Teaching English language learners with learning disabilities strategies

¶ … Meeting the Needs of English Language Learners with Learning Disabilities in the General Curriculum,\" Garcia & Tyler (2010) discuss the unique complexities involved in teaching ELLs who have learning disabilities, and list potential barriers to student learning that can be overcome through direct teacher interventions. Barriers to learning include reading levels versus understanding the content of what is being taught, which would necessitate non-verbal or game-related instructional materials. Other barriers include the use of words and concepts that are generally challenging even to ELLs without LDs, urging teachers to avoid unnecessary jargon. Socio-cultural barriers to success include different styles of communication and comportment, requiring cultural competence and awareness. Finally, teachers need to be aware of inherent biases in their instructional methods and materials.

Mini-lessons for better material reinforcement, modification of test formats, special lessons that teach discipline-specific language or jargon, additional opportunities for oral language skills development, and other supplementary instruction can all be helpful when working with students with learning disabilities, whether or not those students happen to be ELLs. Finally, Garcia & Tyler (2010) point out the importance of keeping material relevant to students\' lives, creating bridges between cultures, and encouraging active classroom participation by strong classroom management policies and anti-bullying measures.

In \"Name That Word,\" Hines (2010) shows how using song lyrics can help adolescents with learning disabilities to improve their word identification and other decoding skills. Auditory memory functions differently than the visual memory required for reading printed text. Therefore, incorporating songs and other audible verbal material can help enhance students\' learning experiences. Songs from popular culture also make learning material more relevant and interesting to the students, encouraging active engagement and classroom participation. Because adolescents are at a particularly high risk of dropping out of school when they struggle with their coursework, identifying students with learning disabilities as early as possible can help improve long-term outcomes for the student.

Moreover, Hines (2010) stresses the importance of creative methods of inspiring motivation in students with learning disabilities. Learning disabilities can create frustration in students, and working with methods like song, dance, and other art forms can reduce the stress that would typically surround a classroom lesson. The use of song lyrics in the classroom benefits all students, not just those with learning disabilities.

Hines\'s (2010) research offers not just a vague suggestion for teachers but specific guidelines for how to use song lyrics as an instructional method. First, the teacher selects songs according to student tastes and likes. Then, the teacher types out the lyrics, so that the student can follow along as the teacher reads each stanza aloud. The teacher then asks the student to repeat the stanzas one by one. Because the student has heard the song and enjoys it, the student may find that language decoding comes easily. If the student continues to encounter difficulties with the decoding, the student can simply repeat with the same song or the teacher can select a new song. Other instructional methods include selecting high frequency words in a song, highlighting those words on the printed page. These and other specific techniques can be easily incorporated into the classroom environment.

In \"Research into Practice: Grammar Learning and Teaching,\" Larsen-Freeman (2010) urges a shift in the way grammar is taught during language instruction. The author analyzes the most common and traditional methods of grammar instruction, which highly formalized and rule-based, as well as newer methods that eschew grammar instruction altogether. Basically, Freeman (2010) outlines the major schools of thought in second language acquisition: those that support structured and direct grammar lessons, and those that emphasize a more organic and conversational approach that avoids the use of direct grammar instruction. Research does not substantiate the approach that totally avoids grammar instruction; in fact, formal grammar instruction has been shown to be helpful for second language acquisition.

Undoubtedly the type of grammar instruction that is most effective will depend on situational variables, the disposition of the student and teacher, and also the number of languages the student has already learned. The core issues that Freemon (2010) addresses in the article include giving learners explicit grammar rules versus implicit ones they decipher on their own, inductive/deductive rule-getting, input-based instruction, and focused tasks.

In \"Designing online strategy instruction for integrated vocabulary depth of knowledge and web-based dictionary skills,\" Ranalli (2013) introduces technological tools into language learning instructional methods. One of the issues Ranalli (2013) focuses on is the need for self-correction in advanced learners. The author also addresses the strengths and weaknesses associated with different types of dictionaries. Dictionaries that offer word combinability advice offer added value to the student, particularly one with a learning disability. A system of linguistic description called \"pattern grammar\" has been suggested to provide meaningful links between patterning and meaning (Ranalli, 2013, p. 18). Although seemingly obvious, recognizing patterns in an acquired language is not always taught at the instructional level. When strategic pattern knowledge is incorporated into language instruction, students may be more able to self-correct. Pattern acquisition and recognition is a \"complex learning skill,\" and it may therefore be of significant value to a student with learning disabilities (Ranalli, 2013, p. 19).

Ranalli (2013) also discusses the CALL application and similar online methods of language learning. Even learners with limited cognitive processing capacities can benefit from a combination of online methods and pattern recognition. The author also discusses the 4C.ID Model, which distinguishes between recurrent and non-recurrent skills (p. 21). Ranalli\'s (2013) work is framed with cognitive load theory and multimedia learning theory, which can be extended to help students with learning disabilities. Advanced software systems like CALL can be designed for students with learning disabilities.