What is Language 1 (L1)

With secondary English learners (ELs) often falling behind their peers in reaching grade-level expectations, a push to find research-based strategies to aid instruction to significantly decrease this gap is in place. This chapter addresses where to begin assessment and instruction with limited-level English learners to aid these students in accessing grade-level academic content in a timely manner. It provides key principles and research-based strategies for developing assessments and assignments to help break through initial barriers and provide an affective atmosphere (promoting confidence) for students to begin experimenting with language through meaningful and culturally relevant topics that will also address grade-level content standards. The texts and assignments should be rigorous, challenging the student to higher-order thinking and guiding the student to reach their full potential. Instruction should include multiple opportunities for extended discourse to allow the student to experiment and practice language across all language domains: reading, writing, listening, speaking.