Colleen Elep English As Second Language (ESL), English Language Learners (ELLs)

What Would Support for English Language Learners Look Like if we Built Better Schools?

I spent some time in the last week exploring ETFO’s Building Better Schools website (https://www.buildingbetterschools.ca/), which contains a clearly defined critical pathway for educators and families to follow to improve the learning experiences of students.

As a parent with kids in Ontario public schools and as an educator in the public education system working primarily with English Language Learners (ELLs), it would be impossible for me to disagree with the main argument in the Building Better Schools Campaign – that schools need more funding.

In my own experience, the impact of decreased funding in schools on ELLs is most visible in working conditions for elementary school teachers and the lack of support for students. There are fewer educators that have a specialized role in supporting newcomer ELLs, which translates into less opportunities for ELLs to accelerate their English language proficiency in schools. In my own work environment, the ratio of specialized ESL/ELD educators to students last year was a staggering 1 to 200+ students.

The Needs of ELLs Today

The needs of ELLs in Ontario schools are changing. What I see in the different schools I work with are more elementary students that enrol in schools coming from backgrounds where they may have experienced interruptions to learning and traumatic experiences from conflict and displacement. Many student families face ongoing difficulties finding housing and employment, and may be living in local shelters and hotels.

Educators are increasingly working with students that have significant foundational gaps in numeracy and literacy, since those students did not have opportunities to be in school consistently in their home country or the countries they have lived in on their journey to Canada.

As a result of decreasing educator support for ELLs, and the increasing needs of ELLs that enter Ontario schools, classroom educators are placed in a difficult position where they must navigate the demands of program adaptation, programming, and initial and ongoing assessment for ELLs all while managing large class sizes with decreased mental health and special education supports.

What can schools and communities expect from the “perfect storm” of budget cuts and changing needs of ELLs?

Elementary educators – without the resources and training to develop programs and equitably assess ELLs – cannot provide the quality learning experiences ELLs need to build their language proficiency and meet curriculum-based learning expectations. When schools are not equipped to address the mental health and wellness issues that may affect newcomer students, and do not have enough specialized staff to support kids that have significant numeracy and literacy gaps, student outcomes will decline.

Elementary aged ELLs that do not get the appropriate support enter secondary schools with the same needs they had the year before, and may be underprepared to handle the rigour of coursework – particularly in schools where there may not be any programming available to ELLs.

What Would be the Impact of Better Funded Schools for ELLs?

With more funding for public education, and “enveloped” funding for ELLs, schools could make major enhancements to their programming for ELLs and significantly enhance work conditions for educators. At the moment, funding for language learners provided by the government does not get invested for its purpose.

As the Building Better Schools site states, “There is no direct accountability for school boards to spend their second language grants on the intended programs. All too often, overall shortfalls in the funding formula have led to school boards using their second language grants for other purposes and shortchanging ELL students” (ETFO).

With appropriate allocation for funding, what could ELLs and educators in Ontario schools have? Here are a few ideas:

  • Increased allocation of specialized ESL/ELD support educators in schools.
  • More professional learning targeted toward classroom educators working with ELLs.
  • Access to quality culturally-responsive resources and materials developed for English language acquisition.
  • Improved resources to support the initial assessment of newcomer students.
  • Mental health and wellness support for newcomer students that have experienced significant trauma.
  • Technology and digital resources to support language acquisition and access translanguaging tools.
  • Increased programming support for students with interrupted education and significant numeracy and literacy gaps (English Language Development, or “ELD” programs).
  • Smaller class sizes to increase the quality of learning.
  • Enhanced programs to support the transition of ELLs from elementary to secondary schools.

Next Steps

Advocating for public education and ELLs is easy thanks to the resources posted on the Building Better Schools website. Raise awareness for the campaign by clicking the Take Action (https://www.buildingbetterschools.ca/take_action) page to find content to share on socials or in your staff room, find tips on lobbying, sign petitions, or vote for a government that prioritizes children.

Rashmee Karnad-Jani Building Inclusion, English As Second Language (ESL), English Language Learners (ELLs), Inclusion, Kindergarten, Learning About Your Students, wellness

The Importance of Questions: Part 1

We’ve moved on from November and it’s the last month of the year already.  While the countdown for the winter break has begun in many minds, there are some things that catch my attention and I want to share some of them with you.

In our everyday spaces, we connect with, notice and wonder about things, and people all the time when we see them. Sometimes we ask questions and at other times based on what we think we know, we decide a response.  I am sharing some questions that I have been asked in the past months that keep me thinking about their importance.

This photograph shows two leafless trees against a blue sky with white clouds. The sun is shining brightly behind the tree to the right
Winter Sunlight (Karnad-Jani, 2024)

Who are you? 

As the range where I collaborate with colleagues is K-12, I have the experience of meeting students who aren’t yet four and older students who call me Miss. When I enter a classroom or wait outside, students either ask me directly who I am or their eyes do without words. When invited by my colleague in the classroom, I introduce myself: “My name is Ms.Karnad. I am a teacher and I’m here to learn with you”.

