Teaching Content Areas

Some English language learners (ELLs) know very little English, but have a rich content background from their primary language. Other ELLs may have acquired intermediate or advanced English skills, but still have gaps in their content knowledge. In order for ELLs to become successful overall students, they need to learn both English and grade-level content.

As a teacher of ELLs, you often teach English through content. Yet you also have to make grade-level academic content accessible to ELLs without watering it down. The strategies in this section suggest ways in which you can provide your ELLs with additional support in learning content areas such as math, science, social studies, and language arts. The topics in this section are:

• Oral Language Development for Beginners
• Introducing a Text Before Reading
• Cooperative Learning Strategies
• How to Develop a Lesson Plan that Includes ELLs
• Reading Comprehension Strategies for Content Learning
• How to Select Vocabulary Words for Teaching ELLs