“The foreigner living among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God” (Leviticus 19:34).

I am a pre-service elementary teacher. Sometimes I am overwhelmed by the complexity of the profession I hope to get into post-graduation. It seems like all experienced teachers describe their first year with that same look on their face—the one that tells you how awful it is going to be. I am supposed to plan lessons, manage classrooms, contact parents, meet standards, assess progress, head committees, coach teams, tie shoes, wash hands, and wipe snotty noses? And now I have to make sure “no child is left behind” and “meet the needs of all diverse learners in the classroom”? Diverse learners? What do I know about teaching diverse learners? I grew up in a white, Dutch, Christian Reformed community; I went to college in a white, Dutch, Christian Reformed community. Will I really be prepared to address all types of diversity in my classroom, no matter where I find a job?

Maybe other teachers out there—experienced or not—have the same fears as I do when it comes to addressing diversity, specifically mainstreamed English language learners. Maybe they are also asking, “Am I really prepared for this? Do I have what it takes?” This article not only addresses the fears and challenges that teachers have concerning mainstreaming English language learners, but also offers encouragement and practical writing strategies to use in the general education classroom.

All schools, including Christian schools, are becoming more diverse. English language learners represent the fastest-growing part of the student population. Between 1979 and 2003, the number of children attending school grew by 19 percent. At the same time, the number of children who spoke a native language besides English grew by 124 percent (Flynn and Hill 2005). Dr. Alan Seaman, a professor of intercultural studies and teaching English as a second language at Wheaton College, also says that many of these English language learners are in families that want their children to attend Christian schools (Seaman 2003).

The Challenge

More and more teachers in Christian schools find themselves with English language learners (ELLs) mainstreamed into their classroom. Moreover, teachers find themselves with little idea of how to support them. “The majority of teachers from large towns (67 percent), central cities (58 percent), and rural locales (82 percent) report that they have never participated in professional development for addressing the needs of ELL students” (Flynn and Hill 2005). Simply put, most teachers are unprepared. They have not been trained to deal with this kind of diversity in their classroom.

In addition, this type of diverse classroom comes with extra responsibility. Teachers are required to understand second language development, language proficiency, the role of culture in learning, and the stress that mainstream education places on culturally diverse students. They must also make content understandable for students, integrate language learning with content instruction, respect and incorporate students’ first languages, and understand the needs of students with different levels of formal schooling (Flynn and Hill 2005).

Some of a teacher’s stress can be shared with English language learners as they try to teach and learn the most complex language in the world. As Doug Larson says, “If the English language made any sense, lackadaisical would have something to do with a shortage of flowers.” English has a very intricate sound and spelling system, where the phonetic alphabet alone has forty-four speech sounds and over five hundred ways to spell the sounds. There is no egg in eggplant or ham in hamburger. There are synonyms, homonyms, and other “-nyms.” There is a complex system regarding irregular verbs and plural forms. All of these language rules are learned naturally over time by native English speakers, but have to be memorized by ELLs.

Can teachers be blamed for feeling a little overwhelmed by this challenge—a challenge that is placed on top of an already complex job? Teachers are being asked to climb mountains and achieve goals with their students that at times may feel miles out of reach.

But there is hope. There is an opportunity here when we face this challenge and then ask ourselves, what are we as Christian teachers going to do about it?

The Opportunity

Whenever one is faced with challenging situations such as these, it is good to start in scripture. Leviticus 19:34 lays out a simple command to the Israelites: “The foreigner living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love them as yourself.” Deuteronomy 10:18–19 relays a similar message: “[God] defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt.” What does this mean for the responsibilities of Christian teachers? What does the Lord require of us?

In his article, “The ESL Student in the Regular Classroom: Burden or Blessing,” Dr. Seaman answers these questions and explains one of the benefits of facing this challenge: “Teachers in Christian schools have the opportunity to apply this scriptural command as they face classrooms that include learners of English as a second language” (Seaman 2003). The task may not be easy, but it is a chance to show our obedience to God by showing love to every type of student in our classrooms.

