How to Support English Learners in Mainstream Classrooms
English Learners (ELs) represent one of the fastest-growing student populations in K–12 schools, and most of them spend the majority of their day in mainstream classrooms. That means content-area teachers—math, science, social studies, ELA, electives—play a vital role in ensuring multilingual learners access grade-level learning.
The good news? Supporting English Learners doesn’t require speaking multiple languages or having an ESL endorsement. What teachers do need are intentional strategies, scaffolds, and routines that make learning accessible, interactive, and meaningful.
This guide provides practical, research-based strategies every teacher can use—starting tomorrow.
Why Supporting English Learners Matters
When English Learners struggle, it’s rarely due to ability. It’s often because:
instruction moves faster than their language processing
academic text creates barriers
lesson vocabulary is unfamiliar
tasks require language they haven’t yet mastered
Supporting ELs ensures:
equitable access to grade-level instruction
higher engagement and participation
improved reading, writing, speaking, and listening
stronger relationships and a sense of belonging
These supports don’t just help multilingual learners—they help all students.
Strategy 1: Build Background Knowledge Before Teaching Content
Students can’t learn new concepts without something to anchor them.
Ways toknowledge
Use visuals (photos, maps, diagrams)
Connect new topics to students’ lived experiences
Pre-teach essential vocabulary
Activate prior knowledge through turn-and-talk, quickwrites, or brainstorming
Introduce the “big picture” before small details
Strategy 2: Make Input Comprehensible
For ELs to learn, they must understand the instruction.
Make content comprehensible with
gestures, modeling, demonstrations
sentence frames and language scaffolds
graphic organizers
slowed speech and chunked directions
clearly stated content and language objectives
This is a cornerstone of the SIOP ® Model and of any .
Strategy 3: Increase Student Interaction
English Learners need plenty of opportunities to speak, not just listen.
Interaction strategies
structured partner work
think-pair-share
small-group tasks
jigsaw
academic conversation prompts
roles in group work (facilitator, summarizer, questioner)
Interaction builds confidence, language production, and content understanding. Finding ways to with their peers boosts their language skills and strengthens community.
Strategy 4: Use Academic Scaffolding
Scaffolds give students temporary support so they can perform grade-level tasks.
Effective scaffolds include
sentence starters and frames
word banks
step-by-step checklists
guided notes
visuals and diagrams
partially completed tasks
exemplars and models
The more the lesson is the greater the confidence and competence that multilingual learners feel. Over time, gradually remove scaffolds as students gain independence.
Strategy 5: Support Vocabulary Intentionally
is often the biggest barrier for English Learners.
Vocabulary supports
teach only essential vocabulary
use visuals and realia
connect new words to familiar concepts
chunk vocabulary by theme
provide multiple opportunities for student use in context
A student who understands the vocabulary is more confident and more successful.
Strategy 6: Write and
ELs must develop language and content at the same time.
Examples
Students will describe the water cycle using sequence words.
Students will compare characters using academic vocabulary.
Students will justify their reasoning using complete sentences.
This clarifies expectations and guides instructional planning.
Strategy 7: Create a Welcoming, Inclusive Classroom Environment
A classroom that feels safe encourages risk-taking—critical for language learners.
Ways to create belonging
learn how to pronounce students’ names correctly
allow multilingual resources
validate home languages and cultures
encourage peer support
celebrate small successes
When students feel safe, they take greater risks and they try harder.
Putting It All Together
Supporting is not about simplifying the work—it’s about clarifying, scaffolding, and engaging students so they can master grade-level standards.
Small changes make a big difference.
When teachers are trained intentionally, EL success skyrockets.
Ready to Strengthen Your Support for English Learners?
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