Building Literacy with English Language Learners: Insights from Linguistics

by Kristin Lems, Leah D. Miller, Tenena M. Soro

How can linguistics help teachers of English language learners (ELLs) improve their instruction? What specific competencies do ELLs need to build in order to speak, listen, read, and write in a new language? Now revised and expanded with a broader view of literacy, this book has guided thousands of inservice and preservice teachers to understand the processes involved in second-language acquisition and help ELLs succeed. The authors explain relevant linguistic concepts with a focus on what works in today's diverse PreK-12 classrooms. Effective teaching strategies are illustrated with engaging classroom vignettes; the volume also features instructive discussion questions and a glossary. (First edition title: Teaching Reading to English Language Learners.)

New to This Edition
*Broader view of literacy; increased attention to oral language and writing as well as reading.
*Chapter on digital learning, plus new content on digital technology throughout the book.
*Even more user friendly--additional classroom suggestions from real teachers, vignettes, and examples and graphics illustrating linguistic concepts.
*End-of-chapter "challenge questions" that inspire deeper reflection.
*Coverage of timely topics, such as numeracy and the language innovations of text messages.

Genres: Teaching, Education, Nonfiction

334 pages, Hardcover

Published August 16, 2017

Reviews

[Jim]

This text offers a comprehensive overview of the challenges that English Language Learners encounter as they work to achieve fluency in English; more importantly, the authors explain—in clear and accessible language—a variety of strategies that teachers can use to guide and support ELLs.

Do not be daunted by the mention of linguistics is the book’s subtitle. While the authors strongly advocate a linguistics-based approach to ELL instruction, their rationale is formidable, and they do not overwhelm their reading audience with linguistic theories or terminology. They do, however, provide research-based foundations for their beliefs, and they explain clearly the linguistic theories and terms they use (such as morpheme, phonological awareness, BICS, and CALP). In addition, the authors include important caveats regarding ELL instruction and discuss the prodigious impact of digital technology and tools on literacy instruction.

Perhaps the most valuable aspect of this text—for classroom teachers, at least—is the wealth of strategies for and examples of effective ELL instruction. Every chapter concludes with a section entitled “How does this look in the classroom?” along with reflective “Questions for further study.”

Overall, this is a foundational text for pre-service and in-service teachers as well as teacher educators. I intend to include it as required reading in the literacy courses I teach for undergraduate English education majors, who will be able to put these strategies to immediate use in their field experience placements. Highly recommended.

[David Fox]

Lots of parts of this book are useful for teaching ELLs (and in general). I am not saying people should pick this up and read it for enjoyment, but it actually has ideas that can be used in the classroom, it's like the anti-grad school graduate school text.

[Frances]

Readable and detailed, a good reference book with a lot of information. Will keep for future reference.

[Frances]

Readable and detailed. A useful tool with a lot of good information. Will keep for future reference.

[Morgan (Turbo)]

Teacher book! And it’s really well made and science based. I have to check out more books by this publishing company Guilford Press.