Using L1 to Teach L2

English language learners (ELL) are one of the fastest growing classifications of students attending schools in the United States today. They represent a diverse group of students typically coming from homes or backgrounds where English is not the primary language spoken. Additionally, ELL students experience difficulties communicating or learning academic instruction in English.

ELL stands for English Language Learners and are often students from countries which do not speak English that come to school to learn not only the regular content that a school teaches but also the English language. One of the many issues teachers face in helping students learn the content in class is the challenge of integrating the students’ native language along with the content of the lesson. Studies have shown that “3 years of exposure to English is not long enough for all individual ELLs to catch up to their monolingual peers for all subdomains of language” (Paradis, 2016). To properly teach ELL students both content for subjects as well as the English language teachers need to help integrate English and the students’ native language

However, there is a lot of dispute about the use of target language (TL) in the MFL classroom and key questions such as when and how often should we use the TL?’ as well as when should we use the mother tongue?’ have arisen. On one side, many argue in favour of the TL and feel that the national curriculum requirement is best met if classes are taught as often and as possible, using the target language as ‘a real means of communication’ (Jones, Halliwell, Holmes, 2002) and ‘using it not only as a ‘target’ to be learnt but for other purposes, students are more likely to perceive it as a useful medium for communication (Littlewood, Yu) and develop more motivation to learn it (Chambers, 2013)’. In addition, using TL in the classroom provides significant learning opportunities, especially when there are few opportunities to use the TL outside of lesson (Yoshida). This view is reinforced by Turnbull (2001) who states that ‘the teacher is most often the sole linguistic model for the students and therefore their main source of TL input’ further emphasising the importance of communication in the TL in the classroom, especially when is not uncommon for

All these strategies gives all students an equal opportunity to practice English, participation and involvement. ELLs students when it’s time to read or participate in class they may be reluctant to speak because of their lack of proficiency in English or feel uncomfortable in an environment where they have to share their ideas. ESL teachers must provide a positive and supportive environment that offers significant influence on student comfort level, success and participation that requiring ELLs to use the language in front of class without force them

Selecting materials relevant to ELL’s experience or culture; strategically using students’ first languages to make the content delivered in a second language more comprehensible teaching word learning strategies that build on first language knowledge such as using cognates; and frequently using partner talk to give low-English-proficient students more opportunities to talk with more English-proficient

One Misconception regarding ELL students is that immersion into an English-speaking classroom is enough for students to learn English.

ELL continue to rise year after year. In EDUC 628, the class delved into the rise of ELL in America and how the best teaching methods to approach each learner with. Every ELL student is unique and has different learning process. Although the semester covered a wide variety of topics ranging from dialects to teaching methods, every module served its purpose in providing a framework for future ELL teachers. Learning about how to teach ELL was significant to me because when I first entered the school system in America, I was placed into ESL and I have gone through the process of many of these teaching methods. EDUC 628 main focus was preparing students whose goal in the future was to educate ELL. The articles and readings assigned in the class provided a funds of knowledge going into each new lesson. Coupled with the readings, hands on activities such as the mini lessons and designing lesson plans provided each student with experience that will reflect on their teaching abilities in the classroom. In my paper, I will be provided a step by step synthesis of what was learned and accomplished every week along with a brief summary of the readings. I will probe deeper into the modules and lessons that piqued my interest the most and that also challenge my mindset.

The class is a mainstreamed first grade co-teach class of 34 students and two teachers. There are 16 females and 18 males that included 12 active English Language Learners (ELLs) (5 females, 7 males) and five Level 5 (proficient) students. The 12 ELL students represent five languages—Spanish (7), Chinese (1), Chin Burmese (1), and Arabic (2), Brazilian Portuguese (1). Eight of the twelve students tested at Level 1 on the WIDA language proficiency scale.

