Language Acquisition Strategies

Indicate which of the items listed below occur during the lesson you prepare and teach. This checklist represents various strategies that all teachers who have English language learner students in their classrooms can use to facilitate language and academic success. Of course, teachers will not use every strategy in every lesson!

General Learning Principles
.Relevant and interesting material activities
.Teaching in context
.Content modified (not watered down)
.Integrated themes/thematic focus
.Connections made to prior knowledge
.Background information provided
.Key concepts and key vocabulary emphasized
.Teaching on a deeper level (less is more)
.Material is broken into smaller chunks
.More time provided (to absorb information/answer quest.)
.Active participation :Experimental, hands-on, discovery learning ,Cooperative learning
.Teacher modeling (language and literacy)
.Lots of opportunities for linguistic interaction

Modify Delivery/Facilitate Language
.Speak naturally/clearly & adjust rate/complexity
.Give precise, explicit directions
.Teach specific information/stay on topic
.Provide cues (e.g., first, second, third, next, last, finally)
.Frequent clarification
.Idiomatic expressions explained in context
.Multiple meanings explained in context
.Culturally coded words explained in context
.Stop frequently and discuss
.Check for understanding
.Frequent review
.Draw out language (give hints, clues)
.Expand and elaborate on what they say

Provide a low-risk environment
.Accept students where they are
.Build on the students' strengths
.More informal atmosphere
.High expectations
.Supportive/Positive reinforcement
.Focus on what the student says, not how they say it (accept mistakes as part of the process)
.Be culturally and linguistically sensitive

Extensive Visuals
.Pictures (magazines, newspaper, books)
.Illustrations
.Maps
.Concrete objects
.Manipulatives
.Video
.Graphs
.Timelines
.Symbols
.Field trips
.Posters
.Models
.Photographs, slides
.Guests
.Experiments
.Color coding
.Information on blackboard or overhead
.Graphic organizers: Webbing, Charts, Diagrams
.Body language/gestures/acting out
.Demonstrations
.Modeling
.Point out important information

Modify Materials
.Provide reading materials with lower readability, more visual clues and less information per chunk of reading (needs to look age appropriate, however)
.Rewrite information in simpler language
.Provide a variety of reading materials/multi-media/software
.Include culturally diverse resources/materials

Modify Evaluation
.Evaluate on content knowledge only, not level of language (what said/how)
.Provide frequent evaluation throughout, not just at end
.Devise various types of evaluation