Creating a

What is their L1

Do other students in the class

share their language?

Toolbox for Are there opportunities for you

to learn the language?

ELL Students
Brigitt Morton
 Different Websites and Tools To Use:
Visual and
Read and
Physical
write for
resources
Google Slide 8 - 10
Slide 3 & 4

TESOL
Google
International
Translate Utilize things Slide 11 & 12
Slide 5 & 6
already created

Talking Points Classroom

Slide 7 Strategies
Slide 13
 Read and Write for Google
Read and write for google has a huge impact on how ELL students can use Google
documents. It can read for students in any language of their choosing and can be used on
more than just google docs. This tool allows students to use it on different websites and
platforms. It makes things more accessible to ELL students while trying to learn more
complex topics or researching for a project. This application also lets students talk into their
computers and writes for them if there are students who struggle with typing or writing. This
allows them to speak in a language they are comfortable in while expressing their knowledge.
It also teaches ELL students the correct way to pronounce certain words in their target
language as they can have things read to them making it a good English learning tool as well.

The downside of this specific application is there is a bit of a learning curve to it and it would
require some direct teaching time for the students. As well, because it is a Google app it is
only accessible while using google chrome therefore you do need to have a google compatible
computer. For the benefit that this application brings I do think that it would be worth it to
teach students how to use it, and it could even be taught and used with a whole class. This
application has more uses than just for ELL students as there is a colour changing font option
that makes things more legible for students with dyslexia. It is an adaptable program and can
truly be sed to fit any teachers needs with a little bit of work figuring out how to use it fully.
 How to translate using R&W

Explanatory video

● This can help students learn concepts in their first language while
also helping them with their target language
● Students can use this if they struggle with reading English but are
able to hear it and understand it, helping them put the words to the
text that they are seeing
● Texthelp is a great website with easy to access videos that will help
you best utilize Read and Write:
https://support.texthelp.com/help/readwrite-for-google-chrome
 Google Translate
While Google translate seems like an obvious resource, I wanted to point it out in
here because I think that sometimes it can be overlooked. Many think that it is
just an app that allows you to translate text on a computer but it can also be very
useful for translating speech in real time as something is being spoken. This can
be useful especially if there is a diverse range of languages present in the classroom. The
benefit of this tool is that there is a multitude of options that you can use it with such as
speaking, writing, both in a typed document and in a handwritten document, as well as using
the camera option that is available. It is also a tool that can be beneficial in the younger
grades as there is a spoken option where if can read the word or sentence back to you. This
makes classroom activities where words are posted on around the classroom or something of
the sort easier for younger ELL students to participate in as they can take photos of the words
and have them spoken to them in their first language.

Some of the downfalls of this application is that in order for the camera portion to work
students have to have neat handwriting which isn’t always the case. If they have the option to
type that would lead to better outcomes. It also isn’t always 100% accurate when translating
bigger portions of text and can sometimes lead to misinformation being spread. It is
important to combat this by also translating key words separately that you want your students
to know. This will help them to dissect the translated documents and truly get what is
necessary.
 How to effectively use Google Translate
● This video shows
you how to best use ● For using the talk to
google translate, text feature this could
these tips and tricks either be something
will help you better displayed on a
utilize this tool in students computer,
your classroom phone or school ipad
● This is an easy tool if there is one
that is very accessible or simply
accessible to your displayed on the
students, even for smartboard as you
young students who are talking alongside
might not have whatever
literacy skills presentation/ visual
mastered yet, they that you have
are able to speak
into the device and
then have the
translation spoken
back to them
 Talking Points

