Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
Article
If you're like most teachers, your classes have increasingly become more linguistically diverse. If you're looking for ways to meet the needs of students who struggle with or are just learning English, I am here to help! For the last eight years, I have had the fortunate opportunity to work with many students who are English language learners. It's been an exceptionally challenging and rewarding experience and I am thrilled to be able to share with you some of the best practices that I've used in my classroom. My background includes three years solely focused on English Language Development (ELD). I have also taught the CLAD (Cross-Language and Academic Development) course at California State University, Fullerton and worked with veteran teachers to help them integrate ELD and SDAIE (Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English) strategies.
4/1/2014
method allows for effortless acquisition. Rather than getting caught up in grammar and the mechanics of language, non-native speakers learn by interacting with English-only models. This approach is most successful when there are two conditions: Comprehensible input is provided, which means messages are made understandable and meaningful to the learner via a variety of techniques. There is a low-affective filter, which means students are made to feel comfortable and there is little pressure to learn "it all" right now. Here are some ways you can create a classroom environment that supports natural acquisition: Use visuals that reinforce spoken or written words. Employ gestures for added emphasis Adjust your speech: Speak slowly; enunciate; use longer natural pauses; repeat words or phrases; include shorter sentences, fewer pronouns, and simpler syntax. Exaggerate intonations at times. Stress high-frequency vocabulary words. Use fewer idioms and clarify the meaning of words or phrases in context. Stress participatory learning. Maintain a low anxiety level and be enthusiastic. With these conditions in place, students can't help but learn the language!
2/2