CAL Resource Guides Online |
Introduction
Digests
Books
Web Sites
Listservs
ERIC Documents
The placement of English language learners in mainstream classes has become more and more common in recent years. Many of these students have not developed the necessary English language proficiency to keep up with their classmates. "Even though language minority students may take up to seven years to develop the level of language proficiency necessary to compete on an equal footing with native speakers of the school language, they are likely to be in mainstream classes long before then" (Harklau, 1994). What can mainstream teachers do to help English language learners in their classes excel?
This Resource Guide Online provides links to articles, digests, books, Web sites, and ERIC documents that offer information on the teaching of English language learners in mainstream classes.
Harklau, L. (1994). ESL versus mainstream classes: Contrasting L2 learning environments. TESOL Quarterly, 28, (2), 241-272.
ERIC/CLL is grateful to Bronwyn Coltrane of the Center for Applied Linguistics and Rebekkah Kline of Fairfax County Public Schools for their valuable assistance in compiling this Resource Guide Online.
Arab American Students in Public Schools
Asian-American Children: What Teachers Should Know
The Biculturation of the Vietnamese Student
Bridging Identities Among Ethnic Minority Youth in Schools
Content-Centered Language Learning
Critical Behaviors and Strategies for Teaching Culturally Diverse Students
Educating Language Minority Children
Effective Approaches to Teaching Young Mexican-American Children
Enhancing the Communication Skills of Newly-Arrived Asian American Students
Integrating Language and Culture in Middle School American History Classes
Promoting Reading Among Mexican American Children
Promoting Successful
Transition to the Mainstream: Effective Instructional Strategies for Bilingual
Students
Reforming Mathematics Instruction for ESL Literacy Students
Strategies for Success: Engaging Immigrant Students in Secondary Schools
Using Cognitive Strategies to Develop English Language and Literacy
What Early Childhood
Teachers Need to Know About Language
What Elementary
Teachers Need to Know About Language
Working with Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Families
Adger, C. T., Snow, C. E., & Christian, D. (Eds.). (2002). What teachers need to know about language. McHenry, IL, and Washington, DC: Delta Systems and Center for Applied Linguistics.
Cary, S. (2000). Working with second language learners: Answers to teachers’ top ten questions. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Claire, E., & Haynes, J. (1994). The classroom teacher's ESL survival kit #1. White Plains, NY: Pearson Education ESL.
Claire, E., & Haynes, J. (1995). The classroom teacher's ESL survival kit #2. White Plains, NY: Pearson Education ESL.
Franklin, E. (Ed.). (1999). Reading and writing in more than one language: Lessons for teachers. Alexandria, VA: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.
Freeman, D. E., & Freeman, Y. S. (2000). Teaching reading in multilingual classrooms. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Gibbons, P. (2002). Scaffolding language, scaffolding learning: Teaching second language learners in the mainstream classroom. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Helmer, S., & Eddy, C. (2001). Look at me when I talk to you: ESL learners in non-ESL classrooms. Toronto, Canada: Pippin.
Irujo, S. (Ed.). (2000). Integrating the ESL standards into classroom practice. Alexandria, VA: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.
Jameson, J. (2002). Professional
development for bilingual and ESL paraprofessionals: The aspire curriculum.
McHenry, IL, and Washington, DC: Delta Systems and Center for Applied Linguistics..
Grognet, A., Jameson, J., Franco, L., & Derrick-Mescua, M. (2000). Enhancing
English language learning in elementary classrooms. McHenry, IL,
and Washington, DC: Delta Systems and Center for Applied Linguistics.
Jameson, J. (1998). Enriching content classes for secondary ESOL students. McHenry, IL, and Washington, DC: Delta Systems and Center for Applied Linguistics.
Peregoy, S., & Boyle. O. (2001). Reading, writing, and learning in ESL. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Reed, B., & Railsback, J. (2003). Strategies and resources for mainstream teachers of English language learners. Portland, OR: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory.
Spangenberg-Urbschat, K., & Pritchard, R. (Eds.). (1994). Kids come in all languages. Alexandria, VA: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages.
The Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA) offers the Web document Conversations with Mainstream Teachers: What Can We Tell Them About Second Language Learning and Teaching? This list of frequently asked questions concludes with an annotated bibliography.
The Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence (CREDE) offers the publications Successful Transition to Mainstream English: Effective Strategies for Studying Literature, Teaching Language Minority Students in Elementary Schools, and Teaching Secondary Language Minority Students.
