English Language (EL) Learners: Empowering Students Through Language and Culture
- Lyssete Tagulao
- Jul 11
- 2 min read
Definition
English Language Learners (ELs) are students whose primary language is not English and who are developing English proficiency while participating in school. ELs may be immigrants, refugees, or U.S.-born children in multilingual households. They may speak, read, and write little or no English when they enter school, and they require language support to access the general curriculum.
Characteristics
English Learners may:
Struggle to understand spoken or written instructions in English
Use gestures, drawings, or their native language to communicate
Be quiet or hesitant to speak in class
Learn academic content more slowly due to language barriers
Confuse grammar, word order, or vocabulary
Have strong ideas or knowledge but struggle to express them in English
Show progress at different rates depending on their age, background, or schooling experience
EL students are capable learners, they just need language support to succeed.
Accommodations & Modifications
Ways to support EL students in the classroom:
Use visuals, gestures, and models to explain concepts
Provide word banks, sentence starters, and translated materials
Speak clearly and slowly, and check for understanding
Use bilingual dictionaries or translation apps
Allow extra time for reading, writing, and speaking tasks
Pair with peer buddies or use small-group instruction
Accept oral responses or drawings instead of full written answers
Include home language and culture in classroom discussions
Provide leveled reading materials in English and native language
Resources
1. 🧤 Colorín Colorado
A comprehensive resource for teachers and families of EL students, offering bilingual strategies, classroom tips, videos, and cultural guides.
Free downloadable toolkit with legal guidance, instructional strategies, and tools to support EL students across grade levels.
A clear, practical video featuring effective techniques and real classroom examples for educators teaching early-stage ELs.
This book gives teachers real classroom strategies for supporting ELs in academic language learning and content development using scaffolding and visual support.
Provides tools and resources to assess, support, and monitor EL student growth in academic language. Many schools use WIDA to guide instruction and assessment.