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Caleb Ricks
National University
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TEXTS FOR ELL STUDENTS
Academic Texts for ELLs and SELLs
1. Students at the emerging phase have limited English skills. Though their speaking, listening,
reading, and writing skills in English are minimal, students at this level progress relatively
quickly. These students communicate meaning at a basic level, rely on learned phrases and
vocabulary words to communicate, and can read short grade-appropriate texts using visuals
and familiar vocabulary. Though they progress quickly, emerging students require moderate
to considerable language support, especially in social and academic contexts. Students in the
expanding phase have a more developed reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills in
English. These students are able to use English to communicate ideas in more meaningful
ways and only require minimal language support in academic and social contexts. Expanding
students are able to begin simple conversations and are eventually able to communicate more
complex ideas orally. These students are also able to read more complex texts independently.
In terms of speaking, expanding students can meet immediate communication needs (such as
students are able to communicate complex feelings and ideas through speaking and writing.
Their listening and reading skills are well-developed, and these students are able to
understand abstract and concrete topics presented in English. These students are able to
independently read grade-level and complex grade-level texts and are able to initiate and
sustain complex and collaborative discussions in English. Bridging students may still require
moderate to light language support, especially when dealing with unfamiliar topics, but they
do not require any specialized ELD instruction. Native English students who speak non-
standard forms of English, such as African American Vernacular English or Chicano English,
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TEXTS FOR ELL STUDENTS
are fluent in an English dialect that has its own grammatical rules. Because these
grammatical rules differ from standard English, these students may struggle comprehending
2. The two texts that I am choosing for this assignment (11th grade) are Sandra Cisneros’ The
House on Mango Street and Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye. Both of these American literary
texts reveal that identity is not static. It is fluid, ever-changing and evolving based on
environments, beliefs, cultural systems, and human interactions. Although identity is fluid,
one does not always get the chance to choose one’s own identity. It can be manipulated and
molded by the hands of those in a higher position of power. Identity can be directly tied to
one’s gender, one’s race, one’s social class, or a combination of all three. Morrison’s The
Bluest Eye analyzes how one’s identity can be strictly linked to skin color and enforced by
the racial elite. Cisneros’ The House on Mango Street examines how gender and sex-role
expectations are used as tools to enforce the identity of women. Through different female
leads, these novels both reveal the consequences of enforced identity and the difficulties of
3.
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TEXTS FOR ELL STUDENTS
After considering what my ELL students may struggle with when reading
academic texts, I now understand how to assist these students. I also understand how
much of a challenge it will be to teach texts that use figurative language to students who
are just beginning to learn English. This, I believe, is why so many teachers contribute to
the watered-down instruction given to ELL students. Many teachers are intimidated
because they not know how to teach ELL students figurative language, extended
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TEXTS FOR ELL STUDENTS
metaphors, or multiple levels of meanings. Of course, I m not saying that I already know
how to do this, but I do believe that ELL students, like any student, are fully capable of
learning these ideas. Students who do not speak English as their first language still have
a literacy in their native language. In these native languages, these students are exposed
to vast amounts of figurative language, so it is not that they do not understand metaphors
and similes, but that it may be difficult to separate the literal from the figurative when
learning a new language. Again, this is not because these students are empty vessels, but
because they are learning new mechanics in a new language and therefore need our
assistance. For this reason, I will never decide to give my ELL students less homework
than native English speakers. ELL students are just as capable of understanding the
unacceptable.
Having this new understanding of the levels of language proficiency has made me
more confident when thinking about teaching ELL students. I now have to knowledge of
checkpoints so that I can assess my students’ progress. I can use my knowledge to each
stage to ensure that my ELL students are mastering the necessary skills to improve their
English language competency. This knowledge also allows me to set realistic goals for
these students to achieve and provides me the necessary tools to help them achieve these
goals. From studying the charts provided in this week’s unit, I am aware that
collaboration and discussion, not only writing and reading, are essential skills to practice
when mastering English. I will ensure that my ELL students are integrated with my
native English speaking students so that they can collaborate and grow as speakers and
students.
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TEXTS FOR ELL STUDENTS