What It Feels Like to Be a Language Learner

What does it feel like to be a language learner in school? These resources give teachers a sense of what English language learners (ELLs) and their families experience and share ideas on how to build empathy among students and staff for each other.

^{Photo credit: Courtesy of Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for American Education: Images of Teachers and Students in Action.}

Building Empathy

Student activities

Guest Post: What ELLs Taught Our School in a Week-Long Empathy Project (Larry Ferlazzo)
How to Teach Empathy and Appreciation (Colorín Colorado)

Staff activities

Creating a Shared Sense of Responsibility for Teaching English Learners

Chapter 2 from Advocating for English Learners: A Guide for Educators by Dr. Diane Staehr Fenner includes the following topics:

● How to develop a shared responsibility for teaching ELs
● A survey of teachers’ and administrators’ beliefs on educating ELs
● A math lesson in German and a parent form in Arabic