English Language Learners

Sara Wieder    4/10/12

Assignment #1: questions on the video:

segment #1

1)    How can teachers expectations of ELLs affect students learning? If teacher’s expectations of ELLs are the same as English speaking students then this gives ELL a positive outlook and the confidence to learn better. Higher expectations will encourage students to meet them and ultimately promote achievement.

2)    How can you use what you already know about literacy instruction and your English language learners to enhance their learning? All the strategies that I have learnt during this semester can be adapted to meet the needs of ELLs. In particular, small group instruction, visual activities, comprehension development and a variety of books that are interesting and exciting I hope to use to help my ELL learn and achieve better.

Segment #2: 

1)    Think about your ELLs, what ideas from the video might be useful in your classroom? Higher expectations, encouraging ELLs to use their native language, connecting student’s background, and cultures to the reading I will use in my classrooms to help my ELLs learn better.

2)    How can you ensure that ELLs and their English speaking peers have equal access to the curriculum?  Classroom libraries that use exciting books that are bilingual and exciting activities involving ELLs can help ELL have an equal access to the curriculum.

3)    How can you support students in maintaining their first language? By encouraging students to use their first language, and offering bilingual texts and bringing their backgrounds and cultures into the learning.

Segment #3:

1)    How can you use multicultural literature to support ELLs in your curriculum?  By providing a variety of texts and books on different topics that interests ELLs and providing texts that are bilingual encourages ELLs to read and supports them in the reading process. In addition, choosing books that are culturally familiar can give students the opportunity to relate it to their own lives and experiences.

2)    How does your classroom reflect the nature of the community itself as well as materials written by students? The classroom should reflect the community by having students write up different topics regarding the community and hanging it on the wall for all to see.

3)    How can you group students so that they use their native language to support their language and literacy development? By grouping students with other students that are culturally familiar with and feel comfortable with- students that understand each other or went through the similar experiences, support students to use their native language and literacy development.

Segment #4:

1)    What aspects of reading development are most critical to address when instructing ELLs? Comprehension and vocabulary are critical to address in ELLs because there are always new words that come up in reading books or texts that these students may not understand and have difficulty with.

2)    How can modeling oral reading support ELLs? Oral reading can build reading skills and develop comprehension by allowing the students to pay attention to the meaning of the words.

3)    What strategies can you use to teach students how to figure out and remember unknown words? Contextual clues- looking around the word to figure out the meaning of the word. Also, by creating a word wall and writing new words down can help students remember new words. Demonstrating the meaning can also help students retain the new word better.

4)    What are some strategies you might use to encourage students to maintain their native language as they develop literacy in English? By providing opportunities for ELLs to use their native language in class and with others while learning English can encourage them to use their native language. Providing bilingual dictionaries, grouping students with similar cultures and backgrounds, and showing that you value their native language and that many languages are valuable today will encourage them to maintain their native language.

Assignment #2: Strategies that I learnt that will help teach ELLs

·        Use a variety of books on the same subjects on different reading levels

·        Discuss new words prior to lesson – new words can be very difficult for ELLs

·        Journals – personal narratives

·        Pictures and illustrations that help clarify the text

·        Limited text on each page

·        Act out stories

·        Use visuals and manipulatives

I can use these strategies to help my ELL by building on comprehension which pictures and limited text support comprehension and help ELLs learn. I can also read the sentences at a slower pace and allow time after each sentence to allow the ELL to comprehend what we just read. I hope that these strategies will help me be an effective teacher to ELLs and all students.

Assignment #3: 3 things I learnt form the website:

1)    Recently arrived ELLs may be allowed to be exempt from one of the English language arts tests

2)    ELLs may undergo a “silent or nonverbal period” at the beginning

3)    ELLs should be held in the same standards and expectations as all students

2 things you can apply in your teaching:

1)    Provide high- quality vocabulary instruction

2)    Encourage and value ELLs native language in the learning

1 thing I still need to learn: how to provide equal access to the curriculum for ELLs and their English speaking counterparts without making the ELLs feel uncomfortable and drawing too much attention to their difficulty in English.