Running head: Best Practices in Teaching ELL Students
Best Practices in Teaching ELL Students
Darla Sheets
Ohio University
Best Practices in Teaching ELL Students
The United States has always been a melting pot where people from different countries all over
the world come to begin new lives. As our foreign population continues to grow, schools in the United
States are filling with students who have little or no education in speaking, reading, or writing in English.
The controversy over how to best educate these children continues to be fought in schools and
classrooms every day. There are currently three programs that vie for the honor of being called the
“best practice” for instructing these students. These programs, the One-Way Structured English
Language Immersion Program, the Maintenance Bilingual Program, and the Two-Way Bilingual
Immersion Program, all see the importance of ESL students learning to speak English, but each has a
different approach to attain that goal. Of these three programs the Two-Way Bilingual Immersion
Program is the most effective in allowing students to grow and attain the knowledge that they need to
become productive citizens.
One-way Structured English Language Immersion Program
In the One-Way Structured English Language Immersion Program, ELL students are placed in a
regular classroom with students who are native English speakers. Some believe that “These programs
have the potential to accelerate ELL’s English development and linguistic preparation for grade-level
academic content” (Clark, 2009, p.43). English is the main or only language spoken in these classrooms.
Students and teachers are expected to speak, read and write in English. (Clark, 2009, p. 44) The teacher
should use a level of English that is appropriate for the students, including choosing books that are on an
appropriate reading level. In this program, it is recommended an ESL instructor or aid be available that
speaks the student’s native language to help with interpretation or with questions the student may
have, but there is no attempt made to help the student become academically proficient in his native
language. In fact, “The teacher and instructional support staff are not required to be able to speak a
language other than English” (Clark, 2009, p. 44). “The operant principle is that students must have a
Best Practices in Teaching ELL Students
strong understanding of the English language before they can be expected to learn grade-level content”
(Clark, 2009, p.44), so the main goal is for the student to learn English as quickly as possible to maintain
his current level of achievement in other subject areas.
Maintenance Bilingual Program
In the Maintenance Bilingual Program students are placed in a classroom containing students
whose native language is not English. These students are given instruction in their native language as
well as in English. Teachers for these students need to be fluent in both languages. Students are taught
to be academically proficient in their native language and English, as well as being taught other subjects.
As students progress in the program, the amount of time they spend learning in their native language
decreases, with increasing amounts of time spent learning in English. In Medina’s (1992) study,
students, whose native language is Spanish, began in kindergarten with 80% of their instruction in
Spanish and 20% in English. Each year this ratio evens out, with 60% Spanish and 40% English by third
grade (p. 257). Students typically stay in these classes until they leave elementary school. When they
enter middle school, the students will transition to classes taught completely in English.
Two-Way Bilingual Immersion Program
In the Two-Way Bilingual Program, two groups of students that have different native languages
are combined in one classroom. These classrooms should be equally split with students who speak
English and students whose second language is English. The main goal is for content to be taught in both
languages, thus the native speaker hears his own language and the second language learner hears the
new language. Then, the teaching language is switched, so the students are exposed to both languages
during the course of the class. As with the Maintenance Bilingual Program, teachers also need to be
fluent in both languages in this program. The class should be taught in each language about fifty percent
of the time. Students learn both languages in these classrooms through immersion and direct language
Best Practices in Teaching ELL Students
instruction. There are several different ways in which this program is implemented. In some classrooms
ELL students are mixed with native English speakers all the time. Other classrooms place students with
their own language groups for some of their classes and then they are placed together in mixed
language groups for other classes.
The expected result of using this method of education is that each group of students should
become proficient in both languages. It is beneficial to both groups of students because the non-native
English speaker has the chance to learn in his or her own language part of the time and develop a sense
of identity with his native culture and heritage, while the English speakers have the opportunity to learn
another language and expand their knowledge of other cultures and develop an understanding and
tolerance for those other cultures.
As you can see, all three programs have their benefits, but the Two-Way Bilingual Program
includes several components that the other two programs are missing. Some of the missing
components are social development, direct English language instruction, interaction with native English
language speakers, valuing the student’s heritage, and the chance for all students to benefit from a
second language.
