4 Must Have Books for ESL Teachers

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It’s funny how a teacher’s room is full of books and yet we still continue to look for that perfect lesson or idea. In this age of technology, I am truly thankful for Google and Pinterest, which give me plenty of ideas the minute I think of what to search for.

However, the value of books, in my opinion, has not diminished. Still, although I have a ton of them at work, I only review what I have at the beginning of the school year, when I am unpacking, and at the end of the year when I am packing up for the summer because the rest of the year is just a whirlwind. There have been moments where I would stumble upon a textbook and would wish that I had known I’d had it the year before because I could have used it with a particular class. On the other end of the spectrum, there have been moments when I was wondering why I even kept a certain book considering I never used it for anything – planning, idea gathering or reference.

But with this twice-a-year inventory check, I discover books that I keep going back to. The ones that provide information, knowledge and value. The ones that I like to keep near or on my desk for quick reference or to check something when I am not totally positive. I’d say it’s a pretty good indicator that those books are worth investing in.

You are probably wondering what they are. So without keeping you from the good part too much longer, here is my list. Right now there are four books in there, but I am sure I will continue expanding this list as soon as I come across another “keeper”:)

Learner English 

Learner English is a reference book for anyone, but it can answer so many questions for a language teacher, in particular one who works with English language learners. The book is divided into 22 sections which cover different languages or language groups. For example, Scandinavian speakers, Arabic speakers, Speakers of South Asian languages, etc. Each section contains a detailed overview of that language. The phonology section looks at the sounds, stress and intonation of the language and the grammar section delves into all aspects of grammar including time, tense and aspect, word order, articles, gender and vocabulary. At the end of each section the authors provide a sample of a word-for-word translation from that particular language into English so we can get a feel of how the language functions. Learner English is truly a handy tool to help see potential and existing problems that the speakers of a certain language might encounter when learning English.  

Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners. The SIOP Model 

I am a big fan of the SIOP Model. In this book, the authors introduce the concept of sheltered instruction protocol (SIOP) as well as provide a detailed overview and practical suggestions on how to implement each and every aspect of the model: lesson preparation, building background, comprehensible input, strategies, interaction, practice and application, lesson delivery, and assessment. The book also touches upon how to assist students with special needs. Needless to say, Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners is on my desk and is used frequently:)

Authentic Assessment for English Language Learners/ Practical Approaches for Teachers 

Those who work with English language learners in the public schools know what a diverse group of students they are. The language proficiency levels vary greatly and there is always a question of how to assess them accurately. Authentic Assessment for ELLs is a great resource because it provides practical ways to assess English language learners that can be used in the classroom. There is a section devoted on how to design authentic assessments and examples and suggestions of how students’ oral, reading, writing skills and content area knowledge can be adapted to meet their needs.

Dual Language Development and Disorders. A Handbook on Bilingualism and Second Language Learning. 

Last but definitely not least. Before I delve into the review, I’d like to point out that there are two extreme aspects of reactions when you learn that someone is bilingual (or multilingual). The first one is awe. People think it is so cool to know more than one language. Which, I think, it really is cool:) The second one is confusion, especially among educators. Sometimes being bilingual is considered an “issue”, so to speak, because it requires even more creative ways of teaching and assessing and sometimes, it’s true, it is hard to tell what is a normal language development and what could potentially be a disorder.

Dual Language Development and Disorders is a book for anyone and everyone who is in education and is just plain a good read even for those who are not in our field. It distinguishes between and examines dual and second language development as well as the language development in internationally adopted children, who are in a unique situation. The authors provide a variety of bilingual profiles and explain what is normal dual language development and what might be considered a disorder clearly and in a well-balanced way. Dual Language Development and Disorders is again one of the books that is never far away from me.

Questions for you:

What are some of your favorite professional books?

Why do you like them?