Effective EAL strategies:

- using mind maps

- posters with a lot of visuals, providing guidelines for the posters with specific
instructions
- use of laptops/tablets
- sentence starters so that students can learn what to write and how to write it
- buddying
- using programs like IXL to help track students, differentiate for different levels and
give them more to do once they´re done
- create tasks based on students ‘interests
- project based on students´ choices
- timing instructions and limiting them to 5-10 minutes. People tune out if people speak
too long
- paired work
- comic strips
- using flashcards with key words
- setting up a task that assigns different roles/responsibilities to all students
- organize presentations that connect to students ‘cultural background
- have a weekly experience sharing, each student brings something to show the others,
for example: a road sign, a file, a song
- promote oral presentations linked to their individual experience
- wall newspaper – sharing an experience that caught our attention during the week
- give internet resources to practice specific grammar, vocab or reading material
- always having written + verbal instructions
- asking questions to get feedback constantly
- invite kids to share their culture as much as they can
- break down tasks into smaller chunks
- show short videos to illustrate certain concepts
- providing a list of key terminology and ask students to go over the terms regularly
- write key terms on board
- have students write definitions on board and go over what these terms and definitions
mean
- differentiate tasks and simplify instructions
- when showing documentaries, use subtitles and pause film in order to ensure
beginners can write key info
- ask comprehension questions
- try to place EAL students at the front of the classrooms if possible
- try to give the EAL students a specific role within the group
- make them feel important and included
- use diagrams and notation whenever possible
- early checking of classroom task to ensure students are on the right track
- acting out different scenarios
- peer mentoring
- educating students that there are different levels of language learners to avoid student
reaction and emphasizing we are all EAL learners in other language subjects
- always provide an example to enable a model response
- using manipulatives and hand signs
- highlighting key words to draw attention
- using sentence stems
- student generated dictionary