Teaching ELLs

New to Teaching ELLs

Are you a new teacher, or is this the first year you have English Language Learners (ELLs) in your classroom? Teaching ELs for the first time can be stressful but extremely rewarding for the ELLs, the other students in the school, and the teachers. With the increasing influx of ELs into the public school systems throughout the United States, teachers will need to learn to welcome and teach these students.

One of the most critical strategies for successfully teaching ELLs is constructing a robust positive relationship with these students. Here is a short list of easy but essential strategies to win over the ELLs in your classroom:

• Pronounce your ELLs name correctly
• Show support for ELLs’ interests (sports, music, etc.)
• Support your ELLs’ languages and cultures
• Interact with ELLs outside the classroom (Counseling, tutoring, coaching, etc.)
• Provide ELLs a platform to share their stories

Here are some helpful ideas, strategies, and things to consider while preparing to teach the ELLs in your classroom.

• Repetition is your friend. Develop routines and stick to them. Repeat directions often. If necessary, rephrase or simplify. Have students repeat the English skills they have developed until they are automatic and build on those.
• Speak clearly, using visual aids and hand gestures as much as possible.
• Write legibly and in simple English for new arrivals.
• Ensure the student understands the directions, activities, and expectations.
• Diversify instruction by presenting information in various formats.
• Remember that most ELLs will not understand idioms or slang and will likely take them literally, which will be confusing.
• Build on prior knowledge and English skills.
• Connect subject matter to ELLs’ culture or background whenever possible.
• Emphasize essential vocabulary relevant to the subject matter being taught.
• Celebrate ELLs’ academic success appropriately with respect for the student’s cultural traditions.

Essential Things to Know

• Student’s Name and Family information

The first thing a teacher learns, often before meeting a student, is their name. Spelling and pronouncing their name correctly can start the relationship out in a positive direction. This is not always as easy as it would seem. Many names can give typical U.S. teachers problems if unfamiliar with them. For instance, a Spanish-speaking student from Central America may have a name spelled Yeimi that pronounces it the same as the common name “Jamie” in the United States. Furthermore, the last names of ELLs from Central and South America can be difficult for some U.S. teachers. Often, these students have four names with two last names that may or may not be hyphenated. Teachers must become familiar with how the students prefer their teachers to write and pronounce their names.

Often students have a different spelling from traditional spellings of familiar names in the United States. For example, the common name “Christian” may be spelled “Cristhian” by ELLs from other countries. Teachers should never change the spelling or pronunciation of the student’s name unless the student or their family requests it. This proper spelling of names is essential for papers going home to the parents of students to avoid alienating the family of the ELLs. Teachers can obtain the correct spelling of names from school records submitted by the parents in their cumulative folders kept in the office in most schools. If necessary, the school or school district’s English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher can assist with this information.

Country of Birth

• Discover the ELL’s Country of Birth

Teachers must know the student’s country of birth and culture. If the teacher is unfamiliar with the country or culture, they must learn about it, so they can incorporate it into the lessons and have welcoming discussions with the student. This knowledge will also allow the teacher to introduce the other students to the ELL’s culture, enabling them to become more firmly entrenched in the school community. Knowledge of the ELL’s country of origin will provide the teacher with valuable information they can use to connect learning objectives to background knowledge or incorporate the ELL’s personal history into the lessons.

Home Life

• ELL’s Family History and Present Living Situation

A Student’s home life and family background can majorly impact their social and academic success. Although many ELLs attend schools from homes in safe, secure environments, some are separated from their parents and siblings, living with extended family members they may not have known before they arrived in the United States. Others may be in living in shelters or with strangers. Teachers must delicately and sensitively learn about their ELL’s family dynamics and living situations to ascertain if they have adequate support and access to materials and resources necessary to attend school. ELLs from challenging backgrounds and living situations may need social-emotional support and monitoring to meet their social and academic potential.

Once educators gather the essential information regarding their ELLs’ experiences and living arrangements, they can better assist them with access to critical resources necessary to navigate their new community. School counselors are great resources for finding family information. Teachers can also utilize get-to-know-you conversations with ELLs and their families to acquire pertinent knowledge about their histories. Teachers must stay alert for at-risk indicators, such as significant changes to students’ behavior or mood, that may signal a need for assistance.  

Education Background

• First Language (L1)

Parents or guardians must fill out a home language survey when registering their child for school. This simple form asks fundamental questions about the child’s language background and is usually readily accessible in the student’s cumulative folder kept in the school’s front office. Teachers can often learn the student’s first language from this form before they enter their classroom. This form does not usually provide much information, so the teacher should ask the student or family further questions about the student’s proficiency in their first language and if they have any other language skills in English or another language. Teachers may want to ask questions such as:

• Does your child speak multiple languages?
• Did your child have any English language instruction before coming to this school?
• What language does your child speak at home?
• What language does your child speak with his friends?
• What language are the television stations he watches?
• What is the language of the music they listen to?
• At what age did the child start speaking their first language?

The answers to these questions can provide the teacher with information to help the teacher build on the student’s language proficiencies.

First-Language Proficiency and Multilingualism

A student’s proficiency in their first language is the best indicator of their ability to learn a second language. Furthermore, if a student speaks Spanish, Portuguese, and French fluently, they will most likely learn English more effortlessly than students who only know one language. Conversely, if students are not proficient in their first language, they will usually have a more challenging experience learning a second language. For instance, if a Spanish-speaking 8th-grade student speaks Spanish fluently but does not read or write in Spanish, they may find learning English difficult. Therefore, it can be beneficial for teachers to understand a student’s first language proficiency and whether or not they are multilingual.

