English Language Learners (ELL) and Multilingualism

12 Ways to Support English Learners in the Mainstream ClassroomAdvice from three ESL teachers on the things regular classroom teachers can do to help English language learners thrive in mainstream classrooms.

Activities for ESL Learners

Quizzes, tests, exercises and puzzles to help you learn English as a Second Language (ESL)

This project of The Internet TESL Journal (iteslj.org) has thousands of contributions by many teachers.

Breaking News English (free English lessons in seven levels)

2,734 Free English Lessons in 7 Levels

Colorín ColoradoA bilingual site for educators and families of English language learners

English Language Learners: How Your State Is DoingThe number of English language learners in public schools is nearing 5 million. Many are struggling academically, despite well-intentioned efforts to help them learn English.

English Language Learners: What you need to know | NEANEA is actively addressing the complex issues English language learners face by engaging in research and advocacy, and proposing strategies that can help eliminate gaps in achievement.

How Long Does it Take English Learners to Attain Proficiency?

from the University of California Linguistic Minority Research Institute, Policy Report 2000-1. This study reports on data from four different school districts to draw conclusions on how long it takes students to develop oral and academic English proficiency. The clear conclusion emerging from these data sets is that even in two California districts that are considered the most successful in teaching English to LEP students, oral proficiency takes 3 to 5 years to develop, and academic English proficiency can take 4 to 7 years.

Literacy Works Learning Resources

The Learning Resources site offers web-delivered instruction using current and past CNN San Francisco bureau and CBS 5 - KPIX (CBS Broadcasting) news stories. Western/Pacific LINCS (part of the National Institute for Literacy's LINCS Project), and Literacyworks has partnered with news agencies to develop an online literacy site that benefits all learners and instructors.

Long Term ELLs More Likely to Drop Out, Study Finds.

This article from Education Week discusses how the length of time students are classified as English-language learners increases the likelihood that they will drop out of school. And English-language learners who are reclassified as English proficient in earlier grades tend to be similar to non-English learners when it comes to achievement and dropout rates.

Long Term English Language Learners: Spotlight on an Underserved Population

Definitions vary across states and school districts but, in general, the term “long-term English learner (LTEL)” refers to English learner (EL) students who have been enrolled in a U.S. school for six years or more and have not been reclassified as fluent English proficient. These students may have had inadequate prior schooling experiences and they are usually struggling academically due to their limited literacy skills in English.

New to Teaching ELLs?

Colorín Colorado has compiled this list to help new ELL teachers navigate their experiences in the classroom. These resources may also be helpful for veteran teachers who are new to teaching ELLs.

Online Resources, companion website for the book Unlocking English Learners' Potential: Strategies for Making Content Accessible by Diane Staehr Fenner and Sydney Snyder

This online resource provides information that complements the book on working with ELLs in the classroom. Although not created for college level learners, the book and website provide a wealth of information applicable to all multi-lingual learners and instructors.