How to approach grammar when teaching for proficiency in today's world language classrooms can be challenging and confusing. Many teachers wrongly believe that proficiency-based instruction means no attention to grammar, but this couldn't be less true! Many teachers feel so strongly about teaching grammar that they continue with outdated methods,…

To help ESP college instructors improve the English curriculum taught at polytechnic institutes, colleges and universities, the current study proposes a model for designing English for Polytechnic Purposes (EPP) courses for undergraduate students majoring in mechanical engineering, chemistry, technology, economics, textile industry and other…

"Proficiency-Based Instruction: Input & Interaction in World Language Education" will equip teachers of any language and of any level with specific, practical, and straightforward tools to bring input and interaction to life in the classroom. Teaching for proficiency is fun and engaging for both students and their teachers, and the…

"Learner Feedback for Language Growth: A Guidebook for Evaluating Learner Work Through Performance Domains and Indicators" gives you concrete examples of the type of feedback that empowers your learners, making them eager to learn more and continue their growth in the language. Going far beyond simply training teachers to rate language…

With the SWIRL method, K-12 teachers can give multilingual learners opportunities to engage in the five elements of speaking, writing, interacting, reading, and listening to English to become confident and proficient in English. The SWIRL Method provides research-based, time-tested, practical activities and strategies. Readers also get…

Paraphrasing is a productive exercise for students at the intermediate level because it develops capability in both directions: the cognitive capability to comprehend and the linguistic capability to express ideas autonomously--that is, without needing to copy from the original or from a model. However, for students at this level, paraphrasing is…

In this eagerly anticipated revision of their bestselling book, authors Diane Staehr Fenner, Sydney Snyder, and Meghan Gregoire-Smith share dynamic, research-backed strategies that every educator of multilingual learners (MLs) can add to their repertoire. Including more of what educators loved from the first edition--authentic classroom examples,…

A concise "go to" guide for new language educators that provides basic practical information, suggestions, and templates, without going into the detail found in a more comprehensive methods textbook. Since the publication of the first edition in 2007, concepts of planning, instruction, and grading have evolved, proficiency-based…

Circumlocution--using known vocabulary to describe a forgotten or unknown word--can help English language learners avoid communication breakdowns when speaking. Students of all proficiency levels can benefit from instruction and practice related to circumlocution strategies. In the activity presented in this article, students use these strategies…

New content standards integrate content and language in ways prior standards have never done. That's why it's so critically important that teachers attend to both content and language development when introducing new subject matter, especially for English learners. Here's your opportunity to get started tomorrow and every day thereafter: Alison…

The "Teaching Academic Content and Literacy to English Learners in Elementary and Middle School" practice guide was developed by the What Works Clearinghouse™ (WWC) in conjunction with an expert panel to support teachers in providing language instruction. The practice guide provides teachers with guidelines and examples of ways to…

Facilitating productive discussions in the mathematics classroom is a challenge for many teachers. Discourse--student communication of mathematical ideas with teachers and peers--provides a platform on which students share their understanding, clarify misperceptions, and evaluate ideas. If students are unable to access and participate in…

Having reviewed several bodies of research, the authors provide 14 guidelines for educators to help English learners (ELs) make greater strides in learning English. These guidelines are: (1) Providing English Language Development (ELD) instruction is better than not providing it; (2) ELD instruction should continue at least until ELs attain…

The second edition of "Words and Actions" features an expanded framework, a variety of new unit, lesson, and activity examples from different languages and levels, and additional content on how social justice education fits within the context of contemporary approaches to language instruction. The revised text provides concrete examples…

Now you can use the framework from our best-selling book, "Classroom Instruction That Works" (CITW), to improve instruction for your students who are English language learners (ELLs). This comprehensive instructional guide for mainstream teachers of ELL students includes teaching tips with each strategy to make it easier to work with all…