ELL Strategies

English Language Learners are students whose first language is not English meaning they typically communicate and learn more efficiently in another language. They need modified instruction and support in order to be successful. There are many ways to ensure you are giving ELL students the support and resources they need to be successful. One way could be to be to cultivate relationships and be culturally responsive to your students. This means making personal connections and bringing their culture into your classroom. This helps to make them feel more comfortable in your classroom. You can bring in their culture by incorporating books in their native language and allowing them to relate their learning to their culture. Something that I did not think about before was making sure you are teaching language skills across all subject areas. Allow students opportunities to communicate in their own language whenever possible and even try connecting them with another student or person that speaks their native language. This may not always be possible, but you can still allow the student to speak to the class in their native language and allow them to teach you and your class new words! This would be a fun activity for the student and the rest of the class. You can also search for photographs or allow them to bring in their own pictures to share with the class. You want to do anything possible to make them feel welcome and like they belong. Going to a new school is hard enough as it is, much less if you are different than everyone around you! A major thing to remember about your ELL students is that learning a new language is HARD and it takes time to process new information. Incorporating a wait time with all of your students could help them to be successful. Make sure you are giving a think time, speaking slowly, and providing many opportunities for your ELL students to speak and participate. Something to remember that I will be sure to use in my future classroom is the phrase, "Fair is not always equal". Some students require more or less than others. As a teacher, it is our job to ensure we are giving each child exactly what they need not what is fair!