There is a comprehensive and efficient way that teachers require to teach English Language Learning, ELL, students. This method requires teachers to be diversified in using instructions and be comfortable teaching the students. In the past, teachers used one size fits it all method to teach their students (Ward, 2009). The teacher taught the entire classroom of students. However, in today’s world, teachers do not use this learning method. This learning method is unfair to the entire students.
The teachers use these various teaching methods to ensure that students achieve the goal of this learning process, which is success in the learning process (Echevarria, 2013). America has many rich cultures. This is the home of several cultures of the world. In America, using of these efficient teaching methods has become more evident than the way the teachers used the methods in the past. It is obvious how the teachers are ensuring the success of the students using these effective teaching methods. More students are achieving their ultimate goal of success, thanks to the adopted teaching strategies (Short et al., 2009).
Instructional Strategies for the ELL Classrooms
English Language Learners, ELL requires some instructions when they are in the classroom (Ward, 2009). In America, teachers use various instructional strategies to assist their students during the learning activities. This paper discus ranges of instructional components that teachers use during the ELL classrooms. The paper will discuss the comprehensible inputs during the learning process, the grouping structures methods and techniques and feedbacks. The paper will discuss on the schema, background and vocabulary development and the how student the students engagement in the learning process contributes to the achievement of success in the ELL classrooms.
Comprehensible Input
Communication is a vital tool that educators use to approach students. Communication is an effective tool that enables students understands their teachers and the instructional strategies (Krashen, 1988). Learners use this comprehensible input hypothesis to acquire the best language they can get. However, they need the best tools to acquire this knowledge. The input should be in a way that the students can easily understand it. The input should never be beyond the student’s level of competence (Ward, 2009). This will confuse the students more than it should help them achieve their goals in learning English. Krashen affirms that the input should be regulated to help students acquire the knowledge in learning (1988). However, the input should pose a challenge to the students. It should never be so easy that it poses no challenge. The input should challenge the students, but students must understand the input without using conscious effort in teaching (Krashen, 1988).
One of the difficulties in this strategy is that the i+1 and I are difficult to identify. However, the teachers might develop an intuition and a strategy for the right input (Ward, 2009). The teachers develop a strategy and an intuition of how to speak to their students and how they are understood. A teacher talking comprehensibly to students goes over presentation and vocabulary. It involves the teacher presenting the background of the context, rewording and providing an explanation of any unclear text (Krashen, 1988). Teachers use graphic techniques to organize their strategies in teaching. The students enhance their knowledge through asking questions for clarification, using visual cues and using context. The students will understand many of the aspects being taught when they find the context comprehensible, and this pushes their understanding to majestic heights (Short et al., 2009).
Ongoing, specific, and immediate feedback
Teaching ELL is challenging. The teachers find it rather challenging in these classes. They find difficulty in teaching especially when the students are confused and frustrated. The teachers must ensure that they give the students immediate feedback on their progress in the classes. The teachers ought to be positive on the students, and they must have constant feedbacks. Immediate feedbacks and response allow the students have a positive mind. Giving the ELL students positive feedback encourages them to put effort in the learning activities (Short et al., 2009).
The teachers should give the students different opportunity to complete their readings and explain on the readings. Assisting the students during their reading and explanations allow them to minimize on their mistakes. The teachers will guide the students on their reading. This develops the students into a strong reader avoiding mistakes. The teachers’ feedbacks must be relevant, useful and comprehensible (Ward, 2009).
When giving students feedback, the teachers must ensure that their feedback is specific. The teacher should not correct overly all mistakes in the students’ readings. This will demoralize the student. Four strategies that teachers use to give their students feedback include
- Giving students feedbacks that are corrective in nature
- The teachers should give timely feedbacks
- The teachers should reference the feedbacks.
- The students should give the teachers their feedback in the form of self-evaluation (Ward, 2009).
Grouping structures and techniques
Interaction is one of the vital keys for language development. Many of the ELL students are blocked from succeeding in their academics because of the assumption that the students cannot handle any challenging assignment in the classroom. This is a baseless assumption. With good teaching, the ELL students develop their competitive skills and develop their language prowess. The teacher should ask the ELL and other students to work together in groups. Peer tutoring is one of the recommended techniques that help the ELL students understand their assignments and classroom projects (Ward, 2009). The groups help the ELL students develop their language. Educators have deduced that cooperation through the group works has fostered the fast ways in which the ELL students successfully progress in the language.
Although the groups are useful, teachers are asked not to overuse these education groups. Most of the ELL students need time to practice independently on their prowess of the language. When the student practice alone after the group works, he will know the progress he is making n the ELL class (Echevarria, 2013).
Building background and vocabulary development
The students’ engagement is the driving force behind the learning process. The students understand a topic more when they get involved in the activities than when they are reluctant in the learning activities. For example, when the teacher is teaching, than a student gets an opportunity to ask a question, it is right for all students to be in the learning process (Echevarria, 2013). The students have an opportunity to run the class through asking and answering questions. The teacher uses this opportunity to involve the entire class on answering the questions. The entire class gets involved in running the class. It is easy for students to gain knowledge through the joint discussion in the classroom.
The teachers use the class time to keep the student together. Student get bored quickly, therefore; the teacher must not let their students get bored. This makes the students lose concentration and slows down the learning process (Echevarria, 2013).
Conclusion
Teaching process is gradual. It needs preparation and time in order to meet the requirements of the ELL students. Educating the ELL students using the efficient teaching methods delivers results and achievement of the students. Teachers, therefore, prepare a comprehensive teaching plan to teach their ELL students. The teachers adjusts to the abilities of their students and be able to accommodate them whenever necessary (Presseisen, 2009).
References
Ecchevarria, J. (2013, February 14). The SIOP Institute. Retrieved February 22, 2013, from The SIOP Institute Web site: www.siopinstitute.net
Krashen, S. (1988). Language Acquisition and Language Learning. New York: Prentice Hall.
Presseisen, B. (2009). Critical issue: building on prior knowledge and meaningful student context/cultures. New Jersy: Wiley.
Short, D., Vogt, M., & Ecchevarria, J. (2009). Comprehensible Content for Elementary English Learners: The SIOP Model. New York Pearson: Pearson.
Ward, P. (2009). Strategies that Improve the Achievement of Students and Recall of Medical Anatomy: A Quantitative and Qualitative Study. New York: VDM Verlag.
