What all you need to know about ESL

What all you need to know about ESL Students By: Vanessa Baltian

What can you do with ESL Students? Make your students feel welcome Always have an agenda up on the board. Pair your ESL student with a buddy that knows the language. Incorporate corporative learning in the classroom. Have them in small groups so they can pick up the language and skills. Let them practice their speaking skills with others in the room. Use hand-on material, realia, pictures, and visuals. Show lots of modeling for understanding purposes with VIPs

More…. . Give them enough time to think things through before questioning them. Speak slowly and clearly. Teach vocabulary first and have a word wall for them to refer to. Include games in their learning process. Repeat yourself often and make sure your material is age appropriate.

How do you assess ESL Learners? Assessments can be done both Formal and Informal. By observing your students in social interactions and academic settings. Classroom Observations. Scaffold your students tests so that they meet their level of understanding Make a check list Keep portfolios Do journal writings

What about 2 nd Language Acquisition? We want our students to become competent on the four languages process: listening, speaking, reading and writing. It can take them up to 5 -7 years to develop the vocabulary of the English Language. Don’t force production, but rather allow for “silent period” in which they acquire some language knowledge by listening and understanding others.

More…. Focus them on communication rather than grammar. Create a low-anxiety environment. Make them feel comfortable. Provide social interaction with native speakers and non-speakers to aim communication.

Oral Language Development Can help with communication skills OLA can be expressed through plays, songs, choral reading, and social speaking. Develop OLA before writing and it becomes easier to listen and mimic things. More they speak the better they will understand language Include routine instructional events such as circle time, journal time, Socratic seminars, study circles and projects.

OLA Activities Show and tell Wordless book stories Choral reading

How do ESL Learn? Use visuals Pair them or group them Use manipulative, real objects and handson activities. Use clear words in directions and don’t cluster your writing. Activate prior knowledge when creating lesson plans. SCAFFOLD, SCAFFOLD as much as you can.