LAB at Brown: Teaching Diverse Learners -- Bilingual Classroom Strategies

LAB at Brown: Teaching Diverse Learners -- Bilingual Classroom Strategies: "Strategies
for Teaching Bilingual Learners
Students in bilingual and ESL classrooms manipulate more than one language and are influenced by more than one culture. Their experiences with these languages and cultures influence their learning. The more we understand the personal, socio-cultural, and linguistic backgrounds of bilingual students, the better equipped we will be to provide these students with an effective learning environment. This environment should be one that supports learning in a second language and culture, while fostering a positive attitude and respect for the other language and culture.
The responsibility for English language learning, academic progress, and integration of bilingual and ESL learners into the school community should be assumed by all personnel at the school, not just by the bilingual and ESL staff. School administrators should make certain that bilingual students have opportunities to integrate both socially and academically with monolingual English speakers (Brisk, 1998). The following practices promote the inclusion of all students in a supportive, educational environment:
Create participatory, inquiry-based classrooms
Maintain high expectations for all students
Teach ESL through content-area instruction
Use thematic units
Incorporate culturally familiar learning strategies
Use a variety of strategies when teaching literacy
Provide appropriate and valid assessment
Recognize that students use both languages to learn "