“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.”
Ludwig Wittgenstein
English language students often easily pick up on the words and phrases they use in informal social situations because they are highly motivated to communicate with and fit in with their peers. Still, it can prove challenging for these learners to gain proficiency in the types of academic vocabulary that they need for overall success throughout their school careers.
A critical part of teaching English is to ensure that your students understand and use more of these academic words and phrases. This type of vocabulary includes words that help students comprehend directions, participate in class discussions, effectively complete homework and projects, and take required tests.
It doesn’t have to be complicated, though! In fact, here are four simple but concrete steps that you can take in your classroom to help ensure the success of your ELL students with their academic vocabulary.
Step 1: Make Sure Your Vocabulary Planning Documents Are Focused and Systematic
As you plan to teach this type of vocabulary, dedicate ample time to ensuring that your lesson planning documents stay focused on your goals. Include a concept map as well, as it will help you to stay on track with these goals and provide a specific methodological approach to the content. Remember that most of these words are ones your students will read and hear within a school learning context but won’t necessarily use when speaking with their peers. Therefore, make sure that you include ways to teach the words explicitly and without a particular subject context to avoid confusion or doubt.
Step 2: Create a Student Activity List That Mirrors Your Concept Map
Once you’ve completed a concept map and other planning documents, assign specific activities that mirror the main topics on your map. As you create your activities, keep in mind the five E’s (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate) methodology to enhance their learning. For example, activities like reading aloud books with your target words, using sentence frames to promote academic writing and speaking, and encouraging your students to participate in class discussions can foster student engagement and build confidence. Additionally, using a game-generating program like Kahoot is a great way to integrate the words into fun explorative activities and provides opportunities to recycle the vocabulary for reinforcement.
Step 3: Build a Word Wall Frame
Choose a dedicated area in your classroom to make an interactive word wall. Make sure that you put it in a location that your students will not overlook at a height that makes it easy for them to engage with the content. Set up the basic structure of the wall using the concepts and topics from your planning, and leave certain areas blank for the students to build during class. Make sure that your wall has ample space for visual images and clear realia. You want it to have more than just a space for words. Your students will be more apt to retain the information they learn if they have an active part in putting together the reference material and can visually see how it relates to the real world. If you want to know more about Word Walls check out this post.
Step 4: Have Your Students Build the Word Wall During Class
Use some time during class to have your students interact with and build the word wall. An interactive word wall is a great way to apply the five E’s methodology to enhance their learning. Act as a guide for your students to add the appropriate images, realia, and other ideas that relate to the vocabulary. Ensure that you encourage your students to include things that reflect themselves and their culture on the wall. For ELL students, you really want to create an environment where they can look at the wall and say, “I see me!” When they relate to what they see in the classroom, they will feel more connected overall to the material.
I hope these tips will refresh your enthusiasm for teaching ELL students the academic vocabulary they need to succeed. Be sure to check out my store for additional resources that can help you with your journey.
Do you do any fun vocabulary activities with your students? Let me know in the comments!
