ELL & ESL Teaching Strategies

Summary

This educational video offers an in-depth look at teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) to students. It covers terminology, challenges, and strategies for effective instruction, including accommodations, communication tips, and understanding BICS and CALP. The video outlines the five stages of second language acquisition and introduces sheltered instruction goals. It also recommends instructional strategies such as culture studies, realia, language experience approach, group work, and total physical response, emphasizing the importance of engaging families and integrating cultures into the classroom.

Takeaways

• 📚 English language learners (ELLs) often go unnoticed in classrooms due to their good behavior and lack of parental involvement.
• 🔠 Terminology like ELL, ESL, LEP, and the emerging term 'emergent bilingual' are used to describe students learning English as a second language.
• 👨‍🏫 Teachers may feel unprepared or anxious about teaching ELLs, which can lead to a lack of support for these students.
• 🔧 Accommodations are essential to provide ELLs with equal access to the curriculum, including graphic organizers, manipulatives, and extended time.
• 🗣️ Communication strategies for teachers include avoiding idioms, speaking clearly without raising the voice, using hand signals, and summarizing lessons.
• 🧠 BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills) and CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency) are two types of language proficiency with different acquisition timelines.
• 🌱 The five stages of second language acquisition include pre-production, early production, speech emergence, intermediate fluency, and advanced fluency.
• 🏫 Sheltered instruction aims to develop English proficiency and provide access to grade-level content without 'dumbing down' lessons.
• 🌐 Cultural studies and realia (real-life objects) are effective instructional strategies to engage ELLs and connect learning to their experiences.
• 👥 Group work and total physical response (TPR) activities can enhance social interaction and language practice for ELLs.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Involving the families of ELLs in school activities and integrating their culture into the curriculum can foster a more inclusive learning environment.

Q & A

What is the term 'ëall' referring to in the context of the video script?

ëall refers to 'English as an Additional Language' learners, which is a term used to describe students who are learning English in addition to their native language.

Why might ëall students sometimes not receive the same attention as special education students?

ëall students might not receive the same attention because they are often well-behaved, their parents aren't typically involved, and they fall through the cracks in the educational system.

What is the significance of the term 'emergent bilingual' as mentioned in the script?

The term 'emergent bilingual' is a more positive term that may soon replace 'ëall' or 'ESL,' emphasizing the growth and development of students learning a new language.

What are some common accommodations that teachers can provide to ëall students to help them understand the curriculum?

Common accommodations include graphic organizers, concrete manipulatives for math, vocabulary scaffolding or flashcards, extended time, peer tutoring, audiobooks, and presenting content in their native language.

Why should teachers avoid using idioms and acronyms when communicating with ëall students?

Idioms and acronyms can be particularly confusing for new language learners as they may not understand the figurative meanings or the specific abbreviations.

What does BICS stand for and what does it relate to in terms of language proficiency?

BICS stands for 'Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills,' which relates to the social language proficiency needed for casual conversations and everyday slang.

What is the duration of the 'pre-production stage' in the five stages of second language acquisition?

The pre-production stage, also known as the silent period, can last anywhere from a day to six months.

What is the main goal of sheltered instruction for ëall students?

The main goal of sheltered instruction is to help ëall students develop proficiency in English while providing them with access to grade-level content without 'dumbing down' the lesson.

How can cultural studies benefit ëall students in the classroom?

Cultural studies can benefit ëall students by developing research skills, public speaking skills, and providing a chance for students to hone their writing abilities through presentations about their ethnic background.

What is the purpose of using realia in the classroom for ëall students?

The purpose of using realia is to make learning more relatable by incorporating real-life objects, which can help students make deeper connections with the material and engage their senses in a multi-sensory experience.

How does the 'total physical response' (TPR) strategy benefit ëall students?

TPR benefits ëall students by integrating physical activity with learning, which can increase engagement and help students better understand and remember vocabulary through physical actions.

What are some ways to involve the families of ëall students more in the school community?

