Thank You for Listening! This has been an episode from The FowardED Network—Where we are Advancing Voices and Shaping Education. We are dedicated to supporting everyone invested in K-12 success: teachers, leaders, parents, and community advocates.
Want to keep the conversation going?
- Subscribe: Never miss an insight. Hit the subscribe or follow button on your podcast app to automatically receive our next episode.
- Share the Knowledge: If this episode provided value, please take a moment to rate and review us! Your five-star reviews help new teachers, parents, and leaders find our network.
- Explore the Network: This show is just one part of the ForwardEd Network family. Head over to our network page to explore our full roster of interconnected podcasts, including CTRL Shift Lead, Vice Principal UnOfficed, From Carpool to College, and Your Morning Boost.
- Connect with Us: Have a question or an idea for a future episode? Reach out to us at pillars.forwarded@gmail.com or find us on social media using the tag #theForwardEDnetwork.
00:00:00 --> 00:00:05 Welcome to Your Morning Boost, your daily leadership advice to help you lead your school community.
00:00:05 --> 00:00:09 Brought to you by AWB Education and sponsored by Grundmeyer Leader Services,
00:00:10 --> 00:00:14 where together we are transforming education, one leader at a time.
00:00:15 --> 00:00:19 Good morning. Welcome to Your Morning Boost. My name is Melissa Grinstead,
00:00:19 --> 00:00:22 and I'm the lead ESOL contributor at AWB Education.
00:00:23 --> 00:00:26 Back as your host today and looking forward to providing you a tip or trick
00:00:26 --> 00:00:30 today as you work towards your mission of serving EL-identified students.
00:00:30 --> 00:00:36 So today we are going to talk about long-term English learners that are often called LTELs.
00:00:36 --> 00:00:40 So these are kind of a group of ELs that we often overlook.
00:00:40 --> 00:00:44 They've been learning English for several years, often more than five,
00:00:44 --> 00:00:47 yet they still haven't reached the proficiency levels expected for their grade.
00:00:47 --> 00:00:50 It's important to understand that this is not about intelligence.
00:00:50 --> 00:00:54 These students are capable, just as capable as their native English-speaking
00:00:54 --> 00:00:58 peers, Where their challenge lies is really in the fact that language acquisition
00:00:58 --> 00:01:02 is complex and they may have specific needs that just haven't been fully addressed yet.
00:01:02 --> 00:01:07 So when we think about LTELs and the common challenges that they face,
00:01:07 --> 00:01:12 I think one of the biggest ones is simply that they're proficient enough to
00:01:12 --> 00:01:14 sort of fly under the radar and get by,
00:01:14 --> 00:01:19 but they have some unique needs that need some explicit instruction and strategies
00:01:19 --> 00:01:23 to address that sometimes we just don't get around to because we're really mobilizing
00:01:23 --> 00:01:27 all of our troops, so to speak, to our newcomer and emerging ELs.
00:01:27 --> 00:01:30 So that's definitely a contributing factor to some of that stagnation that we
00:01:30 --> 00:01:32 see. Some of these LTELs may have
00:01:32 --> 00:01:36 just received inconsistent or inadequate English language instruction.
00:01:37 --> 00:01:42 Often what we notice is that their instruction may have been rooted in more
00:01:42 --> 00:01:45 conversational English, and they've gotten really proficient at that.
00:01:45 --> 00:01:49 But there's some gaps in their academic language, and they haven't necessarily
00:01:49 --> 00:01:52 received that explicit instruction in that area.
00:01:52 --> 00:01:55 And that's really where some of those gaps will come in their ability to access
00:01:55 --> 00:02:00 content, like in classes like science and math. And then often we do see some
00:02:00 --> 00:02:01 social emotional challenges as well.
00:02:02 --> 00:02:06 Some of our LTELs report feeling frustrated or discouraged by their lack of progress.
00:02:06 --> 00:02:10 You know, I'll hear them say, like, why am I still an identified English learner?
00:02:10 --> 00:02:13 I've been doing this for years. I, you know, can talk to all my teachers and
00:02:13 --> 00:02:16 friends, no problem. What's the deal? Kind of that sort of sentiment.
00:02:17 --> 00:02:20 So they've got some unique challenges that they face. So when we think about
00:02:20 --> 00:02:24 how to best support our LTELs, I think, first of all, there is no,
00:02:24 --> 00:02:29 we don't necessarily identify them explicitly with any sort of formal assessment, right?