Do you miss that? 

The questions I receive are heart warming and they open my mind to all the things children think about. 

Often I join children at their tables to work alongside. In a Grade 4 class a student asked me “Do you go from school to school because you don’t have your own classroom now?” 

“Yes”, I said “That’s correct”.

“Do you miss having your own students?” 

I replied in the affirmative.

“What is the first thing you will do if you have your own classroom again?” 

I’m still thinking about that one. 

Do you speak Farsi?

In a Kindergarten classroom recently, a student  asked me to join them in play. They were gathering leaves to fill a small red cup, a blue teapot and a star shaped baking dish. I was instructed to guess how many scoops of leaves went into each one and I think I did rather well on that task. Then another student joined us and in a clear voice asked me “Do you speak Farsi?” I replied that I didn’t but I understood some words. “Come back and I’ll teach you some more words” she said and I’m looking forward to that.  How wonderful it is when children say to the grown-ups in their lives “I will teach you”. What a promising world this will be!

Can you help me?

At another school when I was planning a pre-collaboration visit and standing by the door as it was a rather busy time, I felt a tug on my wrist. Looking down I saw a student who wanted me to walk with them. They began leading me by the hand to another space and pointed to a shelf higher up. “Show me”, I said pointing to the visuals as I had seen a choice board displayed prominently with large pictures for easy access (for visitors like me also). The student showed me the picture of their preferred item and I helped get it down for them. A friend joined in and they tugged my hand to sit also. Building with multicoloured magnetic shapes that morning was a lot of fun.

Do you know where you are going?

As we approach the end of the year and the start of a new calendar year, it is these simple heart-touching questions that point me to where I am going. Immersed as we see in the complexities of the work and the world, this simplicity is the gift that allows me to stay in the moment and touch that glimmering droplet of joy.

I see you 

Many years ago, I was a Grade 7-8 teacher at the school with the beautiful sunrise. As I’d walk to the workroom downstairs on my prep, I’d pass an empty kindergarten classroom. Every day a rotation of women-mothers, aunties, grandmothers – and children would come in and attend a morning run by an Ontario child care programme. The women would sit cross legged and the children would sit in front of them. The service provider would play some songs while the women and children waited, listened and participated. It becomes clear for those of us who know educational pathways in Ontario that this was a school readiness programme for pre-kindergarten children.

In the early days, there would be hesitant little people being encouraged by the women and as time went by the children would begin to sing. As the workroom was nearby, I’d hear the voices change from whispers to hesitant voices to the silver sound of enthusiastic singers. 

When they’d come in for their learning, the women and children would line up outside the room. On the wall, up high, were Grade 8 graduation composites. One day as I was walking by, a child was pointing to a picture here and a picture there. As his Amma smiled at me I stopped and listened alongside. “Anna (elder brother), Akka (elder sister)”, he said. They were his cousins, who had graduated from the school, I learned from the child’s mother. 

As I was about to leave, the child pointed at someone else in the frame and whispered to his mother. I asked “Who is it? Whom do you see?”. The little one smiled shyly and pointed to me. His Amma said “He is saying, I see you”. Yes, I was there too and the child had recognized me from my tiny face in the large frame. 

Now these photos have been moved to a connecting passage between the old wing where I started working and the new wing that we saw being built from my Grade 7-8 class. That moment stays with me years later.

I see you. 

Such an important thought. I want to make sure everyday that I too see you, students and colleagues. That’s a great place to begin.

I see you.

With You, In Solidarity

Rashmee Karnad-Jani

Colleen Elep English As Second Language (ESL), English Language Learners (ELLs)

Language Acquisition and Language Arts: What’s the Difference?

It is not always easy to distinguish which types of teaching resources and strategies are best for English Language Learners (ELLs), or Multilingual Language Learners (MLLs).

I think part of the confusion – at least for elementary teachers in Ontario – stems from the fact that ELLs join mainstream classrooms and acquire English from program adaptations (accommodations and modifications) and immersion rather than from a separate ESL curriculum.

As an educator with a background in teaching English abroad, it was a new concept for me to teach literacy and numeracy to ELLs through a core curriculum designed for non-ELLs. It took me a long time to figure out how to best support the newcomer ELLs in the grade 7 homeroom I was assigned.

As someone who has worked in ESL and ELD support in schools for many years, I still get a lot of questions from homeroom teachers about how they can best teach the ELLs in their classes. Which resources are appropriate for ELLs? How are they supposed to teach English as an additional language while also teaching literacy? What’s the difference?

Language Arts vs. Language Acquisition

Understanding the difference language arts and language acquisition is key to knowing which resources to use, and how to use them.

Language Arts curriculum and resources are typically designed for students that already have a foundation of English language skills. They assume that students can draw from an existing repertoire of words and vocabulary to make meaning from texts and communicate ideas.

