A helpful place to start is clarifying which students in our schools are identified as Long Term English Language Learners (LTELL). Essentially, if a student has been receiving ENL (English as a New Language, also called ESL) services for multiple years (the exact number of years differ from state to state) without passing the state’s English proficiency test, he or she can be assigned this label.  All students labeled LTELL are in middle or high school.

It is also important to note that most students with this designation speak English very fluently. They have been in the U.S. for years, many from birth, and their oral English skills are strong when used socially. Emergent bilinguals labeled LTELL typically use both English and their home language(s) with family members, friends, and in their communities.

Despite these linguistic strengths, emergent bilinguals labeled LTELL often score below grade level in school-based literacy tasks or assessments that are administered in English or in their home language (Olsen, 2010). Yet we must be careful not to generalize these students’ knowledge and abilities based on scores on assessments.  Emergent bilinguals labeled LTELL may still be in the process of acquiring language and literacy skills for academic purposes in English as well as in their home language, but they are still capable of highly complex and dynamic bilingual language practices (Ascenzi-Moreno, Kleyn, & Menken, 2013).

Along with recognizing and leveraging students’ abilities and resources, educators should keep in mind the many factors that may contribute to the school performance of the diverse population of emergent bilinguals labeled LTELL.  Without attention to these factors, these students are at high risk for dropping out of high school before graduation and not going on to college.

Characteristics of emergent bilinguals labeled LTELL in terms of prior schooling and language practices:

Research by Menken, Kleyn, and Chae (2012) identifies three main groups of emergent bilinguals labeled LTELL: Students who have received inconsistent U.S. schooling: Students in this category have been shifted by their school system between bilingual education, English as a second language (ESL) programs, and mainstream classrooms with no ‘ESL services.’ Transnational students: These are students who have moved back and forth between the United States and their families’ countries of origin during their school-aged years and may or may not have gaps in their schooling history. Students who have received monolingual language support: Some students receive ENL programming consistently, but these programs have failed to build upon the students’ home language practices thus limiting their progress in English development.

For more on identifying and supporting emergent bilinguals labeled LTELL, check out this comprehensive resource from the National Education Association (NEA):

Emergent bilinguals labeled LTELL still need ENL services, even though they have been in the U.S. schooling system for many years. What schools must do is ensure these students have consistency in programs and services. Additionally, viewing these students’ home languages as a resource allows teachers to strategically build on students’ bilingualism in instruction. As a teacher, it is also important that you understand that the needs of emergent bilinguals labeled LTELL are different from those of emergent bilinguals with other designations. Designing programs and interventions with this specific population in mind can be critical to their success.

CUNY-NYSIEB has designed a Framework for the Education of ‘Long Term English Learners’ which details different programmatic, curricular, pedagogical, and classroom structures for best meeting the needs of emergent bilinguals labeled LTELL. It is available for download here:

Scores on standardized English language proficiency tests can help teachers group students, differentiate, and drive instruction. At the same time, given the diverse experiences and knowledge of these students, teachers should use other sources of data as well, including student oral presentations and commentary, student writing, reflections, and performance tasks.

CUNY-NYSIEB Successful Strategies: Using Multiple sources of Data to Drive Instruction

Emergent bilinguals are designated LTELL often because they fail to pass one test – a State English proficiency exam – for many years in a row. Research urges that certain types of assessments, like a State proficiency exam, can lead to “deficit” while others can lead to “promise” (Mahoney, 2017). Particularly with vulnerable populations like emergent bilinguals labeled LTELL it is crucial to assess their abilities and plan accordingly, using a variety of methods that lead to “promise.” Some ideas include: Students view a rubric and ask questions about it prior to a writing assignment Students make an oral presentation on a topic, in addition to a writing assignment Teacher uses a checklist to gauge students’ oral language production during group work Teacher uses results of a reading retell, role play, and standardized reading assessment to make decisions about what level the student should advance to For more ideas like this, please see past CUNY-NYSIEB Associate Investigator Kate Mahoney’s book The Assessment of Emergent Bilinguals

It is very important that emergent bilinguals labeled LTELL receive explicit instruction in their home language. Home Language Arts (HLA) classes build on and extend the strong oral communicative skills these students bring to school.  HLA classes are not the same as world language classes, but rather teach home language literacy skills.

