Making Language Accessible: Using GLAD to Support ELLs with Bridget Dale

In this episode of the Equipping ELLs Podcast, host Beth Vaucher sits down with Bridget Dale, an OCDE Project GLAD Tier 4 trainer, educational consultant, and founder of Elevated Language Development, LLC. With nearly two decades of experience in teaching and ELL literacy coordination, Bridget brings a passionate, practical approach to language acquisition through the powerful Project GLAD® (Guided Language Acquisition Design) framework.

If you’ve ever wondered how to teach both content and language simultaneously, or how to build a classroom where multilingual learners thrive. This conversation is a must-listen and a goldmine of strategies.

What is Project GLAD?

Bridget breaks down Project GLAD not as a curriculum, but a research-based teaching model packed with over 60 strategies designed to support language development and deepen content mastery. Rather than adding to a teacher’s workload, GLAD is about how we teach what we’re already required to teach, in a way that ensures accessibility for all students, especially English Language Learners (ELLs).

“It’s not something new to add. It’s how we teach what we already have to teach.” – Bridget Dale

Making Language and Content Accessible

GLAD strategies are grounded in standards-based instruction with built-in scaffolding, ensuring students don’t miss out on academic rigor. Bridget emphasizes the importance of holding high expectations while offering intentional support, allowing multilingual learners to rise to the challenge.

“We don’t water things down. We scaffold up.” – Bridget Dale

Some of the most effective components discussed include: Observation Charts, which serve as formative tools to assess and build knowledge through visuals; Interactive Journals, fostering student-teacher relationships through personal, ongoing writing exchanges; language-rich environments, where walls are “dripping with language” and co-created with students; and cooperative learning groups that drive collaboration and equity in participation.

Teaching That Builds Confidence and Connection

A powerful theme throughout the conversation is the shift in the teacher’s role, from lecturer to facilitator. Bridget shares how this change fosters confidence, self-esteem, and autonomy in students. When students feel believed in and included, their engagement skyrockets.

The discussion also touches on:

Using visuals, color coding, and graphic organizers to support all learners—not just ELLs.
Leveraging student data to drive instructional choices.
Embedding trans-languaging and home languages in classroom displays to foster belonging.
Maintaining positive behavioral systems rooted in affirmation, not correction.

Starting with GLAD: Where to Begin

For teachers curious about integrating GLAD but unsure where to start, Bridget recommends beginning with foundational structures that set the stage for success. Establishing cooperative learning groups — with four students per group as the ideal number — helps students learn to engage with one another meaningfully. Within these groups, strategies like “Numbered Heads” and the use of response tools like spoons make participation more equitable and dynamic.

Teachers can also implement behavior systems like the “Three Personal Standards” (make good decisions, solve problems, and show respect) alongside strategies such as the “T-Graph for Social Skills,” which helps teams set and work toward behavior-based goals. These approaches prepare students to function effectively as a learning community and create the foundation necessary to dive into more rigorous content strategies with confidence.

Final Takeaways

Project GLAD is more than a collection of strategies—it’s a transformative approach to education that places students at the center. At its core, it emphasizes belief in every student’s potential and offers practical, research-based tools to make that belief actionable. Educators using GLAD often witness a total shift in classroom engagement, language growth, and student ownership of learning. The consistent use of visual tools, co-created content, and intentional interaction not only benefits multilingual learners but elevates outcomes for all students. As Beth notes, when we teach with ELLs in mind, we create stronger, more inclusive classrooms for everyone.

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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.