to describe this population, because it highlights learning, rather than suggesting that non-native-English-speaking students are deficient. EFL (English as a Foreign Language) Students: nonnative- English- speaking students who are learning English in a country where English is not the primary language.

Who are our ell students? Newcomers to our country. Students who's first language is not English. Comes from a home where the language usually spoken is a language other than English. Students who lack the skills necessary to participate fully in classes taught in English. Students who could benefit from instruction in their native language.

Tips for classroom instruction: Including ELL students Always assess background knowledge. Make a plan for filling in the gaps as you plan your lesson/unit. Assume that ELLs will not have experiences with the concepts being taught in American schools. For example, concepts like freedom, democracy, and right-to- privacy may be different, or non-existent, in their culture. Use real objects, pictures, and hands-on activities as much as possible.

How to adjust instruction for ell students Instruction should be comprehensible to all learners. Learning should be interactive. Instruction should be cognitively challenging. Instruction should facilitate language learning in the content area. The goal of instruction should be achievement of academic standards by all students.

How to Facilitate Language Learning.. Creating Creating an environment that allows ELLs (and all students) to be comfortable taking risks. Adjusting Adjusting the amount of teacher-to student and student-to-student talk ratio to include more student talk. Supporting or scaffolding Supporting or scaffolding student language development to promote success.

Increasing Comprehensibility Use non-verbal and context clues to provide meaning for instruction (pictures, maps, demonstrations, graphic organizers). Break tasks into smaller “chunks” with frequent comprehension checks as opposed to entire units with a single comprehensive test. Pre-teach background knowledge/key vocabulary or concepts students will need for each unit before moving ahead.

Increasing interaction Flexible grouping configurations within the classroom to allow ELLs to actively participate and ask questions when they don’t understand. ELLs are more likely to take a risk and try speaking in a smaller setting. Student talk greater in small groups than in whole class setting, and student-talk is generally less complex/easier to understand. Include ELLs in classroom activities don’t isolate them. Assign a buddy when necessary and appropriate.

Vocabulary help Provide word banks for any crossword puzzle or fill-in-the-blank assignments. No more than 5 words at a time for fill-in-the-blanks or matching definitions. Try not to change the wording of definitions from when you give them to when they are put on a test- it confuses ELLs when the wording is different. Circle the first letter of each word in a word search.

Things to remember Just because a student speaks English well does not mean they are proficient in reading and writing it! Students with a prior strong academic experience and/or background knowledge can use these skills to facilitate learning academic English. ELLs have individual learning styles and preferences, just like any other student. Students’ current learning experiences are a major factor in how they acquire academic language proficiency now and in the future.

Questions?

references https://www.education.com/reference/article/english-language-learners-key- terms/ http://www.supportrealteachers.org/strategies-for-english-language- learners.html https://www.edutopia.org/article/resources-for-teaching-english-language- learners-ashley-cronin https://www.thoughtco.com/how-to-facilitate-learning-8390 https://www.tefl-online.com/tefl-jobs/online-tefl-articles/efl-terminology/