This document discusses strategies and activities for teaching English language learners. It recommends pre-teaching vocabulary using visuals and gestures, building in opportunities for repetition. It also suggests using graphic organizers to check understanding, encouraging student-led discussions using sentence frames, and incorporating hands-on learning activities to engage multiple intelligences. Standards are important as they identify the skills students must learn to master academic content.

1. Strategies and Activities for English Language Learners
Sheri White
TSEOL/571 University of Phoenix

2. Powerful Classroom
Strategies
* DEVELOP VOCABULARY *CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING *DISCUSS *INTERACT
*HANDS ON ACTIVITIES

3. Vocabulary Development Activities
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English language learners face the
double challenge of acquiring a new
language and mastering academic
vocabulary for the subjects they are
studying in class. To that end, specific
and intentional instructional strategies
must be implemented.
Pre-teaching select vocabulary in a
variety of ways such as using pictures,
real objects, drawings, and gestures is
helpful because it builds background
knowledge for the students. Define
each word in student-friendly
language, and include cognates when
possible. Build in many opportunities
for the students to repeat each word,
and plan activities which engage the
students, and require them to use the
word in the proper context.
According to Colorin Colorado (2007), ”Knowing
vocabulary words is key to reading
comprehension. The more words a child knows,
the better he or she will understand the text. ”
(How vocabulary relates to ELLs).

4. The following video is included because it is a great example of a
vocabulary lesson which highlights many ESL strategies within, including
choral reading, use of visuals, repetition, turn and talk and think-pair-share.
In addition, the definitions and examples are presented in a way which allows
the student’s to connect personal knowledge to new concepts, and the
teacher models correct usage of academic vocabulary.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC0HNtvxuRg

5. Do we understand?
Using sheltered instruction, scaffold whole group lessons in such a way that
students are able contribute to the discussion as much as possible. Plan questions so
that students must go beyond "yes" or "no" answers, and if they get off track, lead
them to express their own thinking, in their own words.
Graphic organizers such as the “Frayer” model and KWL charts are effective ways
to discover how much the students understand about a new concept, and can suggest
a starting point for instruction. These can be used as anchor charts to be added to
throughout the lesson.
Paraphrasing and repeating responses strengthen listening skills and model
proper grammar and use of academic vocabulary for the students.
Learning targets should be referred to continually, and restated by the students, as
in the video below. Reciprocal teaching, in which the students repeat small chunks of
information to one another, can be one way to do this.

6. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYYtHR81On4

7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dzk-qY_TPBM
The following video shows a group of students using sentence starters to guide discussion
at their table.

8. Interact and Discuss
Classrooms which are focused on student-led, cooperative
learning activities are more conducive to English language
development than those who are lecture driven and teacher-
led. Guided classroom interactions provide rich opportunities
for students to practice speaking in English, using both social
and academic vocabulary.
Collaboration also encourages students to use higher-
order thinking and expressive language when discussing new
concepts. Discourse expectations can be adjusted for
various levels through the use of sentence frames or graphic
organizers which steer conversation.
Activities which require the students to speak to each other,
like “Think-Pair-Share”, are important for language
development. As the teacher listens in, strategies such as
paraphrasing, questioning, and requests for more information
can be utilized. This also allows many opportunities for
informal assessment.
https://6469da.medialib.edu.glogster.com/ea2PWLDp4lmOg4CUTQw6/media/e6/e638bd8
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9. Keep it hands-on!
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i-hear.jpg
When students engage more than one
intelligence, they are able to form concrete
connections. Therefore, they need many
opportunities to actively participate in
manipulating information.
Students involved in hands-on learning
experiences can investigate, discuss,
experiment, and assess in a way that is
meaningful within their own environment. This
helps to build confidence, and utilizes all four
areas of language .

10. Hands-on activities are not necessarily art or science projects. Any activity which allows a student to
physically manipulate information is hands-on. Two examples:
Freeze Frame:
Students act out a scene from
text and “freeze” into place,
creating a tableau.
(Housenut, 2019) Pictoral timelines: Many activities can be done with timelines.
Students can use pictures, or they could create a living timeline
with members of the class each holding a component.
A timeline can also be used as a graphic organizer, or even an
assessment tool. Students could be given a timeline with
missing sections, and read the text to find the missing
information. (Echevarria, Vogt, & Short, 2017, "Manipulatives
and Movement").
https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/courses-images-archive-read-only/wp-
content/uploads/sites/884/2015/08/23203209/CNX_History_27_01_Timeline.jpg

11. Why English Language Standards are Important:
Standards in the four areas of English language development (listening, speaking, reading,
writing) provide an important foundation for ELLs, as these identify what the students must learn
in order to master the state core standards. This should always be considered when planning
effective lessons for ELL students because it acts as a bridge of sorts between language
development and the rigorous demands of academic requirements. (Staehr Fenner, Segota, J.,
2010).

12. References
Colorin Colorado. (2007). Reading Rockets. Retrieved from
https://www.readingrockets.org/article/vocabulary-development-ells
Echevarria, J., Vogt, M.E., & Short, D.J. (2017). Making content comprehensible for
English learners: the SIOP model (5th ed.). Retrieved from
https://phoenix.vitalsource.com/#/books/9781323413753/cfi/6/2!/4/10/24/2@0:26.6.
Housenut, (2019). Funology. Retrieved from https://www.funology.com/freeze-frame/
Staehr Fenner, D., Segota, J., (2010). Colorin' Colorado. Retrieved from
https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/standards-impact-english-language-learners