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Glossary of Terms and Definitions Used in ESL / Bilingual
Education
Bilingual education
Refers to programs that provide instruction in two languages.
Bilingual instruction
Provision of instruction in school settings through the medium of two languages, a native
and second language; the students and teacher share a language-to-language match;
the proportion of the instructional day delivered in each language varies by the type of
the bilingual education program in which instruction is offered and the goals of said
program.
Content-Based ESL
A model of language education that integrates language and content instruction in the
second language classroom; a second language learning approach where second
language teachers use instructional materials, learning tasks, and classroom techniques
from academic content areas as the vehicle for developing second language, content,
cognitive and study skills
ELL
Refers to English Language Learners, now the preferred term instead of LEP student
(see below).
ELL or ESOL student
(ESOL: English to Speakers of Other Languages) Refers to learners who are identified
as still in the process of acquiring English as an additional language; students who may
not speak English at all or, at least, do not speak, understand, read, and write English
with the same facility as their classmates because they did not grow up speaking English
(rather, they primarily speak another language at home).
ESL
Refers to the field of English as a Second Language; courses, classes and/or programs
designed for students learning English as an additional language.
L1 / Primary Language / Home Language / Native Language
The language spoken in the home by significant others who reside with the child.
L2 / Second Language / Additional Language
The target language (English for ESL students) as well as the language of instruction in
regular classes.
Language proficiency
The level of competence at which an individual is able to use language for both basic
communicative tasks and academic purposes
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LEP (Limited English Proficient) student
A term that has been most often used in legal and governmental situations when
referring to students learning English as a nonnative language. It includes those
students who have learned some English, but are not yet fluent. The preferred term is
now ELL (English Language Learner) because of its more positive connotations (see
above).
Regular Class / Mainstream Class
Refers to a class with or without ESL students that does not systematically
accommodate the language learning needs of ESL students. May be a regular
elementary class or a subject area class at the secondary level where all instruction is
delivered and materials are provided almost exclusively in English with little modification.
Self-Contained ESL class
Typically a regularly scheduled ESL class with only ESOL students. (Students are not
“pulled out” of other classes for part-time sessions with ESL teachers or tutors.); in some
programs offering initial “newcomer programs,” all subject matter is taught to ESOL
students by their ESL classroom teacher.
Sheltered Content Instruction
An approach in which ESL students develop knowledge in specific subject areas through
the medium of English, their second language. Teachers adjust the language demands
of the lesson in many ways, such as modifying speech rate and tone, using context
clues and models extensively, relating instruction to student experience, adapting the
language of texts or tasks, and using certain methods familiar to language teachers (e.g.
demonstrations, visuals, graphic organizers, or cooperative work) to make academic
instruction more accessible to students of different English proficiency levels.
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What are the similarities and differences in language acquisition for
ELLs compared to native speakers of English?
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DESCRIBING THE ELLS IN YOUR SCHOOL
Directions:
Brainstorm what information you need to know about the English Language Learners (ELLs)
in your school
Possible information
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Personal information (age, grade, gender)
Home language
Country of origin
Cultural background
Why is the student in the USA?