In the One-Way Structured English Language Immersion Program, the social development of ELL
students is not a priority. The main goal of these programs is to immerse the student in English
language. Shehadeh (2011) believes that “when language minority students are immersed in Englishonly educational classes, their academic achievement would deteriorate” (39). In this program, students
are not encouraged to speak in their native language or value their own heritage. The Maintenance
Bilingual Program keeps the ELL student’s heritage alive, but segregates the students from others who
would teach the student about his non-native culture. The Two–Way Bilingual Program believes that
“Because learning a second language includes learning another culture’s beliefs, traditional and
Best Practices in Teaching ELL Students
concepts, the process of learning another language is about learning a different way of life” (Shehadeh,
2011, pg. 38). In this program, students learn more than just a second language. “Students in bilingual
programs (would) develop understanding respect and tolerance to other people from different
backgrounds” (Shehadeh, 2011, pg. 38) In the study by Ramos (2007) “More than 82% of them (parents)
believe it ( the Two-Way Bilingual Program) gave their children access to subject matter; 83.1% and
66.1% thought it helped their children develop their English reading and writing abilities, respectively,
and 72.4% believed it helped their children develop communication skills in Spanish” (p. 143). Among
these same parents, “around 80% of them recognized the faculty and staff’s drive to promote diversity,
to balance the needs of the English-and –Spanish speaking communities, and to make Hispanic parents
feel welcome at school (Ramos 2007 p. 144).
In the One-Way Structured English Language Immersion program the main goal is for students
to learn English quickly through immersion. “The program may resemble a “sink or swim” approach of
much earlier times, according to which ELLs are placed in mainstream classrooms and are expected to
master mainstream curriculum with support only from the classroom teacher (Honigsfeld, p. 168) Many
times the students do not receive any additional instruction in English language development. As one
district superintendent said “We saw that we really didn’t teach English to our students. We were
teaching in English, but not really teaching English” (Clark, 2009, p.43). Shehadeh (2011) states that
efforts to impose English language on immigrants have been disastrous (38). He also quotes Crawford
as saying that “the school system should build upon, rather than dismantle, the minority child’s
language and culture (38). Students in the Maintenance Bilingual Program are using their native
language and English. This program aims to keep the student at grade level in other subjects while at
the same time as teaching him English. As the student’s English becomes fluent, teaching time in his
native language is lessened and more teaching is presented in English, but the aim is to “develop full
proficiency in both languages (Clark, 2009, p. 167). As soon as the student becomes proficient in
Best Practices in Teaching ELL Students
English, the student is moved into a regular English classroom. When moved into a regular classroom
many of the supports the student still needs will be gone. Also, when moved, the student will no longer
have any teaching presented in his native language, so he may become more proficient in English, but
lose his native language abilities over time. “Students, in a Two-Way Bilingual Immersion Program,
receive instruction in both languages so they are able to attain proficiency in the first language as well as
in the second language” (Shehadeh, 2011, 39). Students are not just taught in English and their native
languages, but given instruction in language development of both languages as well. The native
language is not phased out when English proficiency is achieved. Students continue to learn both
languages. The Two-Way Bilingual Immersion Program is also designed to be more long term. Students
stay in the classroom with their classmates for several years. The benefits of this longer time frame is
that students are not pushed to learn either language quickly, but can spend time fully developing their
fluency in both languages over a period of several years instead of months.
In addition, the social interactions between students in the Two-Way Bilingual Immersion
Program would benefit both native and ELL speakers. When students have the opportunity to converse
in a natural setting with students whose native language is different from their own, they gain valuable
insights not only into the new language, but into their own language as well. “Another unstated goal
that is nevertheless embedded in the practice of having students from different language backgrounds
learn together is the idea that –through interactions with peers who are native speakers of their second
language-students will learn from and teach one another” (Ballinger, Lyster, 2011 p. 290). Not only will
these students learn the languages, but they will gain insight into other cultures and “develop self
esteem, and promote positive cross cultural attitudes” (Ballinger 2011 p. 290). In the One-Way
Structured English Language Immersion Program students do not have the opportunity to associate with
their English speaking peers to the same extent as in the Two-Way Program. ELLs will struggle to
communicate with their classmates who are not learning any of their (the ELL’s) native language. They
Best Practices in Teaching ELL Students
will need to rely more heavily on English instruction than conversations with their peers to gain their
language fluency. They will struggle with academic vocabulary because they don’t have a grasp of
conversational English. They also miss the opportunity to teach others about their culture. These
students need to continue to learn and speak in their native language. Students in the Maintenance
Bilingual Program will have even less exposure to other students speaking conversational English than
those in either of the other two programs. Ballinger (2011) states that “When speaking to an adult,
these students (ELLs) used Spanish 95% to 100% of the time, but when speaking to peers, they used
Spanish only 58% of the time (290). Without the English speaking peer interaction, ELL students use
English less frequently and will take longer to gain fluency in English.
