“Common Core Standards ask students to construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others in math; ask and answer questions about key details in a text; and participate in collaborative conversations about topics and texts. Students are expected to explain their thinking and build on others’ talk in conversation,” said Jane Fung is a National Board Certified Teacher in urban Los Angeles, where she currently teaches first grade.“But what if your students don’t speak English?When teachers shift into Common Core Standards mode this fall, we must remember that although the standards are common, the students we teach are not.”Jane Fung’s comment from a recent article on the Teaching Channel’s website brings up an interesting and important lesson for us to take into account.As a classroom volunteer you are stepping into a vibrant learning environment. Students come to our schools with a wealth of cultural experiences and linguistic knowledge. In SFUSD 27% of our students are English Language Learners (ELLs), students who are in the process of learning English as a second/additional language.To help our volunteers support students as they acquire the English language skills they need to read and write about Math, Science and other subjects, we’ve compiled a list of tips for working with ELL students. (
You can also view this as a one-page handout.)
Safe Learning CommunityOne of the main ways we as volunteers can help all students flourish, particularly ELLs, is to create a safe learning environment. Students learn best in an environment where there is a “low-affective filter.” This refers to the emotional filter inside us that can either cause anxiety and stress (when it is high) or facilitate risk-taking and self-confidence (when it is low). These are ways to create a learning environment that lowers the affective filter:
- Build positive rapport, establishing a relationship with each student
- Celebrate diversity, using literature, photos and examples reflecting students’ ethnicity
- Avoid overemphasizing language mistakes and praise attempts
- Promote collaboration and mutual respect
Stages of Language AcquisitionGenerally, it takes between five and seven years to achieve advanced fluency in a second language. Second-language acquisition assumes knowledge in a first language and involves vocabulary, phonological components, grammatical structures and writing systems. When working with ELLs, it’s critical to be aware that gaining fluency in a second language occurs in stages. Keeping this in mind will help you better support students' language acquisition based on their needs.
| Stage | Description | Examples |
| Preproduction | Also called the ‘‘silent period,’’ when the student is taking in the target language, but not speaking it. ELLs may go through a silent-listening period before they are ready to speak publicly. This is not a sign of disrespect. Students must be immersed in the new language, hearing and practicing the sounds and rhythms of it before they are ready to attempt it. | You may observe ELLs taking excessive notes and looking up words often in the dictionary. |
| Early Production | The student begins to try speaking using short phrases, but the focus is still on listening and absorbing the new language. Many errors occur in this stage. | You may observe ELLs becoming more vocal with their peers practicing their new language. |
| Speech Emergent | Words and sentences are longer, but the student still relies heavily on context clues and familiar topics. Vocabulary increases and errors decrease, especially in common or repeated interactions. | You may observe ELLs speaking English often but still needing support with their vocabulary, particularly with context clues. |
Strategies to Support ELLs ELL students in your classroom are likely at various stages in their language acquisition process. Below are some instructional strategies, sorted by the three stages of language acquisition which can be utilized to support ELL students.
| Stage | Strategies for working with ELLs |
| Preproduction | - Emphasize listening comprehension by using read-alouds and music.
- Use visuals and have students point to pictures or act out vocabulary.
- Speak slowly and use shorter words, but use correct English phrasing.
- Model "survival" language by saying and showing the meaning. For example, say, "Open your book," and then open a book while the student observes.
- Gesture, point and show as much as possible.
- Allow extra wait time for student to respond. Model what it looks like when we provide each other with extra time to gather thoughts and words before we speak.
- Avoid excessive error correction. Reinforce learning by modeling correct language usage when students make mistakes.
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| Early Production | - Continue the strategies listed above, but add opportunities for students to produce simple language.
- Ask the students to point to pictures and say the new word.
- Ask yes/no and either/or questions.
- Have literate students write short sentences or words in graphic organizers.
- Model a phrase and have the student repeat it by adding vocabulary modifications and changing the meaning of the phrase. For example: Teacher says, "This book is very interesting." The student repeats it and says, "This book is very boring." Continue with as many modifications as possible that change the meaning of the phrase.
- Avoid excessive error correction. Reinforce learning by modeling correct usage.
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| Speech Emergent | - Introduce more academic language and skills by using the same techniques listed above, but advancing vocabulary.
- Introduce new academic vocabulary and model how to use it in a sentence.
- Provide visuals and make connections with student's background knowledge as much as possible.
- Ask questions that require a short answer and are fairly literal.
- Have students re-tell stories or experiences and you can write them down. Students can bring these narratives home to read and reinforce learning.
- In writing activities, provide the student with a fill-in-the blank version of the assignment with the necessary vocabulary listed on the page.
- Provide minimal error correction. Focus only on correction that directly interferes with meaning. Reinforce learning by modeling the correct usage.
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Additional resources to learn more about English Language Learners: 
