esl strategies

Created for FCIS teachers and staff by P. Benoy ESL Strategies 1. Use visuals. (technology, draw, have students draw) 2. Use body language. (act out, gesture, have students act out) 3. Repeat yourself. Simplify your language but use correct grammar. 4. Use cooperative learning groups. 5. Build confidence through interaction 6. Build vocabulary through varied approaches. 7. Use graphic organizers. (visual and minimal writing) 8. Stress important words, repeat and provide time for discussion 9. Think-Pair-Share (reflect silently, then discuss with peer) 10. Modify your written assignments in order to scaffold student learning. If they can not write yet, have them explain orally while the TA transcribes. Or use a audio or video device to record. 11. Do not use paper and pencil as your main assessment tool (act out, discuss, defend, compare, create) 12. Provide plenty of wait time 13. Provide sentence stems. 14. Use games often! (Making Words, List Puzzle, Memory, Cross Words) 15. Create situations that force students to talk to one another. They should be doing more talking than you each day. 16. “Show what you know” Projects. Have students create something our of paper that shows their understanding of vocabulary or academic concepts. (foldables, trioramas, books, comics, magazine article, etc) 17. Use a timer, bell, or music to begin and end certain activities. 18. Model note taking. Lecture, write, think aloud/discuss, lecture, write, think aloud/discuss Created for FCIS teachers and staff by P. Benoy 19. Model during whole class instruction, have them work together as a group to do something similar, and finally work independently. 20. Use music. 21. Use phonemic devices. 21. Echo read. ESL learners must hear it first. Read a sentence then have them read it after you, or explain in their own words. If they do not understand, pause and discuss. 22. Use drama. Students should watch you act something out, then they act our something similar. Acting should involved a lot of talking. 23. Silent vocabulary theatre. In this version, the actor is silent but the audience should have a lot of discussion. 24. Journaling- have students list or write things they remember from the lesson, and have them write things that they would like help clarifying. 25. Tell a story that connects the academic concept to your personal life. After your constant modeling, students should be able to tell stories as they make connections. 25. Research. Model everything! Have students ask you a question. Show them how you would go about searching, weeding through text and different resources, cite, and answer the question. 26. See, say, do. (Show students a picture. Next, have the students echo your word or sentence. Finally, create actions to connect) 27. Repetition and spiraled review is key 28. Share the responsibility. Students cannot read 7 pages. Break it up into small sections, distribute the sections and have students share what they read through oral or written methods. 29. Gallery Walk- When an activity is divided among students have them create a poster with picture and words to show what they learned in their section. Once everyone has shared or completed the assignment, provide a summary that solidifies the connections. Created for FCIS teachers and staff by P. Benoy 30. Use a read aloud or video to introduce and conclude a lesson or unit. According to Pearsons SIOP Training for Teachers, “Scaffolding isTeaching that is characterized by careful attention to a students levels of language and academic proficiency, with early instruction at a level that ensures student success. The teacher provides enough support to move students from one level of understanding to a higher level of und