Classroom and At-Home Accommodations for ESL Students
To define it, ESL is a well-known language acquisition method in which students are placed in standard English-speaking classes for a part of the school day. The students are later pulled out and put in smaller groups for intensive language focus for the other classes. Suppose you are an educator or parent/ward looking for accommodation to aid ESL students. In that case, these are some strategies that could help you.
Classroom Accommodations
- ESL students require the necessary support to succeed in the classroom.
- Simplify instruction language.
- Allow extra time for tests.
- Be clear on language objectives.
- They need a quiet place to work.
- Always give additional instructions, mainly reviews, and drills.
- Use visual aid to expand on key concepts.
- Help learners build a picture file of essential vocabulary.
- Depending on the learner’s language level, use manipulatives to analyze critical concepts further.
- Provide a helpful seating arrangement to give learners proximity to peer helpers or teachers.
- Use resources written in the learner’s first language.
- Help learners underline keywords in the text.
- Allow extra time for editing or revision before giving final grades.
- Teach new concepts in small chunks.
- Use outlines or photocopies of notes, prompts, highlighted texts, and materials to facilitate learning.
- Frequently check on the learner for proper comprehension.
- Shape learner’s orientation through the use of rubrics.
- Provide additional information or instructions where necessary.
- Hand out the daily or weekly syllabus of class and homework tasks.
- Always read the texts out loud.
- Hands-on activities can replace written tests where possible.
- Where necessary, extend the time for completion of tasks.
- Allow learners to explain key terms in their own words.
- Supply learner with a word bank.
- Allow learners to take or retake tests with a paraprofessional or helper.
- Integrate group work as part of the assessment process.
- For assessment tools, substitute textbook tests for rubrics.
- Give short assignments written in simple diction.
- Projects and assessments for learners should give room for reduced sentence composition.
- Overall evaluation should include informal observations and performance in classroom activities.
- Allow for the option to provide oral answers to tests and assignments recorded by a paraprofessional.
- Allow the learner to take tests in sections or chunks.
At Home Accommodations
As important as the efforts played in the classroom by teachers are, it doesn’t end there. If you want the child to achieve maximum success, there should be efforts from the parents at home. Parents/wards must play their part to complement what is being done in school by making the following available for the ESL students at home.
- Be the child’s language learning partner at home.
- Play language-enhancing games with your child.
- Help out with their homework.
- Be a supportive and understanding parent.
- Provide a quiet environment they can study in.
- Don’t put too much pressure on them.
- Be emotionally available, especially when they begin to get frustrated at their pace of learning.
Learning a new language is difficult enough; learning to do academic activities in the language is even more tasking. Therefore, ESL students need all the help they can get on their language learning journey. When these things are put in place by both the teachers and parents in school, and at home, it makes it easier for the ESL student to grasp the language and get up to speed with academic work.