Ways to involve ëall families include inviting them to be chaperones on field trips, translating emails, attending cultural events, ensuring interpreters are available for meetings, sending welcome letters, and integrating their culture into the classroom curriculum.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to Teaching ESL and ëall Students

This paragraph introduces the video's focus on teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) and working with ëall (English language learners) students. It discusses the challenges teachers face, the lack of attention these students often receive, and the various acronyms used to describe them. The importance of understanding the task of teaching ëall students is emphasized, along with the common misconception that it's not the teacher's responsibility to educate non-English speaking students. The paragraph also touches on the anxiety some teachers feel due to inadequate preparation in schools and transitions into the topic of accommodations needed for ëall students to access the curriculum effectively.

05:01

🔍 Accommodations and Communication Strategies for ëall Students

The second paragraph delves into the types of accommodations teachers must provide to ensure ëall students have equal access to the curriculum. Examples of accommodations include graphic organizers, manipulatives, vocabulary scaffolding, extended time, peer tutoring, and content in the student's native language. The paragraph also offers communication tips for educators, such as avoiding idioms and acronyms, speaking clearly without raising the voice, using hand signals, being animated, summarizing lessons, and frequently checking for understanding. It introduces the concepts of BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills) and CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency), explaining the difference between social language proficiency and academic language proficiency, and noting the time it takes for students to acquire each.

10:01

🌟 Stages of Second Language Acquisition and Sheltered Instruction

This paragraph outlines the five stages of second language acquisition, as credited to Julie Haynes, starting with the pre-production or silent period, where students absorb language and may repeat phrases without understanding. It progresses through early production, where students begin to speak in short sentences, speech emergence, intermediate fluency, and advanced fluency, where students feel English is their native language. The paragraph also introduces sheltered instruction, which aims to develop English proficiency and provide access to grade-level content without 'dumbing down' the material. It lists strategies associated with sheltered instruction, such as simplified language, extra wait time, sensory activities, and using visuals.

🏫 Recommended Instructional Strategies for ëall Students

The final paragraph presents six recommended instructional strategies for working with ëall students. It begins with cultural studies, which involve students researching and presenting on their ethnic backgrounds, developing research, public speaking, and writing skills. The paragraph continues with the use of realia, or real-life objects, to make deeper connections with vocabulary and concepts. It discusses the language experience approach, where students' life stories are incorporated into the classroom to improve fluency and sight word recognition. Group work is highlighted as a way to increase face-to-face interactions and social learning. The total physical response (TPR) method is explained as a way to integrate physical activity with learning. The paragraph concludes with strategies for supporting new ëall students, such as assigning classroom buddies, providing extended time on exams, and integrating their culture into the classroom curriculum. It also emphasizes the importance of involving ëall students' families in school activities and making them feel included in the educational process.

Keywords

💡ELL

ELL stands for 'English Language Learner.' It refers to students who are learning English as an additional language. In the video's context, ELL students are the main focus, as the script discusses various aspects of teaching and accommodating these students in the classroom. The term is used to highlight the challenges and strategies involved in educating students whose first language is not English.

💡ESL

ESL stands for 'English as a Second Language.' It is a term used to describe educational programs designed for non-native English speakers. The script mentions ESL in the context of instructional strategies and accommodations necessary for teaching students who are acquiring English as a second language.

💡Accommodations

Accommodations in education refer to the modifications and adjustments made to help students with special needs, including ELL students, to access the curriculum effectively. The script discusses various types of accommodations such as graphic organizers, extended time, and peer tutoring that can be provided to ELL students to support their learning.

💡Communication Strategies

Communication strategies are techniques used by educators to facilitate understanding and interaction with students, especially those learning a new language. The video script provides several tips, such as avoiding idioms, using hand signals, and speaking slowly, which are all aimed at improving communication with ELL students.

💡BICS and CALP

BICS stands for 'Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills,' which are the everyday social language skills. CALP stands for 'Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency,' which refers to the language proficiency needed for academic settings. The script explains that BICS is developed more quickly than CALP, which takes about five years to master, and is crucial for higher-order thinking skills.

💡Second Language Acquisition

Second Language Acquisition is the process by which people learn a language after their first language. The script outlines five stages of this process, from the silent period to advanced fluency, detailing the developmental progress and challenges faced by ELL students as they learn English.

