1. Waiting Too Long to Include ELLs in Meaningful Work
Many well-meaning teachers hold students back from real participation because they “aren’t ready” or “don’t speak English yet.” The result? Disconnection. Beth encourages educators to include ELLs in group work, scaffolded tasks, visuals, and sentence frames from day one. Language is best acquired through authentic interaction, not isolation.
2. Assuming Silence Means They’re Not Learning
The silent period is a crucial stage in language acquisition. It may seem like a student isn’t engaged, but they’re often actively observing and absorbing the rhythms of English. Instead of forcing speech, provide rich language input: songs, chants, visuals, peer models, and read-alouds.
3. Trying to Figure It Out Alone
Supporting ELLs can feel isolating, especially if you’re the only ESL educator in your school. Beth emphasizes the importance of community and collaboration. From online Facebook groups to the Equipping ELLs membership, there’s no need to go it alone.
4. Not Understanding Language Levels
WIDA scores and language levels are often handed to teachers with little explanation. Without understanding these levels, educators may either oversimplify tasks or expect too much. Beth encourages teachers to use “can do” descriptors to better match instruction with student ability.
5. Treating ELLs as a Homogeneous Group
ELLs come from vastly different backgrounds. Some are newcomers with limited literacy, while others are U.S.-born students who need help with academic vocabulary. Teachers must ask questions about prior schooling, home languages, and first-language literacy to provide tailored instruction.
6. Thinking Language Support Is Just for ELLs
This is perhaps the most transformative shift: recognizing that every student is a language learner, and every subject has its own academic language. From math to PE, students need support to learn and use subject-specific vocabulary. Language-rich instruction benefits all learners, not just ELLs.
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More about Equipping ELLs:
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
