One of the most powerful visuals introduced in the episode is the “orchard” metaphor. According to Skelton, if your unit is an apple orchard, every lesson—the trees—must contribute to the same kind of fruit: academic success. A well-intentioned but off-topic lesson may be a peach tree in the middle of the orchard—it may be a good activity, but it won’t grow the intended results.This metaphor reminds educators to prune away distractions and align every lesson with both content goals and language outcomes. The goal is to help students produce meaningful academic work—not just participate socially.
The Importance of Explicit Language InstructionTan Huynh shares his personal experience as an immigrant student navigating the U.S. education system. Though he was considered fluent by social standards, he still struggled with academic texts and writing tasks due to a lack of explicit instruction. His story is a reminder that fluency does not equal academic readiness.Both guests stress the need for sentence frames, structured vocabulary instruction, and modeled responses. This isn’t about simplifying content—it’s about making it accessible. When content teachers provide these tools, they empower students to fully engage with rigorous academic tasks.
Real Results in Real Classrooms
The episode also shares success stories from districts that have implemented these strategies. In one middle school outside of Chicago, over 90% of experienced multilinguals showed measurable growth, and 75% reached exit-level proficiency. These outcomes weren’t the result of more test prep—they came from intentional collaboration, clear planning, and a shared belief in students’ capabilities.Students even reported greater confidence in subjects like math and science because teachers were “clear” and provided the tools they needed to succeed. It’s a testament to what’s possible when language instruction is integrated—not isolated.
The Road Ahead: A Second Book and Continued Impact
Beth and Tan also gave listeners a sneak peek into their next book, which focuses specifically on ELD teachers. While the first book is geared toward content educators, the second aims to guide language specialists in integrating reading, writing, speaking, and listening with disciplinary language features.Their work draws from powerful frameworks like WIDA, SIOP, and the Writing Revolution, but fills a gap by answering the most important question: “How do we actually do this in the classroom?”
Final Thoughts
This episode is a masterclass in redefining what it means to support multilingual learners. It’s not just about teaching English—it’s about honoring students’ identities, equipping them with academic language, and ensuring they have the tools to succeed across all subjects.Whether you’re a language specialist, a science teacher, or a school administrator, this conversation will inspire you to reflect, refine, and reimagine your approach to teaching multilinguals.
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We all know that teaching isn’t easy, but it doesn’t have to be this hard. Equipping ELLs is a podcast for both ESL specialists and homeroom teachers who are looking for effective and engaging ways to support their English Language Learners without adding to their endless to-do list. Tune in each week to hear tips, strategies, and inspirational stories that will empower you to better reach your ELL students, equip them with life-long skills, and strengthen relationships with colleagues and parents.
Your host, Beth Vaucher, is the founder of Inspiring Young Learners. She is an ESL certified homeroom teacher with over 10 years of experience teaching in the US and internationally. Her background of M.Ed in ESL and Curriculum and Instruction combined with her experience has led her to develop a bestselling newcomer curriculum that has sold in over 90 countries around the globe. She brings a different perspective to teaching ELLs from her years teaching and living abroad and working with ELLs from around the world. You will walk away from each episode with the ideas and tools you need to transform your experience as a teacher and cultivate a thriving and welcoming environment for your ELL students.
