Today's public schools are increasingly characterized by cultural and linguistic diversity. Studies show that about 4.4 million students nationwide lack the English skills needed to succeed academically. To help second language learners keep up in the classroom, educators must understand the challenges that bilingual students and schools face. In this concise guide, former bilingual teacher Judith Lessow-Hurley dives right into the language debate swirling in school systems large and small. She examines the popular myths about educating students in a multilinquistic society and introduces the key issues: * The demographics of second language learners * The theory underlying language instruction * Desirable qualifications for bilingual teachers * Effective teaching methods and programs * Language and politics * Language and the law By confronting common beliefs about English-only and immersion programs, basic interpersonal communication skills, the influence of culture on language, and more, Lessow-Hurley reveals how schools can successfully educate students from diverse backgrounds--without unintended prejudice. Her passionate and intelligent response in the language debate views every school as the bridge between cultures, helping all students develop academically and equally. Note: This product listing is for the Adobe Acrobat (PDF) version of the book.

Describes standards-based practices for teachers to reach diverse learners in the classroom, discusses learning in the twenty-first century and different types of learners, and provides more than sixty tools and interventions with exemplars and templates. Includes a CD-ROM with templates.

Rising enrollments of students for whom English is not a first language mean that every teacher – whether teaching kindergarten or high school algebra – is a language teacher. This book explains what teachers need to know about language in order to be more effective in the classroom, and it shows how teacher education might help them gain that knowledge. It focuses especially on features of academic English and gives examples of the many aspects of teaching and learning to which language is key. This second edition reflects the now greatly expanded knowledge base about academic language and classroom discourse, and highlights the pivotal role that language plays in learning and schooling. The volume will be of interest to teachers, teacher educators, professional development specialists, administrators, and all those interested in helping to ensure student success in the classroom and beyond.

Theoretical and practical information about assessment in the bilingual and English-language-learner classrooms.

Teaching secondary students in the content areas is hard enough under the best of circumstances. When students are not well prepared academically and also lack academic literacy skills, the challenge can seem overwhelming. Fortunately, the Freemanshelp secondary content-area teachers provide these students with the academic support they very desperately need. -Robert J. Marzano Coauthor of Building Academic Vocabulary Many middle school and high school students are recent immigrants or long-term English language learners who struggle with the academic language needed to read content-area textbooks and write papers for their classes. Likewise, many native speakers of English find content-area classes a challenge. Secondary teachers have little time to teach academic reading and writing skills because they must cover a great deal of content in their social studies, science, math, or language arts classes. Academic Language for English Language Learners and Struggling Readers provides the information busy secondary teachers need to work effectively with English learners and struggling readers. It reports current research to answer key questions: Who are our older English language learners and struggling readers? What is academic language? How can middle and high school teachers help students develop academic language in the different content areas? This comprehensive and readable text by Yvonne and David Freeman (authors of Essential Linguistics) synthesizes recent demographic data on the kinds of English language learners and struggling readers who attend middle and high schools in increasing numbers. They flesh out the statistics with stories of students from different backgrounds. Then the Freemans examine academic language at different levels: the text level, the paragraph level, the sentence level, and the word level. For each, they provide examples of academic language and specific strategies teachers can use as they teach language arts, science, math, and social studies. They also analyze content-area textbooks, pointing out the difficulties they pose for students and suggesting ways to make texts more accessible to ELLs and struggling readers. Providing classroom examples, the Freemans explain how teachers can motivate and engage their students. They describe how teachers can teach language and content simultaneously by developing both language and content objectives. Academic Language for English Language Learnersgives teachers the information and strategies they need to help all their students develop academic language.

The authors describe ideas, techniques, and procedures which will enable the practising language teacher to better identify the local needs of particular groups of second language learners, and then work towards meeting those needs. It is full of illustrative examples and practical exerciseswhich teachers can adapt and use in their own classrooms.

"Schools are not intentionally equitable places for English learners to achieve, but they could be if the right system of support were put in place. Diane Staehr Fenner and Sydney Snyder recommend just such a system. Not only does it have significant potential for providing fuller access to the core curriculum, it also provides a path for teachers to travel as they navigate the individual needs of students and support their learning journeys." --Douglas Fisher, Coauthor of Visible Learning for Literacy A once-in-a-generation text for assisting a new generation of students Content teachers and ESOL teachers, take special note: if you're looking for a single resource to help your English learners meet the same challenging content standards as their English-proficient peers, your search is complete. Just dip into this toolbox of strategies, examples, templates, and activities from EL authorities Diane Staehr Fenner and Sydney Snyder. The best part? Unlocking English Learners' Potential supports teachers across all levels of experience. The question is not if English learners can succeed in today's more rigorous classrooms, but how. Unlocking English Learners' Potential is all about the how: How to scaffold ELs' instruction across content and grade levels How to promote ELs' oral language development and academic language How to help ELs analyze text through close reading and text-dependent questions How to build ELs' background knowledge How to design and use formative assessment with ELs Along the way, you'll build the collaboration, advocacy, and leadership skills that we all need if we're to fully support our English learners. After all, any one of us with at least one student acquiring English is now a teacher of ELs.