THINK
ESL students spend around 5 years in the ELL
program.
It is easier to learn a new language at a
younger age.
There are more resources for Primary than
there are for Intermediate children.
The school may be the only place for some
ELL students to be exposed to English.
Encourage ELL students to embrace their
identity, culture and language.
Use L1 as a tool to develop language
acquisition.
Each child can still be challenged on the Core
Competencies if the teacher can differentiate
the work to account for language barriers.
Pre-teaching ideas, changing task outcomes
and providing support can all be done
without lowering expectations.
PUZZLE
Is it ESL or ELL?
How can you teach an ELL student in an
intermediate classroom when the rest of the
class needs teaching too?
How can you grade an ESL student when so
many subjects rely on understanding the
language?
I like the idea of looking to link the first
language with the second, though not sure
how easy that would be with the local
demographic.
How can we spend time with ELLs when there
is a class of 27 other children?
What is the current welcoming process in
your district/school?
Is teaching a new language from the start
going to be the same as teaching native
speakers in phonetics?
EXPLORE
I googled it – it seems like ELL is the non-
specialised adaptations made by the teacher
in the classroom. ESL is the program provided
by specialists who may pull out the child from
the class.
Keep an eye out for strategies to include ELL
adaptations.
Maybe this course will help.
Google the answer if this course does not
reveal strategies for this.
Look into lesson planning to ensure children
have tasks to explore and inquiry projects to
investigate.
Reach out to specialists and administrators in
your area taking on this role.
Look into Module 3 to see a focus on Oral
Language Development
Children need lots of time and opportunities After seeing some Art activities which can be Explore how ELL can link to Math and Science
to practise talking and drive inquiry forward. fun, which other subjects can we incorporate first, as these can be considered “hands-on”
fun games to help develop language? exploration subjects.

Writing discourse and Speaking discourse are

not the same, which means that if a child is What are some culturally diverse Art lesson https://kinderart.com/category/art-
good in one, does not mean they have to be units which can be used to acknowledge the lessons/multic/ could be a useful website
good in the other. diversity in the classroom? with art activities sectioned according to
grade level.

Connecting words to images, and to the Where can we get good ideas on structuring https://www.edutopia.org/article/9-
larger extent Art, is a great way to lower a classroom which supports talking? strategies-getting-more-students-talk could
anxiety and allow children to illustrate their provide a starting point for strategies.
prior knowledge and culture