Language acquisition resources, or those that fall under the “ESL” (English as a Second Language) or “EAL” (English as an additional language) umbrella, are designed for students with emergent vocabularies in English (or whatever the target language is). They are designed to help students build practical communication skills, learn different verb tenses, and build vocabulary in familiar and academic contexts.

Language Arts and English language acquisition resources may often intersect in terms of content, though they cannot wholly be substituted for one another. For example, levelled texts for ELLs are designed for beginner readers in English so that they are more likely to encounter familiar or simpler verb tenses and new vocabulary at a rate that is appropriate for a student at a particular levels of English language proficiency. While these texts may be readable and enjoyable for non-ELLs, they may not contain the kind of figurative language and vocabulary that will help a non-ELL to develop skills of literary and text analysis.

Literary texts, including many stories for young children, are not designed with the ELL in mind. They may contain complex verb tenses and constructions, even when written for younger kids. ELLs can certainly read and enjoy such texts, but they may need additional support and context to understand the usage of verbs and references.

What About Literacy Resources to Support Decoding and Phonological Awareness?

As we are increasingly immersed in foundational literacy resources designed to teach decoding through phonological awareness in the language arts classroom, I think it can be tempting to use them as language acquisition resources – which they can be – but with adaptation and tweaking.

Foundational literacy resources that focus on phonemic and phonological awareness are largely designed for non-ELLs. They assume that students are already familiar with the sounds of English. And yes, these resources will be beneficial to ELLs, but much of the resources do not focus on teaching meaning. So when using these resources with ELLs, it is important to provide ELLs with opportunities to learn the meanings of the words they are decoding.

Final Thoughts

Knowing the difference between English Language Arts and English Language Acquisition resources is important, especially in teaching contexts where the differences can be blurred. Understanding which resources will serve your purpose best, or how to use both types of resources flexibly in your classroom, will help you to plan literacy and language programs effectively.

Colleen Elep Assessment, English As Second Language (ESL), English Language Learners (ELLs)

Assessment Tools and Multilingual Language Learners: Which one should I choose?

A question I get frequently as an ESL/ELD resource teacher in my board is: what assessments are appropriate for Multilingual Language Learners (MLLs) of English (also known as English Language Learners, or ELLs)?

In response, I often say: “what exactly is it that you want to assess?”

This blog is all about understanding the importance of knowing your “why” when you are assessing language and literacy. Let’s take a look at some of the most typical things teachers of MLLs might choose to assess.

Assessing English Language Proficiency

Quite possibly the most essential assessment of MLLs is their level of proficiency in English. This assessment is probably most useful to educators when a newcomer student has arrived in a school, and their teaching team wants to find out what literacy skills the student has.

English language proficiency encompasses a wide range of skills and abilities that can be broadly understood as basic interpersonal communication skills (conversation, practical language) to cognitive academic language skills (use of academic vocabulary and writing skills).

Beginner users of English will be in the process of acquiring essential English words and phrases to interact in practical situations, while intermediate and advanced users will be focused on learning the skills to participate in contexts like class discussion and formal writing for school.

In Ontario, educators are expected to use the initial assessment guidelines provided by the Ministry of Education. It is important to note that the assessment is not a “package” or “kit” that will churn out a score or proficiency level.

A better way to understand the initial assessment process is to consider it as a formative assessment for teaching and learning. Teachers can use the guidelines to choose questions, activities, and resources of their choice to get a “snapshot” of the student’s oral, reading, and writing skills in English.

The information gathered can be summarized on the Initial STEP Continua, which is a useful tool for providing an initial overview of what their level of English proficiency is. After an initial assessment, use the regular STEP Continua to monitor language acquisition on an ongoing basis.

Phonological Awareness Assessment

With structured or foundational literacy at the forefront of so many teachers’ minds, many teachers wonder if a screener like Acadience or DIBELs is appropriate for ELLs.

The answer is yes, with a few considerations to keep in mind.

First of all, students in the very emergent phases of learning English and who are just starting to learn the English may have a difficult time with the test, because they may not understand what is being asked of them or may just be encountering English “code” or script for the first time. These students are not “at risk”, but may simply need more time to build their knowledge of English language vocabulary and script.

Early literacy screeners will be more useful for assessing the phonological awareness of MLLs that have spent more time in Ontario schools and have had more exposure to the sounds of English and English texts. For ELLs it is important to consider the result of the screener as just one piece of evidence among other pieces of assessment and output, including the student’s growth on the steps to English proficiency continua (STEP).

ETFO has released an excellent document to support educators who are using early literacy screeners on MLLs. Take a look at this article to inform your own practice. ETFO members can access MLLs and Early Reading Screeners on the member site.

Reading Comprehension Assessments

Reading comprehension assessment tools have come under a lot of scrutiny in recent years largely because they do not address skills like phonemic and phonological awareness.

However, the ability of students to comprehend texts of different genres and complexities is still important for educators to understand, especially when students already have decoding skills.

