EB Portal - CBLI Instruction

Content-Based Language Instruction

The Content-Based Language Instruction Site is designed for all educators of emergent bilingual (EB) students. It provides practical, research-validated practices that are essential for effective language program services. The contents of this site are intended to support effective program implementation within dual language immersion (DLI), transitional bilingual education (TBE), and English as a second language (ESL) programs. It contains valuable application for DLI teachers, TBE teachers, ESL teachers, any other teachers of EB students, paraprofessionals, instructional coaches/specialists, counselors, campus administrators, and district leaders.

CBLI Home

Second Language
Acquisition (SLA)

Varied Instructional
Supports

Linguistically Sustaining
Practices

Implementation of Linguistically Accommodated Content Instruction
Once intentional language instruction has been planned for, delivering linguistically accommodated content instruction regularly puts plans into action, providing the appropriate support for EB students at each level of language proficiency. Overall the instructional methods for content-based language instruction can be categorized into three components. These language-focused methods are connected to the district responsibilities within the ELPS to ensure all EB students have access to the grade level curriculum [TAC 74.4(b)]. Each component below dives into the why (purpose), the what (description), and the how (implementation examples).
Communicated Methods	Sequenced Methods	Scaffolded Methods
Provide comprehensible input that includes context-embedded resources and clearly expressed instructions through a communicative language teaching approach.	Differentiate instruction according to students' language proficiency levels by providing explicit academic language development opportunities and making connections to prior knowledge, including intentional cross-linguistic connections using primary language resources.	Embed structured support that includes oral and written development resources, cooperative learning routines, and instructional modeling with structured tools.

Communicated Methods

Communicated Methods for Linguistically Accommodated Content Instruction
One of the foundational ways to lower the affective filter and ensure students feel not only comfortable in the learning environment but involved in the classroom activities is to provide comprehensible input.
Description	Implementation Examples
Clear instructions Provide step-by-step instructions to break down how to complete tasks, including a model or exemplar to show the expectation for assignments/tasks.	Instructions may include: a picture of the completed task, a video of the teacher modeling the directions, pictures of the materials/resources, and a word bank with simple definitions, examples, and/or cognates of key terms used in the instructions.
Content Engagement Facilitate repeated exposure to new content in which students use and reuse academic language in meaningful ways and with integrated language domains (listening, speaking, reading, and writing).	Use the same text for reading, writing, and structured discussion activities.
Repetition and Rephrasing Provide multiple opportunities for authentic, meaningful engagement with content, spiraling concepts and vocabulary for repeated practice and using rephrasing techniques for internalization.	Incorporate terms from previous lessons into discussion stems or writing word banks. Model think-alouds and have students repeat the process while rephrasing the teacher's thoughts.
Visuals Embed visuals that purposefully increase understanding and with intention of connecting to students' prior knowledge and personal backgrounds.	Use gestures in context for exploration of meaning. For example, demonstrate a gesture when saying a term in a sentence in which it would be used or how it has been encountered. Have students consider the meaning of the term based on the gesture. Allow students to find objects (realia) or create pictures that connect their ideas to new learning. Then, ensure that students have an opportunity to justify or explain why the object or picture connects to the concept explored.
Videos Select and use videos that support comprehensible input.	Provide supports, such as: selecting videos with a clear speaker's voice and comprehensible pace and visual support of key words/vocabulary, giving a purpose for listening and define key vocabulary prior to viewing, providing stopping points for questions/reflections, and ensuring students have captions available in English or their primary language(s), as needed.

Sequenced Methods

Sequenced Methods for Linguistically Accommodated Content Instruction
Emergent bilingual students are a heterogeneous group with various languages and backgrounds. As such, sequenced instructional methods are necessary to differentiate for each student's levels of language proficiency (in their home/primary language and English).
Description	Implementation Examples
Choice Provide ways in which students can make selections based on interest and comfortability.	During independent practice or an exploration activity of new content, allow students to choose from a selection of a few options of reading passages related to the topic, varying in Length, reading level, point of view, or sub-topic.
Chunking Vocabulary Split new vocabulary into manageable units with embedded context.	Steps for chunking vocabulary: Make a list of all the academic/subject-specific terms and supporting academic vocabulary (cross-curricular terms) needed for a lesson. Prioritize terms, planning for some to be explicitly introduced and for some to be embedded throughout. Introduce no more than about 5 academic terms at one time. Include cross-curricular terms, such as transitional words and phrases so that students have the words needed for academic discourse (classroom conversations). Incorporate the lower priority terms throughout the lesson, embedding with visuals and/or restating for contextual definitions (such as the use of synonyms). Spiral in explicitly introduced and context embedded terms with repeated practice.
Cross-Linguistic Connections Intentionally make connections to students' primary language(s) and English, fostering an environment that supports students' translanguaging.	For key academic language in a lesson, draw attention to those terms in the students' primary language(s). Have students share what they know about a topic based on the meaning in their primary language(s). Point out grammatical or syntactic (sentence structure) similarities or differences between English and students' primary language(s). This can be teacher or student directed. Provide time for students to talk out their prior knowledge or new learning in language that feels the most comfortable to them, which may be a combination of languages. Create a cognate list for lesson vocabulary or add cognates to existing word walls or anchor charts, bringing attention to them throughout the lesson.
English Language Development (ELD) Tools Use ELD software/tools as supplemental resources to the content, rather than a replacement of content tasks.	If using ELD software/tools, schedule consistent and brief time periods for students to practice targeted language skills. Ensure that the use of the ELD tools do not cause isolation or limit meaningful practice, are customized with activities to target individual needs, are maximized to set goals and track/celebrate linguistic progress, and are available for free use at home, providing instructions for families.
Primary Language Resources Provide access to reference materials in students' primary languages and incorporate direct instructions on how to use them.	Have students create personal dictionaries with a notebook, flash cards, or digital resource (such as a Google doc) that is used across content area classes. Train students to add new terms with personal definitions that are generated from using primary language dictionaries, bilingual dictionaries, or content glossaries. Personal dictionaries can be organized by alpha order or topical based on the student's preference. Make a consistent practice for all students (EB and non-EB students) to refer to reference materials to gain insights in vocabulary and content Development.

