i Advanced
Preparation is Essential
Before a mainstream teacher stands in front of the
classroom, teachers must consider what they should do to make the content
information accessible to their ESL students. They need to determine the
language level of instruction appropriate for the ESL students in their class.
Teachers should:
a)
Evaluate
their second language learners' listening comprehension skills. How much do
they understand?[1]
b)
Simplify
the language of instruction, not the concept being taught.
c)
Work toward depth,
not breadth of information, presenting materials in a clear, concise,
comprehensible manner and eliminating all peripheral, nonessential information.
d)
Impart information through oral, visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic learning modalities.
e)
Use graphic
organisers, such as webs, Venn diagrams, and charts, to make information
more accessible to second language learners. Content materials present text
which is too dense for second language learners.
f)
Present content area vocabulary and concepts using realia, picture files, and hands-on
activities.
g)
Examine their ESL
students' backgrounds and learn how their past experiences will affect
learning. The impact of students' backgrounds on learning will depend on the
their previous schooling, home languages and cultures, and the concepts
important to those cultures.
h)
Understand
that ESL students may not have experience with all of the
concepts being taught. For example, concepts such as freedom and democracy,
perceptions of time, and right to privacy may be different in many cultures.
i)
Build background
knowledge before teaching a lesson.
j)
Relax! ESL students have a specific need but not an insurmountable disability. With
a little patience, kindness and determination on your part, you can play a
large role in the ESL student’s successful integration into the school and his
or her language development!
[1] Ask the ESL teacher for help in determining this if you are unsure how to proceed or consult the Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks website, www.language.ca