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Tools and Resources for Multilingual Learners

This week, we are excited to share ten fabulous finds to use with multilingual learners in your class! A multilingual learner is someone who is developing proficiency in more than one language. Some may refer to this population as ESL, ENL, or ELL. The best part about these resources is that many of them can be used with your entire class.

Grades K-12

Supporting Language Learners with Book Creator

This book shares more than a dozen lesson ideas centered around using Book Creator’s features to support students acquiring a new language. Suggestions include anchor charts, reading response journals, and more ideas for all students.

Grades K-12

FluentKey

FluentKey turns videos into interactive learning activities for world language learners (including those learning American Sign Language). This site's videos engage learners by embedding captions, quizzes, and games into videos.

Grades K-12

Immersive Reader

Immersive Reader dictates text and offers several options for personalization. Use the options to adjust the playback speed, highlight text during the audio reading, and adjust text size and spacing. Click on words to hear pronunciations and definitions.

Grades 3-9

Coffee Break Languages

Learn a language with free, coffee-break-length (15–20 minute) podcasts. Scroll down the page to select a language from the ten options provided, click the link to the free podcasts, and select one of the four difficulty levels.

Grades 5-12

TeachVid

TeachVid uses subtitles and text transcripts to make languages understandable. Students use Learn Mode to watch videos as often as they like, with or without captions and transcripts. Activity Mode offers additional learning tasks.

Grades K-12

BeeLine Reader Collection

Find over 100 downloadable PDFs of books and stories that use BeeLine Reader technology to highlight and wrap text to improve focus and tracking while reading. Use the leveled reading passages from Reading is Fundamental for multiple grade levels.

Grades K-12

Adapt-a-Strategy for Multilingual Students (ENL/ESL)

Discover this professional learning module to learn about different frameworks and pedagogies; adapt your existing lesson plans using these simple strategies to help ENL/multilingual students in various subject areas.

Grades K-8

News in Levels

Explore high-interest, leveled news articles (and lessons!) for English language learners. Although this site was created for multilingual students, it can be used in any K–8 class to find informational texts that can be differentiated for all students.

Grades 7-12

YOUGLISH

This simple site lets you hear the pronunciation of English words by viewing YouTube videos of native speakers—real people using English in context. Type a word or phrase, choose UK or US English, and hear the pronunciation.

Grades 6-12

Story Shares

Story Shares is the perfect solution for finding relevant and readable content for older students who are unable to read above the elementary level. This site provides exciting material that doesn't condescend to teen readers and multilingual learners.

This Week at TeachersFirst

Our Summer OK2Ask sessions may have ended, but you can keep learning by viewing our sessions on demand. We are also sharing an informative new blog post about another excellent tech tool for multilingual learners.