Inquiry Question No. 1- With English as one of the hardest languages to learn, what are some useful strategies when teaching it to others?

With English as one of the hardest languages to learn, what are some useful strategies when teaching it to others?


   English can be a difficult language to learn. It is full of paradoxes. For example: "A farm can produce produce." In the previous sentence, the word "produce" is a verb AND a noun. That concept is quite difficult to grasp for someone who is an English Language Learner (ELL). A list of strategies provided through research are: speak slowly,audibly, and clearly, prepare ELLs for challenging whole-class lessons prior, use lecture and verbal instruction methods as little as possible, use literature that features the students' language/culture groups for reading lessons, encourage students to continue to use their first language at school, home, and in their communities, and never assume that a student has a special educatio need just because they are struggling academically.


   When speaking slowly, clearly and audible is it best to not ask students in front of the whole class if they understand. However, it is best to have them volunteer to repeat what they learned in English or even their native language. This takes the pressure off and allows the student to have time to comprehend. Teaching the vocabulary in small groups is very beneficial for ELLs because they can focus more and not feel lost in a big crowd.  It is best to use ideas and examples that can relate to the culture/language English Language Learners. This creates a relation between English and their native language. When it comes to teaching ELLs, the use of visual aids is best! Lecture and verbal instruction should be used as little as possible. Pictures, slides, etc. will help their brain to process the information much better than hearing or seeing a  vocabulary word in English. When it comes to reading, the instructor should attemp to have everything as  low stress as possible. Encouraging the students to use their native language when at home, school, or in the community helps them feel better so that they do not feel constant pressure and/or uncomfortable. Making assumptions can lead to major consequences. Therefore, it is vital that the assumption is not made that a student needs special eduation because his or her English skills are not up to par. However, do not ignore the signs that he or she may need it either! To become more culturally competetennt it is important to remember these three things: Learn the students' languages that you are working with, learn about the cultures that you teach, and find ways to communite with parents in their first languages unless they ask you to speak with them in English. These create rapport  among the students,parents, and teachers and  aslo a connection among everyone and their language/culture.






 Peterson, B. & Salas K.D. Rethinking  Schools. http://www.rethinkingschools.org/publication/newteacher/NTBilingual.shtml. 2004.






More paradoxes of the English language!