"The valuable classroom experience in the author′s background and a genuine sensitivity for his students′ needs are evident on every page of clear prose. The practical information included here addresses the major issues in educating language minority students, without overloading the new teacher with extraneous matter."
From the Foreword by Rosalie Pedalino Porter
From the Foreword by Rosalie Pedalino Porter
"What a gift this book will be to ESL teachers . . . How I would have loved such a book when I was charged with the responsibility of teaching ESL students in years past."
Donna Garner, English and Spanish teacher
Hewitt, TX
Donna Garner, English and Spanish teacherHewitt, TX
Bring the English language to life with this valuable new resource!
Some say that learning a second language is like drinking water from a fire hose. But teaching it does not have to be like standing under Niagara Falls. This is the fundamental message of Jerry Jesness′ new quick-start guide Teaching English Language Learners K-12. In our climate, ELL teachers face immense demands as educators because the ELL class is often the critical, transitional step into a student′s entire education. The author provides specific strategies to address the special challenges for instructors. This valuable resource offers a terrific framework to nurture that motivating spark in English Language learners. For ELL educators, it′s more than a job―it′s a mission!
Teaching English Language Learners K-12 includes:
includes:
- Customizing instructions to create developmentally and culturally appropriate lessons for all learners
- Comprehensive vocabulary checklists for common English words and concepts
- Practical methods for using the learner′s native language and culture in the classroom
- Helpful strategies for teaching spoken English, reading, and writing
- Encouraging tips to become a better ELL teacher
In Jesness′ twenty-five year career as an educator, he has worked with English learners in a number of environments. He has taught ESL in public middle and high schools, special education for bilingual children at the elementary level, and language arts and social studies in classes that included both English learners and regular education students. Jesness has also taught students privately, ranging from preschoolers to top executives of multinational corporations. Over the years, he has worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs, for public schools near the Texas-Mexico border, for Berlitz Language Schools, and for small, privately owned language schools in Mexico and Japan.
Jesness holds a BA in English from the University of Minnesota, Morris, and earned an MA in Spanish and an ESL teaching endorsement from the University of Texas, Pan American. He was the first non-Hispanic to earn a graduate degree in Spanish literature from UT Pan American. Jesness currently lives in League City, Texas with his wife and three daughters, and teaches Spanish and ESL at Victory Lakes Middle School. His email address is furnes@yahoo.com.
