English Language Learners

To be honest, I did not know much about English Language Learners (ELL) until our lesson. I do not know another language and cannot even imagine moving to another country and not knowing how to communicate or read. I also learned how different academic language can be compared to the social language. Not only do ELLs have to learn the social aspect of the language, but also the academic. It is like they are learning two new languages. A student may be an ELL, but there are also three different types of ELLs. The first is the parallel form schooling. The student received a very good education in his native state. The second is the nonparallel formal schooling. The student is under schooled or behind. The third form is the long-term ELL. The student was born in the United States, but his parents do not speak English at home. A student that has had parallel formal schooling will often understand academic English better or faster than a nonparallel or long-term ELL student. Communication skills or BICS are often developed quickly, but as I stated earlier, academic English or CALPs can take three to five years to develop. To encourage an ELL focus on the meaning of a word, let the student go through silent periods when they simply listen, and do not stress on grammar. The student needs to learn, but also develop a sense of confidence. Keep the ELL's stress low and stay encouraging. By incorporating reading, writing, listening, and speaking into every lesson for forty or more minutes a day can greatly help an ELL learner.