Common Misconceptions About English Language Development (ELD)

The following statements are common misconceptions about teaching English language development (ELD) to English learners:

Misconception #1: Students at the Early Advanced and Advanced levels of English proficiency no longer require English language development on a daily basis.

False! Even though students are at the higher levels of proficiency in English, they still need continual language development in the following areas: phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, language functions and pragmatics. You can find additional information about each of these components on the ELD Strategies website's article "What is ELD?".

Misconception #2: ELD cannot be taught during Science or Social Studies time.

False! English language development (ELD) can be taught through the medium of Science and Social Studies if English language objectives are also simultaneously integrated with Science and Social Studies instruction. Content-based ELD consists of the teaching of phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, language functions and pragmatics while at the same time developing concepts in Science and Social Studies. If Science and Social Studies instruction is to be considered as ELD time, there must be a clear focus on language development, language structures and previously mentioned components of ELD.

For example, when studying the solar system, students might learn that the planets in the solar system move in a predictable pattern around the Sun. They might also learn that inner planets and outer planets have distinct characteristics. In a content-based ELD lesson, students will also develop language through the study of the solar system. Teachers might include the ELD standards of writing paragraphs with topic sentences and details, while differentiating expectations for students at the various levels of language proficiency. Or teachers may choose to include an ELD standard in the area of reading comprehension and main idea/details.

Misconception #3: State English language development (ELD) proficiency tests do a good job of measuring students' current English proficiency level.

False! State language proficiency tests are only one indicator of language proficiency and should also be paired with multiple measures of assessment. Proficiency tests do not take into account that the student might have been having a bad day on that particular day in which they are assessed, or students may be unfamiliar with the format of the assessment. In addition, many language proficiency assessment results may arrive months after having administered the assessment. In the case of the CELDT (California English Language Development Test), test results might arrive three to five months after assessing the students. It's imperative that teachers fully understand the English language development (ELD)/ESL standards in order to create multiple measures of assessment to measure language proficiency.

Misconception #4: Students at the beginning stages of English language development (ELD) understand very little of what is being taught in class.

False! Students who are at the beginning levels of language proficiency often comprehend much more than they are able to express orally or through writing, provided that teachers use a variety of instructional strategies to make content comprehensible for English learners. Teachers should employ alternative measure of assessment in order to determine student understanding. For example, teachers might ask students to draw a picture of what they learned, or ask students to summarize what they learned in their primary language.

Misconception #5: During ELD instruction, teachers and students should not use students' primary language and should speak only in English.

While the main focus of English language development (ELD) is the development of proficiency in English, there may be instances in which teachers and students utilize students' primary language. Teachers might use students' primary language to quickly preteach or reteach, or to clarify a difficult concept, word or idea. Teachers might also have students summarize what they learned in their primary language, as an informal assessment of learning.