September Newsletter Supporting Multilingual Learners Together

Supporting Multilingual Learners Together - Monthly Newsletter

SEPTEMBER 2025

Quick Guide to ESL Terms: Cultural Spotlight

This Month’s Focus: Lesson Planning for MLLs

Building Stronger Lessons for MLLs

• Focus on writing content and language objectives to help multilingual learners (MLLs) engage with instruction.

• Each lesson should blend content goals (what students will learn) and language objectives (how they will use language to learn it).

Writing Purposeful Objectives & Incorporating Cultural Perspectives

• Writing objectives creates purposeful teaching.

  • Helps identify target vocabulary and skills for student progression.

• BICS vs. CALP:

  • BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills): Everyday conversational language.

  • CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency): Academic language needed for classroom success.

  • Proficiency in BICS is necessary before focusing on CALP.

Set Clear Content and Language Objectives

• Ensure every lesson includes:

  • Content Goals: Example - "Students will understand the causes of the American Revolution."

  • Language Objectives: Example - "Students will write 2 sentences using 'cause' and 'effect' to describe the Revolution."

Use Visual Supports

• Incorporate images, videos, and graphic organizers to provide non-verbal scaffolding.

Differentiate with Sentence Stems and Word Banks

• Provide structured language supports to facilitate MLLs’ participation.

Honor Diverse Experiences

• Avoid assumptions about students’ cultural knowledge.

• Invite students to share personal and cultural connections to lesson themes.

  • Elementary Example: Ask about community helpers in their towns or families; encourage storytelling.

  • Middle/High Example: Discuss how resistance movements are similar to historical independence movements in students' cultures.

Looking Ahead

Did You Know?

• MLLs typically develop conversational fluency (BICS) in 1–2 years but take 5–7 years to fully master academic language (CALP).

Language and Learning

• Multilingual learners who develop literacy skills in their home language have better success in learning English.

• Encourage reading or writing in first languages to enhance language acquisition.

Cultural Connections

• Integrating cultural perspectives into lessons increases student engagement and comprehension.

  • Ask students, ‘What does this remind you of from your family, town, or culture?’

Collaborative Anchor Charts

• Co-create anchor charts during lessons listing academic vocabulary with visuals and sentence starters.

  • Example for Science: Topic - Water Cycle; Vocabulary - evaporation, condensation, precipitation; Sentence starters: "When water evaporates, it __."

Resources for Further Learning:

• Video: Writing Effective Language Objectives.

• Resource: Academic Language Toolkit for MLLs.

• Podcast: Helping Newcomer ELLs Find Their Voice: Overcoming the Silent Period.

Cultural Spotlight

• In China, September is the Mid-Autumn Festival, celebrating harvest and family reunion, emphasizing gratitude and togetherness.

Writing Content and Language Objectives

Why It Matters

• Content and language objectives are essential for helping MLLs engage with instruction and build academic language skills:

  • Content Objectives: What students will learn.

  • Language Objectives: How students will use language to demonstrate that learning.

Elementary Example (Grade 4)

• Aligned to CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.4.3: Explain events, procedures, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text.

  • Content Objective: Explain key events and causes of historical events using a timeline.

  • Language Objective: Use sequence words (“first,” “next,” “then,” “finally”) to describe event order in writing.

High School Example (Grades 9-10)

• Aligned to CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.2: Determine central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source.

  • Content Objective: Analyze a primary source like the Declaration of Independence to identify central ideas and significance.

  • Language Objective: Write a summary using academic vocabulary such as "central idea," "significance," and "develops" in 4-5 sentences.

Pro Tip

• Visually display content and language objectives (e.g., on whiteboards or slides) and read them aloud at the beginning and end of each lesson to reinforce learning goals.