With the immigration population increase comes a language barrier increase. Therefore, English as a Second Language (ESL) tools in the classroom is essential. ESL was established in the 1970s when children of many mother tongues, crowded classrooms due to the immigration increase (Tomkins, G., 1981, p.

What surprise me was that in 2013 there was a total of 5.3 million ELL students throughout the country. This number is shocking, there are many ELL students in our classrooms settings and yet there are not enough resources and not enough prepared teachers that can work with ELL students in an effective way. It makes you think as a future teacher what should I be doing to better perpare myself for those studetnss? What kind of strategies should I used that would be effective to them. Not only that but as teachers we should also think about on how can we explain to ELL students that they need to maintain their home language while learning English? We, as teachers, see the importance of maintain both languages, of not only speaking it fluently

To address Luisa’s speaking in academic and social contexts, the English class must provide Luisa with consistent opportunities to hear English being spoken fluently. To promote fluent speaking in a second language, interaction is also key to learning. During the time when the ELL student is unable or limited in producing language, the instructor must create an environment where the ELL is able to build receptive language through repetition, gestures, and choral reading. One strategy to assist in developing the speaking component for Luisa is Scripting. Scripting is a strategy that prepares the ELL with sample language interactions or situational dialogues appropriate for upcoming events. These dialogues are known as scripts and they are presented and practiced with the ELL prior to the student encountering the situation in which the script will be used. The use of Scripting will complement the English class structure and the nature of the academic content as the class inherently focus on the productive and receptive language skills. As students encounter literature and poetry, the teacher can easily model fluent English during

The challenges an English language learner (ELL/ESL) struggles with, such as “how one flips from one language to another ultimately determines an English language learner’s success,” existed before the Common Core (Vilson). Other educators, like Lori Musso, have been working on implementing the Common Core for ELL students. Musso is with the San Mateo County Office of Education and has explained that the standards for ELL, and the standards for the general curriculum, have been merged into the same standards as their peers (Avendano). The executive director at Stanford University’s Understanding Language initiative, Martha Castellón, works to improve the education of ELL under the new Common Core. “We know what needs to be done in terms of educating ELLs, to give them the language skills they need to be successful under the [Common Core],” says Castellón, but she realizes that there’s a shortage in resources for the ELL instructors

R1 expressed concern over the lack of research with the specific ELL students that he/she works with and the difficulty of educational gaps with those learners. R1 did not further explain what educational gaps are challenging, if the challenges are language specific or possibly due to other learning difficulties. R2 partially echoed R1’s difficulty of an educational gap by explaining his/her concern with a lack of students’ English language knowledge when entering class. R3 reported the challenges were communicating with parents that have no English language skills. R3 did not state any challenges with educating ELL students. R3 further explained that the difficulty is when a translator is not available to assist, which may mean there is a lack of support in the respondent’s school and/or school district for ELL services. Lastly, R4 stated that there are no challenges in educating ELL students as long as they are taught with lots of visual aids. R4 did not further explain if visual aids are the only tool necessary for success or any other reasoning for why no challenges

Due to the presence of the use of mother tongue (L1) it shows the lack of teachers’ incredibility and capability (Labov, 1971, cited in Hughes, Shauness, and Brice, 2006). Linawati (2015, p. 2) also felt a disadvantage of using code switching in classrooms, she stated that the teachers are not creating appropriate atmosphere and encouraging the students’ interest in learning English. In contrast from socio-cultural perspective, the presence of code-switched communication in EFL classrooms encourages capability of using both languages effectively and creative language use (Dahl, Rice, Steffensen, Amundsen, 2010). As for the students’ attitude based on Suganda (2012) and Hamied (2014) studies reveal that students have a positive attitude towards the use of code switching in EFL classrooms. They feel code switching is one of the effective language learning

ESL students are students that speak English as a second language. Presently, there is many different system to characterize this type of students (qtd in Shi, Steen 63). For example, they can be seen as “English Language Learners (ELL), English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), English Language Development (ELD), English Language Service (ELS), and