Supporting
English Language Learners
What can we do to ensure that English
language learners are supported in their classrooms? The best practices, as these
resources suggest, focus on meaningful literacy instruction that values and preserves
the learner's first languages while providing English language instruction.
"A
Chinese Boy's Joyful Initiation into American Literacy" (E) from Language
Arts, presents a case study that shows how a language-rich environment
and personally meaningful communication
opportunities influence one boy's entry into an American community of readers
and writers.
For resources on maintaining and validating students' cultural identity while
focusing on English literacy skills, read "Preserving
the Cultural Identity of the English Language Learner" (M)
from May
2004 Voices from the Middle, an entire issue devoted to the theme
"Teaching English Language Learners."
Explore the challenges of teaching metaphorical language to English language
learners in "Don't
Keep Them in the Dark! Teaching Metaphors to English Language Learners" (M-S)
from English Journal, which includes specific classroom examples
such as discussion ideas and cross-cultural comparisons.
Extend your exploration of the cultural connotations of figurative language with
the Contemporary
Proverbs lesson (M-S) from ReadWriteThink,
which challenges students to update proverbs from
around the world. Ask students to explore proverbs from their first language
to focus English language learners on the nuances of meaning in these maxims.
Encourage cross-cultural understanding by inviting English language learners
to share
stories their home cultures with "A
Moral to the Story: Folk Tales in the ESL Classroom" (M-S-C)
from Teaching
English in the Two-Year College.
Explore the historical context of ESL instruction in higher education and its
effect on institutional structures in "Composition
Studies and ESL Writing: A Disciplinary Division of Labor" (C), from College
Composition and Communication.
Check out the scenarios in
"Narratives about Teaching Second Language Learners in
the English Class" (M-S),
Chapter 4 from the NCTE title "But
Will It Work with Real Students?" Scenarios
for Teaching Secondary English
Language Arts. Through analysis of specific cases, the chapter provides
the opportunity for discussion and reflection of the situations real teachers
face in the classroom.
For additional teaching strategies, professional readings, and other
resources, check out the Elementary
English Language Learner (E-M) and the Secondary
English Language Learners (M-S) Teaching Resource Collections.
NOTE: Free access to journal articles mentioned in this Inbox is provided
for 21 days. After this free access period expires, articles are available
to journal subscribers only. This Inbox Idea was published 02-23-2005.
Initials in annotations indicate academic level of the resource (E=Elementary,
M=Middle, S=Secondary, C=College, G=General).
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