The Truth About Teaching ELLs
This Goldenberg report has stood the test of time and is a gem.
Are you an English language teacher feeling overwhelmed by conflicting advice on how to best support your English Learners (ELs)? In this podcast episode, we cut through the noise and sit down with a classic, must-read article by researcher Claude Goldenberg to explore what decades of research actually tell us about effective instruction for the 5 million+ ELs in U.S. schools. Download and read the full article here.
*Podcast made with NotebookLM.
We break down Goldenberg’s three core research-based principles that every teacher needs to know:
1. The Foundation: Why “generally effective” teaching practices are the non-negotiable starting point for ELs.
2. The Crucial Add-Ons: What specific instructional supports (like visuals, sentence frames, and building background knowledge) ELs need to truly access grade-level content.
3. The Role of Home Language: We tackle the controversial topic of using students’ native languages in the classroom—not just in bilingual programs, but as strategic support in English-dominant settings.
We also honestly confront the “inconvenient truth” in Goldenberg’s work: the research base on what works for high-level academic success with ELs is still developing, especially with the demands of the Common Core. Plus, we discuss what this means for you in the classroom right now and why creating the right conditions for teachers is just as important as finding the right strategies for students.
Whether you’re a new teacher or a veteran, this episode will ground your practice in evidence and help you focus on what really matters.
