Creating a Growth Classroom Environment for CLD Learners
Karen A. McCay
28 July 2017
CLD students, like all learners, need safety and relationship in order to learn with ease. Teachers only need to foster such environments in order to ensure growth for CLD students as well as grade-level learners (Herrera & Murry, 2016, p. 200). In a ground-breaking study of growth environments for CLD learners, Wong Fillmore (1991) identified three common components of successful environments:
If any of these components is missing from the environment, CLD learners will have difficulty acquiring target language skills and new academic skills.
This toolkit explores practical strategies teachers can use to lower CLD students’ anxiety (their affective filter) to improve growth, relationship-building tools, rule-setting for growth, and even feedback for a growth mindset.
Lowering the Affective Filter
Student Relationship Tools
Classroom Management for Growth
Feedback for a Growth Environment
References:
Herrera, S. G., & Murry, K. G. (2016). Mastering ESL/EFL methods: Differentiated instruction for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students, 3rd edition. Boston: Pearson.
Karen A. McCay
28 July 2017
CLD students, like all learners, need safety and relationship in order to learn with ease. Teachers only need to foster such environments in order to ensure growth for CLD students as well as grade-level learners (Herrera & Murry, 2016, p. 200). In a ground-breaking study of growth environments for CLD learners, Wong Fillmore (1991) identified three common components of successful environments:
- Motivated learners, who recognize the need to develop target language skills
- Fluent speakers of the target language in the environment
- Social components in the setting allowing diverse collaboration between fluent and nonfluent speakers of the target language (Herrera & Murry, 2016, p. 66).
If any of these components is missing from the environment, CLD learners will have difficulty acquiring target language skills and new academic skills.
This toolkit explores practical strategies teachers can use to lower CLD students’ anxiety (their affective filter) to improve growth, relationship-building tools, rule-setting for growth, and even feedback for a growth mindset.
Lowering the Affective Filter
Student Relationship Tools
Classroom Management for Growth
Feedback for a Growth Environment
References:
Herrera, S. G., & Murry, K. G. (2016). Mastering ESL/EFL methods: Differentiated instruction for culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students, 3rd edition. Boston: Pearson.