Make connections
The Talking Points application is a tool that can be used to
with the parents! communicate with parents. This helps keep
families of ELL students informed about what is going on in school
and how their child is performing. As all teachers know good
connections and relationships with parents is key to any students
success, but especially with ELL students. Having the parents
informed helps them feel more connected to their child's education
and can often help parents understand how to help their child at
home as well. Talking Points is fairly simple to use, all you have to
do send a message out to either the students or the parents at the
beginning of the year and it sends them instructions in their first
language. Then you can continue on sending messages either to the
whole class or to specific students and parents but just clicking their
name and if always automatically translates for you. This is a very
simple tool that teachers can bring into their classroom to make
communication easier.
 Visuals and Physical Resources
What makes a good physical
resource
While physical resources do depend
on the grade and subject that you are
teaching, here are some tips that will
help you find some physical
resources that will help your
students.
● Is it something that they can
take with them from class to
class?
● Is it something that they can
use on their own?
● Does the resource just help
with translation of does it help
with language development?
Visual resources also depend on grade
and subject but what you need in a
good visual resource is fairly universal.
Students need to be able to look at
something and understand what you
are talking about based on an image
which is no easy task, so here are
some pointers.
● Keep visuals simple, try and use
images with only one object
● Have parts of the image labeled
so that students have a better
understanding of what they are
supposed to be looking for
What makes a good visual
resource
Examples of Good Physical and Visual Resources
The resource on the left describes a multitude of
different resources that you can implement in your classroom
all with a different level of preparation required. My main
takeaways are visuals and cheat sheets. I think it’s an important
reminder as we start to assess our ELL students that not only are
they trying to learn a concept, they are also learning the language
and vocabulary of that concept that our other students already
know. Using things like cheat sheets and visuals as we assess
with them is key to helping them succeed. These can look like
labled visuals that help describe a concept so that they can better
understand and remember, a cheat sheet with reminders of what
certain equations are used for. As well as a vocabulary sheet with
main ideas and concepts written out and described
for them. This can help them exponentially while
requiring little prep for yourself. For younger grades
these visuals can be extremely helpful not only for
your ELL students but for all students especially those
who could be still struggling with reading.
 Easy to use Visuals

Images can be as simple as offering students a

choice visually when asking questions. This
helps them better interpret the questions as
well as can give them a voice to answer if they
don’t have that vocabulary yet.
Using visuals along with vocabulary
A visual schedule can be huge for students, remember to use can be extremely beneficial to help
the same visuals throughout the year. This can be helpful at all students understand key concepts.
ages not just in the Div. 1 years for ELLs. While having a bulletin board might not
be feasible, instead creating key rings
for your ELL students can be helpful as
well so that it is something they can
take with them while completing the
Math visuals describing unit. This can even be a project that is
commonly used words can done at the beginning of a unit as a
be extremely beneficial as project for students, creating a visual
well for ELL students. This vocabulary list. This helps all students
can give them independence with their vocabulary for the unit as
in answering questions. well as takes the stress off of you as
the teacher.
 TESOL
TESOL stands for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. It is a website that offers tips
from different professionals about how to best implement different resources in your classroom for
ELL students. There are blog posts on different topics that can help teachers with specifics. While
this is less a resource that teachers can use directly with their students, it can help them. These blog posts can
help teachers better understand their ELL students and the different things that might be going on in their heads
as they learn. They can inform teachers on how to better support their students both academically and
emotionally. Some examples of some of the blog topics are “Essential ELL Teaching Strategies” and “Why Culture
Matters When Teaching English Language Learners”. The blogs have a range of topics to help inform teachers.
Aside from the blog posts there is also a resource page where teachers can go for tups such as lesson plans,
digital storytelling and different resources for online teaching as well.

This resource is very helpful for teachers who know they will be teaching ELL long term as it helps develop long
term strategies in teachers. This website might not be the best for resources, but it will help teachers to truly
understand what their ELL students need and what they might be feeling. Understanding their point of view will
help connect and build a better program for students to learn.
Here Are a Few Blog Post Examples
 Classroom Strategies
● One strategy that I found was
incorporating the students native
language when possible. Finding
explanatory videos of whatever concept
that you are teaching in the students
native language before teaching it can
help them stay connected during class
● Another strategy is to pair students up,
giving students a go to person that they
can ask questions to in the classroom can
help. Not only does this help the ELL
student learn concepts, it also helps the
other student to further their learning.
● Adding the students native language in
the classroom can also be extremely
helpful. This lets the student know that
their native language is just as important
as their target language as well as helps
other students connect with them more.
This will help improve overall classroom
climate with your ELL keeping them
involved and a part of your class.
● Know and honour that there might be a
silent period for your ELL student. This
is a common occurrence as students
feel like they can’t speak in their target
language until it is perfect. One way to
help combat this and to help the student
be more confident and open to
practicing their language is to have
small ways where they can practice
their target language. This could look
like having them share something that's
modeled for them. Another way to help
goes along with the previous point
about having the student
● Scaffolding is a huge tool for ELL
students, but an important part of this is
demonstrating and exaggerated “I do”
phase. Using actions and simple but
very clear speech. This will help
students more concretely understand
concepts as it introduces things to them
in a more manageable way. ELL
students are often overwhelmed while
learning new concepts and that can
lead to shut down, keeping learning
manageable will help prevent that.
 My Classroom Strategies
I had a more uniques situation in my own classroom as I did my PSIII. As the majority of the ELL
students in the school are Spanish speaking, I had the unique opportunity to be able to instruct them in
Spanish when needed. This helped me feel more connected to students as well as it helped students to
feel like they were able to teach me things as I had questions about Spanish. They were able to express
that they had a knowledge that I didn’t which I think made it easier for them to be willing to learn. As
well it is less intimidating to speak in a new language where you might make mistakes if you know that
someone else has also gone through that process. While I have read multiple blogs and articles as I
went through this process of researching for my PIP and finding resources, the main resources that I
used in my classes were google translate and read and write for google. Since I was able to
communicate with students differentiation mostly looked like me offering a separate set of instructions
to them after talking to the whole class. This let me talk directly to them and answer questions as they
came up. Students then always had the option of submitting something in their first language as I
wasn’t teaching and English course rather health and options.

