1. Introduction to English
Language Learners
Shonté Wallace
EDU 6051
Session I.of Cultural Competent Instruction forEnglish
Language Learners Workshop Series

2. Speed Networking Rules
1. When I say “GO”, everyone move to the back of
the room
2. Pair with someone you do not know
3. Take turns asking and answering the posted
question, within one minute
4. When I yell “SWITCH”! move to a different
partner and ask the new question

3. QUESTION 1.
What do you think is
your strength in your
instructional delivery?

4. QUESTION 2.
What is one way you influence
the success of English Language
Learners through instruction?

5. QUESTION 3.
What motivates you
to teach everyday?

6. QUESTION 4.
What specialized strategies do
you use in the classroom to
support students with limited
English proficiency?

7. QUESTION 5.
What do you believe is cultural
competence intelligence level
(on a scale of 1-10; with 10 being
most competent)?

8. DID YOU KNOW?
Only 10 percent of
young adults who speak
English at home fail to
complete high school,
but over 31 percent for
young adult English
learners fail to
complete high school
NCES, 2004

9. Session Objectives
• Educational professionals will analyze the
changing ethnic and linguistic demographics in
the United States and the role of education
• Identify assumptions about immigrants and
English Language Learners
• Identify key terms: ELL, LEP, ESL, language
acquisition
• Define modes of communication: Interpretive,
Interpersonal, Presentational
• Educational professionals will understand their
responsibility in supporting English Language
Learners

10. Immigrant Populations in 1980s
Social Explorer, www.socialexplorer.com; Minnesota Population Center; U.S. Census Bureau

11. Immigrant Populations in 1990s
Social Explorer, www.socialexplorer.com; Minnesota Population Center; U.S. Census Bureau

12. Immigrant Populations in 2000s
Social Explorer, www.socialexplorer.com; Minnesota Population Center; U.S. Census Bureau

13. Important Terms
ESL
• English Language Learner
LEP
• Limited English Proficiency
ESL
• English as a Second Language
ACTFL
• American Council on the Teaching of Foreign
Languages

14. Modes of Communication
Interpretive
Interpersonal
Presentational

15. English
language
learners come
into your
classroom with
a variety of
proficiency
levels…
ACTFL (2012) [Inverted Pyramid Representing
Speaking and Writing (output)].
http://www.actfl.org/publications/guidelines-
and-manuals/actfl-proficiency-guidelines-2012

16. Example of Novice Oral Proficiency
English Language Learner at Novice oral proficiency level
(Click link for video)
According to ACTFL’s proficiency standards,
Novice speakers can communicate highly
predicatable, everyday conversation phrases.
They may be difficult to understand, even by
a sympathetic listener (ACTFL, 2012)
Oral proficiency is directly correlated to literacy

17. Example of Intermediate Oral
Proficiency
English language learner at Intermediate Oral Proficiency
(Click link for video)
According to ACTFL’s proficiency standards, Intermediate speakers
are able to produce information with created sentence structures,
usually in the present tense (ACTFL, 2012)

18. For More Information
• Equal Educational Opportunities
Act of 1974
• Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of
1964
POLICY

19. English Language Learners in public schools
(by state)

20. What can you do today?
• Be Repetitive
• Incorporate student interests
• Encourage cultural conversations
• Display student work
• Tap into students’ experiences
• SMILE 