Multi-tiered System of Supports (MTSS)
When developing a hypothesis for why an EAL student is not making adequate progress, consider the impact of language development, learning challenges, and cultural influences on learning.
includes Tools, Presentations and Briefs for developing and implementing culturally and linguistically responsive models for multitiered system of supports for ELs, including those with or at risk of having a disability.
includes materials to support educators in implementing intensive intervention for Els, along with strategies to support language development within intensive intervention. Be sure to check out the "Related Resources" on the sidebar of the website. intensiveintervention.org/special-topics/english-learners
Various personal and environmental factors can influence English language proficiency and the rate of language development as outlined by Learn Alberta.
learnalberta.ca/content/eslapb/understanding_the_acquisition_factors
Gathering_Information__Evaluating_the_Adequacy_of_the_Learning_Environment.pdf"As MTSS teams begin to consider how to support EAL students who are encountering challenges at school, they first need to think about the learning environment that has been created for these students."
Hamayan, E. V., Marler, B., López, S. C., & D’Amico, J. (2023). Special education considerations for multilingual learners: Delivering a continuum of services (p. 53). Paul H. Brookes Publishing Co.
Sample_Health_Education_Unit_intermediate_level.pdfSample unit plan
Copy of Difference vs Disability.pdfCulturally Sensitive Assessment
ESLC Conference, May 2023
The Child English Second Language (CHESL) Centre provides resources to assist clinicians and educators in assessing the language development of children learning English as an additional language. Based on research overseen by Dr. Johanne Paradis out of the University of Alberta.
Click on the link above or the CHESL Centre image to find out more.
Additional Assessment Materials for Bilinguals
Litmus Network: Under "LITMUS tools", you can download testing materials with scoring procedures in many languages that have been designed for use with linguistically and culturally diverse children through an European research network. Materials include:
Sentence repetition tasks (similar to the one available on the CHESL site)
Crosslinguistic lexical task (receptive and expressive vocabulary)
LITMUS-MAIN (narrative task)
Nonword repetition task (not based on English phonotactics, so more appropriate for use with bilinguals)
L1 influences
Students who are adding English to the languages they know will take the patterns of language they are familiar with and try to map them onto English. Given the constructs of their L1, this may or may not be effective.
It is important to remember that not all languages use the same patterns as English. For example, French places adjectives after the noun they are describing; German uses the present perfect for describing past actions; and the form of verbs in Mandarin Chinese never changes whether it be present, past, or future tense. Also, many Asian languages, such as Vietnamese, Thai, and Punjabi, are tonal; using the pitch in language to distinguish lexical or grammatical meaning. This can make it difficult for speakers of tonal languages to hear the end consonants predominant in English.
The links below can provide some insight into the structures of various languages:
mustgo.com/worldlanguages - Select a language under "Languages A-Z" on the sidebar
sites.google.com/pdx.edu/multicsd/global-languages - The Monolingual & Bilingual Speech Lab from Portland State University provides specific information about global languages and dialects.
asha.org/practice/multicultural/phono - The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association has a list of phonemic inventories and cultural and linguistic information across languages.
Learner English: A Teacher's Guide to Interference and Other Problems by Michael Swan and Bernard Smith