The majority of my takeaway from this project came from actually putting it together and learning about
emotional wellbeing of ELL students. It has been very interesting seeing a new family come in and
seeing how it can completely change the dynamic in a classroom, giving some students confidence that
we hadn’t seen before. My biggest reflection knowing and understanding how important it is to have
someone else that can speak your first language to you. For our ELL students I think that this is a huge
part of them feeling seen and understood, like their language is valid. As well as having someone who
has already gone through the language learning process and who understands how hard it is.
 Reflection Continued
For myself coming into this I wasn’t sure to expect and while I think that there are major takeaways from the project
that I have completed I am excited to actually better use it once I start teaching. I think that offering these students
grace is the biggest thing that we can do for them. Learning a language is a hard task on its own, but learning one
while your immersed in it can begin to seem almost impossible. Spending all of your days in a classroom where not
only does no one understand you, but where you don’t understand what the teacher is saying is hard. For every
simple task that the students have to do the ELL students first have to translate what is being asked of them, then do
the task, finding resources that are in a language they can understand which is probably different than the resources
given, and then translate it back into the target language so that the teacher can mark it.

In looking at a paper that was written about ESL students in a college setting it talked about how ESL students can
experience a certain degree of anxiety that is caused by their loss of their ability to be a good communicator (Abbot,
G., 36). I think this rings true for ELL students across the board and especially for Younger ELL students who are just
learning about how to communicate feelings, emotions and needs they are now having to start over and a skill that
they once thought they had, they’ve now been stripped of. It’s understandable the degree of anxiety it can cause, for
students at any age. Knowing this and having experience being in a school where the first language was not my own
I can understand the fatigue that comes with this as well. My biggest take away from this is to make sure we are
thinking of the wellbeing of the students. Understanding that they are experiencing something different than any
other student in your class. We can come up with all of the tools that we want but if our students come to school to
anxious, tired or overwhelmed to learn, it won’t be productive.
 Resources Used
● http://blogs.sd41.bc.ca/slp/topic/visuals/
● https://blogs.sd41.bc.ca/lss/resource-centre/visual-supports/schedules/
● https://raisethebarreading.com/2018/01/12/english-language-learners-1/
● http://www.awalkinthechalk.com/2018/07/math-strategies-for-beginning-english.html
● https://kid-inspired.com/welcome
● https://www.edutopia.org/article/6-essential-strategies-teaching-english-language-learners/
● https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/supporting-esl-students-mainstream-classroom/
● Abbott, G. S. (2018). Strangers in a strange land: A phenomenological study of ELL students' experiences with
anxiety (Order No. 10786420). Available from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses A&I; ProQuest One Literature.
(2036547253). Retrieved from
https://www.proquest.com/dissertations-theses/strangers-strange-land-phenomenological-study-ell/docview
/2036547253/se-2
● Mesta, P., & Reber, O. (2019). The Classroom Teacher's Guide to Supporting English Language Learners (1st
ed.). Routledge. https://doi-org.ezproxy.uleth.ca/10.4324/9781315819747