Contents
Foreword by Rosalie Pedalino Porter
1. The Joys and Challenges of Teaching English as a Second Language
The Challenges of Teaching ESL
ESL, ELL, LEP, and Other Acronyms
Placement in Bilingual and ESL Programs
SEP Students (Someone Else’s Problem)
Inclusion and Support in Regular Classrooms
Getting Advice and Help From School Personnel
4. How Much? How Soon? How Fast?
When Should Students Exit to Regular Classes?
Steep Hills and Frustrating Plateaus
Motivation Inside and Outside of Class
5. Using the Learner’s Native Language in the Classroom 18
What Works Best in the Students’ Native Language
Consider the Language and the Culture of the Community
6. Natural and Unnatural Approaches to Learning English
The Natural Approach: Learning English by Hearing and Speaking It
Applying First Language Skills to Second Language Learning
Balancing Experiential and Analytical Approaches
Using Total Physical Response (TPR)
Language in the Foreground and the Background
Winning Over the Skeptics in Your School
7. Building Vocabulary: They’ll Need Lots
Enjoying the Path to a Large Vocabulary
Teaching Vocabulary With Picture Dictionaries
Using Vocabulary From the Native Language
Building Vocabulary With Word Blocks
Idioms and Other Confusing Expressions
Look It Up! Learning English With Dictionaries
8. Grammar: The Skeletal System of the Language
English Grammar Isn’t as Tough as We Think
Freebies: When English Grammar Matches the Learner’s Native Language
The Garden Path to English Grammar
Implicit and Explicit Grammar Instruction
Pattern Practice Makes Perfect: Well, Not Really, But It Works
Grammar in Action: Questions, Answers, Jokes, and Conversation
Tag, You’re It: Converting Statements Into Tag Questions
9. Listening Skills: The Gateway to Language
Learning With a Tape Recorder or CD Player
Learning With Software: The Rosetta Stone, Instant Immersion, and Other Programs
Encouraging Listening as a Stand-Alone Skill
Teaching With Minimal Pairs: Bit, Bet, Bait, Beet, Bite
10. Now Say It: Teaching Spoken English
Using Media and the Language Laboratory
Using the International Phonetic Alphabet
Error Correction: When and How Often
Let Your Students Correct You, Too
Speaking Practice Outside of Class
11. English in Black and White: Teaching Reading
When Students Are Struggling Readers in Their Native Language
Quick-Start Phonics for English Learners
Decoding Skills and Background Knowledge
Punctuation and Capitalization
13. How We Know What the Students Know: Grading and Testing
Grading in Mixed-Ability Classrooms
Individualized Education Plans
Multitrack Grading: Same Class, Different Goals
No, You Aren’t Cheating: What Counts for General Learners and College-Prep Learners
Self-Assessment: Giving Students Their Own Checklists
Preparing Students for Standardized Tests (Please Don’t)
14. Teaching English Learners With Special Needs
Identifying Students With Special Needs
Prior Education, Semilingualism, and Learning Disabilities
What Does Special Education Offer Your Students?
When They Need a Special Education Referral but Haven’t Gotten One
Determining the Appropriate Program
15. English Learners in Content Classes
English Throughout the Curriculum
Sheltered English Content Classes
Content Objectives and Language Objectives
A Sample Sheltered Science/Vocabulary Lesson
Using Sheltered English to Teach and Practice Grammar
When Are Students Ready to Wade Into the Mainstream?
The Power of Incidental Learning
Reasonable and Unreasonable Modifications in the Inclusive Classroom
The Bright Side: Enriched Class Discussions
Out-of-Class Support for English Learners in Regular Content Classes
16. Helping Everyone Else Understand Your Students
Attitudes Make the Difference: Racism and Xenophobia
I’m Here, So Shut the Door Already
Exposing Other Students to Your Students’ Culture
Avoiding Trivial Pursuit and Superficial Multiculturalism
Illuminating With Literary Classics From Other Traditions
Mutual Tutoring and Dual Immersion
17. Preparing Yourself to Be a Better ESL Teacher
Catching Up and Keeping Up With Advances in the Field
Acquainting Yourself With Your Students’ Culture
Trying on Your Students’ Shoes
And If You Teach in the Tower of Babel . . .
Large Numbers: Hundreds and Thousands
Arithmetic I: Addition and Subtraction
Arithmetic II: Multiplication and Division
World Geography: Continents and Countries
U.S. Geography: Oceans, Rivers, Mountain Ranges, Borders
City Geography: Streets, Avenues, Buildings, Directions, Travel
Prepositions and Their Objects