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there is evidence that the features of effective instruction discussed throughout this chapter are effective
with English-Language Learners (Atay & Ozbulgan, 2007; Carlo et al., 2004; Carlo, August, & Snow,
2005; Chamot, 2004, 2005). In particular, Reciprocal Teaching is effective with English-Language
Learners (Fung, Wilkinson, & Moore, 2003; Salataci & Akyel, 2002).
Strategy instruction can be challenging for English-Language Learners because these students may
lack the vocabulary to talk about their thinking or to understand others’ metacognitive talk. Teachers
therefore need to teach students appropriate vocabulary to make their thinking visible. For instance, a
teacher teaching about elaboration may want to teach, in addition to the word elaboration, words and
phrases such as knowledge, prior knowledge, connect to prior knowledge, what I know, and so on. These
vocabulary not only help students make their thinking visible but will also help students understand
teachers’ explanations, models, and scaffolds. Teachers can also help by simplifying the language they use
to explain and model strategies and to provide scaffolding.
Some researchers have found that using the students’ first language to explain strategies and allow
students to practice strategies can be effective (Chamot, 2005) (cf. Gersten & Baker, 2000). Using the first
language may make it easier for students to understand models and explanations provided by teachers as
well as to make their own thinking visible. Once students understand what they are doing, the use of the
first language can be faded.
Teachers will also want to teach specific language-learning strategies to English-Language
Learners, including vocabulary-learning, listening-comprehension and oral-communication strategies
(Chamot, 2005). Vocabulary learning is especially critical to learning a second language (Gersten & Baker,
2000), so teachers should teach strategies for learning vocabulary (the keyword method, elaboration
strategies, review strategies, using word parts to work out the meaning, and so on).