Important Facts about EL Learners

Teaching Philosophy

All students should have equitable access to a proper education. This includes English Learner (EL) students. Though it is true that we have to plan more to make sure EL learners are able to engage with the content, it does not "drive" or hinder the planning; rather, the ELD portion of planning is "along for the ride" while the focus is on the content of the lesson. There are strategies that augment an EL learner's experience with a lesson, but these strategies and accommodations also positively influence other students' lesson interactions regarding collaboration, interpretation, or even production. No matter what, teachers are thinking, "How do I know my students are learning? What am I assessing? How can I help my students reach this goal?"

Thinking about our goals as teachers, EL students are still capable of reaching our goals for them because of comprehensible input. EL learners are not lower than other students by any means. Instead, they need support in classes to help them engage with the material. Especially in math, students are expected to think critically and create imaginative strategies to explain, reason, and persevere in difficulty. Yes, scaffolds help students understand and support our students' learning; however, scaffolds are meant to be removed. They are not used forever. These supports and accommodations help every student engage with the content while supporting their thinking, creation, and dialogue until no longer necessary.

EL Typologies

EL: English Learner
DLL: Dual Language Learner
IFEP: Initial Fluent English Proficiency

RFEP: Reclassified Fluent English Proficient

Special Populations

LTEL: Long-Term English Learner
SLIFE: Student with Limited/Interrupted Formal Education
Newcomer
Dually Identified

ELD Standards

Different Standards per grade level
There are two parts to the standards
- "Interacting in Meaningful Ways"
- Learning About How English Works"
Proficiency levels are classified into 3 levels
- Emerging
- Expanding
- Bridging

Emerging

"Students progress very quickly, learning to use English for immediate needs as well as beginning to understand and use academic vocabulary and other features of academic language" (19)

Expanding

"Students at this level are challenged to increase their English skills in more contexts and learn a greater variety of vocabulary and linguistic structures, applying their growing language skills in more sophisticated ways that are appropriate to their age and grade level" (19)

Bridging

"Students at this level continue to learn and apply a range of high-level English language skills in a wide variety of contexts, including comprehension and production of highly technical texts. The “bridge” alluded to is the transition to full engagement in grade-level academic tasks and activities in a variety of content areas without the need for specialized ELD instruction." (19)

Part 1: Interacting in Meaningful Ways

Includes 3 parts:
- Collaborative: engagement in dialogue
- Interpretive: comprehension and analysis of written and spoken texts
- Productive: creation of oral presentations and written texts

Part 2: Learning About How English Works

Includes 3 parts:
- Structuring Cohesive Texts
- Expanding and Enriching Ideas
- Connecting and Condensing Ideas

Part 1: Interacting in Meaningful Ways

Strategies for Collaboration

Think, Pair, Share

Give One, Get One

Block Party

Assigned Roles

Collaborative Retelling

Strategies for Interpretation

Say Something

Chunking

Sentence Unpacking

See, Think, Wonder

Analyzing Complex Sentences

Cohesion in Text

Aligns Verbs to Function

Strategies for Production

Text Reconstruction

Sentence Frames

Conversation Moves

Collaborative Summarizing

Inside-Outside Circle

Collaborative Summarizing

Part 2: Interacting in Meaningful Ways

Structuring Cohesive Texts

Genre Charts

Sentence Frames

Text Reconstruction

Expanding and Enriching Ideas

Appositives

Expanding Sentences

Connecting and Condensing Ideas

Appositives

Because, But, So

The ELPAC

English Language Proficiency Assessment for California
An assessment that determines English Proficiency levels for all Multilingual Learners
Overall score represented by
- Reading
- Writing
- Listening
- Speaking

Integrated ELD

Students are included in general education classes
lessons contain language support
content standards are used simultaneously with ELD standards
Content Standards "drive" the planning
- ELD standards support and are "along for the ride"
- plan for both

Planning for an iELD

Identify Barriers
Develop Goals
Develop Assessments
Develop flexible Methods and Materials
Teach
Reflect and Revise

Comprehensible Input

"Students are able to acquire new language when instruction is delivered in the language just beyond the students' current level of proficiency (i + 1). Comprehensible input is simply an instructional shift when teachers provide input where students understand most, but not all, of the language."

"Teaching with Comprehensible Input" ELLevation

Strategies

Teacher monitoring
Repeated phrases
Established routines
Listen-guide-prompt
Wait time
Roadmaps
Connection to previous learning
Connection to real-world
Accessible texts
Modeling

Tools

Graphic Organizers
Anchor Charts
Visuals during Instruction
Word Walls
Journals
Learning Logs
Models

Planning for UDL

What is your final task of the lesson? What is the language in that task? (Backwards Planning)
What are the standards that are being assessed?
What is FIXED? What is FLEXIBLE?
What are the various ways that we can design the lesson so it is universally accessible? (UDL)

My Favorite Strategies for EL Learners

Word Wall: a visible display that includes a collection of vocabulary terms (or even equations) that students are studying
Graphic Organizer: helps students organize, visualize, and construct their thoughts and ideas
Wait Time: giving students ample time to respond to a question they were asked
Established Routines: allows students to feel a sense of normalcy and routine to avoid creating chaotic spaces
See, Think, Wonder: encourages students to make careful observations, thoughtful interpretations, and inquiries about what they learned
Chunking: breaking down and pacing the lesson with students to reduce their cognitive load
Sentence Frames: supports academic language development in both their writing and speaking by giving students prompts to discuss the content
Inside Outside Circle: gives students the opportunity to respond to questions and discuss information with a variety of peers in a structured manner
Verbal Rehearsal: give students time to practice and prepare for presenting an answer. Gives students confidence and allows them to confirm their answers/response
Think, Pair, Share: instructors pose a question, allow students to think for a little, have them talk with a pair, and then share with the class. Allows students to think about their answer, check with a peer, and then be more confident when they share their answer

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