What I Wish I Had Known When I First Started Teaching English Language Learners

After years of teaching English Language Learners, there are quite a few things I wish I could go back and tell myself when I was just starting out.

At the time, I thought the most important thing was figuring out what to teach. What vocabulary should I introduce? What grammar should I focus on? What reading should I use? How could I make sure my students were learning enough English?

Those things certainly matter. But over the years, I've realized that some of the most important lessons I've learned have had less to do with what I teach and much more to do with how I teach it.

I've taught students at very different levels of English. Some were brand-new to the country and knew very little English. Others had been in American schools for years but still struggled with academic language. I've also had students who could carry on a conversation but had difficulty reading or writing.

And one thing I've learned for sure is that there is no such thing as a typical English Language Learner. I certainly didn't figure all of this out overnight. Some lessons took years, and some came from making plenty of mistakes along the way. But if I could sit down with a teacher who was just beginning to work with ELLs, these are some of the things I'd want to share.

You may have to say the same thing several different ways.

I remember giving what I thought was a perfectly clear direction and then looking around the room and realizing that absolutely no one was moving. At first, I thought I needed to repeat myself. So I would say the same thing again—only louder and perhaps a little slower.

It didn't help.

Eventually, I realized that repeating the same words doesn't necessarily make something easier to understand. Sometimes I need to change the way I'm communicating the idea. I might say it more simply. I might write it on the board. I might demonstrate what I mean. I might use a picture or gesture. Sometimes I'll do the first example with the class before asking students to work independently.

I've learned that if students aren't responding, the answer isn't always to say it again. Sometimes I need to say it differently.

Silence doesn't mean students aren't learning.

This was a particularly important lesson for me. When a student doesn't answer a question, it's easy to assume that they don't know the answer. But that's not necessarily true.

They may understand the question but not know how to express their answer in English. They may be translating in their heads. They may be trying to find the right word. Or they may simply be afraid of making a mistake in front of everyone.

I've had students who were incredibly quiet when I first met them who became much more confident as their English developed. So I've become much more comfortable with giving students wait time.

I also try to give them different ways to participate. Maybe they can point to an answer, choose between two choices, practice their answer with a partner before sharing it with the class, or use a sentence starter.

The goal isn't always to get students talking immediately. Sometimes the goal is to make it safe enough for them to eventually want to talk.

"Beginner" doesn't mean "low ability."

This is something I wish every teacher who works with ELLs could experience firsthand. A student can be a beginner in English and still be an excellent reader in another language, a strong mathematician, an amazing artist, or a sophisticated thinker.

I've had students who struggled to write a basic sentence in English but could demonstrate an understanding of a complicated concept. Their English made their abilities look much lower than they actually were.

That's why I try to remind myself that language proficiency and intelligence are not the same thing. Students may need language support to access grade-level content, but that doesn't mean we should automatically lower the level of thinking we're asking them to do.

Sometimes the language needs to be simplified. The thinking doesn't.

I've learned to appreciate the power of a simple picture.

When I first started working with ELLs, I probably underestimated how useful visuals could be. Now, I use them all the time.

A picture can give a student a way into a word they don't know. It can help explain a concept without requiring a long verbal explanation. It can give students something concrete to talk about. And it can help me quickly check whether students understand what we're working on.

I've also learned that visuals don't have to look childish. This is especially important when working with middle school and high school students. Just because a student is learning basic English doesn't mean they want materials that look like they belong in a kindergarten classroom.

That's one of the things I keep in mind when I create materials for my own students.

Students need to use the language—not just learn about it.

This sounds obvious, but it's easy to get caught up in worksheets, vocabulary lists, grammar rules, and reading assignments. Students can complete an activity correctly and still not be comfortable actually using the language.

I've found that structured partner activities can make a huge difference. A student may not be ready to answer a question in front of the whole class, but they may be perfectly willing to practice the answer with a partner.

Sometimes that means giving students specific language to use. Instead of saying, "Talk to your partner about the picture," I might give them a simple exchange:

What is it?
It is a ________.

Or:

What do you see?
I see ________.

It may seem simple, but that kind of structure gives students a place to start. And once they become comfortable with the routine, you can gradually take away the support.

Repetition is not a bad thing.

As teachers, we sometimes worry that our students are going to get bored. I've certainly been guilty of thinking, We've already practiced this. We need to move on.

But language learning has made me rethink that. Students need to encounter vocabulary and language patterns again and again.

The trick is to change how they practice. A new group of vocabulary words might be introduced with pictures. Then students might match the words and definitions. Later they might use the words in sentences. The next day they might encounter them in a reading. Then perhaps they use them in a partner activity or game.

It's still repetition, but it doesn't feel like the exact same activity every time.

And sometimes, when I think, Surely they know this word by now, I realize that they don't. So we practice it again.

I've stopped trying to make every lesson perfect.

This may be the biggest lesson I've learned.

There have been plenty of lessons that I thought were going to be wonderful that were...not. The directions were too complicated. The vocabulary was too difficult. The activity took much longer than I expected. The students didn't understand what I thought they understood.

And sometimes an activity that I was sure students would love was met with complete silence.

That's teaching.

I've learned to pay attention to what happens and adjust. If something works, I remember it. If it doesn't, I try to figure out why. And if I need to change something the next time, I do.

I've also learned that I don't have to reinvent everything every year. Once you find an activity that works, use it again. Change the vocabulary. Change the topic. Make it a little more challenging for your stronger students.

There's nothing wrong with having a collection of activities and routines that you know work. In fact, I think that's one of the best things you can develop as a teacher.

And perhaps most importantly, I've learned to notice the small victories.

Language growth doesn't always happen in a way that's easy to see. Sometimes it's a student who finally answers a question without being prompted. A student who uses a new vocabulary word correctly. Someone who raises their hand for the first time. A student who used to give you a one-word answer and suddenly gives you a complete sentence.

Or two students having a conversation in English without realizing you're listening.

Those moments can be easy to overlook when you're focused on everything students still need to learn. But those moments matter.

They're progress.

And after all these years, I think I appreciate those little victories more than I ever expected to.

If you're teaching English Language Learners this year...

Whether you're working with newcomers, beginning ELLs, intermediate students, or a classroom where everyone seems to be at a different level, I hope you give yourself some grace.

You don't have to have every lesson figured out. You don't have to find the perfect activity every day. And you certainly don't have to teach everything at once.

Give students opportunities to hear English, use English, make mistakes, try again, and experience success. Keep your expectations high, but give students the support they need to reach them.

And don't underestimate what your students are capable of simply because they are still learning English.

That's something I wish I had known from the very beginning.

Looking for ready-to-use ESL activities?

Over the years, I've created many of the kinds of resources I wished I had when I was in the classroom—vocabulary activities, grammar practice, partner activities, games, reading activities, and materials for students at different levels of English proficiency.

If you're looking for practical, age-appropriate resources for your ELL students, you can browse my ESL resources on Teachers Pay Teachers.

And if you'd like some free resources to try, you can join my Free Resource Library.