We are often asked if the AES curriculum is available in languages other than English.
While we don't provide the curriculum in other languages, many teachers in your situation have found ways to help their ELL students succeed when using AES.
In this article, you'll find six tips for using AES with English Language Learners:
Leverage lesson transcripts
Create a buddy system
Allow extra time on assignments
Request a classroom aid
Create a vocab list
Connect with other teachers
You may find one or more of these tips will make a huge difference in your ELL students’ experience in your classroom. Plus, many of them will save you time when supporting your students in their preferred language.
Related Resources:
1. Leverage the Lesson Transcripts
Did you know that most lessons within the AES system contain transcripts for the narrated content?
These transcript documents can help you modify and differentiate your instruction for ESL students.
You'll find the transcripts in your Assignment Resources on your Assignments tab.
You can use these transcripts as a printed handout for students to follow along and better comprehend what they are hearing from the audio.
The combination of hearing and reading information has made a big difference for many students like yours
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“We have a lot of freshmen for Medical Skills that are English as a Second Language learners and they don’t read well. Listening to it helps them actually comprehend the words that they’re seeing on the screen.”
- Shurene Major, West Port High School, FL
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Your students might learn better by reviewing the transcripts in their preferred language. While it takes some dedicated time on your end, Google Translate is a great tool for creating a translated copy of the lesson transcripts.
Learn how you can translate lesson transcripts to another language: How to Use Google Translate with the Lesson Transcripts
2. Create a Buddy System
If you have multiple students in your class with the same preferred language, consider pairing them up.
By creating a buddy system for your ELL students, they can work together and help each other through the curriculum content.
This will also help students feel more comfortable in class. Knowing that they are not the only one with a language barrier can help them be more confident and less discouraged.
3. Allow Extra Time on Assignments
Not only are your ELL students learning the curriculum content, they’re learning the English language as well.
Because of this, we recommend allowing your ELL students to have more leeway with completion deadlines.
After all, using the transcripts may result in it taking longer to complete lessons!
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“Using the transcripts and Google Translate takes them more time, but I don’t have a problem with that. Their test grades have improved and their English has improved too, as they’ve gone through the process.”
- Edina Buzgon, Newark High School, DE
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Additionally, many school ESL programs require that ELL students are given extra time to complete work.
Be sure to check with your school to see if they have specific guidelines or any other requirements as part of the ESL program.
Pro Tip: If you use the due dates feature within your classes, it’s best to set up a separate class for your ELL students in order to assign them different due dates than the rest of your students.
4. Request a Classroom Aid
If your school has the resources available, put in a request for an ESL teacher or aide to come to your classroom on a weekly basis.
Even one day a week can make a big difference in providing your ELL students with individualized assistance.
5. Create a Vocab List
If you’ve taught for more than a year, you likely have an idea about which topics and phrases ELL students are most likely to struggle with.
To get ahead of the curve with your next group of students, take the time to create vocab lists specifically for your ELL students.
If they know these words and phrases ahead of time, they will have a better chance of understanding the curriculum content as a whole.
6. Connect with Other Teachers
You aren’t alone in your challenges of working with ELL students.
Thousands of teachers face similar situations every year, and they have a wide array of experiences and knowledge to help you and your ELL students succeed.
You may be thinking: That’s great, but no one else in my school or district uses AES.
Luckily, there is one place you can go to quickly connect with teachers just like you to discuss ways to overcome language barriers in your classroom: The AES Educator Community.
Join the AES Educator Community to Help Your ELL Students Succeed
The AES Educator Community is a private group of AES curriculum users where you can learn from others’ experiences with common challenges that come up in the classroom.
It’s also a great place to share your own thoughts, ideas, and successes!
Join the community to ask how other teachers help ELL students succeed in the classroom: