10 things for teachers to know about English language learners
By Lydia Breiseth, Colorín Colorado
Lydia Breiseth wrote this article as a guide for classroom teachers so they can better assist MLs who are struggling.
Personal and family information
- Student’s name – The first step is to ask the student what name they want to use in class, and the second step is to be careful about spelling the names on student records to avoid duplication or confusion.
- Country of birth – While this can give a teacher some information about a student’s background and can help with “making culturally responsive connections”, each student’s situation is different. Some students and families welcome the opportunity to talk about their country, while others may not, so it may be best to ask the ESL teacher.
- Family background – Students may also be reluctant to discuss their family situations, but if the student’s behavior indicates a problem, a counselor or someone the family knows may be able to provide information.
- Home language – Families have to fill out a home language survey when they register their children for school, but the survey may not indicate if more than one language is used or if parents are more concerned about having their children maintain their home language and/or being proficient in English. The article also contains advice on translating.
Academic and language skills
- Educational experiences – Important information includes time in the United States, frequency of relocation, and gaps in students’ education. For students who have had gaps in their education, their experiences provide background knowledge that can be a strength.
- Reading and writing skills in home language – The ESL teacher can be consulted about this. Breiseth suggests using a picture to have the student write a story in their home language and asking a bilingual teacher to help determine the student’s skills.
- English language proficiency (ELP) level -The author provides a link to each state’s assessments and standards and recommends collaboration with the ESL teacher to provide support for each ML.
- English language proficiency scores – Knowing a student’s scores in reading, listening, speaking, and writing can be a guide in planning lessons.
Strengths and interests
- Student interests – There are links to questionnaires in English and Spanish to use to discover students’ interests. One-to-one conversations sharing photos are another option.
- Plans or goals – Teachers who know students’ goals can encourage and support students in their struggle to reach them. MLs should be allowed to express their goals in various ways.
Breiseth acknowledges that this is a lot of work, but it will enable the teacher to provide better support for their MLs.
Cristiani addresses a similar topic to the article above, but offers mostly different advice.
