Ways to help ELL students

better comprehend the

material:
-

Make speech appropriate for the

students level (enunciation and
complexity)
Speak in simple sentences
Have clear explanations for all
tasks (step by step)
Verbal and written instructions
Use gestures, body language and
pictures
Allow alternative forms of
assessment
Multimedia and technology!
REPETITION
Use a variety of strategies: graphic
organizers, sentence strips, and
audiotapes

Reminders:
1- Use simple language
2- Make the classroom ELL
friendly
3- Do not assume that the
student is uninterested just
because they do not
volunteer
4- Use simple friendly
language
5- Know the modifications for
your student
6- Repetition is key!

Important Things
to Know about
Teaching ELL
Students

[By Lauren Flyge]

Key Terms:

Some Strategies to teaching ELL

students (benefits all students in the
classroom)
-

ESL: English as a second language; the

actual program students attend

ELL: English language learners; the

actual term for the student
TPR: total physical response; allows
students to answer using their entire
body; way for them to demonstrate the
concept
BICS: social language- REMEMBER,
just because they can speak to their
peers does not mean they can speak
academically
CALPS: academic language; students
are able to speak in academic and grade
appropriate words
Affective filter: filter on: high anxiety;
filter off: low anxiety (want to have
filter off)
Silent Stage: in the beginning of
language acquisition, students do not
speak

Graphic organizers are great ways

for students to learn concepts and
vocab
Role playing- allows the students
to use more than just words to
explain information or material
Use visuals: great for visual
learners and gives ELL students
something to look at and make
meaning with
Hands on materials: something
more creative than writing a
paper; they tend to remember; also
if limited proficiency, they can
still participate
Guided practice: students rely on
teachers to help them comprehend
the material

REMEMBER THE STAGES OF

DEVELPOMENT (these will come in
handy when determining instruction)
Stage 1: Pre-production (silent stage)

Importance of Survival Language

It is a great idea to make a list of
survival words for ELL students to
know. These can range from pencil to
teacher to more complex phrases
depending on the grade and language
acquisition level.
It is also a good idea to let the other
students in the class think of words, this
way they are engaged in the process as
well.
Some key ideas to remember with
survival words:
-

Stage 2: Early production (silent stage)

Stage 3: Speech emergence
Stage 4: Intermediate fluency
Stage 5: Advanced

Make labels with English words

for items in classroom and some
with native language
Make a word card for each
word- picture included