Instructional Strategies for ELL Classrooms

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Recommended: Managing Classroom Diversity

Trying to accommodate different students learning styles in an English learning classroom can be overwhelming. Having good teaching strategies can help English learning students learn more effectively. Using the best strategies will ensure all students in the classroom have an effective learning environment. There are many instructional strategies that teachers can use in the classroom.

Comprehensible Input

Comprehensible input is the theory that English learning students will understand best when they are given appropriate input. There are four ways to make input comprehensible; first is to Speak appropriately. Teachers need to enunciate and use words that English learners can understand. Second is to clearly explain tasks. Teachers must make sure students understand what to expect before any lesson begins. Third is to use a variety of techniques to make concepts clear such as, “modeling, hands-on, materials, visuals, demos, gestures, film clips, etc… (Making Content Comprehensible for, 2002).”

A strategy that one could use to make a lesson comprehensible is to use what is called Jigsaw Text reading. Most classes today use textbooks. Textbook reading can be overwhelming to an English learner. Jigsaw text reading requires the class to seperate into teams. One or two students from each team are chosen by the teacher to be experts. The experts then work together to learn a section of the text. They then go back to their group and teach them the section. In observing a class last year, the instructor took this a sep further. He had all of the teams take turns teaching the class their section of the text. The other students in the group are encouraged to take turns presenting different parts of their section t...

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...reofchildren.org.

Echevarría, J., Vogt, M. E., & Short, D. J. (2008). Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners The SIOP® Model. Allyn & Bacon.

Exeter, D. J., Ameratung, S., Ratim, M., Morton, S., Dickson, M., Hsu, D., et al. (2010). Student engagement in very large classes: the teachers’ perspective. Studies in Higher Education, 761–77.

Mustafa, N. A. (n.d.). GROUPING IN THE ESL CLASSROOM. Universiti Pendidikan Sultan, Idris, Tanjong Malim: Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Tanjong Malim. Retrieved from Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Tanjong Malim: http://www.melta.org.my/ET/2002/wp03.htm

Strangman, N., & Hall, T. (2009, 11 3). Background Knowledge:Curriculum Enhancement Report. Retrieved 12 3, 2011, from NCA CNational Center on Accessing the General Curriculum: http://aim.cast.org/learn/historyarchive/backgroundpapers/background_knowledge

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