Teaching English Learners

Essential Practices for the College Classroom

Teaching English Learners in Minnesota

Today there are more refugees in Minnesota per capita than in any other state in the U.S. Every year, from more than 20 countries, 4,000 new refugees arrive and resettle to Minnesota because of its economic opportunities, public and private support and its generally welcoming environment.

Source: Arrive Ministries boehrig@arriveministries.org

Essential Practices

Multilingual learners benefit from the following practices.

• Community-based Learning

• Comprehensible Input

• Cohesive Structures

Essential Practice #1

Community-based Learning

Community-based Learning

This essential practice provides support for students by creating a learning environment where students feel comfortable to ask questions, engage in discussions, and learn from mistakes.

Main Ideas• Get to know your students• Help students develop working relationships in the class• Create a safe learning environment• Provide a support network for students

Essential Practice #2

Comprehensible Input

Comprehensible Input

This essential practice provides support for students by providing instruction and new material in ways that are linguistically and culturally comprehensible to students.

Comprehensible Input

Main Ideas:Review lessons and check materials for language

heavy sections.Provide visual/written support for lecturesProvide writing samples/writing structure and

expectationsAllow extra response time during classScaffolding does not mean lowering expectationsAccess to trained ESL specialists

Essential Practice #3

Cohesive Structures

Cohesive Structures

This essential practice provides support for students by aligning and organizing language and format of materials, exams, assignments, and syllabi in an easily accessible design.

Cohesive Structures

Main Ideas:Review course materials to locate inconsistent

languageTeach text organization (how to get information

from the text)Model language and format of exams Develop departmental or program policies which

create cohesivenessExtra time on exams Student accommodations Grading practices and expectationsUnified structure for course syllabi, outlines,

and assignment information

What would you like Bethel professors to know about working with multilingual learners?

• “Have high expectations and show appreciation of the academic knowledge that these students might have”.

• “Always be aware of the cultural differences. EL students can be highly proficient in English and can have remarkable knowledge in content, but may be still developing pragmatic skills”.

• “Modeling in everything. Having examples of the expectations in the assignments and all the other projects really helps”.

What would you like Bethel professors to know about working with multilingual learners?

“Group projects gave me the opportunity to communicate more with the other students”.

“Class discussion and group projects are helpful to understand ideas and learn from others.”

“Having rubrics and examples was really helpful”.

“Tell students to go to Learning Center. ESL Specialist, (name) helps us understand what we need to do.”

What would you like Bethel professors to know about working with multilingual learners?

“Outlines, unit objectives for each chapter, and study guides help to focus on main ideas and information we need…(to learn).”

“All Bethel professors have positive attitude toward the students. I always felt that they appreciate having me in their classes”.

In conclusion

Multilingual learners benefit from…

• Community-based Learning

• Comprehensible Input

• Cohesive Structures

THE END

Learning Environment

1. How would you describe your “classroom climate”?• a library, • a coffee shop, • a laboratory, or…

Classroom Environment

2. How well do students know each other? • they might recognize another student, • they know names of other students, • friendships abound

Classroom Environment

1. Do students (feel comfortable to) participate?2. How often do all students participate in class?3. How do you know?

Building Background

This essential Practice builds from the first… knowing your students

What do students know about the topic?How do you/can you find out?

Building Background activities• Goals on the board• Handouts with

• key vocabulary, • lecture outline, and • main points students must know.

Where do we begin? How do we assess student needs?

Comprehensible Input

If students don’t understand what you are teaching them, they will not learn it…input must be comprehensible.

Concerns for Multi-lingual learners• Illegible writing on the board• Lots of information given orally only• Sufficient time to process in L1• Cultural differences which impede

understanding• (Math problem-multiplication from Reiss, or

writing a paper- writing style differences, or an expression – use Australian English)

Solutions-Activity examples- Access to comprehensible input; teach vocabulary, have lecture guides, post critical concepts and vocabulary on board or handout. Allow time to process in L1. Give visuals (PROVIDE EXAMPLES IN SESSION)

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