ELL/ESL/ESOL students
As our classrooms become more diverse, the curriculum needs to widen to include ELL/ESL students. The myth that ELL students are "lazy" is just that -- a myth. If a classroom is instructed in a language different from a student's own language that they may speak at home, the chance of them getting lost within their studies continues to grow. If a child falls behind in their cumulative studies, then the chance of them being on the same academic level as their peers will decrease unless intervention is done. Teachers need to facilitate the ELL students in their classroom by incorporating their cultures along with their languages into the lessons that they teach.
Gisela Ernst researched techniques to help the ELL student become better adjusted to the classroom and expand their English fluency without falling behind in their studies. The study was conducted at Arthur Elementary School in a town in Florida that housed two different ESL programs. The school uses a "pull out" model in which the students are taught in and English-speaking setting, but are pulled out for individualized instruction by specialized ESL teachers. Ernst sites a five-principle standard for ESL instruction that has helped students stay at the same educational level as their peers:
(1) a constructed curriculum that incorporates students' languages and cultures;
(2) an orientation program to help new students, their parents, and the staff who will be working with the newly arrived students; (3) a monitoring procedure that begins with the assessment of a newly arrived student and continues even after the student has exited the program
(4) a language component in which the main goal is to add a second language to students' linguistic repertoire and not to replace their native language with English
(5) a content-area component that mainly targets the specific needs of students in reading and math.
Gisela Ernst researched techniques to help the ELL student become better adjusted to the classroom and expand their English fluency without falling behind in their studies. The study was conducted at Arthur Elementary School in a town in Florida that housed two different ESL programs. The school uses a "pull out" model in which the students are taught in and English-speaking setting, but are pulled out for individualized instruction by specialized ESL teachers. Ernst sites a five-principle standard for ESL instruction that has helped students stay at the same educational level as their peers:
(1) a constructed curriculum that incorporates students' languages and cultures;
(2) an orientation program to help new students, their parents, and the staff who will be working with the newly arrived students; (3) a monitoring procedure that begins with the assessment of a newly arrived student and continues even after the student has exited the program
(4) a language component in which the main goal is to add a second language to students' linguistic repertoire and not to replace their native language with English
(5) a content-area component that mainly targets the specific needs of students in reading and math.
This study goes back to the idea of scaffolding students' efforts in order to help their children succeed. Recall this table that was on another page:
As stated on the previous page, this chart was designed for ELL learners in order to help "scaffold" them to success. When a teacher enacts these principles (either/or presented on this page), this was help the students feel more accepted by their peers and the classroom environment as a whole. By simply teaching them English as another language to use and not as a total replacement of their native language, they'll be more receptive and positive of the school experience as a whole.
citations
Ernst, G. (1994). Beyond language: The many dimensions of an esl program. Anthropology and education quarterly, 25(3), 317-335. Retrieved from Race Bridges for Schools. (2010). 10 tips to creating a more welcoming school community! [Web]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jHDgHtNbU4o
Walqui, A. (2010). Scaffolding success. Language magazine, Retrieved from https://armstrong.view.usg.edu/webct/urw/tp0.lc13680011/cobaltMainFrame.dowebct
Walqui, A. (2010). Scaffolding success. Language magazine, Retrieved from https://armstrong.view.usg.edu/webct/urw/tp0.lc13680011/cobaltMainFrame.dowebct