By: Meghan Vance

 Level 0:  No Practical Proficiency  Cannot read or speak proficiency  Level 1: Elementary Proficiency  Able to satisfy routine travel needs.  Able to read some personal and place names, isolated words and phrases  Level 2: Limited Working Proficiency  Able to satisfy routine social demands  Able to read a simple prose

 Level 3: Minimum Professional Proficiency  Able to speak the language with sufficient structural accuracy and vocabulary  Able to read standard newspaper items addressed to the general reader  Level 4: Full Professional Proficiency  Able to speak the language fluently and accurately on all levels for professional needs.  Able to read all styles and forms of the language  Level 5: Native or Bilingual Proficiency  Equivalent to that of an educated native speaker.

 How do I provide instruction and support for the ELLs without holding back the students who are fluent in English?  Modify the text:  Teachers can select different levels of text difficulty on similar content.  Teachers may also summarize the text that may be too difficult and provide ways to make the text accessible to those learning the language. This may involve having vocabulary support such as a word wall.  Create strategic grouping structures:  It is important to group students up to interact with others who demonstrate a wide range of different language and literacy skills. It may also help to allow students to create interest groups so students can discuss and read about common interests  Targeting the amount of student support:  It is very important to scaffold information. Students should be able to get the gist of what is being presented. The amount of support may be determined by the individual and group needs.

 I hear a student speaking English on the playground. He just doesn’t want to try in class. What should I do?  There is a difference in academic language, and language used in a social setting.  Academic language can be hard to acquire.  Students find it easier to speak to peers in a social setting in English, but they find it harder to use in a formal setting.  Students hear and use their social language in many different settings, but their academic language is usually used in the school setting.

 Step 1:  Carry on long conversations with students.  Talking about things that are not happening at that exact moment helps students take their thoughts and put them into their own words.  Try talking to students about their past experiences and having the student to elaborate

 Listen to your students  When teachers actively listen this means they are staying engaged in the conversation.  This will encourage children to elaborate  It is also important to listen to how your students speak.  This will help the teacher determine where they are at with the language they are learning.  Teachers also need to listen for any speech impediments that may be hindering the student. The earlier this is addressed the better.

 READ READ READ  Reading to students, and having them read aloud is very important for language development.  Reading introduces new ideas, and it expands students’ vocabulary. It also encourages students to take their thoughts to a deeper level.  Reading will help extend students attention span and encourage their listening skills.  When a student reads aloud in class they should be praised and encouraged.  To do this, teachers need to create an environment where students feel comfortable enough to read aloud without the fear of being laughed at.

 Work with children on homework  During class have the students practice their spelling and vocabulary words together.  Make it even more fun by having a class spelling bee!  Allow the students to look up the words in a newspaper or magazine, cut them out, and paste them in a word journal.  It is also a good idea for students to keep a personal journal. This allows them to release any stress they may have, and it will promote the language being learned.

 Communicate with other teachers!  Ask other teachers how certain students are doing in their classroom.  Ask for any materials that may be helpful in your own classroom.  It is also a good idea to work together with other teachers to get students to obtain a goal that needs to be reached.

 Everydaylife.globalpost.com   Careers.state.gov/gareway/lang_prof_def.html