This document outlines 14 guidelines for effective English language development (ELD) instruction based on research on English learners. The guidelines are grouped into those that are strongly supported by evidence and those that are emerging hypotheses. The strongly supported guidelines recommend that ELD instruction be provided daily with a focus on listening and speaking, explicit teaching of English elements, integration of meaning and communication, and corrective feedback. Emerging guidelines suggest maximizing English use while strategically using students' primary language, teaching language learning strategies, emphasizing academic language, continuing ELD through advanced proficiency levels, using language objectives, grouping by proficiency for ELD then mixing for other classes, and prioritizing ELD programs.

1. From Saunders, W. and Goldenberg, C. (2010). Research to Guide English Language
Development Instruction. In Improving Education for English Learners: Research-Based
Approaches (pp. 21-81). Sacramento, CA: California Department of Education.
From Key Phrase Guideline
Guidelines
Based on
Relatively
Strong
Supporting
Evidence
from English
Learner
Research
1. Teach ELD! 1. Providing ELD instruction is better than not providing it.
2. Planned Interactive
Activities.
2. ELD instruction should include interactive activities
among students, but they must be carefully planned and
carried out.
3. Devote time! 3. A separate block of time should be devoted daily to ELD
instruction.
4. Listening &
speaking.
4. ELD instruction should emphasize listening and
speaking although it can incorporate reading and
writing.
5. Elements of
English.
5. ELD instruction should explicitly teach elements of
English (e.g., vocabulary, syntax, grammar, functions,
and conventions.).
6. Meaning AND ELD 6. ELD instruction should integrate meaning and
communication to support explicit teaching of language.
7. Corrective
Feedback.
7. ELD instruction should provide students with corrective
feedback on form.
Guidelines
Based on
Hypotheses
Emerging
from Recent
English
Learner
Research
8. Maximize English.
(Use L1 strategically)
8. Use of English should be maximized during ELD
instruction, the primary language should be used
strategically.
9. Teach Strategies
for Language Learning &
Communication.
9. Teachers should attend to communication and language
learning strategies and incorporate them into ELD
instruction
10.Academic
Language.
10. ELD instruction should emphasize academic language
as well as conversational language.
11.ELD UNTIL Level
4 or 5.
11. ELD instruction should continue at least until students
reach level 4 (early advanced) and possibly through
level 5 (advanced).
Guidelines
Based on
Hypotheses
Emerging
from Recent
English
Learner
Research
12.Language
Objectives.
12. ELD instruction should be planned and delivered with
specific language objectives in mind.
13.ELD = Proficiency
Groups | Other
times = mixed
13. English learners should be carefully grouped by
language proficiency for ELD instruction; for other
portions of the school day they should be in mixed
classrooms and not in classrooms segregated by
language proficiency.
14.Prioritize ELD! 14. The likelihood of establishing and/or sustaining an
effective ELD instructional program increases when
schools and districts make it a priority.