Enhancing Writing Skills for Entering and Emerging ELLs: Strategies for Success
Writing can be one of the most challenging skills for entering and emerging English Language Learners (ELLs) to develop. This challenge is compounded when students are not only new to the English language but also adjusting to new academic expectations. However, with targeted support and strategically designed activities, these students can make significant strides. Here’s how educators can support these learners by integrating native language resources and structured English writing practices.
1. Reading in the Native Language:
Start by providing texts in the students’ native language. This approach allows them to engage with the material without the barrier of language, ensuring they can grasp the content effectively.
Highlight Key Sentences: Teach students to identify and highlight the most important sentence in each paragraph in their native language. This helps them understand the main ideas without getting overwhelmed by details.
2. Cross-Language Comparison:
Once students have identified key sentences in their native language texts, guide them in finding the corresponding sentences in the English version. This exercise not only helps in understanding the content but also in seeing direct linguistic parallels between the two languages.
Bilingual Texts: Use bilingual texts or side-by-side translations to make this comparison easier and more effective.
3. Sentence Frames with Vocabulary Focus:
Create sentence frames that are partially written in the students’ native language with blanks for key vocabulary words in English. This technique supports vocabulary development and sentence structure comprehension simultaneously.
Vocabulary Teaching: Ensure that the English vocabulary has been taught prior to this activity to maximize effectiveness.
4. Paragraph Frames:
Provide emerging ELLs with paragraph frames, which are essentially scaffolds that outline the structure of a paragraph. These frames can include transitional phrases and key grammatical structures in English, helping students organize their thoughts and information coherently.
5. Sentence Starters and Word Suggestions:
Sentence Starters: Give students common sentence starters to begin their sentences. This can help alleviate the stress of figuring out how to start writing and focus more on the content.
Word Suggestion Anchor Charts: Display charts that contain frequently used words or phrases in both the native language and English. These charts can be thematic or content-specific, providing a handy reference for students as they write.
6. Integrating Technology:
Leverage technology to support writing instruction. Tools like language translation apps, word processing software with native language support, and online dictionaries can be invaluable for entering and emerging ELLs.
Writing in a new language is a complex and often daunting task for ELLs. However, by integrating thoughtful supports that leverage students' native language skills while gradually increasing English language demands, educators can create a supportive learning environment that fosters confidence and growth in writing. The goal is to make the transition from native language proficiency to English proficiency as smooth and effective as possible.
For more resources on supporting ELLs in your classroom, download our comprehensive guides and check out our professional development workshops designed to equip educators with the tools to succeed in multilingual teaching settings. Join our mailing list to learn more.