💡Sheltered Instruction

Sheltered Instruction is a teaching approach that aims to provide ELL students with access to grade-level content without diluting the curriculum. The script emphasizes the importance of this method, which includes strategies like simplified language and the use of visuals to ensure that ELL students can understand and engage with the material.

💡Cultural Studies

Cultural Studies in the context of the script refers to lessons where students research and present about their ethnic background. This strategy is beneficial for ELL students as it helps them develop research, public speaking, and writing skills while also celebrating their cultural identity.

💡Realia

Realia is the use of real-life objects in the classroom to enhance learning and make connections to the students' experiences. The script mentions realia as a strategy to increase student engagement and provide a multi-sensory learning experience, particularly useful for vocabulary acquisition.

💡Total Physical Response (TPR)

TPR is a teaching method that involves physical activity to reinforce language learning. The script describes TPR as a way to make learning more engaging for students by having them perform actions while learning vocabulary, thus integrating movement with language acquisition.

💡Family Involvement

Family Involvement in the script refers to the strategies for integrating the families of ELL students into the school community. This includes inviting parents to be chaperones, translating communications, and attending cultural events. The goal is to make ELL parents feel included and valued as stakeholders in their children's education.

Highlights

ëall students often fall through the cracks due to lack of attention and involvement.

A variety of acronyms are used to describe English language learners, such as ëall, ESL, and LEP.

The term 'emergent bilingual' may replace existing terminologies to be more positive.

Teaching ëall children is a challenging task often overlooked by teachers.

Teachers must provide accommodations to ensure ëall students have equal access to the curriculum.

Examples of accommodations include graphic organizers, manipulatives, and extended time.

Educators should avoid idioms and acronyms when communicating with ëall students.

Speaking slowly and using hand signals can help ëall students better understand instructions.

BICS and CALP are key concepts in understanding language proficiency in ëall students.

It takes approximately five years for students to develop CALP for academic language.

The five stages of second language acquisition include pre-production, early production, speech emergence, intermediate fluency, and advanced fluency.

Sheltered instruction aims to develop English proficiency and provide access to grade-level content without 'dumbing down' lessons.

Strategies for sheltered instruction include simplified language, extra wait time, and using visuals.

Cultural studies can enhance ëall students' research, public speaking, and writing skills.

Realia, or real-life objects, can make learning more engaging and multi-sensory for ëall students.

The language experience approach helps students increase sight word recognition and fluency by reading their own life stories.

Group work enhances face-to-face interactions and social learning among ëall students.

Total Physical Response (TPR) integrates physical activity with learning to keep students engaged.

Supports for new ëall students include assigning a buddy, using print over script, and providing preferential seating.

Involving ëall families in school activities and integrating their culture into the curriculum is crucial for a supportive learning environment.