When assessing the comprehension of MLLs, it is important to ensure that the texts you are using fall within the student’s zone of proximal development (not too easy, not too difficult), so you can determine what skills the student should work on. You will also want to use texts that are culturally relevant and interesting to the student.This is where using STEP tools is important, such as the guide for selecting texts for initial assessment.

Depending on the student’s STEP, you may want to base the assessment on verbal answers, or have students illustrate a level-appropriate text they have read.

Assessing First Language Literacy Skills

First language literacy skills are an important area to look at, especially for older ELLs that have spent time in schools outside of Canada. Getting a sense of their first language skills can be a good indicator of their literacy level, which will give you a good sense of what they will be able to do once they have built their vocabulary and oral comprehension skills in English.

But how do you assess first language skills when you don’t know the language yourself?

Personally, I have always found it helpful to provide students with a simple prompt, such as:

“What is your family like?”

“What was your last school like?”

I might use a translator to share the prompt with the student. In most cases, they will happily write away, knowing that they can use a language they are familiar and confident in.

When the student is finished, I might also ask that they try reading to me in a language they know. Sites like Global Storybooks have stories in many languages, or if I have a dual language text nearby I might try that. This is not the type of assessment I would score: it’s really just to get a sense of what multilingual skills they are bringing to their new school.

Other Assessments, Screeners, and Diagnostics

Of course, there are dozens of assessment tools out there that have been developed for different purposes. When you are using any tool on an MLL, you will really want to examine it critically to see whether or not they will actually capture any information beyond how much English the student knows.

This is not to say that assessment tools are not useful for MLLs – they will certainly give educators a “snapshot” of a student’s skills or growth in a certain area. Check the guidelines for assessment to see if there are any special considerations for students acquiring English, or if there are any recommended adaptations.

Diagnostics, screeners, and assessments all have a unique place in our classrooms. When we think about assessing MLLs, it is important to remember to consider learner variability (is the student a beginner, intermediate, or advanced user of English), and that you will want to consider the results of any assessment alongside other triangulated evidence in reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

Colleen Elep English As Second Language (ESL), English Language Learners (ELLs)

On Supporting English Language Acquisition in the Mainstream Classroom: Part 2

How do you support and program for newcomer students in acquiring English in the mainstream classroom?

This is a question many educators have when they receive newcomer English language learners (ELLs) in the classroom. In my last blog post, I wrote about why questions like these are so common. Elementary ESL programming documents detail the important role of accommodations and modifications to curriculum when planning for ELLs, but do not outline a scope and sequence of English language acquisition. Classroom teachers – particularly when they are teaching the older elementary grades – often wonder how they will teaching foundational English to the ELLs at the same time they teach non-English learners. While many younger elementary ELLs in the primary years thrive alongside their peers who are also learning letter sounds and vocabulary, older students sometimes struggle without opportunities to build their English oral foundations, as well as the right adjustments to make learning accessible.

Here are some strategies for teaching English to ELLs in the junior and intermediate classroom.

Start With STEP

The Steps to English Language Proficiency (STEP) continua/framework often gets overlooked as a tool for planning instruction and creating appropriate learning expectations for English language learners. Make sure you have regular access to the STEP placement of the ELLs in your classroom, so you can adapt instruction and modify learning expectations accordingly. For example, if a student is approaching STEP 1 or is at STEP 1, you will know that they are in the emergent phases of acquiring English. When you plan a lesson in Social Studies, for example, you will want to use that knowledge to develop learning activities that enable that student to engage in the learning: introducing vocabulary at the start of a lesson, or  using visuals to illustrate content (we will talk more about creating entry points into curriculum next).

Most importantly, you can use STEP to modify learning expectations that you can use for assessment and reporting purposes. Record the specific learning expectations you establish for English language learners in a doc or a template so you are ready when assessment time comes. An example of an ESL modified learning expectation might be:

Grade 7 History Expectation:

(Student will) “analyse some of the main challenges facing various individuals, groups, and/or communities, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit individuals and/or communities, in Canada between 1713 and 1800 and ways in which people responded to those challenges.”

Modified for a student in STEP 1:

Student will describe a series of images, using picture word induction model and translanguaging, to describe some of the main challenges facing different communities, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit, in Canada between 1713 and 1800.

Create Entry Points for ELLs into Curriculum Content

Teaching content based subjects, especially to older ELLs can be a challenge when much of the content the class is developed for students with higher levels of language proficiency. This is particularly true in subject areas like science, history or geography. Provide your ELLs an access point into whole class instruction by offering text sets, or sets of texts that  offer the same information through a variety of formats (articles, leveled texts, charts, visuals, or media). Students can explore text sets and gather information from them for research or to complete learning tasks. Multimodal content offerings are also effective: “something to read, something to watch, and something to listen to” is a good mantra to keep in mind. Finally, encouraging students to translanguage or access multilingual texts is an excellent way to support them in using their primary language while also meeting the content goals of a subject.