Moreover, mainstreaming ELLs can be beneficial to the classroom as a whole. First, having English language learners in the classroom promotes rich diversity in cultures and languages, which reflects upon the rich diversity in the body of Christ. No matter how little English students know, they still have unique gifts and qualities they can contribute to the classroom community. Both ELLs and their peers are given the opportunity to learn about cultures and languages different from their own. Second, ELLs are given the opportunity to learn English in an authentic environment, rather than in the isolation of a pull-out ESL program. Their social fluency of English quickly progresses as they work closely with their peers. Finally, teachers are given the chance to make sure that all children, not just the majority group, have their culture reflected in the curriculum and instruction of the classroom. The curriculum becomes stronger when the content comes from different cultures and perspectives.

There are also many resources available to help teachers support mainstreamed ELLs in their classrooms. Teachers are not alone in their quest to offer English language learners an educational environment where they can thrive. The following section offers practical strategies to help teachers help their students, specifically in the area of writing development.

The Strategies

ELLs are going to struggle in different ways when they take on a writing assignment. They might not know which word to use, how to spell a word, or even what topic they should write about. The following strategies address five common problems that arise with ELLs working on writing: finding topics, vocabulary, revising and editing, sharing their work, and feeling disengaged. These strategies are organized under each category from most supportive to least. Teachers can use one or more strategies at a time to offer extra support to their students, or they can modify these strategies to better fit the needs and language proficiencies of their students. They are geared toward students at a developing level of English proficiency, who have good comprehension and are able to produce simple sentences. Students at lower levels of proficiency, such as an entering or beginning level, may need more intense, one-on-one support than the strategies listed below offer.

Problem 1: Finding Topics. Students do not know how to start their writing assignment. They do not know what to write about or how to organize their thoughts.

• Pre-write in their native language. When possible, let students pre-write or dictate stories in their native language. This allows students to think and sequence in greater detail. They can write their rough draft in English, or later translate their final product.
• Encourage illustrations. As a pre-writing activity, have students draw to organize their thoughts, as well as promote conversation between students and their peer audience.
• Whole-class discussion. Talk about topics as a class. Write down key words on the board as a reference. Talking about their topic and ideas will allow ELLs to try out and rehearse the English that they need to use to express their thoughts.
• Create a topic board. Use sticky notes to record topics students talk about during the day. Post the sticky notes where they can easily be seen and accessed when students get stuck thinking of a topic.
• Use graphic organizers. Students can think about their stories in sequence as they draw or write key words. Let students experiment with story webs, storyboards, and chain-of-events graphics to decide which type works best for them.

Problem 2: Vocabulary. Students get stuck thinking of what words to use in their writing. They do not have an extensive vocabulary that will help them express their thoughts or write about an academic topic.

• Keep a vocabulary log. Give students a small spiral-bound notebook or note cards. Students write down words they do not know while reading or in class. They write down definitions, draw pictures, and write sentences to help gain understanding of the word. Allow students to refer to their vocabulary log while writing.
• Create a word wall. Make a bulletin board of frequently used words or content words related to current units. Review pronunciation and definitions of the words. Support the words by putting pictures on the wall next to them.
• Sort vocabulary words. Give students a stack of vocabulary words on note cards, and have them sort the words into specific categories. This gives students practice with themes and big ideas behind the vocabulary. Students will have a deeper understanding of the word beyond just knowing its definition.
• Tip for ELLs with developing English proficiency. Focus on abstract and specialized words, word forms, simple idioms, and phrasal verbs.

Problem 3: Revision and Editing. Students do not understand the structure and social function of many writing genres, so they are not able to revise their work to fit the specified genre. When editing, they may not recognize grammatical mistakes or know how to fix them.

• Explicitly teach writing genres. If students are given an assignment that involves a specific writing genre, make sure to demonstrate the text organization and language features of that genre. Provide sample pieces of writing that are in the same genre.
• Look for common errors. If students make the same mistake over and over, teach them how to correct that mistake through a mini-lesson. Selectively correct grammar errors in students’ writing. A great resource on grammar functions is the Purdue Online Writing Lab.
• Peer revision. Revise assignments with partners or groups. The author writes down three questions they would like answered about their paper to help them revise it, such as: What do you think is the main point of my paper? Does this part of my paper make sense? The reviser listens or reads the paper, and then answers the questions that the author asked.
• Use checklists to edit and revise. Give students checklists to help them look for specific areas they need to fix in their assignments.