Transcripts

hello and welcome to teachings in

education ESL and elly4s occator franca

Vella in this video we're gonna cover

everything you ever wanted to know about

working with ëall and ESL students a

variety of different topics will be

covered such as second language

acquisition and instructional strategies

but we're gonna begin with a broad

overview now ëall students often fall

through the cracks that's because they

are usually well behaved their parents

aren't typically involved and they don't

get the same attention as special

education students there are many

associated acronyms ëall meaning English

language learner ESL English as second

language

LEP limited English proficiency these

may soon be replaced by a more positive

term called emergent bilingual

nevertheless terminology is not

important understand that teaching these

children is a very challenging task as a

teacher you're gonna have your work cut

out for you unfortunately some teachers

feel that it isn't their responsibility

to teach these students that don't speak

English there are a number of teachers

that feel anxiety the anxiety comes from

the fact that schools seldom prepare

teachers on to the next section which is

accommodations teachers must provide

ëall students with equal access to the

curriculum through accommodations these

accommodations are meant to help al ELLs

understand simple things that are asked

of them with the help of these

accommodation PLL's should better be

able to keep up with their work and

maintain the pace of instruction set

forth by the teacher

here are some common examples teachers

may provide different types of graphic

organizers concrete manipulatives for

math scaffolding or flashcards for

vocabulary extended time peer tutoring

audiobooks and even having content

presented in their native language

the next section up is communication

tips for teachers educators should use

certain strategies to better help

communicate with Els the first strategy

is to avoid speaking in idioms and

acronyms both are particularly confusing

for new language learners next teachers

should not raise their voice when

directly talking to the child the child

may think that you are yelling at them e

nun c8 your words will sound clearer and

your ll student will better understand

each word that you say use hand signals

use your hand signals as much as you can

be animated in the way you teach

communication doesn't have to be all

verbal take the time to summarize what

was just taught through short notes be

sure to frequently check for

understanding as there is no doubt going

to be times where Els get lost during

instruction look at their faces it'll

tell you everything

and lastly speak slowly do not rush

classroom instruction is not a race it's

about learning the next section covers

BICS and CALP and credit given to Jim

Cummins Kalp stands for cognitive

academic language proficiency Vic's on

the other hand stands for basic

interpersonal communication skills kelps

is basically your content language on

the other hand fix is more of your

social language proficiency for cap is

based on the ability to understand

academic language for different content

subjects it takes about five years for

students to learn this language type

this is the type of language proficiency

that is integrated with higher-order

thinking skills for example Bloom's

taxonomy Bicks relates to the skills

necessary to have a casual conversation

with your group of friends Bix can take

as early as six months semester it also

includes your everyday slang or the

basic language that you use while on the

phone with your friend or your mother

next we're going to cover the five

stages of second language acquisition

with credit to Julie Haynes and the

first stage is the pre-production stage

the pre-production stage is also called

the silent period the period of time

less anywhere from a day to six months

you can expect students to have a

vocabulary of only 500 words this is

also sometimes called the absorbing

phase students are just trying to absorb

what is being said

students may simply repeat things that

were said this isn't an effort to

understand its meaning they parrot back

phrases this is a very stressful time

for the student they aren't able to

express themselves verbally one thing to

do is to incorporate more visuals into

the lesson but there are many more the

next phase is early production early

production has a duration period that

lasts about six months the amount of

words that are in the vocabulary

increased to a thousand at this point

you'll begin to hear some meaningful

speed from Els they may speak in one or

two-word sentences as a teacher you can

provide some semantic graphic organizers

although you don't really want to modify

the content unless it's absolutely

necessary this may be a stage where it

is necessary and of course you would

want to use your CF use meaning check

for understandings right now I'm going

to take a quick break and ask if you

could give me a quick like and subscribe

if you can anyway let's get back to the

lesson the third stage of second

language acquisition is speech emergence

this stage lasts approximately one year

in length students have a vocabulary of

about 3,000 words you'll see students

coming into their own

they'll be able to speak in short

sentences and ask questions even more

they should actually start to understand

everything that is being said in the

classroom

continuing we'll get to the fourth state

which is intermediate fluency

this is a period that lasts

approximately two years the e ll

students also have a vocabulary of

around 600 words students in the

classroom will begin to question some of

the things that are said they will build

ideas of the content that was covered

this is also the point where Els will

start to have conversations in English

with other students teachers may want to

scaffold assignments for Els but overall

teachers should be decreasing the amount

of assistance at this point and now to

the last stage of second language

acquisition which is the advanced

fluency stage it has a duration that

lasts anywhere from four to ten years

Els have built up an extensive

vocabulary and that vocabulary will

continue to increase this far into

second language acquisition students

will start to feel as if English is

their native language now

just because these students speak

English well doesn't mean they still

don't need the extra help for the

content matter so we finished up with

the stages of second language

acquisition and now we're going to move

on to sheltered instruction let's begin

with some of the goals of sheltered

instruction educators want to see

students develop proficiency in English

as well as provide access to grade-level

content

sheltered instruction is based on the

