Rebeca Barba

ENG 487-01
Dr. Zoerner
3/9/16
Aiding English Learners
The CA ELD standards were developed using several theories and a large amount of
research. These theories prove how important language is in this world and how students are able
to use prior knowledge to develop new language skills. When students are asked to go back and
think about their own thinking process or how they are speaking, they begin to learn on their own
about what they do right or wrong. Students learn best when they are able to practice the
language in a structured setting. English learners need to be able to interact with their peers in
meaningful ways, such as small group discussions. By working in groups, students will be able
to practice the vocabulary from the lesson in conversations, and they will be more engaged, than
if they were only listening to a lecture.
In addition, teachers can provide support for English learners by guiding them through
instruction. The teacher can assign everyone in the group to have a role, so everyone will feel
comfortable speaking up. Also, the teacher could have specific questions where the student
would need to use prior knowledge to make an inference. It is essential that the teacher
understands how much scaffolding is appropriate. By scaffolding the lesson in these ways, the
teacher would have provided just enough support to facilitate learning, but not too much support
that may cause the English learner to fall behind. Scaffolding should be based on the level of
difficulty of the assignment and the needs of the student in completing the task. This support
should guide the student to eventually be able to complete the task independently.

Based on the CA ELD standards, there are three levels of scaffolding that a teacher can
provide, which are substantial, moderate, and light. The teacher must recognize the needs of the
student, such as how proficient they are in English or how much prior knowledge they already
have on the topic. Students that are barely learning English may need more scaffolding; however,
there will be topics that they have already learned, and they will need little scaffolding. On the
other hand, if there is a challenging task that asks students to extend their thinking, a proficient
English learner may need more scaffolding.
Teachers should know ahead of time what types of scaffolding the students may possible
need, so that, when the time comes, it is already planned. For example, taking into account what
the students already know, the teacher could incorporate prior knowledge into the lesson, so the
student can relate. Also, checking for understanding throughout the lesson is necessary because
the teacher needs to know that the students are following along. If an English learner is not
understanding a lesson, they may feel embarrassed to let the teacher know in front of the class. If
the teacher stops and asks for questions, the student will feel more comfortable asking about
what they do not understand. Students will get a better understanding of the lesson if they have to
constantly review. The teacher will be able to provide just-in-time scaffolding, meaning the
students will have the opportunity to engage during the lesson, instead of after.
In a school setting, students are expected to understand academic English. When
developing academic English, students are asked to interpret, discuss, and evaluate academic
texts, which involves higher cognitive and linguistic processes. The Common Core State
Standards emphasizes the needs for all students to be able to understand and create complex
texts. Learning vocabulary has been stressed because research has continually underlined the
importance of vocabulary to literacy and language proficiency.

In addition to vocabulary, English learners should master academic registers, which is the
way that language is used to convey a certain message in the context. Register depends on who
the audience is, the content, and who the communicators are. An informal register may be used
when speaking to a friend, while an informal register may be used when speaking in front of a
classroom. English learners need to master registers in order to succeed academically. Language
is the method of learning that is most often used in the classroom, so language and content are
often linked. English learners may have trouble with registers, so teachers can use language to
emphasize linguistic and content knowledge.
Teaching grammatical patterns has been shown to aid English learners. Students become
aware of how language is used to create meaning, which allows them to be able to make
appropriate language choices when speaking and writing. There has been a lot of research that
demonstrates how English learners benefit from learning how language works to achieve
different purposes. This research has allowed teachers to give English learners challenging texts,
with just enough support, so they can build proficiency and become more aware of academic
language.
These principles help English learners because, overall, they allow students to interact
with the context, while developing metalinguistic and metacognitive awareness. Students are
able to focus on the content, engage with their peers, and be challenged with proper scaffolding.
Using these methods, teachers can provide a learning environment that helps English learners
succeed academically.