Set Social Learning Goals for Your Class

I have many opportunities to collaborate with experienced ESL teachers, and one fantastic tip one teacher told me was to introduce social learning goals with the entire class. Setting social goals for the entire class not only gives English learners an opportunity to use essential questions like “how are you?” or “how was your day?” regularly, but creates an opportunity for them to engage in basic conversation with their peers on a regular basis. Social goals may also include making a point of helping others, including a student who may feel left out, practicing cooperation skills, or using positive body language. Social goals also help students to build healthy relationships with one another, while learning important social skills as well.

Incorporate Language Scaffolds into the Learning Environment

All students, especially ELLs, benefit from language scaffolds and reference charts. Hang charts and posters of sentence starters/models, transition words, vocabulary lists, verb charts, pronouns, and labels on classroom items wherever possible for easy, at a glance support for students. Change your word walls or charts to reflect content learning, and make a point of frequently using the words and phrases you want to emphasize. Having opportunities to hear and apply new words and phrases are essential for language learning, so make a point of using words and phrases you have featured on a regular basis.

Use English Learning Apps and Games (With Caution!)

English apps and games are a tricky topic. On one hand, we want to focus on building English communication skills through live conversation, listening activities, and social interactions; on the other hand, apps can do the powerful job of introducing key vocabulary and phrases in a fun and engaging way.

If you do use language learning apps like Duolingo or Mondly in the classroom, make sure that the time students spend on them is limited (ex. 15 minutes a day). School can be a critical time for interacting and practicing spontaneous communication skills, so apps are usually best used in limited timeframes or at home.

Understand how to Use English Learning Resources Effectively

There is no shortage of ESL resources out there, as millions of people around the world are learning English all the time. However, you will find that many of these resources are not designed for a single student in a mainstream English medium classroom, but for classes entirely composed of English language learners. If you do use an ESL focused workbook or resource, use it flexibly and in the context of the broader programming all students are learning. Such resources may be used if the ELL has the opportunity to receive higher tier instruction and support in an alternative space, or at home with their families.

Keep the Big Picture in Mind

Finally, it is important to practice big picture thinking and remember that the learning and instruction newcomer ELLs experience in your class is just the start of a much bigger journey for them in Ontario schools. Furthermore, the journey of every language learner will be different. Acquiring proficiency and fluency in any language takes years of learning, immersion and practice. Set high but realistic learning expectations for  English learners, keeping in mind that the time they spend in your classroom is a critical step in a much longer pathway toward mastering the language.

Read Part 1: Supporting English Language Learners in the Mainstream Classroom

Colleen Elep e-learning, English As Second Language (ESL), General

Language Learning App Review

As an ESL/ELD resource teacher, I often get asked about what apps are beneficial for students who are learning English. This can be a tricky question! On one hand, I believe that spontaneous oral communication and interactions are the best way for students to acquire proficiency in an additional language. At the same time, I understand that teachers need resources to support their students, especially when they are in the early steps of acquiring English. While ESL accommodations and modifications may help to’level the playing field’ for newcomer students in the mainstream classroom, I think it is still important for English learners to receive explicit, targeted English language instruction, especially when they arrive in Canada during the intermediate grades. This is where language learning technology can play a huge role: many newer programs are designed to cater to the interests of learners, and follow a scope and sequence that aligns with international language acquisition continua.

Language learning technology has advanced significantly over recent years: there are a slew of fantastic options that make language learning fun and engaging. Let’s take a look at a few language learning apps that are fun for kids and adults alike to use. If any of these options sound intriguing, you can easily sign up for a week long trial to see if it will work for you or your students.

Drops by Kahoot

Drops is a fabulous language learning app that hails from the same company as Kahoot, a company whose app became ubiquitous in the virtual teaching world. Users of Kahoot will recognize the dark purple interface and illustration style, along with the same easy to use, immersive, and exciting virtual environment of their quiz games. I absolutely love this language learning app for the same reasons I love Kahoot: it is fun, intuitive, and has an element of urgency to keep you on your toes.

Drops is an app that is best used on a mobile device. The app works by feeding the user a steady flow of highly visual vocabulary learning activities. Once you have correctly identified the meaning and spelling of a word a certain amount of time, you have “mastered” the word or phrase and can move on to new ones. The app is great for supporting students who are getting regular oral practice in the classroom or through other immersive situations.

I could see this app being used by an older multilingual learner who enjoys games and is accustomed to using a mobile device. Drops does not have a dashboard teachers can see or monitor learning, so a teacher would have to check in with the learner regularly to see how they are progressing through the app.

LingoPie

Lingo Pie capitalizes on the access Netflix has to content from all over the world. You can watch multilingual shows and movies from all over the world, geared for different ages and levels of language acquisition. The subtitles are interactive, and the user can click on words they don’t know. After the content has been watched, Lingo Pie generates a set of digital flashcards the student can use to practice.

