Supporting ELLs (English Language Learners) and Language Diversity in the Secondary and Post-Secondary Classroom

This course comes out of the understanding that in every classroom, no matter the subject or level, teachers may encounter a diversity of language needs, backgrounds, and linguistic challenges. This course models the concepts and strategies that can be applied in these linguistically diverse classrooms against the backdrop of PLN’s Five Reading, Writing and Talking Processes and The Four Lenses of Learning. Practical activities are informed by research on culturally informed pedagogies, second-language acquisition, multiple literacies, critical literacies and more. Teachers explore strategies to teach reading, writing and talking across all content areas to students with a variety of linguistic backgrounds and work to establish literate classroom environments that are accessible to all students.

This course is designed to increase the competency, confidence, and compassion with which mainstream teachers and college instructors can support the variety of language backgrounds present within their classrooms. Participants get an overview of how to evaluate and manage a literate environment that is accessible for students from a diversity of language backgrounds while focusing on the development of curriculum plans that integrate content and language. Course texts: Participants must purchase the “The Plainer Truths of Teaching, Learning and Literacy” by Morton Botel and Lara Paparo. A variety of articles to support learning about secondary and post-secondary ELLs and language diversity will be available throughout the course.