Techniques and Tools to Create an Inclusive Forum for English Learner Contributions

The Common Core State Standards and the Oregon ELP Standards equally emphasize the need for lessons with planned and impactful interactions that enable students to learn with and from peers. Orchestrating either lesson discussions or collaboration that improve an English learners’ second language and literacy skills is both a science and an art. Simply providing an engaging SEL-focused warm-up prompt or text-dependent question and time to “turn and talk” with an elbow partner rarely yields impressive results. English learners at every age and proficiency level in English serve to gain from targeted language instruction and interaction protocols to achieve a range of functions within lesson exchanges, from arguing points of view to demonstrating attentive listening by comparing and building upon others’ ideas. Drawing on scholarship and experience supporting K-12 English learners learners, Dr. Kinsella details the cultural and linguistic demands posed by curriculum-aligned discussion and collaboration. With expert modeling and illustrative footage, she provides research-informed principles, classroom-tested instructional routines, and practical resources to deliver lessons across subject areas that enable English learners to become more agile, engaged, and confident communicators.