ELL News Headlines

It’s one thing to be immersed in a language. It’s another to speak it. And Ava Silva, who grew up in the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe’s, wasn’t fluent in Alabama. "My áapo’s first language is Alabama," said Silva, using the Alabama word for grandmother. "I could never fully understand it, but … I loved sitting beside her and just hearing her talk." At Harvard, Silva quickly connected with Assistant Professor of Linguistics Tanya Bondarenko. Within months, Bondarenko’s WOLF Lab (Working on Language in the Field) began studying the innerworkings of Alabama.

Teachers can experiment with a variety of strategies to build and assess students’ ability to converse in the target language.

November marks National Native American Heritage Month — a time to recognize and celebrate the rich histories, cultures, achievements, and stories of Indigenous peoples across the United States. From picture book biographies to counting books, coming-of-age narratives to thrillers, and dystopian sci-fi to contemporary graphic novels, this roundup of 2024 books centering Native American stories offers something for every reader to enjoy this November and all year long.

Consider these tips for ensuring that project-based learning experiences stay on track from start to completion.

In honor of Native American Heritage Month, we spoke with the creators of six children’s books out this year highlighting different aspects of Indigenous culture and life in their works.

Educators, students, and families may have questions following the 2024 election. While it is impossible to predict what will happen in the future, here are some steps that schools can take to support students' well-being and foster partnerships with families.

Schools can look to tribal organizations and nonprofits representing Indigenous people for resources to improve curricula.

Sarah Said, an English teacher working with English learners at an alternative high school near Chicago, has seen translation apps evolve over time. Enough input from users and linguists have made Google Translate a much more useful tool than it might have been a few years back. Lately, her English learners at Dream Academy in Elgin, Ill., have demonstrated a knack for using and finding a variety of generative artificial intelligence tools and translation apps, prompting Said to learn more about this technology and guide her students in responsible and ethical uses. With more than 20 years of experience working with English learners, Said encourages other teachers to familiarize themselves with new AI tools. She presented on this topic virtually at the annual WIDA conference in mid-October and spoke with Education Week about how teachers working with English learners should approach AI tools in class.

In this blog post, Jolene Gutiérrez, a veteran teacher librarian, interviews Duncan Tonatiuh.

After weeks of being shut down in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, public schools in Asheville, North Carolina, are reopening.