Stages of Second Language Acquisition & Tips for Teachers

A second language is acquired in more or less of a predictable sequence.  Knowing which stage of second language acquisition our students are in is helpful for designing instruction and assessments.  Check out these resources from one of my favorite ESL websites, Colorín Colorado.  This article summarizes each stage and provides helpful tips for teachers. 

Actions Are Illegal, Never People

Te con Leche: a bilingual, tricultural co-teaching session

Fridays are my favorite! I have a wonderful parent who volunteers each week to help stuff home-to-school communication folders, and most weeks we sneak in a little co-teaching time.  Last week, we read my class Tea with Milk or Te con Leche by Allen Say.  My student's mother selected the book and brought two copies, one in Spanish and one in English.  We took turns reading each page, letting the kids hear the text in both languages.  They loved listening for cognates and Spanish words they've learned during morning meeting.  The discussion-provoking story started conversations about language, culture, and what it means to be "home." We examined the text through American, Spanish, and Japanese lenses.  Witnessing my students' understanding of the world change is always so awesome!  This true collaboration with students' families definitely helps broaden my students' global perspectives.  My class is so lucky to have parents willing to share their knowledge!  

Acronyms

Check out these resources to find the meanings of the most common acronyms related to ESL (English as a second language) education.

acronym cheat sheet 1

acronym cheat sheet 2

acronym cheat sheet 3

acronym cheat sheet 4

Language Objectives

Need a quick tutorial on creating language objectives?  Look no further!