This is a fun app that enables learners to experience language through media and storytelling. I could see a teacher having a single subscription and sharing the media on a projector, pausing when a student or students identify an unfamiliar word. This app could have great potential with French or any international language app.

Mondly

Mondly is Pearson’s contribution to the language app world, and it does not disappoint. Educators will feel comfortable using content from such a well known publisher, and the website does indeed offer purchasing options for schools and boards. Mondly presents basic vocabulary and phrases for multilingual students, and students can learn the target language using instructions and prompts from their home language (ex. there is an Arabic interface for those learning English as the target language; you could learn Romanian from Turkish, or French from Chinese). The app produces a daily lesson, and students can complete that lesson or move forward if they’d like. The app can be used on both mobile and desktop devices.

Another great aspect about Mondly is that there is a version for young kids with child friendly graphics. My daughter in grade 1 enjoyed playing it!

I could see this app being used widely by multilingual learners of different ages. It is a great way for students to practice at home, or in school during periods of independent work. In my dream classroom, my entire class would using it to learn the language of their choice!

Lexia for English Learners

Lexia, whose reading app has become widely used and praised, also has created a program for English learners. This app is designed for desktop use, and has culturally responsive characters that appeal to kids through storytelling and subject based learning. Students do not require literacy skills in the target language to start the app, as it is focuses on building oral foundations for students: much of the initial part of the app is based on listening and students speaking to the app.

To support its methodology, Lexia has published a series of rather informative and useful articles explaining the pedagogy of the program. As you might expect, the app is rather costly. However, the subscription package does offer some flexibility so educators can make the most out of it during the school year.

Which App is the Best?

As with all technology, it is more than worthwhile to give it a good test run before making the investment. Much of the effectiveness of the app will depend on how it is utilized and the extent to which it compliments the ongoing language instruction happening in the school.

Coloured felt letters on a black felt background.
Colleen Elep English As Second Language (ESL), English Language Learners (ELLs), General

On Supporting English Language Acquisition in the Mainstream Classroom: A Blog in 2 Parts

This summer I will have the privilege of facilitating a workshop with new teachers in my board at a New Teacher’s Conference. The topic is one that I know has stymied many teachers for a long time, including myself: how do you support newcomer students in acquiring English in the mainstream classroom?

Answering this question is a challenge – even with all the policy documents and resources out there, the reality is always more nuanced and complex than it seems.

In my own conversations with teachers, I have noticed a trend where there is decreasing support for English Language Learners (ELLs) in schools, as ESL support staff are being utilized all too often to cover classes in schools where there is a supply teacher shortage. Support for ELLs is critical, especially for newcomer students who need accelerated instruction in English to build vocabulary, speaking, and listening skills.

Another element that makes teaching ELLs a challenge in Ontario is the fact that ESL programming in elementary school is based on accommodations and modifications to the curriculum. Yes, accommodations and modifications are essential to adapting the learning environment to ELLs. These adaptations create an entry point for ELLs and make equitable assessment and evaluation possible for teachers. But there is still a missing piece: how do we actually do the work of teaching the essential, oral foundations of English?

Additional or Foreign Language classes are typically focused on teaching students the basics of the target language: how to greet others, to interact in practical situations, build vocabulary, or how to use different verb tenses. While the secondary curriculum offers specific courses that address the usage and mechanics of English, there is no specific ministry resource that provides a scope of learning expectations that address the unique needs of elementary English language learners. Sure, we have the STEP continua – but this document is more of a list of look for we might see as ELLs acquire English, and not a comprehensive list of learning expectations.

What I often see in schools is the expectation that newcomer students will acquire the oral foundations of English from interacting with other students or being immersed in the English saturated world of Canada. And for the most part, this is largely what happens. For younger children in Kindergarten and the primary grades, English acquisition happens through structured play, the explicit teaching of foundational literacy skills, and texts and lessons that are highly visual and graphic. Teachers may incorporate practices like language experience approach and picture word inductive model that support academic vocabulary acquisition for English learners.

Older students in the intermediate grades are in a much different position. Older ESL students may have completed the majority of their learning in another language, not to mention in another school system with a curriculum different from the Ontario’s. Entering a new classroom can be exciting for newcomer students, but also difficult if they perceive that their prior learning and language skills have no place in their new learning environment. Many students go through “silent phases”, or appear disconnected or disengaged from classroom activities. As a result, many classroom teachers often feel at a loss of what to do, especially if they are unused to working with newcomer students. In my discussions with many classroom teachers, they are often wondering:

  • How do I teach them to start speaking and understanding English?
  • Are they bored?
  • What more can I do for the student?

While I wish there was more specificity to ESL programming beyond modifications and accommodations, there are many strategies teachers can use to make the work of teaching ELLs feel more purposeful and intentional without adding additional weight to the current workload. In the next blog, I will focus on unpacking some ways educators can integrate English language instruction into their regular classroom teaching.

