Why the need?
More than often, English as a Second Language(ESL) students or English Language Learners(ELL) from different grades struggle with the English vocabulary used in classrooms for different subjects because they weren’t initially taught the same terms in English but were taught in their Native language instead. Students may have learned the concepts and vocabulary already, and may have excelled in their studies, but when they are placed in an English classroom, this excellence may be hard to maintain, as their abilities to communicate or demonstrate their understandings would diminish greatly due to the unfamiliar terms in English.
ELLs spend a lot of time strengthening their vocabulary so that they can express themselves better. This can be easy while hard at the same time. This puts many ELLs at a disadvantage in second language classrooms. ELL have to work extra hard to keep up with their studies in a second language, and even so Fry (2007), states in his research that English language learners still fall behind in their math and reading skills.
To provide more support to ELLs in classrooms, educators and learning facilitators can employ different strategies to help ELL students achieve these learning goals and help them improve academically. Educators look at developing more creative, and successful lesson in literacy class while math and science classrooms gets less attention. Math and Science classrooms have ELLs as well, and they struggle to express their thoughts and demonstrate their abilities in those classrooms just as much as they would in regular literacy classrooms. Word problems for math class and science experiment instructions can ELL students’ headaches just as much as a story retelling task. So it is important to put some attention at integrated ESL STEM classes.
Kim & Chang (2010) also stated in their research about “Computer games for math achievement of diverse students” that though ELLs don’t show significant effects in math games at first, continuous exposure of the math games to the students, yield better results in the their math performance when compared to non-ELLs. Freeman (2012) also recommends the use of programs like the HELP Math program to help students closer the gap between the performance differences of English speakers and non-English speakers in Math classrooms that was previously caused by language barriers.
So to help ELL student improve and better succeed in their classes, educators and facilitators should be create opportunities to do more hands-on learning, skill practices, and even use more digital supports to help building stronger understandings and stronger vocabulary that will in turn help ELL students do better in assessments.
ELLs spend a lot of time strengthening their vocabulary so that they can express themselves better. This can be easy while hard at the same time. This puts many ELLs at a disadvantage in second language classrooms. ELL have to work extra hard to keep up with their studies in a second language, and even so Fry (2007), states in his research that English language learners still fall behind in their math and reading skills.
To provide more support to ELLs in classrooms, educators and learning facilitators can employ different strategies to help ELL students achieve these learning goals and help them improve academically. Educators look at developing more creative, and successful lesson in literacy class while math and science classrooms gets less attention. Math and Science classrooms have ELLs as well, and they struggle to express their thoughts and demonstrate their abilities in those classrooms just as much as they would in regular literacy classrooms. Word problems for math class and science experiment instructions can ELL students’ headaches just as much as a story retelling task. So it is important to put some attention at integrated ESL STEM classes.
Kim & Chang (2010) also stated in their research about “Computer games for math achievement of diverse students” that though ELLs don’t show significant effects in math games at first, continuous exposure of the math games to the students, yield better results in the their math performance when compared to non-ELLs. Freeman (2012) also recommends the use of programs like the HELP Math program to help students closer the gap between the performance differences of English speakers and non-English speakers in Math classrooms that was previously caused by language barriers.
So to help ELL student improve and better succeed in their classes, educators and facilitators should be create opportunities to do more hands-on learning, skill practices, and even use more digital supports to help building stronger understandings and stronger vocabulary that will in turn help ELL students do better in assessments.