When it comes to teaching content, there are two approaches:
- Native language instruction: students receive content instruction in their native language and also in English
- Sheltered instruction: content is taught in English, but with instructional strategies and accommodations to make the content accessible to students learning English
There are five different school settings for students learning English.
- Self-contained classrooms: similar to special education, these classrooms provide ESL and content-area instruction for ELs.
- Departmentalized: students move around between different classrooms for different subject areas, and, as part of their day, receive ESL instruction, native language instruction or support, and/or content taught in English. This is the setting that we have at UT.
- Co-teaching: again, similar to special ed, two teachers share classroom instructional duties. Most of the time, this would include a content-area teacher and a teacher with an ESL or bilingual certification. (Only 6 classes!!)
- Push-in: students are mainstreamed, but for a portion of the day, an ESL or bilingual teacher comes into the classroom to provide ESL instruction and/or native language instruction and support.
- Pull-out: students spend most of the day in a mainstream classroom, but are pulled out for a portion of each day to receive ESL or native language instruction and support.
For program models, there are basically two categories with different goals. One category has the goal of bilingualism and bilingualism for all students in English and another language; the other has the goal of English literacy and transition to English instruction.
There are two types of programs in each category. For the first:
- Two-way immersion: 50% native English speakers and 50% speakers of (the same) another native language, academic instruction takes place in both languages, has a structured plan for use of languages--may start with a higher percentage of one language with a goal of 50/50 language use by the end.
- One-way immersion: all students who speak the same native language, uses both English and native language for instruction, starts with literacy and content lessons in native language with some specific English lessons, wants to maintain native language while developing English.
For the second category, the two types are:
- Transitional bilingual: most common form of bilingual education, initial academic instruction in native language along with English lessons, gradual shift to content lessons in English. What we are working toward at UT!
- Sheltered immersion/transitional program of instruction: content is taught in English with modified curriculum to meet EL needs, teachers are ESL teachers and/or content teachers.