Meeting the Needs of English Language Learners

How do you meet the needs of English Language Learners (ELL) in your class?

You have a new student entering your class today. His family has just moved to your town from El Salvador, and he speaks no English. He will be a part of your class to give him more exposure to this new language, and will have ESL support from the school. But the main question on your mind is, how can I be a good teacher to someone who barley understands me?

When you enter any classroom today, you will find that each student in that room learns, adjusts, thinks, and grows in different ways. In a Canadian classroom, one might also see that there are students who are English Language Learners. As teachers we need to understand the best ways in which we can help those students feel safe and welcome, while also learning.

'An ELL student will bring a variety of life situations and experiences with them into the classroom.'

Meeting the needs of English Language Learners is very important because by doing so, it gives those students a sense of confidence to learn the curriculum with the other students in the class. It will take the student a certain period of time to become comfortable with his or her surroundings. Depending on the situation of the ELL student, they may be coming into a completely new surrounding that they will not be used to. As the teacher you need to keep a close eye on what makes them feel comfortable and safe, and provide them with opportunities of joy.

An ELL student will bring a variety of life situations and experiences with them into the classroom. Some English Language Learner students have come to Canada as a way to escape a country that may have violent communities. It is very important that the teacher doesn't ask about their living conditions back home, as this might trigger a traumatic memory. However, by getting to know the student better the teacher will be better prepared to address any unforeseen circumstances that may arise. The first few months can be tricky for both the student and the teacher. The student is trying to learn English and the other taught subjects at the same time, and will be trying to make friendship connections with his or her classmates. It can be a very stressful time for the student. The teacher is also being put into situation that will cause them to feel pressured to make sure they are meeting the needs of the ELL student in their classroom.

The most effective way to create a positive classroom environment, is to establish relationships with the students and their parents. “The more we learn with and from our students and their families, the more they are likely to learn with and from us” (Capacity Building Series—Canadian-born English Language Learners, 2013). The learning process in schools should be one where the students start to engage in their learning by developing inquiry skills. Some students will need to feel at ease in the classroom and with the teacher, in order for them to step up and take accountability for their learning. When it comes to ELL students, the adjustment period can take time and is different for every situation.

"Educators who value and build on...prior knowledge and experience help these students succeed in school" (Ministry of Education, pg. 8), and start to create a classroom that is excited to learn about other people's backgrounds. Understanding the lived experiences of all of the student in your class is an important part of teaching. Not only does this help the teacher understand what the life of their students is like outside of school, it gives the students an opportunity to learn about different cultures and backgrounds.

“Teaching is about relationships. The more we learn with and from our students and their families, the more they are likely to learn with and from us” (Capacity Building Series—Canadian-born English Language Learners, 2013).

Tips and Teaching Techniques

Based on some of the Ministry of Education's policies outlined in their English Language Learners Programs and Services document, there are many helpful services that ELL students are given in Ontario schools. For example, there is programming specifically for ELL, there is professional development opportunities to enhance the knowledge of new and experienced teachers about this topic, and there are helpful resources provided to the ELL students and their parents. There are other great ways that teachers can help make students who are ESL learn with ease.

Teachers can make their teaching more visual. In my practicum class this year, we had a student who came from El Salvador, and he responded very well to visual instructions. This means that the teacher could display picture images of the instructions on the Smart Board or white board. The teacher could also point to, or demonstrate, what they need to do for the student to understand a bit better.

Build in more group work to have them socialize with their fellow classmates for support. Through socialization the student can better pick up common words and phrases as their fellow classmates talk to them.

Communicate with the ESL teacher once the student has been assigned to your class. If the school has one, make sure you keep in close contact with the English as a Second Language resource teacher. The teacher will have great tips and resources for you to use to help meet the need of your ELL student.

Don’t be alarmed by the silent period. During the first month or so, there is a period where the student may go through a stage of silence. It is normal for them to feel shy and not willing to speak, since they are not used to the language. The most important thing to do is to keep talking to them, but don’t force them to speak out loud to the class.

Allow some scaffolding with their native language. At the beginning of the students time with you in your class, it may be a good idea to first give them instructions or worksheets to complete in their native language. This will give the student the ability to learn without having the added stress of de-coding the language. Once they have learned the language, don’t let them stop learning the subject material with the rest of the class, as they may feel as though that is all they needed to learn. It is important to praise them that they have learned English, but it is also important that the teacher keep them motivated to continue their growth in other subject areas as well.

Relavent Resources:

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/esleldprograms/esleldprograms.pdf

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/manyroots/ELL_LPS.pdf

http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/inspire/research/cbs_cbell.pdf