Problem 4: Sharing Their Work. Students do not feel comfortable sharing their work. They do not feel that they are good at writing.

• Shared experiences. Let students dictate stories as a large group about experiences that they have shared as a class. Writing about familiar experiences allows students to feel more comfortable and confident about the topic they write about.
• Cooperative learning groups. Put students in mixed-ability small groups and give each student a group role. Roles may include leader, recorder, illustrator, editor, and so on. ELLs at any English proficiency can have a group role, taking on harder roles as their proficiency increases. Groups write and illustrate various projects, including letters, timelines, newspapers, book review, reader’s theater, and reports.
• Keep a dialogue journal. Give students a small journal to write about prompts from given from the teacher, or about random topics that they choose. Make time to respond in depth to a couple of journal responses. Students enjoy reading their teacher’s comments and feedback. Focus on content, not on grammar.
• Life murals. Students create a mural of pictures about their own lives, and then write about each of the drawings they did. This teaches students to learn how to write chronologically as well as use pictures to add detail to their writing. This also makes students excited to share, because they are writing about their own lives.

Problem 5: Feeling Disengaged. Students do not understand the instructions; they do not see purpose in their writing assignments; or they seem uninterested in the writing process in general.

• Simplify the language of the assignment. Create assignment sheets with clear instructions and simple sentences that ELLs can understand. Use visuals to support verbal instructions.
• Model the writing process. Show students examples of what you expect them to do, and walk them through the steps of completing the assignment. Practice the assignment by constructing a model text with students.
• Allow students to work in pairs. Students re-explain the directions to each other to make sure they understand what to do. They brainstorm ideas and develop their texts together.
• Encourage writing for real purposes. Publish students’ work in some way. Get students involved by writing newsletters, competitions, or letters to specific people. Students will see purpose to their assignment, and feel their self-esteem grow as a writer.
• Photo essays. Photography is motivating and engaging. Students choose a topic, brainstorm how they would develop their idea through photography, get approval of their topic from the teacher, take the pictures, organize their pictures on a storyboard, and then write a story that follows the pictures.

While there are a variety of strategies listed above, each is a way to modify and scaffold writing instruction. “Just as a construction company surrounds buildings with scaffolding, [provide ELLs] with extra support while they are mastering the language” (Seaman 2003). Supporting writing development for ELLs is difficult, but it is vital to their second language development. Writing and language development have a reciprocal effect on each other. While students practice their writing, they improve their English language proficiency as well. Students write the way they think and speak, so as they analyze their writing, they analyze the way they think and speak in English. The same thing happens when students discuss their writing with their peers. They see their own thoughts from someone else’s perspective and gain awareness of their own language development.

The Conclusion

As Christian teachers, we have a challenge and an opportunity to support English language learners and show them love, just as God commands of us. How do we do this? We can use strategies such as these. We can participate in professional development to learn more. We can welcome students with open arms.

I am a pre-service elementary teacher. I am still overwhelmed by the complexity of this profession I hope to get into post-graduation. But what am I going to do about it? I am going to plan lessons, manage my classroom, contact parents, meet standards, assess progress, be on a committee, coach a team, tie shoes, wash hands, and do my best to offer ELLs a quality education.

Oh, and wipe a few snotty noses too.

Works Cited

• Boyle, Owen F., and Suzanne F. Peregoy. Reading, Writing, and Learning in ESL: A Resource Book for Teaching K–12 English Learners, 5^th ed. Boston, MA: Pearson, 2008.
• Flynn, Kathleen, and Jane Hill. “English Language Learners: A Growing Population.” Policy Brief: Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning, 2005.
• Seaman, A. “The ESL Student in the Regular Classroom: Burden or Blessing?” Christian School Education. 6.3 (2003).