The Value of ESL/ELL Teaching Strategies

In today's classrooms it hard enough to teach the students without any specialized needs, but adding students that need any one of the many accommodations that our schools provide assistance for adds to the challenge. The key to the success of managing a diversified classroom is to understand the needs and find the strategies that have proven effective to aiding these students get the education that they need. Implementing these proven strategies can prove effective for the most seasoned teacher as well as the new teacher on the block.

Pre-instruction activities
There are many things that can be used as pre-instruction activities to be prepared for the next assignment; in fact these activities are beneficial for all of the students in the classroom to use to prepare for the information. Some of the items that can be used are graphic organizers, web charts and graphs. One of the most popular of the graphic organizers is the K-W-L, Know-Want-Learn chart. Its serves two purposes for the students:

1. to find out what they know before the assignment begins and what they want to learn from the assignment,
2. is an excellent aid for homework and studying for tests.

Using graphic organizers, webs and K-W-L charts are helpful in organizing the information into manageable thoughts and ideas. It helps to prepare the student to learn new material that is being presented. Graphic organizers, webs and charts can also help students understand how things connect, how they belong together, and how the information can be used. These pre-instruction activities can be used for the entire lesson, adding information to build daily. By adding information daily, the pre-existing data acts as a means of reactivating the prior knowledge and stimulate critical thinking (Reiss, 2006, p.60). Graphic organizers and the like are useful tools in both an individual and in small group settings. Talking usually helps to generate ideas and vocabulary that the student can enter to complete the webs and graphs; showing how the new information relates to the other information already entered.

Another useful activity that can be used prior to the instruction of the lesson is to provide the important words or phrases that will be included in the lesson for early reference. In providing these key words and phrases t the students before the first day of the lesson or even at the start of the pre-discussion, can give the student something to look for in the lesson.

If the students have them early, then the students can define the words for prior understanding; if they are given at the introduction or pre-discussion, then the students can find the meanings and definitions during their classroom discussion and for homework. If the students are familiar with the phrases and words, and know what they represent, there is a greater chance of interest and recognition because they have some idea of the content.

The use of pre-instruction activities can allow the students to actively learn versus becoming a "passive learner" where all of their information has to be memorized. The teachers need to directly teach and demonstrate how to use the charts and graphs; how to organize the information. These tools can prove to be important for all students at test time, but most importantly to the ESL (English Second Language) and ELL (English Language Learners) students to be able to put their information together and understand how that information works together for them (O'Loughlin, Haynes, 1999, p.89). The result of the pre-instruction activities can give all students the feeling that they are not alone, that not everyone has prior knowledge; therefore eliminating much of the anxiety and frustration of learning new concepts and lessons.

Visual Aids, realia, maps, pictures and multimedia
The use of visuals throughout the classroom and throughout the assignments can greatly increase the participation of students, all students including the ESL and ELL students. These visuals can be as simple as a map, a video, a globe, audio book or even an actual item instead of a picture. Videos and films can help a child visualize, connect and conceptualize the information that is being introduced and taught. Making use of all the senses can allow the students to gain a full experience of the lesson whenever possible (O'Loughlin, Haynes, 1999, p.91).

One of the most simple of ways to facilitate comprehension is to label the classroom and everything in the room. This will provide constant and consistent reminders of the basic items that are used everyday; sink, desk, door, chalkboard, bookcase, pencil sharpener, just to name a few. In some cases, the first language can also be used on the labels to help the student understand and grasp the translation of the item in their first language to English. This will allow the child to see/read the word in their first language and see the English translation of the word and the picture for better comprehension. This is extremely helpful for the early learners of the language barrier and later the first language and/or the pictures can be removed; especially when the labels are properly posted to the real objects.

Incorporating posters, photos or graphs is another way to encourage comprehension and development in students as well. These items can encourage understanding through illustrating the concepts and meanings of the topics/words (Reiss, 2006, p.77). Also, during the course of instruction, students can be assigned art projects to describe their understanding and interpretations of the topic. Through this, the teacher can also evaluate the student's level of comprehension and make any adjustments to understanding if necessary.

Videos and audio books can be a strong asset in the development for ESL/ELL students as well. Allowing students to hear the verbal dialog in the videos or audio tracks will help the child to hear the language and the pronunciation while they are seeing the words. They are able to make the connection easier through the combined audio and visual exposure. This would an activity that would work well with important vocabulary and phrases also. The students would be able to listen/watch for the information that corresponds and relate to the information that is on their list of things to know.

Through the use of visual aids in a lesson, a student is more likely to find the support and understanding in the lessons and the content that is being introduced. Graphic representations, the use the words/phrases in pictures, videos, audio, etc., aid in the effort of reinforcing the verbal and the written word and encourage content comprehension of the students (Reiss, 2006, p.76).

