Teacher Discussion Forums

Navajo students in our district have historically been classified as ELL students, but now as most do not speak Navajo as a first language some in our district believe they should no longer be classified as ELL.

These students still struggle with literacy, language and academic issues. While they don't fit profile of immigrant ELL students, and speak social English quite fluently, they don't have necessary academic vocabulary or concepts (CALP). Does anyone have experience or advice for our situation?

Thanks,
lynardjohnson
www.readinganswers.com

lynardjohnson wrote:Navajo students in our district have historically been classified as ELL students, but now as most do not speak Navajo as a first language some in our district believe they should no longer be classified as ELL.

These students still struggle with literacy, language and academic issues. While they don't fit profile of immigrant ELL students, and speak social English quite fluently, they don't have necessary academic vocabulary or concepts (CALP). Does anyone have experience or advice for our situation?

Thanks,
lynardjohnson
www.readinganswers.com

Wow. They sound like a lot of native speakers from my old high school.

Answer: Reading. The only way to get your English level up is to read, and read, and read, and read, and read! Newspapers, novels, short stories, anything... providing they're interested in the subject and willing to read the book all the way through, they'll learn comprehension, grammar and spelling simply from staring at and absorbing the words all day.

If they get into reading their writing should improve within a year at least.

Please don't ask me how to get them into reading, as I have no clue.