What can I do to help my
ESL students?
Rebecca Manriquez
ESL Specialist
The Academy and Macarthur High School
Get to know your students!
Don’t wait till you have a parent conference to know about your students’ background!

Give assignments that will help you collect this information.
Example: Students interviews
Be alert when the suggested topics are brought up- you will get your
answers.

Research on student cultural backgrounds:

http://www.celt.sunysb.edu/ell/tips.php

http://www.kidlink.org/KIDPROJ/MCC/index.html
All Content area teachers!
Building Background!

Internet4classrooms:


http://www.internet4classrooms.com/grade_level_help.htm
25 Quick Tips from Everything ESL:

http://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/twenty_five_quick_t
ips_classro_70733.php
Pig Latin exercise
Discuss what is happening in the picture in Pig-Latin
You may not speak English!
Example:
http://www.idioma-software.com/pig/home.htm
Maxine Cartoons: http://suetn.50megs.com/fun/Maxine3.html
1. What might Maxine be talking about?
2. Can you relate to Maxine?
(Pig Latin only!) Discuss in pairs!
Be Aware of the Challenges ESL students have in Math class

Lack of background knowledge, vocabulary and expressions

Content might be abstract

formation of numbers varies from culture to culture

use of decimal point and comma vary from culture to culture

Students have no experience with our measurement system, It is an
abstract to them.

Many students have never seen or worked with manipulatives. They
may not take a lesson using manipulatives seriously.
Continue…

Students learn math by rote memory (just for the test).

Math curricula in their countries may be primarily calculation.

Word problems may not be introduced until much later.

Estimating, rounding, and geometry are not often taught as early
in other cultures.

Mathematical terms do not always translate well.

Mental math may be the norm. Students may not show work in
addition, subtraction, multiplication and division or they may
show work in a different way,
Visuals for Math teachers with ESL students!

http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/vlibrary.html

http://illuminations.nctm.org/
Be Aware of the Challenges ESL students have in Science class!

ELLs may lack of background knowledge in science. Our “hands-on"
approach is different from what they are used to.

Drawing conclusions on their own may be difficult for ELLs. In their own
culture students may not have been trained to make guesses.

Vocabulary! (There are a special set of terms for the student to learn.)
Even simple words that the student may know, could have another
meaning in science.

Example: Base- opposite of an acid …

Material may be covered very fast

Directions are often multi-step and difficult.

Too many concepts explained on each page of a science text.
Continue…

Cooperative learning may not fit in with students
experiences in learning.

Visuals may be confusing and difficult to understand.

Sentence structure is complex and the passive voice
is used in textbooks.

ELLs are not used to science labs or equipment

Students lack background in scientific method
Science teachers with ESL students!

http://www.hbschool.com/glossary/science/int
ro.html

http://www.internet4classrooms.com/grade_le
vel_help.htm
Be aware of the challenges ELL students have in Social Studies
Class.

Use of higher level thinking skills for reading and writing.

Lack of familiarity with historical terms, government processes,
and vocabulary.

Social Studies text contains complex sentences, passive voice,
and extensive use of pronouns.

ELLs may not be used to expressing their personal opinions.

Concepts which do no exist in all cultures are difficult. This
includes privacy,.
Continue…

democratic processes, rights of citizens, free will. (guns)

No concept of movement within the structure of a society.

ELLs are seldom asked to contribute an alternate view that reflects
conditions in other countries.

Use in our schools of “timeline” teaching vs. learning history by
“dynasty” or “period.”

Difficulty with understanding what is said by the teacher and being able
to take notes.

Amount of text covered and the ELLs’ inability to tell what is important in
the text and what is not important
Be aware of the challenges ELL students have in English class.

an abundance of idioms and figurative language in English texts

density of unfamiliar vocabulary

use of homonyms and synonyms

grammar usage - “exceptions to the rules”

word order, sentence structure and syntax

difficult text structure ( a topic sentence, supporting details and conclusion)

unfamiliar with connotative and denotative meanings of words

use of regional U.S. dialects

fear of participation and interaction with mainstream students‚
Continue…

literary terms for story development are not understood

unfamiliarity with drawing conclusions, analyzing characters and predicting outcomes

imagery and symbolism in text are difficult

ELLs may not have practice in expressing an opinion about text.

use of regional U.S. dialects

fear of participation and interaction with mainstream students‚

story themes and endings can be inexplicable

literary terms for story development are not understood

unfamiliarity with drawing conclusions, analyzing characters and predicting outcomes

imagery and symbolism in text are difficult
Build Vocabulary!
Flashcards:
 http://flashcardexchange.com/
Simple Vocabulary:
 http://abcteach.com/directory/basics/flashcards/
Help them take notes and build
background!

Videos

Word Walls – Vocabulary students can see

Personal Dictionary

Journals to reflect

Record what you are instructing the students to do (with visuals)

Skeletal Outlines (students fill out teacher prepared outline while watching a video, listening to the
teachers lecture, reading from the book or internet…)

Pretest to show background knowledge and build from that!

Write key vocabulary to help them get the idea of what the lesson will cover.

Help them become active readers.

Questions for them to check comprehension…stop and think about what they have read.
TOP (Texas Observation Protocol) reading examples of what an
ELL student might understand in math class.

Good morning, class. Today we are going to study…math
class. It’s difficult…going to need everyone’s…Open your books
to page one hundred…top of the page…Today’s lesson…your
book, in math…two…cylinder…book…rectangle and two
circles…cylinder.
What was actually said:

Good morning, class. Today we are going to study
something brand new in math class. It’s difficult, so I’m going
to need everyone’s undivided attention. Open your books to
page one hundred seventy-two. At the top of the page is the
word “net.” Today’s lesson is about net. As it says in the
definition in your book, in math, net is two-dimensional model.
The net of a cylinder is shown in your textbook. Does everyone
see the rectangle and two circles? That is the net of the
cylinder.
If you have an ESL student, you too are teaching language.

The language of Math

The language of Science

The language of History

The language of Technology…
Thank you!
District ESL Webpage:
http://www.irvingisd.net/bilingual-esl/BilESL/Instructional/ESL_Resources.htm
Please contact me if you need further assistance!
Rebecca Manriquez
ESL Specialist
The Academy/Macarthur High Schools
972-659-8103
rmanriquez@irvingisd.net