This presentation provides background knowledge and information on the population of ELL children in the United States. In the body of the presentation, research-based strategies are provides for teachers and anyone who works with ELL students in an academic environment.

1. Teaching English Language Learners
B. J. Zagorac, M.A., M.Ed., M.Ed.
Reading Specialist Expert Educator

2. ELL Student Demographics
• Over14 million students whose native language is not
English attend K-12 U.S. schools (Garcia, Jensen, &
Scribner, 2009).
– About 5 million of these students are English language learners (ELL),
a term used to describe students who have not yet fully developed
proficiency in the English language.
– ELL students compose approximately 10% of the entire student
population in schools.
– Information above is from Census data, which usually underestimates
the number of ELL students.
• Most immigrant families come from Mexico (40%),
followed by families from the Caribbean (10-11%) and
East Asia (10-11%).
– 77% of ELL students speak Spanish as their native language.
– There is no common language that can be identified for the other ELL
students.
– ELL students in the United States speak over 350 languages.

3. Where Do Immigrants Come From?
Mexico
41%
Carribean
11%
East Asia
10%
South
America
6%
Central
America
6%
Indochina
6%
West Asia
6%
Soviet Union
2%
Africa
2%
Europe,
Canada, &
Austrial
10%

4. What Factors Affect the Achievement of ELLs?
 Family and school factors work in tandem
to influence achievement (Garcia et al., 2009)
Primary language spoken at home
About ¼ of ELL children live in homes where
nobody over the age of 13 speaks English
proficiently.
For Spanish students, those who lived in homes
with limited spoken English lagged behind in
math and reading compared to students who live
in homes where English is the primary language.

5. What Factors Affect the Achievement…..cont.
 Social and economic variations
In general, ELL students come from lower-
income families that their English-speaking
peers.
In 2000, 68% of grade K-5 ELLs and 60% of
grade 6-12 ELLs lived below the federal poverty
level.
 Parent Education
ELL children are more likely to have parents with
limited education
 Nearly 50% of PK-5 ELL parents had less than a
high school education.

6. How Can Schools Boost Achievement of ELLs?
 If possible, schools should retain teachers who are bilingual so
instruction can occur in both languages for ELL students.
 Closely monitor and screen ELLs for learning problems or other
difficulties with learning in school (Garcia et al., 2009).
 Teach English frequently and tailor instruction in English to the
level appropriate for the ELL students. Grouping based on
students’ language needs is encouraged (Clark, 2009).
 Provide instruction in the student’s native language when teaching
content-area subjects so ELLs can learn and do work at grade-
level (Estrada, Gomez, & Ruiz-Escalante, 2009).
 Build on the strengths ELL children have in their first language
when teaching new material (International Reading Association, 2001).

7. How Can Schools Motivate ELLs to Read?
 5 Components Influence Motivation for ELLs (Protacio, 2012):
1) Family and friends within immediate environment serve as motivating
factor.
In Praxis: Promote interaction and conversations among all
students in the classroom; Encourage ELL parents to model reading in front or
their children or read with them often.
2) ELL students read to bond with American students and learn
about the new culture.
In Praxis: Provide ELLs with books about the culture of the U.S.
and have ELL students talk about their culture with American peers.
3) ELL students read because they want to improve their English
skills.
In Praxis: Encourage ELLs to read books in English (at their
level), and allow them to talk with peers to use new vocabulary.

8. How Can Schools Motivate ELLs to Read? – cont.
4) ELL students’ perception of their English abilities are related to
their motivation to read.
In Praxis: Create a safe classroom environment where ELLs feel
they can openly explore the English language and feel comfortable making
mistakes during the learning process. Positive feedback and reinforcement
should be offered to ELLs by the classroom teacher.
5) ELL students are motivated to read engaging books at their
independent reading level.
In Praxis: Teachers should inquire which genres ELLs are interested in, and
help them select appropriate reading material in that area that they can read
independently.
a) Linguistic background and ability of student should be carefully
considered when recommending texts to ELLs.
b) Classroom library should include texts geared toward the
interests of ELLs and their proficiency in English.

9. How Does the Law Affect ELLs?
 No Child Left Behind (NCLB):
 Under this federal law, ELL students are only exempt
from testing requirements for 1 school year, in which
they are expected to be fully proficient in English to
take the tests the next school year.
 Failure to make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)
results in schools being sanctioned for poor quality
instruction.
 ELL students are included in measurements of AYP, yet
there is no empirical evidence that they should be performing
at grade level after only having 1 year to learn English
(Cummins, 2011).

10. How Long Does it Take for ELLs to Acquire
Proficiency in English?
• 2 Different Forms of Language:
1. Social/Conversational English typically takes around 1-2
years for ELLs to acquire (Cummins, 2011; Hadaway, Vardell, &
Young, 2009).
2. Academic English takes at least 5 years for ELL
students to acquire.
• This is the type of language that students encounter in
content-areas textbooks.
• Standardized tests include academic vocabulary, so ELL
students are put at a disadvantage until they have had
sufficient experience with content-area words.

11. How Can Teachers Help ELL Students Learn New Vocabulary?
• New vocabulary should be taught to ELLs within 3 phases of
reading (Wessels, 2011):
1 – Before Reading Phase
 Select vocabulary words for the upcoming lessons.
 Students (small groups are preferable) write or draw whatever comes to
their mind for each word the teacher presents.
 Students discuss the words within their groups to see what background
connections were made from what they drew or wrote down.
2 – During Reading Phase
 The teacher gives examples of the words in context and prompts groups to
discuss their understanding of the words.
 Small group activities for the new words can be provided so students have
multiple exposures to the words
 At selected points, the teacher stops the lesson when the new word is
encountered in the text, discusses the context in which the word was used,
and clarifies any misunderstandings about the words.

