Teachers who work with English as a Second Language learners will find ESL/ESOL/ELL/EFL reading/writing skill-building children's books, stories, activities, ideas, strategies to help PreK-3, 4-8, and 9-12 students learn to read.
Language Acquisition
What's Different About Teaching Reading to Students Learning English?
What's Different About Teaching Reading to Students Learning English? by Dorothy Kaufmann provides teacher trainers with a research-based curriculum to guide the professional development of classroom and ESL teachers who teach reading in classes where some or all of the students are English language learners. The curriculum is available for purchase from the Center for Applied Linguistics store.
This website from Jefferson County Schools in Tennesse offers academic vocabulary lists for grades K-12. In addition to lists of vocabulary for specific content areas, there are lots of games, with downloads for the game boards and content word cards.
American Speech-Hearing Association: Muticultural Resources
The American Speech-Hearing Association's Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) addresses cultural and linguistic diversity issues related to professionals and persons with communication disorders and differences.
CAL: What Teachers Need to Know About Language
This digest from the Center for Applied Linguistics summarizes a paper by Lily Wong Fillmore and Catherine Snow, "What Teachers Need to Know About Language." Discusses areas such as language acquisition, why English is difficult to learn, and error correction for ELLs.
Center for Applied Linguistics
CAL provides language education products and services to educators, service providers, and businesses.
Center for Applied Linguistics: The SIOP Model of Sheltered Instruction
The SIOP Model is a research-based and validated model of sheltered instruction. Professional development in the SIOP Model focuses on helping teachers plan and deliver lessons that allow English learners to acquire academic knowledge as they develop English language proficiency. Learn more from about SIOP from the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL).
ESL/Bilingual Resource Guide for Mainstream Teachers
For a quick guide to working with ELL students, check out this resource from the Portland Public Schools (OR). You'll find useful, practical information in an accessible format that you'll return to again and again, including an excellent language acquisition chart and a glossary of ELL terms.
Everything ESL: Stages of Language Acquisition
Simple description of the stages of language acquisition and recommendations for instructional strategies according to level.
On About.com's Secondary Education website, you can find many icebreaker ideas for starting the school year and new classes. Many activities can be used for the elementary level, as well.
Language Magazine is the popular periodical of language, education, and communication. The magazine also includes conference and job posting information. The Internet version links to some articles in PDF.
LD OnLine: Acquiring English as a Second Language
This article examines "what's normal" when learning a second language and how you can tell when a student has a language-learning disability and when he or she is merely in the normal process of acquiring a second language.
LD OnLine: Effective Instructional Strategies for English Language Learners with Special Needs
Students struggle in school for a variety of reasons. Unless these students receive appropriate intervention, they will continue to struggle, and the gap between their achievement and that of their peers will widen over time.
Literacy Connections: Promoting Literacy and a Love of Reading
Storytelling tips for developing oral language. This site offers simple guidance on how to develop storytellers in your classroom.
Overview of Second Language Acquisition and Strategies
Downloadable booklet from the Northwest Regional Education Laboratory, "Strategies and Resources for Mainstream Teachers of English Language Learners." Includes useful information on language levels, acquisition and 10 things teachers can do today to help ELL students.
This site has many free texts and audio clips to help students with English pronunciation and comprehension.
The Stages of Second Language Acquisition
This chapter from Classroom Instruction That Works with English Language Learners Facilitator's Guide, by Jane D. Hill and Cynthia L. Björk, offers information on the second language acquisition process and effective ELL instruction. It includes a a simplified chart of language acquisition levels and the kinds of language teachers can use to help students at each level.
U.S. Department of Education: ELL Literacy and Language Development
One-page informational sheet, "English Language Learners: Literacy and Language Development" that includes information on the research-supported importance of developing ELLs' oral language skills.
Understanding the "Silent Period" with English Language Learners
This article describes some strategies used by two kindergarten teachers to communicate verbally and nonverbally.
As our ENL team is planning a parent night we love the Reading Tip Sheets! We
were so excited to see that they are available in 11 languages. Thank you!
~ Franklin Township ENL Team
