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THE ELLS OF AL-MADINAH SCHOOL:

POPULATION, TECHNIQUES, CONSIDERATIONS

Before we begin
Our colleague, the respected Br. Mamun, will lead us in an
interactive activity designed to foster reflection about the
status of English Language Learners in our classrooms.
If you have questions about the procedure of the activity, then
please direct them towards him.

What is an ELL?
An English Language Learner (ELL) is a student that speaks
a language other than English at home and scores below a
state-designated level of proficiency in English upon entering
the New York City public school system.

The challenge of being an ELL

Teachers often note that ELLs have a double job, compared
to other students.
They must master content, as other students must, but they
also must achieve competence in language.
While mainstream students need to achieve competence in
the language of school as well, they have a firmer foundation
to work from.

ELLs in al-Madinah School

As we are all aware, al-Madinah School is a very unique
educational context.
It is therefore not surprising that our ELL populations are
unique as well.
The graphs you will see are based on the middle and high
school populations, but I have no doubt that they represent
schoolwide trends.

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ELLs by Grade (7-12)

ELLs by First Language (L1)

ELLs by English Proficiency

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TECHNIQUES

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THREE WAYS TO HELP OUR ELLs

Keeping in mind our responsibility to educate those under our

school populations, but I have no doubt that they represent

schoolwide trends.
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ELLs by Grade (7-12)

ELLs by First Language (L1)

ELLs by English Proficiency

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TECHNIQUES

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THREE WAYS TO HELP OUR ELLs

Keeping in mind our responsibility to educate those under our
care, and also keeping in mind your tremendously full
schedules, Ive surveyed a range of techniques that can help
ELLs succeed and pulled out three that are not too difficult for
you to implement, but are nonetheless helpful.

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THE LIST

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COMPREHENSIBLE INPUT

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What is CI, and how can it help?

Comprehensible input was formally defined and explained by
the celebrated linguist S. Krashen (1982).
In short, it is language (either read or heard) that can be
understood, and is a bit hard for one (i + 1). According to
Krashen, it is the key driver of second language acquisition.
You acquire language by understanding messages in that
language; not by learning lists of grammar rules.
To maximize ELL understanding of the language you use, do
the following:

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Elements of Comprehensible Input

1) Provide context for your students. Material should not be
without any non-linguistic reference points. Visuals, real
objects, gestures, etc.
2) Activation of background knowledge. Helping students
relate to the material through activation of prior knowledge
will ensure a greater level of understanding.
3) Modify your speaking style as follows:

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Comprehensible Input Tips

1) Talk more slowly and clearly. Keep a natural rhythm, but
dont speed through your sentences.
2) Monitor your sentence length; keep your sentences
reasonably short.
3) Simplify vocabulary when possible, and limit the
vocabulary words you must use to the new words you
introduced recently or have practiced often with students.
Avoid idiomatic speech.

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relate to the material through activation of prior knowledge

will ensure a greater level of understanding.
3) Modify your speaking style as follows:
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Comprehensible Input Tips

1) Talk more slowly and clearly. Keep a natural rhythm, but
dont speed through your sentences.
2) Monitor your sentence length; keep your sentences
reasonably short.
3) Simplify vocabulary when possible, and limit the
vocabulary words you must use to the new words you
introduced recently or have practiced often with students.
Avoid idiomatic speech.
4) Expand student answers. Often, they reply with one or two
words only. Substantiate what they say.

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Activity
Think of something you explained to your class (a mini-lesson
prior to an activity would work) within the last few weeks that
could be modified in terms of context, speaking style, or
background-knowledge activation.
Jot down some concrete changes that would maximize
comprehensible input, then share with your group.
You have five minutes.

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FOSTER INTERACTION

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Foster Interaction
While interaction as a primary driver of language acquisition
is controversial (see Larsen-Freeman & Long, 1991), no
researcher denies that certain kinds of interaction promote
language acquisition in children.
Children who are interacting constructively in groups have
more opportunity for both input (from group members) and
output (from themselves).

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What can we do?

1) Group work. Try to have many group activities for your
students to complete that require discussion.
2) Keep in mind ELL levels and expect the responses they
are capable of. This will be elaborated upon shortly.
3) Select group members carefully. Depending on the ELLs
level and native language, try to put groups together that will
lower students anxiety levels and get them ready to interact.

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Activity
Consider the children in your class who have language
difficulties. Who would you pair them with to make them less
anxious?
Consult with those of your group members who teach the
same children.

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students to complete that require discussion.

