ESL at Houston Middle School

**Make your subject comprehensible so that all

English Language Learners learn content!

1. Pronounce the newcomer’s name correctly.
2. Write out personal information (student’s name, address, etc.) on a card for the student to carry.
3. Get the new student involved in classroom routine (pass out handouts, collecting homework, etc.) if the student is not too shy.
4. Assign a “willing” buddy who can help student get to class, lunch, and MAPs. Make sure someone guides the new student in the correct procedure to go home.This buddy does not have to speak the newcomer’s home language.
5. Allow the newcomer to ‘escape’ from English. Trying to understand a different language is tiresome. .
6. Use buddies to help with Activities for Newcomer.
7. Teach students to use a bilingual dictionary (provided by the ESL teacher).
8. Involve newcomers in science, social studies, math, and language arts.
9. Try to make content of lessons comprehensible through illustrations, dramatic gestures, drawings, actions, sketches, photos, demonstrations and other visual support.
10. PRINT key words and definitions. Read and illustrate.
11. Allow time for newcomers to look up words in their bilingual dictionary.
12. Seat the student near the front of the class
13. Repeat commands and directions and speak slowly!
14. Student may be in “silent phase” and will not speak. This is normal. Do not force.

Activities for newcomers

• Allow the new student to use Rosetta Stone (available on CD or online). Rosetta Stone is a complete English-language program.
• Allow the new student to access ESL link on the Shelby County ESL Website (open Shelby Co. homepage, click on ‘Teacher Resources’ and then click on ‘ESL’)
• Allow the newcomer, with help, to complete the activities in the Newcomers Activities Booklet.

FYI

• ELLs can NO longer receive an ESL report card. Modify assignments for grades.
• ELLs in the first 12 months in a US school can be exempted from participation in TCAP writing and reading/language arts.