ELL Teaching Guidelines

Students must learn to organize materials in order to become effective learners. A particularly effective way to accomplish this is for students to have notebooks specifically dedicated to their English class with separate sections for class notes, vocabulary, class assignments, homework, writing activities, and tests and quizzes. A monthly calendar should also be included in the notebook for assignment, homework, and testing schedules.

The first experience students have with language is listening to words and structures as they are modeled in conjunction with pictures and realia. This may be accomplished using a variety of methods.

Oral cues without written cues: the teacher initiates conversation by repeating structures while demonstrating their applications. This begins with greetings, introductions, and naming objects with books closed.
Oral cues with written cues: the teacher models structures as they appear in the text. This is especially effective after students have heard the word or structure without a written cue.
Physical response exercises: these exercises solicit a physical response to words and structures that have been introduced through oral and written cues. They are especially useful for teaching verbs, and cues may include spoken commands or flash cards.
Multi-media support: students should have the opportunity to hear language modeled by a variety of speakers so that they become accustomed to subtle variations of rate, tone, and pronunciation. This may be accomplished through the use of audiocassettes, videotapes, and computer applications.

Teachers must create a safe environment in order to encourage early language production. Students need opportunities to practice without fear of ridicule or harsh criticism, and it is imperative that they receive immediate positive feedback. The following activities will encourage speech emergence.

Repetition drills: these may be done with or without a written cue. They consist of words and structures that are modeled by the teacher and repeated by the students. They should be utilized first as a whole class drill, then with small groups, and finally, on an individual basis as students gain confidence in their ability to produce the target word or structure. Do not force students to produce language that they have not had an opportunity to practice.
Substitution and transformation drills: these should generally be practiced first with a written cue. Students are provided with a pattern that is modeled by the teacher and will usually need several examples before they are able to produce the target structure.
Formulation exercises: once students have had structured practice with a particular task and and are familiar with the required vocabulary, they will be able to form the target structure on their own. Provide opportunities for success by modeling the exercise several times before asking students to participate.
Dialogs: dialogs should first be modeled by the teacher in order for students to hear correct pronunciation, then they should be practiced by the whole group in a repetition type exercise. Finally, students should be given ample opportunity to practice with their partners before they are required to present the assigned dialog. At first, students will be more comfortable reading dialogs from their seats. As they become more confident, they should be asked to go to the front of the room, and eventually to memorize and present dialogs for the entire class. Do not allow students to fail in front of their peers. Be attentive and ready to supply any cues they may need to be successful.
Role-playing exercises: role-playing requires students to produce language within a carefully defined context, and should only be employed after students have had ample practice with related formulation exercises and dialogs. They should always be allowed to plan and practice their role-play assignment before presenting it to the class. It is also helpful for the teacher to have a copy of the role-play text or outline in order to assist students and ensure their success.

Reading

Reading strategies must be taught in conjunction with speaking and listening skills. From the very beginning, students must associate the written word with sound and meaning, and they must apply prior knowledge to their interactions with new vocabulary and language. These strategies should be modeled continuously by the teacher, and students should be provided with opportunities to practice them.

Vocabulary: new vocabulary must have purpose and context in order to be meaningful to students. It is of little value for students to copy dictionary definitions, which often include additional vocabulary that may be unfamiliar to students. However, it is important that students have a bank of vocabulary words to refer to, and that they be held accountable for those new words. They should have new vocabulary listed and defined in their notebooks and should expect vocabulary and spelling quizzes on a regular basis.
Recognition, matching, and multiple choice exercises: these exercises may be done orally or in writing, depending on the purpose of the exercise. As students are learning a new concept, it is helpful for them to do the exercises orally and then in writing.
Classification exercises: these are useful as reading exercises, and they are important precursors to writing instruction. They may be done on the board or overhead as a whole class activity until students are familiar with the process and capable of doing them individually.
Silent reading: these exercises are important to developing independent reading skills. Students should be given a reasonable amount ot time to read, and then given an opportunity to discuss what they have read. Exercises that follow reading selections may be done as a whole class activity or individually, but should include immediate feedback and explanations.
Skimming and scanning exercises: these exercises are invaluable as preparation for dealing with academic text materials and for standardized reading tests. Do not assume that students know how to do these exercises. Teach them to read the questions first and provide strategies for finding information in a text.

Writing

Secondary ELL students must begin writing as quickly as possible in order to achieve proficiency in the short amount of time available to them. They must begin with words, move to sentences, and as soon as possible, be introduced to paragraph writing.

Completion exercises: these exercises provide a structured basis for writing. They are best utilized by providing oral practice first, and then requiring students to write. Students should write complete sentences, and not be allowed to just fill in the missing words.
Formulation exercises: students practice written forms of new structures in response to written cues. They may be preceded by oral practice.
Sentence combining exercises: these exercises develop fluency and flexibility in writing English sentences, as well as a context for grammatical concepts. Students need to receive constant corrective feedback in order to develop writing skills, so it is imperative that these exercises be corrected.
Guided writing exercises: students are guided by cues to write correct sentences and paragraphs. These exercises are an important transition from sentence formation to paragraph writing, and should always be corrected.
Classification and sequencing exercises: these exercises are the foundation for paragraph writing, and serve as prewriting activities. Students must have plenty of guided practice before they are able to do these exercises on their own, so it is most effective to do several on the board or overhead before students do them individually.
Outlining exercises: students begin creating box outlines, and finally move to traditional outline format. These exercises begin as reading exercises, but finally are the basis for planning student writing. Students will need guided practice before they are able to do these exercises individually.
Paragraph writing: Students are actually able to begin writing paragraphs fairly early if they are given a great deal of structure and guidance. They may begin by copying model paragraphs, followed by planning and writing class paragraphs. Finally, they must learn to analyze writing prompts and respond to them in an organized fashion. The most critical factor in the development of writing skills is constant corrective feedback. ELL students need timely, specific responses to their writing in order to develop the skills required to write proficiently in English.

Evaluation: If students are receiving adequate practice, the amount of work to be corrected can become overwhelming. It is not necessary to grade every assignment that students do! Many exercises should be corrected in class, allowing student to make corrections to their work. This procedure teaches students self assessment, and these assignments can later be evaluated as part of the notebook or portfolio. The exception to this is, of course, the prompt, specific feedback required as students begin writing independently.

Research

Once students are able to write in English, they need to learn the research process. Each step in that process must be explicitly taught, from library skills, to summarizing and paraphrasing text, to preparing note cards, rough drafts, citations and final drafts. Every step in the process must be modeled, with abundant examples and opportunities for students to practice each of the relevant skills. Academic writing is a prerequisite for higher learning, and ELL students must be able to produce this type of writing.

Study Skills	Listening	Speaking
Reading	Writing	Research