Students with Interrupted Formal Education (SIFE)

Due to circumstances beyond their control, many ELLs have come to our schools through complicated routes with gaps in their official records. It can often be challenging to ascertain how much time your ELLs attended school in their home country, been in the United States, attended U.S. schools, or if their education had any interruptions. There are many instances where the paperwork provided to the school at registration is vague on these topics. It is not uncommon for ELLs to have long periods of their education interrupted when they did not attend school for many years. This interruption can cause many challenges for the ELLs and the educators trying to assist them with their education.

Educators should conduct a family interview to establish the educational background of their ELLs. This interview is the most reliable strategy for learning the ELL’s prior academic history. It is also an excellent opportunity to meet and build a positive relationship with the family.

Literacy Skills

• First Langauge Literacy

First-language literacy is often the best indicator of an ELL’s ability to acquire English language literacy. If an ELL is proficient in all domains of their first language, it is most likely that they will learn English quickly and much more easily than ELLs who are not. Therefore, educators should assess the ELL’s first-language literacy skills to determine if they read and write at the appropriate proficiency level. The school district may want to conduct a family interview with a translator and the ESL teacher present. During these interviews, the educators can learn if there are gaps in the ELL’s education history and their reading and writing ability in their first language.

Teachers can do a quick informal assessment by asking a student to read a short article in their first language, then have them write a short paragraph about what they read. For Spanish-speaking students, Spanish literature is usually easily accessible in the school library or on the internet. After completed, the teacher can have the ESL teacher or bilingual colleague assess the response. This assessment can determine if the student can read and write at an appropriate level for their age and education level.

English Language Skills

• Understanding English Language Proficiency Assessment Scores

English Language Proficiency Test (ELPT)

In Louisiana, the English Language Proficiency Test (ELPT) is the standardized state assessment taken by every ELL in Louisiana public schools. This assessment is administered in late February and early March every year during the Spring semester before the LEAP and iLEAP examinations, which all students usually take in late April and Early May. Every state has a similar test for ELLs to assess their English proficiency.

The ELPT determines the English proficiency of ELLs in four language domains: listening, reading, speaking, and writing. For simplicity, scores are listed between 1 and 5 for each domain, with 1 being the lowest possible score. The Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) lists the ELPT scores in alphabetical order from left to right. For instance,  a score of 1/2/3/4 would represent a student’s score of 1 in listening, 2 in reading, 3 in speaking, and 4 in writing. The LDOE designates students using their lowest score as a base. A student with a score of 1 in a domain but no higher than 2 in the other domains is Emerging 1 (E1). A student scoring a 1 in a domain but over 2 in at least one domain (example:  3/1/2/2) is progressing 1 (P1). Consequently, a score of 3/3/4/4 is a P3 representing a student progressing with the lowest domain score of 3. Educators in other states should contact the ESL teachers in their school district to attain the scoring procedures.

English Language Proficiency Screener (ELPS)

ELLs often come to your school districts without any prior ELPT scores or school records from other school districts. In this case, ESL teachers should administer an English Language Proficiency Screening (ELPS). The scoring for the ELPS is identical to the ELPT. In Louisiana, this is a shortened version of the ELPT that a student can take within a few days of arrival to provide educators with a general measure of the English skills of the ELL in the four domains.

Although these tests are great for providing educators with a score to measure English language proficiency, they do not provide essential information about academic history or first language literacy. It is important to remember that many students may have the lowest possible score on the ELPS or ELPT but may have vastly different academic foundations to acquire English proficiency in all the domains.

Teachers can usually access the results of the ELPT or ELPS in the students’ cumulative folders administrators keep in the school’s front office. If necessary, teachers can contact the school’s ESL teacher to get the ELP student scores and explain them in more detail if desired. Meeting with the ESL teacher provides educators an excellent opportunity to collaborate and learn more about the students and strategies to assist them in the classroom.

Student Interests

Teachers must acquaint themselves with their student’s interests. This knowledge of their interests can be essential for building a bond with the ELLs in their classrooms. Teachers can gather this information through short questionnaires or informal conversations with individual students, or classroom discussions. Often, these conversations can start with teachers sharing their hobbies or interests.

Once teachers know their student’s interests, they find ways to support them. For instance, if a wants to be part of the school soccer team, a teacher should ensure that the student understands when the team tryouts take place, help them acquire any equipment they may need (cleats, etc.), or fill out any of the paperwork necessary for the tryouts. Also, once the student is part of a school sports team or other activity, the teacher should attend games or functions their ELLs participate in. This support works wonders for building strong relationships between teachers and all students but especially for ELLs who may feel alienated in their new school.

Student Goals

Plans for the Future

Understand your ELL’s and family’s goals and plans for the future. ELL’s plans for the future are as varied as the students themselves. Some may dream of becoming a medical doctor or educated professional, while others desire to gain a trade skill to work in a family construction business. Discussions with ELLs and their families about their future hopes and dreams help ELLs reach their goals. Also, once again, your interest in their plans helps to build your relationship with the ELLs and their families. The more teachers show interest and support for their ELLs, the more respect and effort they will receive from them.