Eastern Stream Center on Resources and Training offers a series of starter kits for teachers, Help! They Don’t Speak English! Starter Kit for Primary Teachers, Help! They Don’t Speak English! Starter Kit for Teachers of Young Adults, and The Help! Kit: A Resource Guide for Secondary Teachers of Migrant English Language Learners.
The Education Alliance at Brown University offers a Diversity Kit and other resources in the Equity and Diversity section of their Web site.
The ESL/Bilingual Resource Guide for Mainstream Teachers from Portland public schools covers the basic concepts of language acquisition theory, essential tips for mainstream teachers of ESL students, teaching reading tips, and a list of terms related to ESL and bilingual programs.
ESL Infusion: Principles for Teaching English Learners in the Mainstream Classroom describes key concepts for effective instruction for English language learners, such as comprehensible input, meaningful access to the curriculum, and conversational versus academic language.
ESL in the Mainstream: How Technology Can Help is intended to give teachers resources and hands-on practice in using technology to assist in their instruction.
ESL Resources for Mainstream Teachers is a list of links from Carolina TESOL that directs mainstream teachers to resources ranging from ESL assessment to legal issues and technology.
ESL Students in Mainstream Classes covers some of the similarities and differences between ESL students and native English speakers.
ESL Versus Mainstream Classes: Contrasting L2 Learning Environments, from TESOL Quarterly, documents differences in the goals and organization of instruction of mainstream and ESL classrooms.
EverythingESL provides many resources for working with newcomers including Activities for Newcomers, Tips on Communicating With Newcomers , and Organizing Your Newcomers' Day.
For Mainstream Teachers of ESL Students, from Frankfurt International School, provides information to answer mainstream teachers’ most basic questions about teaching ESL.
The National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition and Language Instruction Educational Programs (NCELA) has a section in its online library devoted to Strategies for Mainstream Teachers. NCELA also provides the publication Helping Language Minority Students After They Exit from Bilingual/ESL Program: A Handbook for Teachers. NCELA's In the Classroom: A Toolkit for Effective Instruction of ELLs is a user-friendly guide designed for teachers who know very little about ESL and includes links to descriptions of each method, sample handouts, and activities.
TESL Manitoba provides links to a number of online resources for content-based ESL teachers and for teaching ESL students in mainstream classes.
The English Language Learner/Diversity Listserv provides an open forum for sharing information related to teaching English as a second language, multicultural issues, culture, and diversity.
TESLK–12 is an electronic discussion group for K–12 ESL teachers. Join by sending a message to listserv@cunyvm.cuny.edu. In the body of the message type the following: subscribe TESLK–12 yourfirstname yourlastname
You may wish to conduct your own search of the ERIC database on the World Wide Web. If you need help with your search, call 1-800-276-9834 or email our User Services staff.
Information on obtaining the documents listed below can be found at the end of this section. These documents were identified by searching the ERIC database using the following combination of ERIC descriptors and keywords:
English (Second Language)
and
Mainstreaming
EJ635196
Language, Literacy, Content, and (Pop) Culture: Challenges for ESL Students
in Mainstream Courses.
Duff, Patricia A.
Canadian Modern Language Review, v58 n1 p103-32 Sep 2001
Examines issues confronting English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students in
mainstream content areas at the secondary school level. Research on the
integration
of language, content, literacy, and culture in courses is reconducted at
a Canadian school with a concentration of Asian background students. Focuses
on discourse contexts for mainstreamed ESL students in two
Grade 10 social studies classes. (Author/VWL)
EJ645361
Working with Younger-Arriving ESL Learners in High School English: Never
Too Late To Reclaim Potential.
Roessingh, Hetty; Kover, Pat
TESL Canada Journal, v19 n2 p1-20 Spr 2002
Discusses the fallacies that pervade the English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL)
profession: that students arriving in primary school do not require ESL
support
in order to mainstream successfully. Describes a program designed to help
younger-arriving ESL learners once they reach high school, with powerful
implications for practice in all K–12 settings. (Author/VWL)
EJ626251
Classroom Conversations: Opportunities To Learn for ESL Students in Mainstream
Classrooms.
Williams, Joan A.
Reading Teacher, v54 n8 p750-57 May 2001
Notes that educators should closely examine the theoretical backgrounds of
their beliefs to determine how mainstream values affect educational opportunities
for the linguistically and culturally diverse students. Suggests that educators
must carefully combine theory and practice within broader social, cultural,
and historical contexts to produce reasoned decisions as they
guide the academic progress of English language learners in mainstream classrooms.
(SG)
EJ624984
Predictors of Mainstream Teachers' Attitudes Toward ESL Students.
