Teaching English Language Learners

This handbook is for elementary staff who work with English Language Learners, but who don’t have specialized training in English language acquisition.It provides a thorough picture of English Language Learners, and offers practical strategies for teaching.

Ann Morgan is a long-time elementary and ESOL teacher, teacher trainer, and writer with experience at all levels of English Language Acquisition in K-8 and college. She holds multiple Masters degrees and has worked as a writer, editor and/or consultant for the state of Maryland, Oxford University Press, the Library of Congress, Discovery Education, and the National Institutes of Health.

Acknowledgments Introduction Acronym Soup and Other Terms Chapter 1: Who are These Kids? Countries and Backgrounds Period of Adjustment Grade Placement The Silent Stage An Adjustment Problem Not an Adjustment Problem Clothes Realistic Expectations Chapter 2: Home Comes to School The Cultural Divide General Information Gender and Expectations Socializing Holidays Resources Chapter 3: Domains and Levels of English Language Learning Language Domains Listening Speaking Reading Writing Testing English Language Proficiency Levels of English Language Proficiency Level 1-2 Beginner Level 3-4 Intermediate Level 5-6 Advanced/Exited Beginning Level Proficiency Goals Intermediate Level Proficiency Goals Advanced Level Proficiency Goals Chapter 4: How to Talk to Your ELLs Pace Yourself Receptive Language Productive Language This is Tense. Keep it Simple. Be an Active Active Speaker More than Words I Don't Get It Chapter 5: Classroom Accommodations What are Accommodations? Typical Accommodations Who is Part of the Accommodations Process? When and Where do ESOL Students Use Accommodations? Why Use Accommodations? Chapter 6: Making the Everyday Puzzle Pieces Fit The Basics First Steps Technology for the Unemployed Let's Do Lunch-Book Talk Overview Before-Setting Up During-Let's Eat After-Clean Up The Book Talk Ripple Effect Chapter 7: Project Based Learning Why PBL? Collect Something Write to Someone Make Something Play Something Chapter 8: Strategies for Teaching Writing Summaries Fiction Non-Fiction General Organization Dots Write Point of View The Kid Piece of the Writing Puzzle Six Word Memoirs OWL Purdue Online Writing Lab Maryland Public Television Chapter 9: What's the Problem? ESOL and Special Needs ESOL Common Errors (Don't Worry) Uncommon Errors (It's Time to Worry) Chapter 10: What Teachers and Kids Say Teachers Input from Kids (with some grammar corrections) Appendix A: Basic Skills Chart for Gardner's Multiple Intelligences Appendix B: Suggested Readings for Book Talk Appendix C: Project Based Learning (PBL) Activities Appendix D: The Great Graph Appendix E: Comparing Proficiency Levels over Time Appendix F: Comparing Proficiency Scores within a Group About the Author Index