Transcript English Language Learners

English Language
Learners
By: Margie Jackson
and
Catherine Magruder
What is ELL?
ELL stands for English Language Learners
ELL is a program designed to help students
“who were not born in the U.S. or whose native
language is not English and who cannot
participate effectively in the regular curriculum
because they have difficulty speaking,
understanding, reading, and writing English.”
(www.helpforschools.com)
Facts about ELL:
About 5,044,361 ELL students were enrolled in
2002-2003 in K-12 classrooms.
There was a 84% increase in ELL students from
1992-1993.
In 2000-2001 there were over 400 languages
spoken by ELL students nationwide; 79%
Spanish, 2% Vietnamese, 1.6% Hmong, 1%
Chinese/Cantonese, 1% Korean, and 15.4%
other.
(http://www.helpforschools.com/ELLKBase/refer
ences/Facts_LEP_Students.shtml)
In North Carolina:
Strategies and for teaching ELL
students:
Teachers combine multiple
research-based methods and
strategies into a coherent plan for
reading instruction that meets the
diverse learning needs of their
students.

The teacher will lead a discussion
about a specific experience.

For example: In this approach,
teachers say things like:
Now let's write about our trip.
We'll decide what we want to say
and I'll write it down.
How shall we start?
Shall we start by telling where we
went and how we got there?
What should we tell about next?
What was the first thing that
happened when we got there?
Teachers use systematic and
explicit instruction to develop
students' phonemic awareness.

Effective teachers say things
like:
Watch how my lips press
together when I say the /b/
sound in ban and berry.
Watch how my top teeth
touch my bottom lip when I
say the /v/ sound in van and
very.
Strategies Con’t.
Teachers develop students' phonic skills through systematic instruction on
sound-symbol relationships, spending appropriate time to meet individual
needs.

Say things like:
I'm writing a story about my friend Libby.
I wrote the beginning of the title, My Friend...
See if you can help me spell my friend's name: Libby.
Listen to the first sound /l/. What letter is that?
Teachers frequently engage students in oral reading to develop their reading
fluency.

Provide opportunities for students to listen to stories and read stories repeatedly.
Teachers use numerous research-based methods for both direct and indirect
vocabulary instruction.

Promote vocabulary learning through a variety of strategies.

For example, choose two new vocabulary words and have ELL students choose
which word applies best in certain situations.
Strategies Con’t.
Teachers promote students' reading
comprehension through researchsupported techniques and explicit
strategies.

Some reading comprehension
techniques: Graphic organizers,
Story structure, Question
answering, Question generating,
Monitoring Comprehension,
Summarizing, Cooperative
learning, etc.
Teachers use computer technology
to support reading instruction.

Computer programs help ELL
students develop reading skills
using pictures, printed text, and
audio text.

Also allows ELL students to
control their own pace.
(http://www.alliance.brown.edu/tdl/ele
mlit/readingk3.shtml#start6)
Possible Activities for ELL
students:
At Hillcrest Elementary in Morganton, NC ELL students read a book aloud. Then they
are given a worksheet with the text broken up by sentence. The students copy the
sentences to practice their writing skills. Then they read the story aloud again.
At Hillcrest Elementary in Morganton, NC ELL students use interactive computer
programs to use vocabulary words to practice their English. The computer shows a
picture and the ELL student finds the correct English word, etc.
Bilingual-Grammar Quizzes: Quizzes that give an English word and then ELL
students match the English word to the Spanish, or other foreign language, word.
(www.a4esl.org)
Crossword Puzzles (www.a4esl.org)
Cooperative activities with books. For example plan an activity for growing a plant.
The students learn the steps to grow a plant and actually grow a plant. Throughout
the activity read books like The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle or How Does My Garden
Grow by Joanne Nelson. (www.everythingesl.net)
References:
http://www.everythingesl.net/lessons/
http://www.alliance.brown.edu/tdl/elemlit/re
adingk3.shtml#start6
http://a4esl.org/
http://www.helpforschools.com/ELLKBase/
references/Facts_LEP_Students.shtml
http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/policy/states/rep
orts/statedata/2003LEP/North_CarolinaG.pdf