CUNY-NYSIEB Successful Strategies: HLA for Emergent Bilinguals Labeled LTELL

At one cohort high school, CUNY-NYSIEB team members recommended to the administration that they create a focused bilingual language and literacy block for their students designated LTELL. This language and literacy block included an English as a New Language (ENL) class, an English Language Arts (ELA) class, and an Home Language Arts (HLA) class. They decided to work with students whose home language was Spanish because of the school’s resources – bilingual teachers and Spanish as a foreign language teachers. In the first year of its initiation, the teachers of these classes worked with the school’s ENL lead teacher and CUNY-NYSIEB support staff to plan collaboratively in order to align broad topics of study and the literacy skills that are taught. One example of a project they completed that year was a study of ceramics done in collaboration with an area museum the school had partnered with.  Students read and wrote about the artistic genre in both literacy classes (ELA and HLA) and in ENL had supplemental vocabulary instruction and opportunities to practice content area vocabulary in multiple contexts (presentations, discussion, role play). The teachers also worked to highlight cognates wherever possible, to boost the connections students were making between languages. They also collaborated with the art teacher on their own project. As a culminating celebration, families were invited in and students were able to present their artistic work and academic learning in both English and the home language. The following year, students that had benefited from this bilingual literacy and language block were able to participate in a high level Spanish course and at the course’s end scored well enough on the culminating exam that they received college credit in foreign languages. Successful uses of translanguaging strategies in the ELA/HLA block include: Connections to home language and families (unit celebration) Explicit vocabulary instruction highlighting connections between home language and English Cross-curricular connections with explicit focus on language instruction Multiple opportunities to use home language and practice new language

Emergent bilinguals labeled LTELL make great progress when math, science, and social studies teachers, in addition to ENL, ELA, and HLA teachers, develop language and literacy objectives that support their content objectives (Ascenzi-Moreno, Kleyn & Menken, 2013).  This necessarily will include the home at strategic moments, such as when reading, taking notes, and speaking aloud to partners in their home languages in order to access content and develop their language and literacy skills (García, Johnson, & Seltzer, 2017).

Emergent bilinguals labeled LTELL make great progress when math, science, and social studies teachers, in addition to ENL, ELA, and HLA teachers, develop language and literacy objectives that support their content objectives (Ascenzi-Moreno, Kleyn & Menken, 2013). This necessarily will include the home language at strategic moments, such as when reading, taking notes, and speaking aloud to partners in their home languages in order to access content and develop their language and literacy skills (García, Johnson, & Seltzer, 2017).

CUNY-NYSIEB Successful Strategies: Emergent Bilingual Leadership Team

At all of our cohort schools, we worked with educators and administration to form an “Emergent Bilingual Leadership Team.”  This was a group of educators interested in learning more about programs, practices, and supports for emergent bilingual students. Many of these teams met to discuss ways to support emergent bilinguals labeled LTELL.  If you are interested in learning more about starting an group like this in your school, please visit Establishing Your School’s Emergent Bilingual Leadership Team, where you will find helpful presentations, a professional development guide, and a resource packet (image linked on the right).

Emergent bilinguals labeled LTELL benefit from strategies that encourage them to become independent learners. They can work in collaborative groups with students more proficient in English, and also serve as resources for other students/each other. They can also learn to become independent and reflective learners. This requires teachers to be strategic in the way they group students and approach instruction, as described in continuation:

CUNY-NYSIEB Successful Strategies: Gradual Release of Responsibility

A key structure we have encouraged teachers to use with emergent bilinguals labeled LTELL is the gradual release of responsibility model of instruction (see Figure 1), which begins with teacher modeling and visual and verbal scaffolds and continues toward student independence with cooperative learning and partner work (Freeman & Freeman, 2011; Frey & Fisher, 2009; Gottlieb, 2006).

