Teaching English Language and Content Learning Expressed in English

Chapter 11 Reaction Paper
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Many teachers have difficulty differentiating between the language of the student and the content learning expressed in that language. Others in the school community may not understand how a student can receive a grade of B on an assignment that contains ungrammatical elements. To differentiate the two, an educator needs access to a wide range of information to function well in the classroom. The competencies required by the various state certification standards add up to a very long list indeed. Perhaps because this list is so long, teacher preparation programs often do not make time for substantial attention to crucial matters, choosing instead a checklist approach to addressing the various required competencies.
Notably, an assignment can be graded using different criterias. Some argue that assessments should be grounded in state, national, and content standards while others argue that assessments would be grounded in the strengths and needs of the students in the classroom. Both arguments are applicable and viable as the main objective of the assessment is to evaluate what a student has learned. However, grounding the assessment at state, national, and content standards limits disadvantaged students who are slow to comprehend what has been taught. This is because different ELL students present different skills, cultures, and interests in a classroom. Even though this assessment aims to provide a uniform and standard assessment for all students, some wit...