Welcome to Across Languages and Lands: Helping ELLs Thrive
As a teacher, have you ever wondered how to best support your students, especially English Language Learners (ELLs)? I’ve been there—first as a homeroom and subject teacher, and now as an ELL specialist. This blog is for teachers who share that question and want strategies and techniques they can use right away.
Why I Started This Blog
Throughout my career, planning effective and accessible lessons has always been a priority. But when a language barrier is added, the challenge changes. Most of the students I support speak different languages. I can connect somewhat with Dutch speakers because I’m also an Afrikaans speaker, but when it comes to Spanish, Russian, Korean, or Vietnamese, I don’t share that linguistic background.
Even so, watching students develop their English skills, communicate more effectively, and succeed academically is incredibly rewarding. As an ELL myself, I often think about the teachers who believed in me and supported my journey. The desire to be that same champion for others is one of the strongest driving forces behind my work, and the reason I created this blog.
What You’ll Find Here
There are many factors to consider when working with ELLs:
Practical strategies for vocabulary development and the four domains of English language learning: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.
Frameworks and tools such as Universal Design for Learning (UDL; CAST, 2018), Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP; Center for Applied Linguistics, n.d.), and WIDA (WIDA, n.d.), with step-by-step ideas for classroom use.
Key theories from influential researchers like Virginia Collier (Colorín Colorado, n.d.-a), Stephen Krashen (Colorín Colorado, n.d.-b), and Jim Cummins (Colorín Colorado, n.d.-c), including culturally responsive teaching and language acquisition research.
My goal is to break down these ideas into clear, usable steps so you can feel confident supporting ELLs in any subject area.
Getting Started Doesn’t Have to Be Overwhelming
Supporting ELLs doesn’t mean overhauling your entire teaching practice. You can start small:
Learn to say “hello” in your students’ languages.
Let them teach you a phrase, even if you don’t get it right the first time.
Add visuals to lessons and your classroom displays.
These small actions build trust and make a big difference.
Join the Conversation
As I build this blog, I’ll post regularly with ideas, examples, and resources. I’d love to hear from you: where do you teach, what do you teach, and what topics you’d like to see covered.
Let’s learn across languages and lands!
References
CAST. (2018). Universal Design for Learning guidelines version 2.2. http://udlguidelines.cast.org/
Center for Applied Linguistics. (n.d.). SIOP model: Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol. https://www.siop.org/
Colorín Colorado. (n.d.-a). The Prism Model. https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/prism-model
Colorín Colorado. (n.d.-b). Second language acquisition: Krashen’s input hypothesis. https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/second-language-acquisition-krashens-input-hypothesis
Colorín Colorado. (n.d.-c). BICS and CALP. https://www.colorincolorado.org/article/bics-and-calp
WIDA. (n.d.). WIDA: Advancing academic language development and academic achievement. University of Wisconsin–Madison. https://wida.wisc.edu/