Figure 1. Gradual release of responsibility model of instruction

A review of research suggests the following pedagogical structures are the most helpful for teaching academic concepts and vocabulary using a gradual release of responsibility: Teacher modeling is effective when it is interactive, allowing for student feedback, and when students understand both what to do and how to do it; Guided discussions help students get ideas from classmates and review key concepts; Group work is only effective when students work together effectively with each one making contributions; and Partner work and independent work are only effective when students are prepared and understand a task

Emergent bilinguals labeled LTELL know they need to “work hard,” but may be unclear on exactly what that entails. Teachers and advisors can help students select and set goals for reading, writing, language, speaking, and behavior, and then reflect on them at set intervals. Teachers can also model behaviors that help them meet goals, like effective study skills.

CUNY-NYSIEB Successful Strategies:  Creating and Reflecting on Goals

Modifying the way they approached portfolios helped one cohort middle school encourage their emergent bilinguals labeled LTELL to be more reflective learners. In a blended ENL/ELA 7th grade class, the co-teachers worked with CUNY-NYSIEB support staff to create multilingual “reflection sheets” students used in conjunction with their class portfolios to write reflections on their work.  These reflections had a specific language focus: in addition to using a rubric to reflect on what they had improved on and what they need to continue working at for each portfolio piece, students also looked at ways in which they had made progress in English (vocabulary, language structures, word choice, etc.).  Prior to writing about their goals, students also shared work with peers and discussed it in any language to clarify their ideas. Successful uses of translanguaging strategies to integrate literacy into content include: Reflection chart is multilingual Explicit focus on language structures Multilingual partner work

While emergent bilinguals labeled LTELL have strong communicative oral language, they need opportunities to develop academic oral language. This, in turn, can also help develop academic written language. Some example activities include presentations, debates, theater activities (including role play), and discussions. Language and content goals should be planned into these lessons.

CUNY-NYSIEB Successful Strategies: Structured Oral Language Development

In the CUNY-NYSIEB guide A Translanguaging Pedagogy for Writing, a writing unit is described that embeds many targeted opportunities for oral language development. In this unit, which has students write “best of” neighborhood reviews, students are encouraged to use oral language to interview community members, create short videos, make oral presentations, and work in collaboration with other students.  There is also an explicit focus on making connections between home language and English. For more information, you can download the guide below; the unit described here is called “Middle and high school sample unit:  ‘Best of’ neighborhood reviews” and begins on page 97.

Classroom materials that build on the backgrounds and interests of emergent bilinguals labeled LTELL will engage students, promote deeper levels of understanding, and increase comprehension of content (Ebe, 2015). These resources should include technology and allow students to meet the required standards while at the same time be relevant to emergent bilinguals labeled LTELL. Particularly for older students who have not yet achieved grade-level proficiency in English, a way to get them engaged in literacy is through high-interest texts that are also highly readable.

Emergent bilinguals labeled LTELL need support to develop the kind of language schools expect them to use in the content areas. When explaining the result of a scientific experiment, for instance, students not only need to learn specific science vocabulary words, they also need the language to explain what they observe by employing causal expressions such as: as a result, for these reasons, or consequently.  Planning language and content objectives for lessons in all subject areas allows teachers to attend to the development of academic language LTELL students need to be successful (Freeman & Freeman, 2009).

Rupjit is a 14-year old originally from Bangladesh who arrived to the U.S. in 2nd grade. He has been receiving different types of ENL services consecutively since he arrived.  Currently in 8th grade, his school now provides him pull-out ENL services.

Rupjit speaks both English and Bengali very fluently, though he often uses short, simple sentences when he speaks English. While he does not speak Bengali in class, he often speaks it during lunchtime and transition times with his peers. With his peers, he is playful and talkative. He is always the first in line to hold the door for the class during transitions.

