Google Translate is a great calculator for EAL/ESL students and has its flaws but I find it a very useful tool to use in multilingual classrooms. I especially like the audio playback function which I use for the following activity: (All students will need to have an internet connected device) Students are given a text (example below) and identify target/key …
esreveR Translation
EAL learners want and need to understand and explore the differences and similarities between English and their home language. As such, translation exercises work really well. Reverse translation is an already well-established and ancient technique. I really like it as students can see for themselves where they can improve and what they should focus on …
Multilingual Displays
Most classrooms are decorated with students' work, info graphs and posters. Unfortunately they are static and are rarely used for learning. A way to make your displays more interactive is by making sure to leave space for translations for students' own languages The photo below is a great example of a multilingual display from my classroom. Every …
The Class’s Translator
As a lesson starter or activity consider using a video clip in one of the many home languages of your learners. That student should then come to the front of the class, play the video and ask the other students what they thought was said. Many students will recognise words and with help of the images the …
Multilingual Memory
If we want classrooms to be metacognitively aware of language use then our EAL learners are some of the best resources we have to achieve this Diane Leedham Activity: Students translate target vocabulary into their home language and play memory. When a card is turned the student who speaks that language says the word in her/his language …
Gap f__l with a twist
Activity: Instead of a normal gap fill exercise, one of the students, whose home language is not English, chooses 10 words from a text and translates them into his/her home language. That student then reads the text aloud while other students who are listening guess the words based on the context. This activity can also be …
Cognate of the lesson
Cognates are words that have a common etymological origin. For example, "pineapple" is very similar in a lot of languages. Activity: Give the students a list of key words for the topic that you are covering. At the start or end of a lesson give students 5 minutes' time to discuss which of the key …
Jeopardy- Waagstuk-ジェパディ- Va banque
Jeopardy is a television game show/quiz competition in which contestants are presented with general knowledge clues in the form of answers, and must phrase their responses in the form of questions. Activity: As a lesson starter or activity write down a question in one of the home languages of your students and the answer in English. The …
L1 karaoke
Karaoke is a great language development activity across all skill areas. Many of our EAL learners love singing, especially in their home language. Using this in class can be very powerful and motivating. Activity: Ask your learners to find a karaoke song in their own language. There are many specialised websites (see list below) or your students will probably be …
Academic Word Count
A while ago I handed out a reading comprehension text on Viruses (from Reading Explorer 3, Cengage) because it linked in with the topic of diseases in Science Year 8. In EAL we do a lot of academic vocabulary building and normally they would have to highlight the academic words they have trouble understanding and translate them into their home language …
