English Language Learners - Stephen Cary

The following is from a good book by Stephen Cary called "English Language Learners, Answers to Teachers' Top Ten Questions, 2nd Edition"

Find useful information on a student's cultural background

• primary language and dialects
• home countries
• city vs rural background
• L1 and L2 oral proficiency levels
• L1 and L2 literacy levels
• partial verses proficient (balanced) bilinguals
• multilingual students
• language spoken at home (or per family history)

How can I make my spoken language more understandable

• enhanced read-loud
• video preview
• story action walk-through
• objects
• power words
• page/paragraph summarizing
• paraphrases
• picture-based book response
• primary language support material
• student spin-off stories

How do I get my reluctant speakers to speak English

• incorporate student interests
• making content engaging
• favoring authentic talk over compliance talk
• emphasize fluency over accuracy
• help students know when and when not to listen to "editing crow"
• students share orally with a pair buddy or small group instead of the whole class
• students talk through a puppet or role-play character
• configuring furniture for student-to-student talk
• paying attention to students' affective needs
• never forcing L2 production
• encourage use of second and first languages
• doing more collaborative activities
• reducing teacher talk

How do I make a difficult textbook more readable

• think-out-loud modeling
• highlighted text
• context clues
• objects, pantomime, movement
• tapping students' prior knowledge
• encourage spin-off stories
• personal teacher stories
• signposts to the main ideas
• pair reading
• L1 summaries
• note-taking via graphic organizers and drawings