ELL Strategies & More

                      

English Language Learners are students who are unable to communicate and/or read in English. These students often struggle learning English and usually come from a home whose native language is something other than English. These students are accommodated through differentiated instruction throughout all academic curriculum.

It is important that teachers reach out to their students and make an effort to learn personal information in order to form meaningful relationships. By integrating students’ cultures into the classroom, teachers are promoting a safe environment where student feel comfortable and appreciated. Often times, students are apprehensive to written instructions; therefore, English Language Learners benefit from explicit, oral instruction.

                  

                  Supporting ELLs in the Classroom 

It is crucial that teachers incorporate ELL students’ native languages and cultures throughout the classroom and curriculum. To aid in this task, teachers can use a variety of resources. Google translate can be used to strengthen communication skills, while videos can be shown and books can be read to broadcast the multiple aspects of the students’ culture. Videos and books provide visual representations of the students’ native cultures and customs.

Multiple differentiation strategies can be used in the classroom to accommodate the needs of English Language Learners. Teachers should increase the wait time by 5-7 seconds to decrease any frustration or anxieties the students may have while formulating their responses. This extra time allows students to process information before producing an answer. Students benefit from explicit, systematic instruction. It is vital that teachers speak slowly and clearly so that students with a language barrier can process the lesson more efficiently. ELL students should also be encouraged to participate in group discussions and activities. The best way to provide English instruction to ELL students is by allowing partner interaction and discussion. This is where the students learn and pick up on social cues as well as slang words and phrases.

                     

In my future classroom, I plan on incorporating multiple learning styles for not only my English Language Learners, but for all my students. When students learn in a way that they feel comfortable, the information is more likely to stick in their brains and become more meaningful.  Learning styles to consider are musical, visual-spatial, interpersonal, intrapersonal, naturalistic, logical-mathematical, verbal-linguistic, and bodily-kinesthetic. By providing a variety of learning styles, I will be meeting the individual needs of my students and providing them with a personal educational experience.