If you're like most teachers, your classes have increasingly
become more linguistically diverse. If you're looking for ways to meet
the needs of students who struggle with or are just learning English, I
am here to help! For the last eight years, I have had the fortunate
opportunity to work with many students who are English language
learners. It's been an exceptionally challenging and rewarding
experience and I am thrilled to be able to share with you some of the
best practices that I've used in my classroom.
My background includes three years solely focused on English Language
Development (ELD). I have also taught the CLAD (Cross-Language and
Academic Development) course at California State University, Fullerton
and worked with veteran teachers to help them integrate ELD and SDAIE
(Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English) strategies.
ELD & The Natural Approach
ELD is an acronym for English Language Development. ELD is the
systematic use of instructional strategies designed to promote the
acquisition of English by students whose primary language is not
English. According to Dr. Stephen Krashen, an expert in the study of
second language acquisition and the co-author of The Natural Approach,
the best way to learn a second language is through total immersion. ELD
strategies support this learning method, enabling students to acquire
English language in a manner similar to the way they learned their
native language, naturally and through regular interaction with others
who already know the language.
In the natural process of language acquisition, students first
develop basic communication skills in English. The focus is on fluency
and learning to speak English in a social context with native speakers,
which is why heterogeneous cooperative grouping is so important to the
Natural Approach. According to Krashen, this method allows for
effortless acquisition. Rather than getting caught up in grammar and the
mechanics of language, non-native speakers learn by interacting with
English-only models. This approach is most successful when there are two
conditions:
- Comprehensible input is provided, which means messages are made
understandable and meaningful to the learner via a variety of
techniques.
- There is a low-affective filter, which means students are made to
feel comfortable and there is little pressure to learn "it all" right
now.
Here are some ways you can create a classroom environment that supports natural acquisition:
- Use visuals that reinforce spoken or written words.
- Employ gestures for added emphasis
- Adjust your speech: Speak slowly; enunciate; use longer natural
pauses; repeat words or phrases; include shorter sentences, fewer
pronouns, and simpler syntax.
- Exaggerate intonations at times.
- Stress high-frequency vocabulary words.
- Use fewer idioms and clarify the meaning of words or phrases in context.
- Stress participatory learning.
- Maintain a low anxiety level and be enthusiastic.
With these conditions in place, students can't help but learn the language!
How ELD Is Taught
ELD consists of five proficiency levels: Beginning, early
intermediate, intermediate, early advanced and advanced. The four
domains of ELD are: Listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students
need to be instructed at their proficiency level for the different
domains. It is crucial to understand that students progress through the
levels of proficiency at different rates. Research has shown that it
takes four to seven years to master advanced levels of fluency.
ELD focuses on four skill areas:
- Function: Functions are the purposes of communication. This includes social conversations, jokes, and inquiry.
- Form: This refers to the structure of the English
language such as grammar, sentence structure, and syntax. These are used
as building blocks.
- Fluency: Fluency is the ease in speaking the
language. English language learners need ample amount of time just
practicing speaking English in order to become fluent.
- Vocabulary: The development of a wide and varied
vocabulary is essential. Research shows that English language learners
should be taught key vocabulary, or brick words, prior to a lesson in
order to assist them in their language development. For example,
whatever concept you are teaching, it is recommended that you include
vocabulary words that will make the content more comprehensible to the
learner. A key ELD strategy is to provide comprehensible input for the
English language learner by the use of visuals, realia, and gestures.