Engaging English Language Learners in the

Language Classroom

Katherine Ferrao

University of Ottawa
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Overview

Considering the large and growing population of English Language

Learners (ELLs) across Ontario schools, it is crucial that we as teachers ensure
that we are paving the way for their success. In the following paper, I will be
examining the video Theories of Second Language Acquisition, by Arizona State
University, making connections to documents from Ontario’s Ministry of
Education, relating these theories to my own practicum experiences in the
French as a Second Language (FSL) classroom, and exploring assessment and
teaching strategies to benefit ELLs.

Theories and Observations

In the video Theories of Second Language Acquisition, there are three

main theories pertaining to ELLs in the second language classroom. The first
theory presented is called the Silent Period, and was developed by Stephen
Krashen. This theory describes the period of six to nine months in which the
student tends not to speak. This period requires substantial patience from the
teacher who must refrain from forcing the student to speak, as ELLs require this
time to decipher the new code (language) that is around them. This period of
time would be well-suited to non-verbal assessments. These assessments are
generally assessments of learning, and can require the ELL to organize pictures
to show their understanding, or act out what they believe the word or the
concept means. For example, in a previous practicum placement, we had an ELL
demonstrate their understanding of a story by putting pictures that represented
the events of the story in order. As stated in the “Supporting English Language
Learners” guide, it is important that the assessments we give to ELLs do not have
any cultural bias, otherwise the grade that the student receives could be
reflecting their lack of knowledge of the culture rather than their knowledge of
the language and the subject matter (Ministry of Education, 2008, p. 45).
The next theory is called Input Hypothesis, also developed by Stephen
Krashen, and is complementary to Vygotsky's theory of the Zone of Proximal
Development. This theory suggests that language acquisition takes place when
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an ELL is exposed to material within their level of understanding accompanied

by material that is slightly beyond their level of understanding. This gives the
student a comfortable basis from which they can bridge the gap between their
current knowledge and what is being taught. In order to satisfy this theory,
teachers must be hypercritical when choosing materials for ELLs, so as to
challenge the student without discouraging them, which is why constant
assessment of their comprehension is crucial. A student portfolio is a form of
assessment for learning that I have seen in my current practicum placement that
perfectly suits this theory. For example, the teacher will have the students write
about what they learned in school the past month. The teacher then uses these
journal entries to pinpoint areas of need in her students’ writing, and it guides
her lesson planning to suit their needs. Over the year, the students receive all of
these journal entries, along with similar artefacts of assessment, in a portfolio to
visually reflect where and how they have improved. As stated in the guide
“Welcoming ELLs in the FSL Classroom”, student profiles are a crucial first step
in developing an understanding of your students’ strengths, involving parents in
their student’s learning, and selecting appropriate materials and assessment
strategies to address your students’ diverse areas of need (Ministry of Education,
n.d., p. 10-11).
Interaction Hypothesis, developed by Michael Long, is an extension of
Input Hypothesis and suggests that language acquisition takes place through
interactions with peers or with educators. This phenomenon would take place
after the aforementioned Silent Period and would allow ELLs to develop their
understanding of the language by “negotiating meaning through mistakes and
correction” (Arizona State University, 3:35). Research shows that oral skills, both
speaking and listening, are the basis for literacy in any language (Ministry of
Education, n.d., p. 11). My mother, who moved to this country when she was
eleven and knew no English, said that her greatest learning was done when she
was speaking with her friends, because her friends were persistent in decoding
what she was trying to say and she was determined to communicate so her
friends could understand. Interacting with peers serves as an assessment as
learning for ELLs, because it requires constant reflection of what they are hearing
and saying, while developing their understanding through peer correction. To
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incite peer interaction with ELLs in my classroom, I have seen educators

incorporate Think-Pair-Share activities, questions of the day, drama activities,
and bilingual anchor charts with common phrases to which the ELLs can refer.

