Introduction to Teaching ESL Students


Center For Multilingual Multicultural Research sent to us by Peggy Gingrich
Sites and articles listed with information about language learning.

Creating Opportunities for Emerging Biliteracy
by Eloise Andrade Laliberty and María E. Berzins
Two bilingual teachers share their success stories with examples from their own classrooms.

Determined Pupils Overcome Obstacles: Limited English Only First Obstacle
by Andrew Duffy
Students explain the culture shock of being in a new school in a new country without the language skills needed to communicate. Shows how schools, fostering a sense of community, can help students adapt to their new environments.

Meeting the Needs of English Language Learners
by David Freeman and Yvonne Freeman
Illustrates the difficulties and frustrations of content teachers with a growing number of limited English proficient students. Asks key questions that can guide curriculum building.

The October 2004 issue of School Talk, published by the National Council of Teachers of English, that focuses on English Language Learners. The articles in this issue show how these ideas have been used successfully in real classrooms. Articles include:
  • "Three Types of English Language Learners" by David Freeman and Yvonne Freeman
  • "Planning for Writings: Defining Purpose, Audience, and Topic with English Language Learners" by Elizabeth McDonald
  • "Learning from Children: Skillful Teachers of Their Peers" by Susi Long, Donna Bell, and Jim Brown

Resources for mainstream teachers
http://www.cal.org/resources/faqs/rgos/mainstream.html
This Resource Guide Online provides links to articles, digests, books, Web sites, and ERIC documents that offer information on the teaching of English language learners in mainstream classes.

Working with young English language learners
http://www.cal.org/resources/digest/0301coltrane.html
This Digest provides general information on the characteristics of English language learners in U.S. preschool and primary school programs and describes learning conditions and instructional practices that are most effective for educating young ELLs.

LEP/ELLs FAQs
http://education.umn.edu/nceo/LEP/default.htm

EFL/ESL Teaching Techniques
http://iteslj.org/Techniques/
This website contains articles on a variety of topics including classroom management, motivation, listening, conversation, etc. Some articles also include activities and lessons.

Common Practices for Uncommon Learners: Addressing Linguistic and Cultural Diversity
By Patricia Anne DiCerbo
This article provides a chart which summarizes the different types of instructional program models used by educators of ELLs and their respective goals. It then lists the common characteristics of those programs determined to be the most effective.

Strategies for Success: Engaging Immigrant Students in Secondary Schools
By Aida Walqui
This article discusses the need to involve ESL students in the process of their own learning and offers ten strategies to increase their engagement. It also describes a particular California high school that has adapted its offerings to include instruction in English, Spanish, and sheltered English and has achieved success through this and other adaptations.

This page was last modified by Dan Craig on February 24, 2006
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