It is the middle of the school year and you have just found out that you are getting a new student, who does not speak English at all. What do you do?
You could spend your time and try to come up with a plan for teaching your ESL beginners.
But since the programs for teaching ESL students, in general, vary so much from state to state and even from district to district within the same state, it is easy to get lost in the overload of information.
In my earlier blog
Let’s recap a little.
The challenges
There are several challenges related to beginner ESL curriculum.
First, ESL students are required to follow mainstream curriculum. Part of me really likes this because content provides amazing language practice. The other part of me is thoroughly confused. Yes, a confused ESL teacher. Because (and this is very very true for the districts that have fewer ESL students that cannot be grouped into, say Level 1 or Level 2, etc. classes) how are you supposed to teach content to an ESL beginner who has no basics of the English language?
Second, when an ESL beginner is placed in the mainstream classroom, lower incidence districts do not always have a plan on how to go about teaching someone who is new to English.
Third, when they receive ESL services, beginner students are often in a mixed-level classroom. That makes the situation even more complicated.
I’ve been there. And
And this is where the ESL beginner curriculum guide comes into play.
Your guide to teaching ESL beginners
Have you ever dreamed how awesome it would be to have a resource – a roadmap – that would guide you through the first year of teaching an ESL beginner?
A lot of teachers enjoy the freedom to create their own materials and to pick and choose what to teach. I am one of them, too.
However, having a framework for suggested topics, with vocabulary, grammar structures, activities,
The ESL Beginner/Newcomer curriculum guide delivers just that!
- 10 Units that cover the basics of the English language
- Learning objectives and outcomes
- Essential questions
- List of suggested textbooks
- Suggested timelines
- Vocabulary, grammar and phonics
- Activities and assessments
What’s in it for you? Just imagine!
You are a busy, busy ESL teacher, who likely teaches multiple grades, multiple levels and is supposed to have answers to questions coming both from students and colleagues.
In your mind, you have prep time, but you spend most of it looking for materials, putting out fires and/or collaborating with your mainstream colleagues.
You often dream of how awesome it would be to have a document that outlines the course for teaching ESL beginners for you. And yes, you could do it yourself, absolutely. But how amazing it would be if it were done for you – poof, just like that!
Now imagine your life with that document – an ESL beginner curriculum guide – in your hands (lap, desk, bag… – you get the idea).
- You no longer need to spend hours of rummaging through materials only to realize that you don’t have what you need.
- You feel excited and confident when a new student who speaks no English arrives at your school (yes, even in the middle of the year!)
- You feel positive about what vocabulary to include and in what order to teach grammar.
- It has all been done for you – all you need to do is download the curriculum guide.
Feels good, doesn’t it?
The result – ESL beginner curriculum guide
If you are not convinced yet, here are a few more reasons why the ESL beginner curriculum guide is a valuable tool in your ESL teacher’s toolbox.
Your life after you get the guide:
- You no longer spend hours and hours of prep trying to figure out where to go next know exactly what to teach.
- Each of the units outlines the objectives for the students and the outcomes following WIDA CAN DOs. This means that you can just glance at, say, Unit 3 and know exactly what you have covered and where you are going.
- You don’t have to spend time wondering which textbooks to use. The ESL beginner curriculum guide provides a list of those that will cover most of the grammar, phonics and vocabulary points.
- Speaking of which, with the ESL beginner curriculum guide you also have the suggested vocabulary, phonics and grammar structures. They are essential for teaching beginners to get them off the ground.
As a result, less headache, more time, more confidence. Plus the freedom to mix and match the information in the guide to meet
Are you ready to transform your ESL beginner teaching?
Click the button below and see for yourself!
What is go-to your plan for teaching absolute beginners? Share in the comments below!