http://www.wal.org/wordpress/index.php/2008/11/17/teaching-ell-students-to-read/ News and Information from the oldest nonprofit language school in Seattle, WA! Thu, 09 Sep 2010 21:36:09 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.3 http://www.wal.org/wordpress/index.php/2008/11/17/teaching-ell-students-to-read/#comment-17 Leslie Lund Sat, 22 Nov 2008 01:39:18 +0000 http://www.wal.org/wordpress/index.php/2008/11/17/teaching-ell-students-to-read/#comment-17 Dr. Schneider, Thank you for the tips to teachers in your article. I have been doing a lot of thinking about how I would help beginning ELL students get their initial bearings in English. I am fluent in Spanish, but speak none of the indigenous languages spoken in Central or South America. The tip about finding culturally relevant materials will help students to: 1) get a context for their reading, and 2) give them the opportunity to become acquainted with each other's cultures. After reading both this article as well as your article on ELL Teachers and the need to find a balance in teaching methods in the ELL classroom, I feel that a teacher should be able to draw from various methods. Since individuals have such diverse learning styles, it stands to reason to me that teachers should vary their methods. Just a quick note about where I am coming from before I close: I left a 20 year career with a major airline to begin work on an education in teaching. I became certified in June 2008 through SPU to teach Spanish and German on the high school level, and then decided later last summer to pursue my endorsement in ESL/Bilingual at WAL. I have so much enjoyed all my classes at WAL and have seen myself grow in confidence in front of a class. The experience I gained in writing lesson plans and teaching them to my peers has made me feel a lot more confident about my first year of teaching next autumn. Thank you so much! Dr. Schneider,
Thank you for the tips to teachers in your article. I have been doing a lot of thinking about how I would help beginning ELL students get their initial bearings in English. I am fluent in Spanish, but speak none of the indigenous languages spoken in Central or South America. The tip about finding culturally relevant materials will help students to: 1) get a context for their reading, and 2) give them the opportunity to become acquainted with each other’s cultures. After reading both this article as well as your article on ELL Teachers and the need to find a balance in teaching methods in the ELL classroom, I feel that a teacher should be able to draw from various methods. Since individuals have such diverse learning styles, it stands to reason to me that teachers should vary their methods.
Just a quick note about where I am coming from before I close: I left a 20 year career with a major airline to begin work on an education in teaching. I became certified in June 2008 through SPU to teach Spanish and German on the high school level, and then decided later last summer to pursue my endorsement in ESL/Bilingual at WAL. I have so much enjoyed all my classes at WAL and have seen myself grow in confidence in front of a class. The experience I gained in writing lesson plans and teaching them to my peers has made me feel a lot more confident about my first year of teaching next autumn. Thank you so much!

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