Benefitting ELLs in the Language Classroom

As a French as a Second Language teacher, my initial thought when

researching ELLs was that I was going to find a specific set of strategies to teach
French. After examining multiple documents on how ELLs learn, I understand
that my initial assumption was formed from an underestimation of the vast
language-learning toolkit that ELLs possess. ELLs have been found to be quite
efficient at learning multiple languages, because they have more practice at
processing languages and they can “compare and contrast the ways in which
their languages organize reality” (Cummins, 2017, p. 15). Reading this made me
reform my original goal of finding tools for the French classroom into finding
tools to benefit ELLs in any language classroom.
Two crucial concepts to think about in the second language classroom,
are the stages of language acquisition (preproduction, early production, speech
emergence, intermediate fluency, and advanced fluency), and Bloom’s Taxonomy.
In order to determine which stage of language acquisition your ELLs have
attained, constant assessment is key. Once the approximate stage has been
determined, Krashen’s theory of Input Hypothesis, or Vygotzky’s theory on the
zone of proximal development, comes into play. One way to engage and assess
the ELL is by asking tiered questions. The formation of these tiered questions
directly relates to each stage of language acquisition, which is why it is very
important to know how much of the language your ELL can produce. Relating
these tiered questions to fit Bloom’s Taxonomy is a beneficial way to engage your
ELLs and have them answer higher level questions. It is crucial not to
underestimate ELLs, because asking them solely lower level questions will not
meet that zone of proximal development, and their deeper understanding of the
language will progress more slowly.
As language teachers, it is also beneficial to teach from a multilingual
lens. Teaching solely in the language that the curriculum requires you to teach is
ELLS IN THE LANGUAGE CLASSROOM 5

not beneficial to ELLs, due to the fact that they will quickly internalize the
language norms and feel ashamed to speak their first language (Cummins, 2017,
p. 6). Promoting other languages by carrying out dual-language activities and
assignments, as well as encouraging your ELLs to speak their first language at
home, will actually benefit your ELLs in further language learning (Cummins,
2017, p. 15). Teaching through a multilingual lens in this way will also create a
classroom environment of intercultural awareness so that the new food, clothing,
languages, and other new cultural components ELLs introduce into the classroom
are celebrated instead of gawked at. ELLs that feel welcome by their peers and
teachers will find success more quickly in their new learning environment as well
as academically.

Results and Critique

As a future FSL teacher, I approached this research project intrigued to

see what research had been done about ELLs in the FSL classroom. I ended up
realizing that what matters is not the language that is being taught, but how it is
taught. ELLs need a multilingual approach to teaching and a classroom
environment of intercultural awareness in order for them to flourish. The
resources I was able to find were very thorough and related perfectly to specific
needs I was finding in my practicum classroom. From these resources, I noticed
that many of the assessment tools and strategies aimed towards benefitting ELLs
were similar versions of what I have learned to implement in my FSL classroom
in order to scaffold learning for the solely English-speaking students. Making
those connections between my FSL students and my ELLs has made the idea of
teaching in these scenarios substantially less daunting than before, and I am
eager to implement these strategies in my future classroom.
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References

Arizona State University. (n.d.). Theories of Second Language Acquisition - ELL Language
and Communication Skills Across the Curriculum. Retrieved from: https://
www.coursera.org/lecture/ell-lesson/theories-of-second-language-acquisition-g6q3I

Cummins, J. (2017). Multilingualism in Classroom Instruction: “I think it’s helping my

brain grow”. Scottish Languages Review,(33), 5-18. Retrieved January 29, 2019, from
https://www.scilt.org.uk/Portals/24/Library/slr/issues/33/33-01%20Cummins.pdf

Ministry of Education. (2008). Supporting English Language Learners: A practical guide for
Ontario educators (pp. 1-123). Government of Ontario. Retrieved January 29, 2019,
from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/esleldprograms/guide.pdf

Ministry of Education. (n.d.). Welcoming English Language Learners into French as a

Second Language Programs (pp. 1-27). Government of Ontario. Retrieved January 29,
2019, from http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/amenagement/welcoming.pdf