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6 Essential Strategies for Teaching English Language Learners

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.

Reference: https://www.edutopia.org/article/6-essential-strategies-teaching-english-language-learners?fbclid=IwAR0qSsb6LJ3YlZQbPudjJDN6rZ4o25jluR7C1xCAk9bZLbZrDiU7qTzgQQE

Allowing Kids to Negotiate Due Dates is a Win for Everyone

When it comes to the deadline of an assignment, I have some thoughts. I learned from EDFN 521 Cultural Foundations of Education that my professor told me that teachers need to be flexible, caring, and inclusive. If students can not meet the deadline, they they reach you to ask for an extension before the deadline. Should I accept it? Yes, we must TRUST our students. After that, one can readily begin to see patterns in which students take advantage of one’s kindness and flexibility. That is when I would change course. To prevent students abuse my kindness, the last thing is to set a boundary and principle that can is firm and fixed.

When students are given due dates and held accountable for meeting them, it teaches them important lessons about responsibility and hard work. It also helps prepare them for future jobs where they will likely be expected to meet deadlines.

That said, not everything in life has a hard and fast due date. As adults, we have to determine the most convenient and productive time to do household chores, schedule appointments, work on home improvement projects, or complete tasks at work. To do this, we negotiate around things like our family schedule and our preferences, as well as on what works best for others involved. In other words, a big part of real-life is knowing what needs to be done and when to do it.

Allowing students to determine their own due dates on some projects and assignments can prepare them for this aspect of adult life. This doesn’t mean students should be allowed to turn in work whenever it suits them. Rather, negotiating their own due dates means working with their teacher to determine a deadline that works best for both of them.

While due date negotiation isn’t right for all assignments, implementing it occasionally throughout the school year can produce positive results.

1. It teaches students to evaluate and plan.

To come up with a reasonable due date, students need to decide how they will complete their project or assignment. What resources or materials will they need? How and when will they obtain them? How much time will it take to read or research for this assignment? Will they be working with others? How much time will be needed to proofread, edit, revise, or test this project?

Once they have evaluated their process, they can determine a workable schedule for completing each step. They will also need to consider things that might hinder their progress like family plans or extra-curricular obligations. They should also take into consideration their own social lives and work habits. In the real world, adults often plan around these types of things, and kids should learn how to do this too.

2. It teaches them to articulate their process.

Students should be expected to justify their due date and obtain teacher approval. Conferencing with students about why they came up with their date allows them to re-evaluate if necessary.

3. Allowing kids to choose their own due dates builds student/teacher relationships.

When students see that their teacher respects their decision-making skills and the things that are important to them, like extra-curricular activities or hobbies, it builds a stronger rapport in the classroom—something that almost always leads to better performance and better working relationships. And by working with a teacher who cares about their personal time, students also learn empathy and the importance of work-life balance.

4. Students who have determined their own due dates are more motivated.

This just makes sense. Students who have gone through the process of evaluating and planning to determine the best due date are more likely to feel invested in that date and more likely to stick to a schedule to meet their goal.

5. Determining their own due dates helps students know themselves better as learners.

The kid who has always blamed late work on being too busy now has time to plan around his busy schedule and might discover that that was never the problem. The student who has always felt like she works best under the pressure of a looming deadline might realize she is more relaxed and productive when she has a process and schedule. And kids who are easily frustrated and overwhelmed might discover that a well-thought-out plan is the key to tackling tough assignments.

6. Student-negotiated due dates are a big win for teachers.

At first, some teachers might feel that finding time to conference individually with students about their due dates and keeping track of a revolving door of deadlines will be too time-consuming and confusing. But there are other perks to this system that outweigh these hurdles.

For starters, allowing students to set their own due dates eliminates the barrage of excuses that accompany nearly every assignment. You had a ballgame? Work? A family outing? Well, you knew about that when you set your due date. Something unexpected came up? Life is full of unexpected events. You should have built in a few extra days. Of course, there will always be students who have excuses, but this way it’s harder for students to justify them.

Teachers also benefit when due dates for assignments are spaced out over time instead of all on the same day. This naturally stretches and thins out our grading load. No more staying late to grade the 75 half-completed dioramas that were turned in at 3:00!

Flexible due dates don’t work for every assignment. It might take some trial and error to figure out when and how student-negotiated deadlines work best. Still, any classroom technique that gives students more ownership of their work and at the same time takes pressure off the teacher is worth trying!

Reference: https://www.boredteachers.com/post/negotiate-due-dates?fbclid=IwAR1pRjv7J1T-pm32mTHLEsHLHu-2GJt_A3zoekWK6hCKjPmlWjTf6lnG2j4

Using Technology to Support 10 Executive Functioning Skills

Teachers can use a variety of digital resources to foster the skills students need for long-term success.

