4C) Repeat and expand children’s talk
Repeat and elaborate/expand on children’s talk in each language, with adjectives, adverbs, clauses, etc. that are related to the topic the child is discussing.
Video: Key Practices That Support Language Development—Particularly for Young Dual Language Learners
This video provides examples of key practices that support language development for young Dual Language Learners, as shared by dual language experts and educators. Practices focus on creating a supportive classroom environment by inviting children to participate in extended conversations, offering a variety of language experiences, and supporting vocabulary development through the use of labels.Read More
Video: Language Function Wall—1st Grade
This video shows a first grade class engaged in the creation of a "Language Function Wall." This strategy helps students develop powerful academic language over the course of a thematic unit.Read More
Video: A Boy and His Puzzle
As a boy plays with a puzzle, both an English-speaking peer and the teacher help him develop and practice English learning.Read More
Video: Soyul & Teacher Yvette—Sandcastles
This video is an excerpt of the intentional work Teacher Yvette makes to help Soyul, a Korean-speaking Multilingual Learner, ask a friend to build a sandcastle. It is an example of providing support to help build peer interactions so children can practice language in an authentic context.Read More
Video & Video Guide: Adventures in Preschool Second Language Acquisition
This video showcases the relationship between one teacher and one Korean-speaking Multilingual Learner and her family. The video includes vignettes of teaching, interviews with the teacher, the family, and administrators, and many rich examples of English development teaching strategies. The accompanying guide suggests moments in the video to pause to notice teachers’ practice, along with prompts for reflection and discussion.Read More
Blog: Creating an Equitable Learning Environment for English Language Learners Through Being a Reader (Part 2)
This blog offers one example of how to engage Multilingual Learners prior to reading a shared text. Example prompts and instructional moves are shared to build background, preview the text, and establish language supports for text discussion.Read More
Strategy Overview: Talk Moves
This resource offers specific teacher language to use in order to facilitate and structure classroom discussions. These talk moves help create quality opportunities for Multilingual Learners to practice and use oral language.Read More
Strategy Overview: Routines for Mathematical Discussions
This document reviews multiple strategies that teachers can use to support a rich discussion of mathematics for Multilingual Learners. These strategies help teachers elicit talk and elaborate on student discussion during math, and can be adapted for other content areas as well.Read More
Website: Teacher Interactions and Strategies to Support Speaking for Dual Language Learners
This resource provides a list of strategies that teachers can use to support Multilingual Learners’ speaking skills. For example: Repeating and elaborating on children’s talk, reinforcing words from the unit of study, using visual cues and gestures, and providing MLs with more time to process speech.Read More
Website Article: Extending English Language Learners’ Classroom Interactions
This article introduces specific teacher language that can be used to promote interaction and extend opportunities for Multilingual Learners to practice academic language.Read More
Website Article: Many Languages, One Classroom
This article offers explicit strategies for teachers who have language-diverse classrooms. Ideas are offered on how to partner with families and set up a culturally and linguistically responsive classroom environment.Read More
Video: Dialogic Reading Strategy- 2nd grade
The teacher demonstrates how multiple interactive reads of a key content-based text supports the literacy, oral language, and vocabulary development of the Multilingual Learners in the class. She explains academic and content-specific words and structures opportunities for students to elaborate on their thinking.Read More
Strategy Overview: Sentence Patterning Chart / La tabla de formación de oraciones
This resource introduces a strategy to model and write good descriptive sentences with Multilingual Learners. It combines language-based supports with opportunities for children to practice academic vocabulary and apply it to structured, content-based writing.Read More
Video & Video Guide: Complex Oral Language
This video emphasizes the importance of immersing Multilingual Learners in an environment with high-quality and extended talk in each language. Teachers can ask questions to elicit complex oral language from children. The accompanying guide suggests moments in the video to pause to notice teachers’ practice, along with prompts for reflection and discussion.Read More