With reading, Rupjit struggles to decode words in both English and Bengali. The keys to capturing his interest in learning are the two C’s—computers and cricket. In addition, his teachers often modify texts with pictures and have given him articles on cricket translated into Bengali. While this helped Rupjit to be more engaged in reading, he still demonstrated little comprehension of the texts. He is working to strengthen his ability to recognize letter-sound correspondence. While Rupjit has produced little writing in English, he has written some sentences in Bengali; however, his teacher does not speak Bengali, and there are no educators at the school who are able to decode his writing.

Rupjit loves science and enjoys conducting experiments. In English class, he works best when he reads using technology. During independent reading time, he completes selections on an online digital library called MyON, and on a leveled reading and math program called I-Ready. Unlike some other students who prefer one-on-one support, Rupjit prefers to work either independently using technology or in small homogenous groups. Overall, he responds well to small group intervention, computer technology, and audio books.

Javier is a 17-year old student born in the U.S. of Panamanian descent. He has been receiving ENL services since he entered school in kindergarten (11 consecutive years). Javier also has a specific learning disability, so he receives additional learning services under an Individualized Education Plan (IEP). He is in 11th grade and in his different subject classes he receives instruction through an integrated co-teaching approach, where two or more teachers provide general education, special education, and/or ENL support to students.

Javier loves cooking and would like to study to be a chef when he graduates. He also loves to draw. He is social, polite, and gets along well with his peers. Javier speaks both English and Spanish at home. While he has strong Spanish literacy skills, Javier still prefers to speak and write in English. He demonstrates strong comprehension of written texts and the ability to retell or paraphrase what he has read. In addition, he is a talented creative writer who enjoys crafting imaginative narratives and poetry. Overall, Javier struggles with organization and applying appropriate mechanics in his writing. He is inconsistent with distinguishing claims from counterclaims and using transitions to connect body paragraphs with claims. Also, he often has challenges remaining on task.

Successful strategies that Javier’s teachers have tried include given him question prompts, using graphic organizers, applying annotation routines, and providing redirection. When they give him prompting with questions, most of the times Javier can recognize and implement corrections on his own. For organization, one of his teacher notes that T charts have helped Javier organize his ideas for an essay when she provided a pre-filled organizer for him to insert relevant information. This teacher also notes that teaching him an annotation routine has helped Javier improve reading comprehension. He is now able to apply these routines without prompting, and this has helped his reading comprehension and writing.

Eduardo is a 16-year old who arrived from the Dominican Republic in 4th grade. He has been receiving ENL services for eight consecutive years, in different formats; for example, he has been in a few bilingual Spanish-English classes, as well as ENL services in various formats (pull-out, push-in).  In 11th grade now, Eduardo’s ENL services are provided by his general education teacher who is also ENL certified.

Eduardo speaks Spanish at home. However, when he first started high school, he did not want to be placed in bilingual classes. His oral and written skills in Spanish were at grade level, but he did not want to do school work in Spanish. Now in 11th grade, Eduardo has had a change of heart and started to value his bilingualism. He is now a tutor, helping younger students in Spanish. During his study halls, he works with a small group of boys and tries to be a role model for them. Eduardo is also an artist who produces music and writes the lyrics for his songs in Spanish. He loves writing, reading Spanish and English literature, and History.

By the time he started high school, Eduardo was very comfortable speaking in English but he needed to work on his writing skills, in particular in grammar. He was very motivated during his freshman year, but 10th grade was very hard for him. He began challenging authority figures and refusing to do his work. This year, however, he realized that being disrespectful to the teachers would affect his future and so changed his attitude. His writing has developed during the year. He responds very well to specific feedback in order to revise his work and he takes the time to edit and make changes to improve his writing. By the end of 11th grade, he is very motivated to go to college and has done very well on his end of the year exams in English. While he struggled in math, particularly on word problems, he has also improved in this subject and has passed his Algebra final exam.