A Helpful Hint from one of the ELL teachers at Burnaby South

A helpful Hint from one of the ELL teachers (Katerina Vikakas) @ Burnaby South . Enjoy!

Research titled, Double the Work (by Deborah Short) points out that while regular students go to classes and work hard to gain understanding of new content and ideas, ELL students are learning new ideas too, PLUS English language at the same time. Thus, they struggle with "double the work." 

From this arises one of the best strategies you can use with language learners: alleviate double the work by giving students the opportunity learn new content and ideas in their first language ahead of the lesson you will provide in English.  If you teach Socials for example and will be covering the Renaissance next class, give your ELL students a heads up to read about that topic in their L1 (first language). They will be able to do this on Google. Then when they encounter the topic with you in class, the concept will not be new and the student can focus more on observing the language skills and new vocabulary needed to discuss the Renaissance in class.  

The idea is to take the pressure off either the language OR the content, and not leave ELL students to struggle with both at the same time.   

Another example: if you are in Art class and brainstorming about what Expressionism is, encourage ELL students to look up the word in a translator and complete the brainstorming activity in L1 since that is a task that relies on thinking and not communicating (yet). 

Students who have the opportunity to activate what they know about a topic in their best language, will be able to pick up more vocabulary about the topic in English, and they will be more likely to engage for the rest of the activity.

Working in L1 is not cheating! It's an excellent strategy that all ELL students should be coached into.  And it makes teaching ELL students a whole lot easier!

Wanita