Supporting English Language Learners
By Edward J. McElroy

If you started this school year with one or more English language learners (ELLs) in your classroom, you are part of a trend that is changing not only big-city schools, but also those in suburbs, small towns and rural areas. Recent years have seen a sharp rise in the number of ELL students who learn to read, write and speak English at the same time as they study history, science, math and all the other subjects taught in our schools.

In 1991, the number of students classified as ELLs was just over two million; today, more than five million ELL students attend schools in the United States. Native speakers of 460 languages attend our schools, but the vast majority of ELLs, some 80 percent, are Latinos.

Effective tools
With the change in student population, teachers need new tools to be more effective with ELL students. For some time, parents of these students have used www.colorincolorado.org, an excellent Spanish-English website created by Reading Rockets, an educational service of public television station WETA in Washington, D.C. The AFT, working with Reading Rockets and experts in ELL instruction, developed a new "For Educators" section of the website, which provides tips and strategies for teachers and paraprofessionals working with ELLs.

Although Colorín Colorado website is designed for parents and educators of preK-3 students, the materials on the site can be easily adapted for students in grades four through eight and for ELLs who come from non-Spanish-speaking backgrounds.

A useful resource
This website is updated often and has too much information to describe in this small space – see the sidebar for other featured topics. But a quick overview of one of the resources, "Using Spanish-English Cognates as a Bridge," will give you an idea of just how useful the site can be.

This resource helps teachers make use of the fact that approximately one-third of all words in English have a related word, or cognate, in Spanish. Armed with a list of common cognates from the Colorín Colorado website, teachers can help students use their knowledge of Spanish to improve their English. By providing brief instructions for students to write a story, for example, teachers may encourage students to use their imagination, which has a Spanish cognate, imaginacíon. ELL students who hear you use familiar-sounding words will understand your instructions and be more comfortable participating in class activities.

ELL challenges for policymakers
Policymakers have not yet taken all the steps necessary to improve education for ELL students. For starters, we should do a better job of assessing ELL students to determine their English language proficiency and content knowledge. Reading instruction for all students in our schools should emphasize extensive phonemic awareness, phonics and vocabulary building. Teachers and paraprofessionals who work with ELL students should receive professional development on language acquisition and literacy instruction.

Further, we should encourage parent-involvement programs that include an orientation to the U.S. public school system, offer dropout programs and build partnerships with community-based organizations that have a record of success with ELL populations.

Smart decisions by education policymakers and a few changes in classroom practices can make a difference for English language learners. And although the policy changes will take some time, the Colorín Colorado website has resources you can use right now.

Edward J. McElroy is the President of the American Federation of Teachers.