teaching english language learners

The Pocket MentorStraight Answers to

the (Sometimes) Tough Questions You Have about Teaching ELLs

©2008-17 Anne Swigard

*Part I

The Pocket Mentor is a series for smart teachers who want to be in the know, improve their craft, and work smarter, not harder..

The series will cover many aspects of teaching – information, strategies, and more -that are too good not to share! ©2008-17 Anne Swigard

Getting to Know Your ELLsUnderstanding the Who, What, and Why

“The quality of our thoughts is bordered on all sides by our facility

with language.”J. Michael Straczynski

Starting at the BeginningQuestions we get asked a LOT

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How do schools determine a student is an ELL?

What is the difference between a migrant, an immigrant, and a refugee?

I think one of my students might be an ELL. How can I find out for sure?

• A migrant student has a parent or guardian that is a migratory (seasonal) agricultural worker or fisher.

• He or she has moved from one school district or school administrative area to another during the regular school year in order for their parents to find temporary employment.

• The child must have had his education interrupted as a result of this move.


• An immigrant is someone who leaves one country to settle in another, usually permanently.

• With respect to schooling, eligible children and youth include those individuals who are aged 3 through 21 who were not born in the United States and who have not been attending one or more schools in any one or more states for more than three full academic years.


©Educational Training Specialists, LLC

• A refugee is an individual who is outside his/her country and is unable or unwilling to return to that country because of a well-founded fear that she/he will be persecuted because of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or membership in a particular social group.



• Upon registration, a student’s parent or guardian is asked to fill out a Home Language Survey. It’s designed to learn about the student’s language influences outside of school.

• If there is a language other than English mentioned on the form, the student is tested to measure English proficiency.

• If s/he scores ‘fluent,’ the student wouldn’t be designated ELL.

• If the test indicates that he or she is not yet fluent, by Federal law, the student should receive whatever language acquisition services are available at the school or district.

How do schools determine who is an ELL?


An ELL Designation: Two things you should know

Fluent isn’t always fluent – at least how we think of fluency. Students will still need language support for at least two years.

Some parents opt out of ELL services for their child. That means that students can be placed in your classroom with little to no English skills.


I think one of my students might be an ELL. How can I find out for sure?

Go to the student’s cumulative file and see if s/he has been identified as an ELL or is a former ELL.Ask the district/school Title I/III coordinator about the student, giving specific reasons for your inquiry.

If your school a) does not differentiate between ELLs and native English speakers (common in private schools that don’t receive federal funding), (b) currently provide services 2-3 times a week, or c) does not offer language services at all, you will be responsible for ensuring that your ELLs are learning your content while learning English.


Need some help understanding how to best teach English Learners?

78% of teachers surveyed did not feel adequately prepared to

teach the Common Core to English Language Learners!

(source: Education Week Research Center)

©EducationalTrainingSpecialists,LLC

We have helped many thousands of teachers succeed with ELLs, through…

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In-District workshops, such as Intro to Teaching ELLs and Advanced Strategies for ELLs.

Go to https://training4teachers to discover courses like our online ELL strategies course.

Teacher professional development on 40+ topics


https://training4teachers.com

@[email protected]

Anne Swigard, MA EdCreator of Professional Development,

Consultant, Trainer

Still have questions? Contact us!