Blog - A World of Language Learners

Language Domains: Read Speak Listen Write with MLs

March 19, 2023 aworldoflanguagelearners Comments 0 Comment

The four language domains of reading, speaking, listening, and writing are all important components of learning a new language. The domains often overlap. One area can benefit from practice on the same topic in a different language domain. A student’s background knowledge plays an important role in how quickly they progress in these domains during a particular unit. Whenever possible, create lessons that give students practice in multiple language domains. Reading Learning how to read is complex and made up…

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Teaching Syllables to MLs

January 29, 2023 aworldoflanguagelearners Comments 0 Comment

Syllables are one component of phonological awareness and syllable types are a part of phonics. A syllable is part of a word that has a vowel or vowel sound. Here are some ideas for teaching syllables to English Language Learners. Introducing Syllables One way to teach students to identify syllables is to have them close their mouth and say a word. They then count how many breaths of air they take to say the word. That is the number of…

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Valentine’s Day Activities for MLs

January 22, 2023 aworldoflanguagelearners Comments 4 comments

Are you looking for some fun Valentine’s Day Activities to use with your students? This holiday is a fun way to teach about kindness and taking care of others. You can also teach language activities with a Valentine’s Day theme. Here are some ideas for integrating Valentine’s Day themes into lessons for English Language Learners. Valentine’s Day Around the World & History Learn interesting facts about the history of Valentin’s Day, including the origins of many of today’s traditions, from…

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Using a Picture Dictionary with MLs

January 8, 2023 aworldoflanguagelearners Comments 0 Comment

Multilingual Learners benefit from seeing pictures as they learn new vocabulary words. Pictures are also beneficial for beginning readers so that they can confirm that the words that they read are accurate. A picture dictionary is a helpful tool for both phonics and vocabulary instruction. Picture Dictionary Organization There are multiple ways that a picture dictionary can be organized. Alphabetically- There are many picture dictionaries available that categorize words by the beginning letter. Many follow a theme. Phonics Patterns- Pictures…

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Winter Holidays for ELLs

December 18, 2022 aworldoflanguagelearners Comments 0 Comment

Holidays can be a fun experience for those students that celebrate them. Some holidays are a great opportunity to teach students about different traditions and infuse fun into learning. For some English Language Learners, they might be unfamiliar with the winter holidays that their classmates have celebrated for years. It can be helpful to go over basic holiday traditions and facts before the holiday begins. For American holidays such as Martin Luther King Day, Groundhog Day, or Veterans day most…

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Teaching Writing to MLs

November 27, 2022 aworldoflanguagelearners Comments 0 Comment

When you are teaching writing to multilingual learners, what do you focus on? This is a big question with many components. I think of writing as being organized in two categories, mechanics and ideas. Some students have many ideas to write about and enjoy free writing. For many MLs this can be challenging. One reason is that they do not yet feel confident that they have the language to express what they are thinking. Use reading (or have students listen…

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Teaching About World Holidays in School

November 20, 2022 aworldoflanguagelearners Comments 0 Comment

There are two ways to think about holidays in public school. One is that you do not include any holidays in school activities. The other is to teach students about a range of different holiday celebrations from around the world throughout the school year. Try not to fall into the trap of only talking about holidays in December. This by default ends up centering Christmass and leaves out all of the important holiday celebrations from most other religions. Teaching about…

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Using Wordless Books with MLs

November 13, 2022 aworldoflanguagelearners Comments 0 Comment

Wordless picture books are a great tool to use with Multilingual Learners. They allow students to practice making inferences and thinking critically. An added benefit for newcomer students is that they can tell a story in their native language. Over time and with vocabulary support, students can also create stories in English. Create Multiple Versions of the Same Story Students can work individually or with a partner to create a story using a wordless picture book. Then have students tell…

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Halloween Tips and Activities for MLs

October 30, 2022 aworldoflanguagelearners Comments 0 Comment

Many children look forward to Halloween each year. English Language Learners (ELLs) that are newcomers may not have experienced Halloween in the past or celebrated it in a much different way. These students will benefit from a basic explanation of what the holiday is and the different ways that it is celebrated in their community. This will help alleviate the confusion that may come up otherwise. Here are some Halloween activities and tips to use as you introduce the holiday…

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Using a Sound Wall with MLs

September 19, 2022 aworldoflanguagelearners Comments 0 Comment

A sound wall using speech lips to match the articulation of speech sounds/phonemes to the letters/graphemes that represent those sounds. Many sound walls only show the letter sound and lip pictures. Others also include the picture of a key word that has the target sound. Less frequently, teachers combine a word wall with a sound wall. In this case, the word she would go under the digraph sh, and not under s. The benefit for Multilingual Learners (MLs) is that a…

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