A close caption television program contains written dialogue that scrolls across the bottom of the screen. This allows viewers to read as well as listen to a television program, allowing LEP learners to gradually acquire literacy by both reading and hearing dialogue. Educators who wish to use this method will find many close captioned programs available.
Sometimes an LEP individual's native language has a connection to English. In this situation, you can help your students transfer knowledge of their native tongue into a knowledge of English by showing them commonalities between the languages. You will find that some languages transfer better than others do. For example, Spanish speakers can transfer knowledge of print into English relatively easily.
A teacher can improve literacy among LEC individuals by posting English language labels around the teaching environment. You may prefer to gradually add labels at a rate of 5 per week to avoid overwhelming students. You may also ask students to label themselves -- with your help -- using name tags. Review labels frequently and make use of them in your lessons.
You can encourage students to learn by greeting family and students with a smile and by listening attentively to conversations between family members, even if they speak in a language other than English. Because teachers cannot welcome LEP students verbally, they must take care to welcome students through body language and smiles. If you demonstrate your concern for individual children, you will find they learn more quickly.