Cooperative Groups and Peer Coaching
The use of cooperative groups and peer coaching can prove to be a valuable asset to the integration of the ESL/ELL student into the daily classroom routines and activities of the class. This type of interaction provides for additional practice of language than the standard method of teaching. Students tend to learn more when the information comes from someone closer in age to themselves than from the teacher. The ideal use of cooperative groups and/or peer coaching is in small group work or projects to involve the students in the classroom activities (O'Loughlin, Haynes, 1999, p.91). Peer coaching allows for the ESL/ELL student to receive individualized attention when the teacher could otherwise be occupied. This also allows the teacher to be free of teaching whole class and rove about the room to observe the progress of all the students, and be able to focus on the children that are in need of their attention in particular.

As mentioned, the ideal use of cooperative groups and peer coaching is when there is a group activity. Students can be divided into groups, ideally groups of three or four students, to work on the assignments. These groups will be beneficial and productive if there is at least one student of higher functionality. This student should be able to understand the responsibility that is asked of patience and understanding for those that they are working with. The activities that groups can utilized for a reinforcement activity or a project that meets daily to work together to complete assignments, to coach one another or even to study for tests.

Cooperative learning groups or peer coaching tends to have a positive outcome when everyone involved understands the underlying purpose of this method. These methods are effective and successful because students tend to listen to one another and motivate one another to learn (NWREL, 2003).

Repeat and Re-phrase
The repeat and re-phrase method is helpful methods for emphasizing key words and phrases in a manner in which the student can understand what the discussion is about. Repeating the statement or question and re-phrasing it can clarify the context of the discussion and allow for a greater understanding. This concept will require much repetition and paraphrasing to take the ideas that have already been discussed and change them to give the same meaning, but a new understanding of the same concept. In doing this, the teacher can show a connection between old and new information while at the same time ensuring that the concepts that are being delivered are understood.

The repeat and re-phrasing method is successful for instructions or classroom discussions. When speaking, the teacher needs to make sure that they articulate clearly and slowly, not making unnatural sounds to distinguish between important words or phrases; but placing a natural emphasis on the key words. Repeating frequently and paraphrasing the important information ensures that the concepts are comprehended (Dunlap, Weisman, 2006). The teacher could ask a question and the student does not understand, the teacher can ask the same question, but in a different form, a different manner.

In repeating and re-phrasing, the goal is to enhance a student's independence in understanding and comprehension. The use of repetition can be a consistent reminder of the information that has been introduced, making sure that the students pick up on the concepts (O'Loughlin, Haynes 1999). Using the re-phrasing technique, the teacher can, through the use of different forms of questioning, different word choice, ask the same question a variety all resulting in the same answer.

Music and Jazz Chants
A popular method for helping the students remember information is in the form of song, and sometimes tossing in a little dance or hand movement for fun. Teachers frequently use this activity as a method of memorizing information and pronunciation (Short, 1991). Adding a tune or rhythm to a poem, a verse or a series of regular words and sentences can make it an engaging way to learn to read and remember (Bridges, Wright, 2006).

Students need to find a way to practice their reading fluency, their pronunciation and intonation patterns of the English language and this provides the students that opportunity (Short, 1991). Jazz chants are usually a swinging, upbeat rhythm that can a student enjoy learning the information for a particular subject area. This also is a great way to memorize the data because the students have to continuously read along with the "song" to learn the "song," especially when the chant is used in a group performance. In reality, "The Alphabet Song" to learn A-B-C's is a chant to help learn the order of the English alphabet.

Everyone has had a song that gets stuck in their head every now and again and that is the purpose of the jazz chants; to stick in the heads of the students. If the song is stuck in their heads and they keep singing the song over and over again, chances are extremely good that the words are stuck and if the words are stuck; so is the information that the teacher is trying to get across too. Students usually participate eagerly in activities like jazz chants because of the unique and fun way of learning the subject area, without realizing that they are learning.

There are many different strategies out there for teachers of ESL and ELL students, and not every method is the perfect match for every student or teacher. The techniques that have been reviewed have proven effective in many classrooms and can continue to be effective as long as they are utilized properly.

REFERENCES:

Bridges, L. & Wright, A. (2006). Using jazz chants for bilingual/ESL students. Retrieved August 15, 2007,
Web site: http://litsite.alaska.edu/uaa/workbooks/jazzchants.html

Dunlap, PhD., C.A & Weisman, PhD., E.M. (2006). Practical Strategies for Successful Classrooms: Helping
English Language Learners Succeed. Huntington Beach, CA: Shell Educational Publishing.

NWREL. (2003, May). General principles for teaching ELL students. Retrieved August 15, 2007
from http://www.nwrel.org/request/2003may/general.html

O'Loughlin, J. & Haynes, J. (1999, April). Strategies and activities for mainstream teaching. Tell Training
Manual, Retrieved August 15, 2007, from http://www.kennesaw.edu/tell/tell_manual.htm

Reiss, Jodi (2006). 102 Content Strategies for English Language Learners: Teaching for Academic Success
in Grades 3-12. Columbus, Ohio: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall.

Short, S (1991). Integrating language and content instruction: strategies and techniques. Retrieved
August 15, 2007, from NCBE Program Information Guide Series, Number 7 Web site: http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/pubs/pigs/pig7.htm