Young Learners: Merrily Down the Mainstream

The population of mainstream classrooms in the United States has become increasingly more diverse, including children with little or no English language proficiency. Traditional approaches to curriculum and instruction often fall short of meeting the needs of every student, including ESL students, also referred to as English language learners.

A primary goal of inclusion is to use grade-level curriculum and instruction to encourage integration of ESL students and native English speakers. The language-rich environment of the mainstream classroom provides English language learners with the most meaningful context to begin development of social and academic language. Teachers sometimes believe that ESL students will be unable to learn from grade-level curriculum, and express a desire to have "ESL materials" available for their use. Physically isolating English language learners or giving them a separate curriculum would be counterproductive (Harklau, 1994: 267). Progress in language and academic development begins when curriculum and instruction are adapted within the mainstream setting.

The key to adapting curriculum and instruction is found in modification, the changing or reducing of content. If the fifth grade social studies curriculum requires students to learn the names and locations of all 50 United States, a modification would be to require ESL students to learn only the names and locations of the state they live in and the bordering states. The expectation that English language learners need to complete the same amount of curriculum as other fifth graders is unrealistic. Modifying the task allows students to participate at an achievable level. Within grade-level classrooms, the focus for English language learners is not on completing the entire scope of the curriculum, but rather on social language development (BICS), the beginning of cognitive academic language development (CALP), and the formation of background knowledge. Most children who have been in American elementary schools since kindergarten are exposed to a spiraling of content. For example, first graders learn about the 50 states, and then are exposed to this material again in third grade and in fifth grade, creating, reinforcing, and enlarging their background knowledge. If ESL students have not had this exposure, modifications, commensurate with students' English language proficiency, are necessary to establish connections to the material. Teachers, who are aware of or who have accessed in-service opportunities to learn about language development, tend to be comfortable making modifications.

The backbone of a curriculum is often the textbook. Recent textbooks have begun to reflect the diversity in today’s schools and some teacher’s editions contain suggestions for working with English language learners. But if a teacher relies on the textbook to drive instruction, ESL students are at a disadvantage because most textbooks still assume a high level of English language fluency and a certain amount of background knowledge, including culturally-laden content. Lacking experiences in American culture can make a seemingly "easy" question or concept difficult.

In most cases, the amount of information in grade-level textbooks is too much for learners to process and comprehend. Modifying the quantity of information by focusing on key points and concepts, and connecting it to ESL students' background knowledge through a variety of activities are ways of making textbooks more accessible.

The best way, however, to engage all students in the classroom is to use effective instructional practices that do not rely solely on language as the medium of instruction and which create opportunities for English language learners to interact with and learn from their peers. Teachers, who support instruction through visuals, hands-on activities, cooperative learning, project work, and alternative forms of assessment, create an environment in which ESL students are likely to experience success.

Guidelines for evaluating the effectiveness of instruction include asking the following questions:

• lWill students have an opportunity to interact with peers?
  
• Do activities balance the four language skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing?
  
• Are comprehension checks built-in throughout the lesson?
  
• Are adequate resource materials available, such as picture dictionaries or other reference materials, manipulatives or
  realia?
  
• Are printed materials appropriate for all students, or are modifications necessary?
  
• Are directions supported by examples?
  
• Will assessment model the way in which the material was learned?
  

Grade-level classrooms can be an enriching environment for both English language learners and their native English-speaking peers when mainstream teachers incorporate modifications and effective instructional practices. Successful inclusion relies on all staff working toward the success of all students. Although mainstream teachers are ultimately responsible for adapting curriculum and instruction, adequate resources and support are essential and will be the topic of the next article in this series.