Youngs, Cheryl Stanosheck; Youngs, George A., Jr.
TESOL Quarterly, v35 n1 p97-120 Spr 2001
Examines attitudes of mainstream teachers to English-as-a-Second-Language
learners in the central part of the United States. Based on results of a
survey
of 143 junior high/middle school mainstream teachers, multiple predictors
were identified that were interpreted as indicators of exposure to cultural
diversity. Argues for inclusion of explicit experiences that heighten
experience with diversity in teacher education programs. (Author/VWL)
EJ622771
Assessment and Skill Development for ESL Students in Mainstream Communication
Classes Requiring Oral Presentations.
Hendrix, Katherine G.
JACA: Journal of the Association for Communication Administration, v 29 n2
p196-212 May 2000
Notes that regular sections of public speaking courses may have ESL students
enrolled. Outlines recommended assessment and instructional strategies including
four assessment steps and three groups of instructional strategies. Discusses
perceptions of the two ESL student participants regarding the effectiveness
of these strategies. Discusses four issues associated with assisting ESL
students in the "mixed" classroom. (SR)
EJ621252
Needed: A Compass To Navigate the Multilingual English Classroom.
O'Byrne, Barbara
Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, v44 n5 p440-49 Feb 2001
Presents a way to help English as a Second Language (ESL) students make the
transition to mainstream English classes that mitigates many of the problems
these students encounter. Suggests that high school English teachers need
professional development to relate their instructional and assessment practices
to what is known about second-language acquisition. Notes the importance
of collaboration. (SG)
EJ601566
Facilitating Secondary English Language Learners' Transition into the Mainstream.
Lucas, Tamara; Wagner, Suzanne
TESOL Journal, v8 n4 p6-13 Win 1999
Two teacher-researchers present a framework of criteria and strategies to
help English-as-Second-Language/bilingual practitioners, counselors, and
administrators
develop a process for determining how and when to move ESL students into
mainstream classes smoothly and successfully. (Author/VWL)
EJ598943
Using What We Know about Language and Literacy Development for ESL Students
in the Mainstream Classroom.
Watts-Taffe, Susan; Truscott, Diane M.
Language Arts, v77 n3 p258-65 Jan 2000
Reviews recent research about literacy development, the development of English-language
proficiency, and the social, academic, and emotional challenges of entering
a new culture. Recommends and describes instructional practices for teaching
second-language learners in integrated settings. Focuses on writing, discussion,
and scaffolding in the areas of background
knowledge, vocabulary, and communication, stressing their importance to the
literacy development of second-language students. (SR)
ED453690
English Second Language Students in a Grade 11 Biology Class: Relationships
between Language and Learning.
Jaipal, Kamini
Publication Date: April 08, 2001
Notes: Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American
Educational Research Association
Available from: EDRS Price MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.
For English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students learning academic content
is complex. The purpose of this study is to explore and gain an understanding
of ESL students' participation and learning in grade 11 biology classes in
a secondary school in Vancouver, British Columbia. The paper reports on
one
aspect of the study--the mediational role of language in learning biology
terms and concepts. The main question guiding this aspect of the study was:
what are the relationships between language and the ESL students' learning
of biology terms and concepts? This question was explored by focusing on
the
following: teaching, how the teacher explains terms and concepts; and learning,
how students' interpret terms and concepts in the teacher's oral explanations
and written questions. The significance of this study lies in the provision
of insights into particular language and content-related issues associated
with both the learning and teaching of science in a mainstream secondary
science classroom. Results suggest the following: (1) talking about language
is integral
to biology teaching and learning; (2) teaching involves more than showing
and describing concepts in isolation; (3) English words in science worksheets
often elicit functional explanations that support the construction of discourses
of reasoning; and (4) new labels in second language may refer to a different
set of features associated with the concept. (Contains 34 references, 4 figures,
and 1 table.) (KFT)
The full text of most materials in the ERIC database with an "ED" followed by six digits is available through the ERIC Document Reproduction Service (EDRS) in microfiche, by email, or in paper copy. Approximately 80% of ERIC documents from 1993 to the present are available for online ordering and electronic delivery through the EDRS Web site. You can read ERIC documents on microfiche for free at many libraries with monthly subscriptions or specialized collections. To find an ERIC center near you, contact our User Services staff.
The full text of journal articles may be available from one or more of the following sources:
To obtain journals that do not permit reprints and are not available from your library, write directly to the publisher. Addresses of publishers can now be accessed online through the CIJE Source Journal Index.
If you would like additional information about this or any topic related to language education or linguistics, contact our User Services Staff.