ESL Tips for Teachers

Teach Emergency Vocabulary to Beginners

Teach body parts in case a student is sick or injured. Make sure the students can point out what is wrong in case they need medical attention.

Students need to know basic school words that will enable them to function in their classrooms and in school life.

Vocabulary

General WordsWords that are used in everyday life as well as in academics: question words, structural words, sequencing words, and ordinal number words

Academic wordsWords used for multiple academic tasks: create, explain, visualize, give an example

Content Related wordsWords used for academic content in specific subjects: square roots, longitude, latitude, hypothesis, plot, etc.

The Four Modalities In Which Language is Acquired

Four Modalities In the Order In Which Language is Acquired Listening-Your ESL student will begin to

understand what is said. Speaking-Students will begin to speak

the target language when they feel comfortable.

Reading-Simple text can be given to students that is content embedded.

Writing-This is the last stage and most difficult for the ELL learner.

Listening - The ELL learner will begin to understand spoken language before they can produce it. Check for understanding by asking the student to point to a vocabulary word or complete a small task. Often they will shake their head to say they understand when they actually do not.

Speaking and ReadingSpeaking is a gradual process and will only happen when the ESL student feels comfortable with the new language. This may be due to personality, intelligence, and prior linguistic knowledge.Reading is a process that will happen gradually. ESL students will grasp the content and not all of the words in the sentence or paragraph. This will give them a general idea about what the passage

or paragraph is about.

Writing

Writing is the most complex process that an ELL will face.If they have proficiency and are able to write in their native language it will be much easier to write in English.If students are young, before the age of five, they will find it easier writing.Students stuck between two languages have the most problems with writing.Being literate in one language makes it easier to be literate in a second language.