00:02:29 --> 00:02:33 We just know they've been an English learner for more than five years, they're an LTEL.
00:02:33 --> 00:02:35 But we really need to go beyond that and understand.
00:02:35 --> 00:02:39 Kind of dive into their specific language skills and identify where are their
00:02:39 --> 00:02:43 strengths, where are their weaknesses? Is there a specific domain that's holding them back?
00:02:43 --> 00:02:48 You know, where is the root of maybe their weakness that we can specifically target?
00:02:48 --> 00:02:51 And then finding that time and intentionality
00:02:51 --> 00:02:54 to provide that targeted instruction is going to be crucial.
00:02:54 --> 00:02:57 Often that's going to mean that they need explicit instruction in,
00:02:58 --> 00:02:59 like I said, that academic vocabulary.
00:03:00 --> 00:03:05 Maybe it's grammar or language structures. and that needs to happen alongside
00:03:05 --> 00:03:07 their content area instruction, right?
00:03:07 --> 00:03:11 And then on top of that, we need to continue to provide them that supportive
00:03:11 --> 00:03:14 and inclusive classroom environment where they feel that their needs are met
00:03:14 --> 00:03:18 and that they are encouraged and lifted up and ready to take on those challenges
00:03:18 --> 00:03:20 and the areas that they need to work on.
00:03:21 --> 00:03:25 I think just like any of our English learners, it's important not to discount
00:03:25 --> 00:03:32 the power in using visuals or realia to help our LTELs with some of those more abstract concepts.
00:03:33 --> 00:03:37 I think sometimes we assume that those strategies are just appropriate for emerging
00:03:37 --> 00:03:42 level or newcomer ELs, that all of our ELs, and I would argue all of our students.
00:03:42 --> 00:03:46 Can benefit from some of that visual support as well, particularly when concepts
00:03:46 --> 00:03:47 are more abstract, right?
00:03:47 --> 00:03:51 I think we need to remember to use those sentence frames and graphic organizers
00:03:51 --> 00:03:56 whenever we're asking our LTELs to show us what they understand in writing.
00:03:56 --> 00:04:00 Sometimes it's just that barrier of how do I organize my writing or how I know
00:04:00 --> 00:04:03 what I need to say, but I don't know how to start it.
00:04:03 --> 00:04:07 That kind of a feeling that impedes our LTELs from being able to show us what
00:04:07 --> 00:04:09 they know and understand.
00:04:09 --> 00:04:12 I think it can't be lost on us that those collaborative learning activities
00:04:12 --> 00:04:16 where students have the opportunities to interact with peers and practice their
00:04:16 --> 00:04:19 language skills as they're discussing content are going to be super powerful.
00:04:20 --> 00:04:25 And then again, anytime that we can incorporate students' native languages into our instruction,
00:04:26 --> 00:04:30 whether that's helping to reinforce a concept by helping students pair an academic
00:04:30 --> 00:04:33 vocabulary term with maybe what it is in their native language,
00:04:33 --> 00:04:37 anytime that we can leverage that, that's going to be super helpful as well.
00:04:37 --> 00:04:41 I think lastly, too, we can't discount that family piece is important.
00:04:41 --> 00:04:44 So we talked about that with our SLIFE students, right?
00:04:44 --> 00:04:47 But even with our LTELs, getting in contact with families, understanding their
00:04:47 --> 00:04:50 backgrounds, what are their hopes and their dreams for their kiddos,
00:04:50 --> 00:04:52 what challenges might they see that they're facing.
00:04:53 --> 00:04:56 Anytime that we can really reinforce that whole child picture,
00:04:56 --> 00:05:01 it's going to help us be better equipped to support our students where they are at.
00:05:01 --> 00:05:03 So that is your Morning Boost for today.
00:05:04 --> 00:05:08 Thank you for listening. I hope that this was helpful and we will talk again tomorrow.
00:05:08 --> 00:05:12 You have been listening to your Morning Boost by AWB Education in partnership
00:05:12 --> 00:05:14 with Grundmeyer Leader Services.
00:05:14 --> 00:05:18 You can find out more about our services by clicking on the links in the description.
00:05:19 --> 00:05:23 Remember, you are doing this vital job that only a few can do.
00:05:24 --> 00:05:28 So until next time, thank you for your service to your community.