English Language Learners represent one of the fastest-growing student populations in American schools, yet many teachers feel unprepared to serve them effectively. ED5720 develops the specialized knowledge and instructional competencies needed to assess and instruct ELLs effectively, evaluate teaching practices against professional ELL standards, and build the collaborative relationships with families and communities that are essential for ELL student success.
Professional teaching standards for ELLs
The standards-based framework for ELL instruction
- TESOL/CAEP standards: ED5720 is grounded in the professional standards for teachers of English Language Learners, particularly the TESOL/CAEP Standards for Initial TESOL Pre-K-12 Teacher Preparation Programs. These standards define the knowledge and skills teachers need across domains including language (understanding how languages work and how they are acquired), culture (understanding cultural influences on learning), instruction (planning and implementing standards-based ESL and content instruction), assessment (using assessment practices that accurately measure ELL learning), and professionalism (knowing the history, policies, and advocacy needs of ELLs and their communities)
- WIDA framework: The course covers the WIDA (World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment) English Language Development Standards Framework, which is used in over 35 states and provides a common language for describing the English language development expectations for ELLs. WIDA's Can Do Philosophy emphasizes what ELLs can do at each proficiency level rather than what they cannot do — a strengths-based approach that reframes ELL instruction from remediation to development
- Self-evaluation against standards: ED5720 develops the reflective practice of evaluating one's own instructional methods and performance against these professional standards — identifying areas of strength, areas needing growth, and specific professional development goals for improving ELL instruction. This self-evaluation is not a one-time exercise but an ongoing professional practice
Second language acquisition theory and its instructional implications
ED5720 covers the theoretical foundations of second language acquisition (SLA) that inform evidence-based ELL instruction. The course covers Krashen's input hypothesis (comprehensible input one level beyond the learner's current competence), Swain's output hypothesis (the importance of producing language, not just receiving it, for language development), Long's interaction hypothesis (the role of negotiated interaction in making input comprehensible), and Cummins's distinction between Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS — social language acquired in 1-3 years) and Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP — academic language requiring 5-7 years to develop). This last distinction is particularly critical for teachers: an ELL student who converses fluently in English on the playground may still struggle significantly with academic English in the classroom, and instruction that does not account for this distinction may set inappropriately high or low expectations for academic performance.
Assessment of English Language Learners
ED5720 develops expertise in the assessment issues unique to ELL populations. The course covers English language proficiency assessment (identifying a student's current level of English proficiency across listening, speaking, reading, and writing domains using tools like ACCESS for ELLs), the challenges of assessing academic content knowledge through the medium of a language students are still acquiring (How do you determine whether a student does not understand the science concept or does not understand the English used to assess the science concept?), the appropriate and inappropriate uses of standardized tests with ELL populations, accommodations and modifications that make assessments more linguistically accessible without compromising content validity, and alternative assessment approaches (performance assessment, portfolio assessment, observation protocols) that may provide more accurate information about ELL students' knowledge and abilities than traditional language-dependent tests. The course also addresses the legal framework for ELL assessment, including identification procedures, placement decisions, reclassification criteria, and parents' rights under Title III of ESSA and related federal and state requirements.
Instructional approaches for ELLs
ED5720 covers the major instructional approaches for English Language Learners, including sheltered instruction (the SIOP — Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol — model), which makes academic content comprehensible to ELLs through strategies like visual support, simplified language, cooperative learning, and explicit academic vocabulary instruction while simultaneously developing English language proficiency. The course also covers content-based ESL instruction (using academic content as the vehicle for language learning), English Language Development (ELD) instruction designed specifically to develop English proficiency, and bilingual/dual language approaches that use students' home languages as instructional resources rather than obstacles. The course develops practical skills in lesson planning for ELL classrooms: identifying language objectives alongside content objectives, selecting and adapting materials to be linguistically accessible, building academic vocabulary systematically, incorporating multiple modalities and interaction patterns, and differentiating instruction across English proficiency levels within the same classroom.
Collaboration with families, communities, and stakeholders
ED5720 develops the collaborative competencies needed to work effectively with ELL students' families and communities. The course covers the cultural dimensions of home-school collaboration (recognizing that families from different cultural backgrounds may have different expectations about the teacher's role, the family's role, and the nature of parent-school communication), communication strategies for linguistically diverse families (translated materials, interpreters, bilingual family liaisons, culturally responsive communication styles), and advocacy skills for ensuring that ELL students and their families receive the services and protections they are entitled to under federal and state law. The course also covers collaboration with other professionals who serve ELLs — ESL specialists, bilingual educators, special education staff, counselors, and administrators — recognizing that effective ELL education requires coordinated effort across multiple roles and that classroom teachers need the skills to collaborate effectively within these interdisciplinary teams.
ED5720 assignments include ELL assessment analyses, sheltered instruction lesson plans, standards self-evaluations, and family engagement plans
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ELL assessment analyses, sheltered instruction plans, standards self-evaluations, family engagement strategies.
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Frequently asked questions
The distinction between Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) and Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP), developed by Jim Cummins, is one of the most practically important concepts in ELL education. BICS refers to the language used in everyday social interactions — playground conversations, lunchroom talk, casual exchanges with friends. It is context-embedded (supported by gestures, facial expressions, and shared physical context) and cognitively undemanding (the topics are familiar and concrete). Most ELL students develop BICS-level English proficiency within 1-3 years of English exposure. CALP refers to the language used for academic purposes — reading textbooks, writing essays, following lectures, discussing abstract concepts, analyzing data, constructing arguments. It is context-reduced (the meaning must come primarily from the language itself, not from shared context) and cognitively demanding (the topics are abstract, unfamiliar, or complex). CALP typically requires 5-7 years to develop to a level comparable with native English speakers. This distinction matters enormously for teachers because it means that a student who sounds fluent in social English may still be struggling significantly with academic English — and a teacher who does not understand this distinction may mistakenly conclude that the student is lazy, unmotivated, or has a learning disability when in fact the student is still developing the academic language proficiency needed to access grade-level content. Conversely, a student who is quiet and seems to have limited English in the classroom may be developing BICS at an appropriate rate but has not yet had enough time or instruction to develop CALP. ED5720 develops the assessment skills to distinguish between BICS and CALP development and the instructional skills to support CALP growth explicitly — because academic language proficiency does not develop automatically from social English exposure; it requires intentional, systematic instruction in academic vocabulary, text structures, discourse patterns, and language functions.