Brian Hogan
Serving English Language Learners
EDU 321
Professor Forbes
June 16, 2008
Introduction
The number of students in schools today who are learning English at the same time as they learn standard academic content is growing rapidly. Not all of these students have the same needs to succeed in school. Almost everyone has heard of the No Child Left Behind rule, but many people look more at disabilities than anything else when it comes to this rule. Teaching English language learners is just as important as teaching students with disabilities. In order for teachers to be able to teach ELL students effectively, they must have knowledge of the background surrounding English language learners, the theories that provide the background for support of instruction, and strategies for development.
In teaching ELL students effectively, teachers must have knowledge of the background surrounding the ELL students. There are four general profiles to describe the diverse backgrounds of ELL students. They are balanced bilingual, monolingual/literate in native language, monolingual/preliterate in native language, and limited bilingual. As a teacher, it is important to understand the difference in these profiles to know the most effective way to teach these students.
A balanced bilingual student is a student that can speak, read, and write well in English and his or her native language. These students do not need as much help because they are academically successful in English and are able to maintain their native language. As a teacher, this will be my main goal for teaching ELL students, to provide a high-quality education for students to achieve a balanced bilingual status.
A monolingual/literate in native language student is a student that is proficient in his or her native language, but limited in English language skills. A monolingual/preliterate in native language student is a student that is limited when interacting with students and teachers....