The challenges we have faced when returning to our campuses this year are more than just academic. Some of our students haven’t been in a classroom for almost two years. Academic progress and social and cognitive development may be substantially affected, and executive functioning skills are one such impacted area. Teachers already face the arduous task of educating future generations. Because we are charged with meeting academic and social needs, it’s important for our approach to be more intentional to support cognitive skills.

PLAN TO DEVELOP 10 CRITICAL EXECUTIVE FUNCTION SKILLS

Teaching is a social endeavor. Interaction is essential for the transmission of knowledge from one person to another. In addition to crucial social interactions with classmates, far-reaching implications result when students can’t benefit from daily interaction with teachers. Students returning to school to join their friends and classmates this year have a steeper hill to climb.

Teachers can address and help students develop some of the most urgent and critical executive functioning skills:

1. Planning: The ability to figure out how to accomplish goals

2. Organization: The ability to build and maintain a system that keeps materials and plans orderly

3. Time management: Having an accurate understanding of how long tasks will take and using time wisely

4. Task initiation: Independently starting tasks when needed

5. Working memory: The mental process that allows us to hold information in our minds while working with it

6. Metacognition: Being aware of what we know and using that information to help us learn

7. Self-control: The ability to regulate ourselves, including thoughts, actions, and emotions

8. Attention: Being able to focus on a person or task for a period of time and shifting focus when needed

9. Perseverance: The ability to stick with a task and not give up, even when it becomes challenging

10. Flexibility: The ability to adapt to new situations and deal with change

If we can nurture these aspects of executive functioning, we can better ensure that students have the capacity and skills to flourish in school and life.

STRENGTHEN STUDENTS’ WORKING MEMORY

Executive functioning skills in the category of working memory include retrieving information from long-term memory, internalization and transfer of understanding, processing information, and varied instructional modalities. Students can strengthen their long-term memory by using the strategy of visualization and active note-taking during lessons.

Notability is a practical technology resource that can be quickly and efficiently integrated. It’s commonly referred to as a “whiteboard app” because it acts similarly to a whiteboard where the teacher or learners can draw or write. Notability provides additional capabilities to the learner by incorporating multimedia, text, and screen recording. Educreations and ShowMe are similar apps.

When a student demonstrates their learning, internalization and transfer of understanding is more assured. For instance, students can use the app ChatterPix to narrate or describe their knowledge of a concept in a fun way using digital puppets or any image they select. The application records audio and imbeds it with the image while moving the mouth of the chosen character in the picture. FlipGrid also allows students to record themselves and share with their teacher or classmates.

Sometimes, chunking information will help students process it. Google Slides, Padlet, Trello, and Mind Maps also make it easy for teachers to create a step-by-step process or break down a complicated task into smaller pieces, so that students don’t get overwhelmed.

Teachers can integrate a variety of instructional modalities—such as multisensory stimuli—to support students in demonstrating mastery of skills within a lesson. iBooks and iMovie support several modalities (with multimedia that include sound, images, graphics, text, and video) that allow students to consume and create. Additionally, Adobe Spark provides a platform where students can take advantage of easy creation tools using multimedia to demonstrate their understanding.

SUPPORT STUDENTS’ FLEXIBLE THINKING

In the category of flexible thinking, executive functioning skills such as planning, metacognition, organization, time management, and auditory preferences are essential considerations in lesson creation.

When students understand how they process information or have support in planning how to accomplish a task, they can achieve tremendous learning success. Providing students with step-by-step instructions, with which they control the pace, is an advantage for teachers who have a classroom with students whose needs are quite varied. Teachers can use YouTube to create a channel, upload their recordings, or curate others already made for students to view at their own pace. Another practical resource is iorad—a tutorial builder that allows students to control the rate of instruction.

Time management is often a high-priority skill that can be strengthened by posting schedules, agendas, and graphic organizers. Tools that support this skill exist on Google Classroom integrated with Google Calendar. By organizing the workflow of assignments and providing students with access to a schedule created in Google Calendar, teachers can quickly help keep students on track and organized. Apps like Remind and Trello can help students prioritize tasks and send reminders for important events.

It’s important for students to be able to internalize information based on need or preference. For example, some students internalize information more efficiently when they hear text read to them. The text-to-speech features in the Google Chrome extension Read&Write can accommodate students who have an auditory preference.  Students can also take advantage of the speech-to-text feature “voice typing” by using the accessibility tool in Google Docs.

The present challenges are teachable moments. The good news is that teachers are already deploying many resources and strategies to support executive functioning skills. We can be more mindful of moments where they will fit seamlessly into our instruction.

Reference: https://www.edutopia.org/article/using-technology-support-10-executive-functioning-skills?fbclid=IwAR2cBt8Bhv-W4cpdwwQEf5eo-2Fckip-JloIsoc8UEdHOJTEYnTC1sMhthw

My recent reflection…


After so many twists and turns, except Brothers won the championship of CPBL, no good news at all. Therefore, I set up the goal of “boost” for myself these few days. Hopefully, I can catch up with the coursework. God bless me! Best of luck!!!