Cover Image Source: Magda Ehlers, Pexels
Colleen Elep English As Second Language (ESL), English Language Learners (ELLs), General

Podcast Recommendation: Teaching MLs with Tan Huynh

Do you want to keep up with the latest culturally responsive pedagogical strategies and thinking, but cannot squeeze yet another book into your shelf? Look no further than Tan Huynh’s “Teaching MLs” podcast, which focuses on sharing the perspectives of the most innovative educators in the field of multilingual learning. Best of all, it’s free, and perfect content for your commute, lunchtime walk, or whenever you find its best to listen to a podcast. Tan’s podcast has over 150 episodes, with new content added weekly.

I have personally found podcasts to be very “hit and miss” in terms of content and quality. Some podcasts seem to barely scratch the surface of their topics, focusing a little too long on conversation and not nearly enough time on the topic that drew me to listen in the first place. Tan does a great job of balancing the banter with substance, making every episode feel like something between a friendly conversation and a keynote address.

This podcast is excellent not only for the topics featured – translanguaging, multilingual assessment, dual language schools, science of reading, and Chat GPT, just to name a handful – but the incredible speakers that most educators will recognize from their professional libraries. John Hattie, Jim Cummins, Ayanna Cooper, Margot Gottlieb, John Seidlitz, and Gholdy Muhammad are just some of the “educelebrities” you will encounter on the podcast.

Tan manages to bring out useful insights and conversations from renowned speakers and experts that will make a lasting imprint on your thinking and pedagogy. Personally, I have found it an excellent resource for summarizing big topics like phonics based instruction, balanced literacy, aritificial intelligence, and and teacher collaboration. Tan connects the research and ideas of his interviewees to his own experiences as a multilingual educator, English learner, and language learner, layering his ideas and perspectives onto the work of renowned researchers and educators in the field. Even when speakers are not completely focused on the topic of multilingual learning, Tan does an excellent job of connecting the topic back to English language pedagogy.

Listening to an author or expert speak about their work also helps me to better understand things I have read, and sometimes even compels me to re-read, deepen and consolidate my learning.

I was fortunate to meet Tan in the fall of 2021 when he accepted an invitation to be a virtual guest speaker at our board’s annual conference for ESL/ELD teachers. He joined our planning meetings and conference from Thailand, where he was likely tuning in at what should have been his bedtime. He turned out not only to be a confident, knowledgeable, and talented presenter, but unbelievably kind, humble and easy to talk to. His presentation on Translanguaging continues to impact my work and the work of my fellow PETL colleagues: we still get comments on how informative and practical his presentation was.

Tan’s dedication to the work of multilingual educators is inspirational and exciting. In a moment where it can seem more challenging than ever to be an Ontario educator, we need professional learning that will affirm and enhance our practices. Check out the Teaching MLs podcast on your favourite streaming platforms. His website also contains great resources and a blog!

Colleen Elep English As Second Language (ESL), English Language Learners (ELLs), General, Language Learning

What is Translanguaging?

A few years ago I had the pleasure of welcoming Maryam (student’s actual name has been changed), a grade 8 newcomer student from Afghanistan. She had multiple years of interrupted schooling due to the political situation in her home country, and arrived in middle school speaking a very emergent level of English while being fluent and literate in Pashto and Urdu. At the time, I was working as an ESL/ELD teacher in the school, supporting all classes in the school with programming for English Language Learners. Her homeroom teacher raised the inevitable question: how do I program and assess a student with such unique needs?

One of the best ways to accommodate newcomer students with literacy and oral communication skills is to use translanguaging strategies. So what exactly is translanguaging?

Translanguaging, as academic and educator Ofelia Garcia states in EAL Journal, is “the act performed by bilinguals of accessing different linguistic features or various modes of what are described as autonomous languages, in order to maximize communicative potential.” Translanguaging is all about students using all of their linguistic resources to explore new learning, making connections with prior knowledge, and communicating their knowledge and lived experiences. It is asset-based and honours the rich linguistic resources multilingual learners bring to the classroom.

Sure – there are moments during instruction where accuracy, concision and proficiency in English will be the focus. But translanguaging practices should be encouraged in areas where the work is content-based. Language acquisition is a journey, and learning should always be accessible no matter what part of that journey a student is on.

How Can I use Translanguaging in the Classroom?

Start by creating a translanguaging-friendly learning space by encouraging students’ use of home languages at the start of the year. Take a language survey to find out what students are speaking at home and with friends and relatives, who has literacy skills in a different language, or who is taking heritage language classes. Once you know the linguistic and cultural assets students are bringing to the classroom, you will also be better equipped to be more culturally responsive. Keep multilingual dictionaries in students’ languages in the classroom, or teach a lesson on how to use digital translation tools like Microsoft Translate, Google Translate, or SayHi. Show students how to set multilingual captions on sites like Youtube. While students may find that digital translations are not always accurate, they can help students who are in the earlier steps of English language acquisition to understand new content.