12. How Can Teachers Help ELL Students….. cont.
3 – After Reading Phase
 Students should work together in their groups to write an appropriate
definition for the words based on what they learned in the lesson.
 Students can share the definitions they developed with the class.
 The teacher should include a component to have students reflect what they
learned and how their new knowledge about the words relates to their
background knowledge.
 Importance of Vocabulary for ELLs
 Direct instruction in vocabulary for ELL children is critical since low
vocabulary is a major factor in low literacy achievement for these children
(Carlo & Bengochea, 2011).
 Most of the instructional methods that teachers use to teach vocabulary to
native speakers work very well with ELL students too.
 Like native speakers, ELLs need instruction in phonological awareness and
word identification strategies.

13. How Can Teachers Help ELLs with Academic Reading?
 Focus on one topic or theme during the beginning stages of instruction
(Hadaway, 2009).
– Focusing on one area allows ELLs to enhance their vocabulary and
comprehension on the topic.
– Wide reading is still important, but it can confuse ELL students when they are first
learning new vocabulary and concepts.
 Try arranging books in order of difficulty with the easier books on a
topic coming first.
– Easier books will help ELLs form the necessary background knowledge and
understanding of the vocabulary for the topic.
– After background knowledge is developed, students can progress in reading
more challenging material on the topic depending on their level of English
proficiency.
 Use children’s literature such as picture books, easy readers, and
chapter books to supplement textbooks.
– Textbooks generally contain difficult language and poor organization, and other
nonfiction reading material can better help ELLs understand a topic.

14. What Are Some Helpful Websites For/About ELLs?
• Website:
http://www.manythings.org/
 This site has a wealth of activities for ELL students ranging from
games and puzzles on common English expressions to read-along
stories and anagram activities.
• Website:
http://www.literacyconnections.com/SecondLanguage.php
 This site contains many links to additional websites about ELL teaching
and learning; many organizations are includes.
• Website:
http://rbeaudoin333.homestead.com/shortvowel_1.html
 This site will be helpful for teachers with younger ELLs who need help
with learning short vowel sounds; it offers wonderful activities in sorting
and pronunciation.

15. What’s Most Important to Remember
about Teaching ELLs?
• ELL students should be viewed as capable learners who can attain
success in school like their native speaking peers.
• Many skills from an ELL’s first language can transfer to the second
language, and teachers should determine those links.
o Phonological skills in Spanish have a high degree of transfer to the English
language (Lindsey, Manis, & Bailey, 2003).
o Teachers should assess literacy skills in both English and the child’s native
language (or request information about the child’s performance in their first
language).
• ELLs are not a homogenous group; many have unique needs and
are functioning at different levels depending on their present
knowledge of English.
• Embrace the language and cultural diversity of ELL students and
what they have to contribute to the class.

16. Concluding Remarks
• As increasing numbers of ELL students enter schools within the
U.S., educators will need to closely examine their teaching
practices to ensure the diverse needs of students are being met.
• Even if schools are unable to allocate sufficient resources for ELL
students, teachers should remember that many of the methods
used to teach native speakers can be easily modified to help ELL
children learn as well.
• Schools should encourage the involvement of community members
to help out in anyway they can; common practices could include
volunteering time, donating resources, developing tutoring
programs for ELLs, and holding fundraisers for important school
programs.

17. References
Carlo, M. S., & Bengochea, A. (2011). Best practices in literacy instruction
for English language learners. In. L. M. Morrow & L. B. Gambrell (Eds.),
Best practices in literacy instruction (pp.117-137).
New York, NY: The Guilford Press.
Clark, K. (2009). The case for structured English immersion. Educational
Leadership, 66(7), 42-46.
Cummins, J. (2011). Literacy engagement: Fueling academic growth for
English learners. The Reading Teacher, 65, 142-146.
doi: 10.1002/TRTR.01022
Dong, Y. R. (2009). Linking to prior learning. Educational Leadership, 66(7),
26-31.
Estrada, V. L., Gomez, L., & Ruiz-Escalante, J. A. (2009). Let’s make dual
language the norm. Educational Leadership, 66(7), 54-58.
Garcia, E. E., Jensen, B. T., & Scribner, K. P. (2009). The demographic
imperative. Educational Leadership, 66(7), 8-13.

18. References – cont.
Hadaway, N. L. (2009). A narrow bridge to academic reading. Educational
Leadership, 66(7), 38-41.
Hadaway, N. L., Vardell, S. M., & Young, T. A. (2009). What every teacher
should know about English language learners. Boston, MA: Pearson
Education, Inc.
International Reading Association. (2001). Second language literacy
instruction: A position statement of the International Reading
Association. Retrieved from http://www.reading.org/Libraries/position-
statements-and-resolutions/ps1046_second_language.pdf
Lindsey, K. A., Manis, F. R., & Bailey, C. E. (2003). Prediction of first-grade
reading in Spanish-speaking English-language learners. Journal of
Educational Psychology, 95, 482-494. doi:10.1037/0022-0663.95.3.482
Protacio, M. S. (2012). Reading motivation: A focus on English learners.
The Reading Teacher, 66, 69-77. doi: 10.1002/TRTR.01092
Wessels, S. (2011). Promoting vocabulary learning for English learners.
The Reading Teacher, 65, 46-50. doi: 10.1598/RT.65.16