2) Keep in mind ELL levels and expect the responses they
are capable of. This will be elaborated upon shortly.
3) Select group members carefully. Depending on the ELLs
level and native language, try to put groups together that will
lower students anxiety levels and get them ready to interact.
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Activity
Consider the children in your class who have language
difficulties. Who would you pair them with to make them less
anxious?
Consult with those of your group members who teach the
same children.

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THE STAGES OF LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

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Language Development in ELLs

Cummins (1979), as a result of a meta-analysis, asserted that
language is of two types, BICS and CALP.
These two types are mastered at different paces. BICS
comes first, within six months to two years, while CALP can
take five to seven years to master.
ELL students with sufficient skills in BICS may exhibit
excellent speaking skills, but be unable to read and write to
the levels necessary to succeed in school.

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Proceeding Through Stages

Language acquisition can also be represented in a series of
stages.
Children learning a new language in an ESL context all pass
through the same stages.
However, they pass through them at varying rates, depending
on many different factors.
They are as follows:

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The Stages
1) Native Use -> Silent Period
2) Formulaic Speech / Early Production
3) Speech Emergent
4) Intermediate Fluency
5) Advanced Fluency

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Native Use -> The Silent Period

At first, many children will continue speak their native
language, despite not being understood.
When this period ends, children enter a silent period which
may vary in length based on personality and other individual
factors.

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 2) Formulaic Speech / Early Production

3) Speech Emergent
4) Intermediate Fluency
5) Advanced Fluency
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1

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1

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1

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Native Use -> The Silent Period

At first, many children will continue speak their native
language, despite not being understood.
When this period ends, children enter a silent period which
may vary in length based on personality and other individual
factors.
What can they do?
Listen
Point
Move
Mime
Match
Draw
Select
Act out
Circle
Formulaic Speech / Early Production
Children begin speaking, but rely on short, ungrammatical
utterances and repeating what others have said. Limited
comprehension.
What can they do?
Name
Label
Group
Respond
Tell/say
Categorize
List
Speech Emergent
Children begin expressing themselves with novel sentences.
In the beginning, these sentences are grammatically
incorrect; however, they will improve with time.
What can they do?
Recall
Retell
Define
Explain
Compare/Contrast
Summarize

 List
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1

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1

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1

Speech Emergent
Children begin expressing themselves with novel sentences.
In the beginning, these sentences are grammatically
incorrect; however, they will improve with time.
What can they do?
Recall
Retell
Define
Explain
Compare/Contrast
Summarize
Describe
Role-play
Restate

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Intermediate Fluency
Comprehension increases; they speak in more complex
sentences and make fewer errors.
What can they do?
Analyze
Create
Defend
Debate
Predict
List
Categorize
Advanced Fluency
Children approach grade-level fluency; they are able to use
sophisticated language, but still make a few, more
complicated errors.
What can they do?
Essentially, anything grade-level, but with some supports
where needed.

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PROMOTE PARTICIPATION

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THE BARRIERS TO CONTRIBUTION

In essence, the point of Promote Participation is that multiple
avenues should exist that allow for ELLs to get exposure to
complicated ideas in a manner they understand AND to, as a
result of this knowledge, participate in classes despite
language barriers.
This is an invitation to teachers to allow multilingual
responses to material, and differentiate in requirements for
students who are unable to participate at the levels expected

where needed.
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PROMOTE PARTICIPATION
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THE BARRIERS TO CONTRIBUTION
In essence, the point of Promote Participation is that multiple
avenues should exist that allow for ELLs to get exposure to
complicated ideas in a manner they understand AND to, as a
result of this knowledge, participate in classes despite
language barriers.
This is an invitation to teachers to allow multilingual
responses to material, and differentiate in requirements for
students who are unable to participate at the levels expected
of the majority due to their language difficulties.

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Examples for L1 Avenues of Access

1) Buddy system. New children who do not speak any
English should have an assigned buddy who speaks their
language understandably and can be counted upon to help
them by translating key terms. This may not be viable for very
low grade levels.
2) Bilingual reading materials. Many of our ELL students have
had robust educations in their countries of origin, and should
be allowed bilingual reading materials to encourage them to
continue reading.

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Activity
In your groups, consider activities or assignments that you
have given to your students recently.
How could you modify the required responses to these
assignments in order to give students of all levels the ability
to participate?
Make a list of the kind of response you might want from
students of each level.

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In conclusion, please remember and keep in mind

"If the child is not learning the way you are teaching, then you
must teach in the way the child learns." - Rita Dunn,
Professor of Education at SJU.