principle of equal content where

teachers do not dumb down the lesson now

I have to say this is not as easy as it

sounds and most teachers do need

assistance in utilizing sheltered

instruction perhaps bringing in

professional development here's a quick

list of some associated strategies you

simplified language give extra wait time

sensory activities access for our

knowledge use visuals pair students with

native speakers don't force speaking no

student cultures and many many more now

we're going to move on to some

recommended instructional strategies for

working with these children and the

first one is to use a culture study

cultural studies are a great lesson for

al ELLs because most children's are

proud of their culture there are several

benefits to culture studies such as the

development of research skills public

speaking skills and it even gives

students a chance to hone their writing

abilities

what are the steps for a culture study

the first is to assign students to

research their ethnic background as a

class project students should then take

the time and do the research and one way

to do that is to interview their family

members after all the work is done

students should present to the classroom

getting e/l else to present and speak in

front of a crowd is always a good thing

and lastly have students take questions

from the audience this is great for

two-way dialogue a great alternative to

cultural studies would be to do a Show

and Tell lesson now on to the second of

six recommended instructional strategies

realia realia is basically incorporating

real-life objects into the classroom

it's great for making work connections

also adding real-life objects into the

classroom will get the attention of

those students that are bored all the

time it is a multi-sensory experience

students get to see hear touch and

possibly taste vocabulary is the most

common way to use realia in the

classroom is to have a student just read

a word like Apple but with realia they

make a deeper connection with the brain

as a side note it's sometimes using a

science classroom as it's not just for

yourself science teachers bring in

models I feel obligated to point out

that these types of lessons do take a

lot of work the next strategy is a

language experience approach here

students life lessons become part of the

classroom it's a great way to get these

kids engaged it also helps them increase

their sight word recognition through

reading their own life stories they

start to improve on their fluency more

and more let me walk you through the

process it begins when an e ll student

tells one of their life stories the

student tells their story verbally at

first

next teachers usually have a

paraprofessional write down the story as

the student tells it they should write

it down word-for-word the student can

read this story to themselves at first

once they've mastered it with assists

then they can read the story alone there

are other variations on the language

experience approach the fourth

instructional strategy is group work so

let's dive in the great thing about

group work for it

Els is that it increases face-to-face

interactions students experience social

learning through connecting with their

peers they also have a dialogue around

concepts and content sometimes

friendships develop dll's need friends

to help them get around the school when

they're new to translate and to be there

for them group work even works for

students in the silent period a second

language acquisition because they can

learn by observation some of the ways to

integrate group work is to give projects

labs jigsaw activities and many more

some subjects are more inclined to group

work than others the fifth strategy is

total physical response abbreviated here

as TPR total physical response TPR

integrates physical activity with

learning from my experience students

enjoy getting up and getting out of

their seats therefore you could expect

your students to appreciate this lesson

to get started the teachers should first

model the vocabulary word or action for

the students the word here is meditate

and the teacher is showing the student

what it really means to do so when it's

a noun something like a desk you can

simply ask the student to point to the

desk students are still allowed to get

out of their seats to do the pointing of

course actions are a little bit more

suited when it comes to TPR for example

things like waving or easy teaching the

students to jump though teachers need to

make sure that they are actually saying

the words while they're performing the

actions and I have to mention that the

writing component should be incorporated

into the lesson just as students have to

say they should also have to write on to

the last instructional strategy which

includes a number of typical supports

for Els when the Els are new to the

classroom the teacher should first

assign a classroom buddy or friend

earlier I mentioned that I ll need

friends for both social and academic

purposes to make it easier on these

children write in print as opposed to

script

granthi students extended time on their

exams this goes back to the

accommodations described give them

preferential seating and that often

means not by the teacher but by the

assigned classroom buddy try to smile

and have a warm disposition with Els

procedures are great because these

students can learn through observation

and follow the crowd teachers should

have procedures in place regardless of

Els or not

and lastly lessons have to be well

planned out the language barrier makes

it really difficult for both parties and

now we're going to finish up this

wonderful lesson with getting the

families of Els students more involved

in the school and the first way to do

that is to invite them to be chaperones

on field trips specifically reach out to

e ll parents and encourage them to be

chaperones when sending emails to

parents you should translate them

because a large majority of these

parents do not speak or read English if

they don't come to you then you got to

go to them attend their cultural events

school should do their best to make

these parents stakeholders and

decision-makers very rarely do you see

these parents on school improvement

committees identify the parents that

need to have interpreters and make sure

that they get an interpreter whenever

there's a meeting school send out

welcome letters but teachers can send

out their individual welcome letters

also and lastly integrate their culture

with that of your classroom that

includes more than just hanging up flags

and posters it means making serious

changes to the curriculum right now I

want to say thank you for your time

please check the description for a link

to my ll presentation and don't forget

to Like share and subscribe to this

channel thank you

[Music]