Ten Things the Mainstream Teacher Can Do Today to Improve Instruction for ELL Students

1. Enunciate clearly, but do not raise your voice.  Add gestures, point directly to objects, or draw pictures when appropriate.

2. Write clearly, legibly, and in print—many ELL students have difficulty reading cursive.

3. Develop and maintain routines.  Use clear and consistent signals for classroom instructions.

4. Repeat information and review it frequently.  If a student does not understand, try rephrasing or paraphrasing in shorter sentences and simpler syntax.  Check often for understanding, but do not ask, “Do you understand?”  Instead, have students demonstrate their learning in order to show comprehension.

5. Try to avoid idioms and slang words.

6. Present new information in the context of known information.

7. Announce the lesson’s objectives and activities, and list instructions step-by-step.

8. Present information in a variety of ways.

9. Provide frequent summations of the salient points of a lesson, and always emphasize key vocabulary words.

10. Recognize student success overtly and frequently, but also be aware that in some cultures overt, individual praise is considered inappropriate and can therefore be embarrassing or confusing to the student.

Reed, B. and Railsback, J. (2003).  Strategies and resources for mainstream teachers of English language learners. Portland, OR: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.