View Content #25452

From http://educationnorthwest.org/resource/what-teachers-should-know-about-instruction-english-language-learners

 

The five, research-based principles in this resource are “big ideas” or concepts about second-language acquisition and the academic challenges English learners face. Taken together, the principles can help teachers adapt their instruction and better support academic success for the English learner students in their classrooms. These five principles apply to all teachers, regardless of what grade or subject area they teach. 

 

The five principles are as follows: 

• Principle 1: English learners move through different stages as they acquire English proficiency and, at all stages, need comprehensible input.

• Principle 2: There is a difference between conversational and academic language; fluency in everyday conversation is not sufficient to ensure access to academic texts and tasks.

• Principle 3: English learners need instruction that will allow them to meet state content standards.

• Principle 4: English learners have background knowledge and home cultures that sometimes differ from the U.S. mainstream.

• Principle 5: Assessments measure language proficiency as well as actual content knowledge.

 

Read the full article to learn more about the principles and access additional resources at http://educationnorthwest.org/resource/what-teachers-should-know-about-instruction-english-language-learners

 

Here is an additional helpful resource: a list of recent studies and articles on teaching practices, programs and protocols for English learner instruction to help students meet the academic demands of state standards and close the achievement gap: http://educationnorthwest.org/resources/what-research-says-instruction-english-learners-across-subject-areas