Use multilingual word walls, media, signs, and posters in your school’s or class’s top languages. If you are multilingual, model translanguaging by communicating with students that also speak the same language. Pair same language speaking students strategically in seating plans or group work. Once multilingualism is seen as an asset and a norm in the learning environment, you can start to see translanguaging occur organically in academic and social contexts.

Translanguaging from Instruction to Assessment

Embed translanguaging throughout your teaching cycle, from instruction to assessment. Encourage multilingual language learners (MLs) to take notes in their home language and/or English during class: it is common for newcomer students think that they are only allowed to use English in class, which should never be the case. Offer multilingual content whenever possible, encouraging the use of subtitles when video content is being shared. When labeling diagrams or visuals, MLs can have the option of using multiple languages, which helps to build critical academic vocabulary for content based subjects.

Text sets are another great way to scaffold and differentiate learning in content-based areas like Science, History, or Geography. To create a text set, gather a set of materials related to one area of learning that enable students to engage with the content in different ways. For example, text set might include similarly themed articles at different reading levels, content in languages used by students in the classroom, related diagrams and photos, photos, and links to different sites and videos. Creating text sets can take time – team up with other teachers to create different sets you can use throughout the year or a teaching cycle.

Finally, offer students opportunities to complete summative learning tasks or assignments in the language or languages they feel most confident using in addition to English. When students with more confident in their first language have the opportunity to use it in school, it can be empowering and create an opportunity for families to engage with their child’s learning. If you do not speak the same language as the student, you can ask a colleague who does to help with assessment, or ask the student to complete a secondary task to translate their work using dictionaries and translators. Make sure your rubric and success criteria are adapted to reflect the curriculum expectations and the student’s STEP: keep in mind that their learning goals may be different from that of their non-ELL peers.

Interested in taking a more detailed look at using multiple languages in your teaching? Check out Classroom Assessment in Multiple Languages (2021, Corwin Press)  by Margo Gottlieb for a comprehensive guide. There are so many ways for multilingual students to share their knowledge beyond writing and speaking in English. Once you identify the best strategies for enabling MLs to express their ideas and learning, you will see their growth and confidence flourish.

Nilmini Ratwatte Advocacy for change, Differentiated Instruction, Diverse Learning Needs, English As Second Language (ESL), English Language Learners (ELLs)

Mentoring Moments: Importance of Our Names

I always wanted to write why the name each of us are given is important to consider. Each year we have the privilege as an educator to touch and impact families as we teach their children. I emphasize as a teacher we teach children that belong to many cultures and backgrounds…As a teacher we have so many opportunities to reflect on pronunciation of names, spelling of names and the chance to talk about each individual story behind the name that we are given. As we celebrate World Teacher Day this month reflect on the privilege we hold as teachers to embrace diversity, be inclusive and bring about change in the education system that we work for towards a better future for all.

This blog starts with you getting to know me a bit better as an Educator in Ontario. Nilmini is my middle name- it was given to me by my parents because “Nil” in Sinhala means the colour Blue. “Mini” in Sinhala translates into “Gem”…Nilmini means a Blue Gem a precious stone, and important name that I was given. I love it…I never really thought about how when I was born the white part of my eyes had grey and blue tones….Moreover, now as an educator I reflect on why my name holds a special place in my heart since it is also apart of my heritage the beautiful country I was born in Sri Lanka before I immigrated to Canada with my family as a child.

“Each year we have the privilege as an educator to touch and impact families as we teach their children.” @NRatwatte

Ask your students about their Name Stories

As an educator there is no better way to build a trusting relationship than to ask students about who they are so you can connect it to the curriculum that is being taught each year.

  • Build in lessons through out the year to get to know your students names
  • Their heritage
  • Their traditions
  • Call students by their names – real names
  • Don’t change them since they are long
  • Do give them pride and ownership in using their own name

Some Books that can help you start the conversation about Names

Name Jar

I love using this book to discuss the importance of keeping our language cultural name and customs. The book helps us talk about inclusion practises in a school setting and importance of feeling belonging.

Chrysanthemum

No better book for me as a teacher since my name is very long and I go by my middle name Nilmini that is a family tradition.

They call me Number One

A book I start the conversation with about the importance of making students feel welcome when learning about the First Nations Peoples of Canada and the Residential School System.

Growth Mindset to Teaching

I encourage you as an educator to embrace the differences and not shorten names but call students by their real names to give them respect for their identity. Names are apart of each individual identity since they are interconnected to who we are, our cultural heritage or our customs.

  • Ask Questions
  • Encourage sharing
  • Embrace the Learning

In my culture we have a “letter sound” that is given to us when we are born according to our horoscope and that is the sound that we use to name each child according to be prosperous in our lives. These traditions carry with us over the generations because they are meaningful and they encourage customs that hold our heritage over the centuries close to our hearts.

Reflection Question: Think about why your name is important; write down your name story that you can share with your student during a lesson and courageous conversation.

Yours in Education,

Nilmini