In our global society, it is becoming more important for our English speaking students to learn at
least one more language. “Bilingual programs help in expanding the nation’s resources and paving the
way for a positive cross-cultural attitude” (Shehadeh, 2011, 39).
“Parents, especially, have valued two-
way bilingual as an enriching educational experience for their children; moreover, they have shown their
appreciation for what they considered two fundamental assets of the programs: their academic
emphasis and the opportunity for their children to be exposed to other languages and cultures” (Ramos,
2007, p.140). The One-Way Structured English Language Immersion Program does not allow the native
English speakers the opportunity to learn the language from their ELL classmates. In fact the ELL
students are not encouraged to use their native language at all in classrooms. Many times the teacher
doesn’t even speak the ELL’s native language. When students are placed in a Maintenance Bilingual
Program, not only are they isolated from others, but our English speaking students miss an opportunity
to learn a second language along with their ELL classmates. When learning a second language, early
acquisition is the key to ease of learning. When students have the opportunity to learn a second
language early in life they become more proficient in that language than those who learn a second
language later in life. Placing students in Two-Way Bilingual Immersion Programs makes it easier for
Best Practices in Teaching ELL Students
these students to learn a second language because they are using the language in conversations with a
native speaker.
There are many programs available to teachers who work with students who are learning
English as a second language. Only three of these programs have been presented here. Although these
three programs are similar in that they all aim to teach English to students whose native languages are
not English, there are many differences in these programs. Of these three programs, the Two-Way
Bilingual Immersion Program more effectively meets the needs of ELL students. This program addresses
students’ needs for social development by placing these students in classrooms where they can
converse with others in their native language and at the same time grow accustomed to their new
culture. This program also allows for some time each day to be spent in direct English language
instruction as well as direct instruction in the ELL student’s native language. ELL students will also be
hearing lessons taught in English and their native language, as well as conversing with native English
language speakers and speakers of their own language. In this setting, each group of student’s heritage
will be valued. Both groups of students will have an opportunity to share their culture along with their
language to the other group. The ELL students and the English students will not lose their own culture,
but will gain knowledge of a new culture. Finally, this program will allow others in the school to benefit
from the instruction too. Students will have the opportunity to learn a second language at a young age
alongside a native speaker of that language. During this learning process, the students will also gain
valuable insights into understanding and valuing others who are different from them. As the United
States still struggles with immigration laws and policies, we can raise a generation of students who have
a true respect and tolerance for those from different cultures. “Hence, the two way immersion program
would foster productive cross-culture behavior and positive interaction because it presents minority
students as valuable resources rather than a hindrance that must be eliminated (Shehadeh, 2011, 40).
Best Practices in Teaching ELL Students
References
Ballinger, S., Lyster, R., (2011), Student and teacher oral language use in a two-way
Spanish/English immersion school. Language Teaching Research, 15(3)289-306
Clark, K., (2009), The case for structured English immersion. Educational Leadership, 66(7)4246
Honigsfeld, A.,(2009), ELL programs, not “One size fits all”. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 45(4)
166-171
Medina, M., Escamilla, K.,(1992) English acquisition by fluent-and limited-Spanish-proficientMexican Americans in a 3-year maintenance bilingual program. Hispanic Journal of
Behavioral Sciences, 14(2)252-267
Ramos, F.,(2007),What do parents think of two-way bilingual education? An analysis of
responses. Journal of Latinos and Education, 6(2)139-150
Shehadeh, H.,(2011), The Effects of two way immersion bilingual program on student academic
performance and cultural interaction. International Journal of the Humanities, 9(1)37-41