Every teacher is a language teacher.
Hey there, fellow educators! Today, let’s dive into language integration with our latest episode of Equipping ELLs podcast. Hosted by Beth Vaucher, this episode is all about integrating language instruction into every lesson.
Let’s explore 6 ways that every teacher can become a language teacher!
- Dual Objectives – Let’s Make It Clear: Okay, imagine you’re on a road trip without a GPS. Similarly, a lesson without dual objectives—both content and language—leaves students feeling lost. So, let’s set clear goals for what we’re learning and how we’re learning it. For example, in a history class, we’re not just talking about ancient civilizations; we’re also sharpening our language skills by comparing and contrasting different societies.
- Embracing the Four Language Domains: Build language learning and engage each type of learner when you incorporate reading, writing, speaking, and listening into your lesson plans. Listen to the episode for an example!
- Multimodal Instructions – Let’s Get Creative: Ever tried explaining something with hand gestures or drawing doodles? Turns out, it’s super helpful! By mixing up our instructions—talking, showing, and drawing—we make sure everyone gets what we’re saying.
- The Power of Pace and Pause: By slowing down our speech and taking breaks, we give students time to process and respond. It’s like giving their brains a chance to catch up!
- Modeling – Show ‘Em How It’s Done: By demonstrating tasks before students do them, we make sure they know what to do and feel confident doing it.
- Scaffolding – Let’s Build Together: Ever built a tower with blocks? You start with a solid base and add blocks one by one! By giving students just the right amount of support—like sentence frames and word banks—we help them reach new heights. Let’s build together and watch our students soar!
So, there you have it—six strategies to help every teacher become a language teacher. Listen to the full episode by clicking on the player above! Until next time, keep empowering and equipping your students for success!
Resources:
- Join the Equipping ELLs Membership (We have everything you need for your school year!)
- Shop our TpT Store for Hundreds of ELL Resources
Connect with Beth:
More about Equipping ELLs:
We all know that teaching isn’t easy, but it doesn’t have to be this hard. Equipping ELLs is a podcast for both ESL specialists and homeroom teachers who are looking for effective and engaging ways to support their English Language Learners without adding to their endless to-do list. Tune in each week to hear tips, strategies, and inspirational stories that will empower you to better reach your ELL students, equip them with life-long skills, and strengthen relationships with colleagues and parents.
Your host, Beth Vaucher, is the founder of Inspiring Young Learners. She is an ESL certified homeroom teacher with over 10 years of experience teaching in the US and internationally. Her background of M.Ed in ESL and Curriculum and Instruction combined with her experience has led her to develop a bestselling newcomer curriculum that has sold in over 90 countries around the globe. She brings a different perspective to teaching ELLs from her years teaching and living abroad and working with ELLs from around the world. You will walk away from each episode with the ideas and tools you need to transform your experience as a teacher and cultivate a thriving and welcoming environment for your ELL students.