Academic literacy
Prior schooling
Nationality/ethnicity
Special interests/hobbies
Subject area strengths/weaknesses
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Name
Date
ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY LEVEL CHECKLIST
Level 1A
Interrupted schooling
(1 year +/-)
Interrupted schooling
(2 yrs +)
Pre- or semi-literate in
native language
Academic performance
significantly below grade
level
Needs more time to
adjust to school & cultural
environment
Cannot participate
meaningfully in testing
Arrived less than 30
days ago
Doesn’t know English
alphabet
Level 1B
No understanding of English
Limited understanding of
English
Rarely uses English for
communication
Responds nonverbally to
simple commands, statements
and questions
Beginning to imitate
verbalization of others using
single words or simple phrases
Starting to construct meaning
from non-print features of text
(pictures, illustrations, maps,
tables)
Starting to construct meaning
from words, but construction is
incomplete
Able to generate simple
written text, but with many nonconventional features (invented
spelling, grammatical
inaccuracies)
English reflects features from
native language
Level 2
Can comprehend short
conversations on simple
topics, relying on familiar
structures and utterances
Sustains conversation by
using repetition, gestures,
and other non-verbal cues
Reads and understands
basic narrative text and
authentic materials
Uses contextual and
visual cues to derive
meaning from texts that
contain unfamiliar words,
expressions, and structures
Comprehends passages
written in basic sentence
patterns but guesses at
meaning of more complex
materials
Begins to make informed
guesses about meaning
from context
Begins to identify main
idea and supporting details
in written passages
Can produce simple
writing using basic
vocabulary and common
language structures
Level 3
Understands standard speech
in most settings with some
repetition and rewording
Understands main ideas and
relevant details of extended
discussions or presentations
Draws on a wide range of
language forms, vocabulary,
idioms, and structures
Comprehends nuances but
depends on repetition or
rephrasing
Oral communication is
adequate in most settings
Can comprehend the content of
many texts independently, but
requires support with academic
content areas
Able to read many literature
selections for pleasure
Separates main ideas from
supporting ideas
Uses context of a passage and
prior knowledge to increase
comprehension
Writes multi-paragraph
compositions, personal & business
letters, and creative passages
Shows good control of
grammar structures, but with
some errors
Expresses complex ideas with
wide range of vocabulary, idioms,
and grammar structures
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Level 4
Language skills are
adequate for most day-to-day
communication needs,
although occasional structural
and lexical errors occur
May have difficulty using
and understanding idioms,
figures of speech, and words
with multiple meanings
Communicates in English in
unfamiliar settings, but has
occasional difficulty with
complex structures and
abstract academic concepts
Reads a wide range of texts
with considerable fluency and
can locate specific facts within
the texts; however, student
cannot understand text in
which concepts are presented
in a de-conceptualized manner
with complex structures and
abstract academic concepts
Reads independently, but
may have occasional
comprehension problems
Produces written text
independently for personal
and academic purposes
Structures, vocabulary, and
overall organization
approximates the writing of
native speakers of English
Errors persist in one or
more of the English language
domains (listening, speaking,
reading, and writing)
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REFLECTIONS: LISTENING
Focus question:
How would you know if you saw the student demonstrate proficiency in this benchmark?
Listening Benchmarks
Observation/Demonstration
L.1.1.b
Follow simple two-step oral directions to complete a task in English.
L.2.4.b
Respond to messages by asking questions, challenging statements,
or offering examples that affirm the message.
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REFLECTIONS: READING
Focus question:
What do these benchmarks look like at your grade level cluster?
What’s your basic idea for a lesson plan, and what instructional strategies would you use for ELLs to achieve one of
these benchmarks?
Reading Benchmarks
Observation/Demonstration
R.3.2.a Use context clues as a strategy to figure out meaning of
unfamiliar words and phrases.
R.3.3.c Recognize words that have multiple meanings in literature
and texts in content areas.
R.5.2.a Participate in discussions describing characters, setting,
events, and plot.
R.5.2.c Restate facts and details of text.
R.5.3.a Summarize informational or narrative selections
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REFLECTIONS: SPEAKING
Focus question:
How would you teach students to demonstrate this benchmark?
Speaking Benchmarks
Instruction/Demonstration
S.2.1.a
Communicate basic wants and needs in English.
S.2.4.a
Negotiate and initiate social conversations by questioning,
restating, requesting information, and paraphrasing the
communication of others.
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REFLECTIONS: WRITING
Collect samples of ELL student work from your classroom. Use these writing samples to complete the chart below.
Focus question:
How can we use the ELP Writing Standards to evaluate and improve student performance?
Achieved Benchmarks from Student
Writing Sample
2 or 3 Benchmarks to improve
student writing
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Intervention/Strategies to
achieve benchmark