Scaffolded Methods

Scaffolded Methods for Linguistically Accommodated Content Instruction
When emergent bilingual students are provided with linguistic structures, they are able to focus on the academic task with confidence. Scaffolds are intended to be temporary supports that gradually increase linguistic complexity, demonstrating the language needed for not only basic but complex aspects of the target language.
Description	Implementation Examples
Accessible texts Adapt texts, rather than relying on translation. Translating materials alone is not supportive of second language development, and based on each student's language development in his/her home language (i.e. Spanish), translation tools or online application translation features may not increase understanding.	Adapt texts by simplifying grade level English texts, such as: highlighting key vocabulary, chunking text into manageable sections with additional headings, and/or adding visual supports to enhance understanding using text-to-speech features for students to have the text read to them, conducting read-alouds by teacher with pauses and appropriate pace or recording them for students to use individually, using primary language texts as side-by-side resources rather than replacements, or having students pre-read using primary language text
Interaction Provide multiple, meaningful opportunities for students to engage in the learning throughout a lesson.	Interaction includes peer to peer discussions, student to teacher conversations, engagement with content and peers or teacher through technology tools, and non-verbal response signals. Examples include: Provide time for students to talk out their ideas with a partner or small group prior to engaging in a whole group discussion. Students should be encouraged to use their primary language as needed to fully discuss their ideas before preparing to respond in the target language for the lesson. Conduct one on one or small group interactions with the teacher that provide a space for the teacher to clarify misunderstandings, to give feedback, and to hear about the connections students are making to the content. Incorporate use of technology tools that allow for students to interact anonymously, taking risks in a comfortable way. Embed ways for students to respond to instruction or to demonstrate understanding with non-verbal signals, including use of personal white boards, hand signals (such as thumbs up/down), colored cards to show agreement/disagreement, picture cards, standing up/down, or moving to corners/areas of the room to express ideas/opinions.
Structured Conversations Utilize routines for academic conversations that facilitate equitable participation.	Create routines for A and B partners that share as well as listen and respond. Start with student A responding to a question or prompt while student B listens and responds to what student A says. Then, provide time for student B to respond to the prompt while student A listens and responds to what student B says. Adapt as needed with groups of 3 to 4 students, ensuring each student has an opportunity to share and respond to others. Use wait time prior to receiving oral responses, and avoid "teacher talk" during silence for processing. Provide a word bank for students to use a specified number of terms within their partner or small group discussions. Include subject-specific/content terms as well as cross-curricular terms needed to explain understanding. Provide oral or written sentence stems for students to use when participating in conversations particular to the topic, ensuring students have a choice from increasingly more complex sentence structures. Leverage technology applications that provide opportunities for feedback on oracy skills.
Writing Supports Provide structures needed to process new learning, express understanding, and organize ideas for extended writing.	Structures for processing information and writing are not effective in and of themselves, but the way they are used determines the effectiveness of the tools. Examples of effective use of structural supports: Sentence stems can be provided to students to give the language needed to begin a short response. To target support for students at varying levels of language proficiency, give options of sentence stems with varying degrees from simple to compound or complex structures. Simple: Photosynthesis is... Compound: Humans get the food they need by..., but plants get what they need to survive by... Complex: During photosynthesis, plants... Paragraph frames demonstrate not only how to begin but how to add details, create connections to other paragraphs, and to close an extended response or writing task. Students can be provided with generic paragraph frames for types of writing (such as expository, persuasive, procedural, etc.), or they can be generated for the specific task and topic. This can be done by the teacher having an individual student conference or small group to create the paragraph frame together based on the student's/students' ideas. Note-taking templates can be used to ensure students are taking in key information (by listening or reading) and to plan for writing. Provide students with choice on the types of templates they prefer to use, modeling various methods for note-taking and outlining for writing. Use graphic organizers strategically by modeling their use, adding additional headings to focus on key information, incorporating ways for students to represent understanding or ideas through pictures or symbols, and extending notes in graphic organizers into full sentence or paragraph responses (depending on the grade level expectations).
Writing Process Use scaffolded support, including prior knowledge in the student's primary language, to facilitate written responses in the target language.	When the target language is English, rather than students writing in their primary language and translating responses into English, consider the following process: Have students compose a draft in their primary language (or a combination of English and another language) first to get their ideas in written form. Provide sentence frames or paragraph frames for students to structure responses in English. A paragraph frame can give structure to how to begin, how to transition to linking ideas, and how to conclude the response. Students re-write responses using the sentence or paragraph frames with as much English as possible to complete their ideas. Allow students to use translation features or bilingual dictionaries/glossaries as resources for key words needed to complete their compositions in English. Provide opportunities for students to express their ideas in other forms as well, such as oral response, creating a chart or picture, organizing phrases/sentences provided by the teacher into a graphic organizer, etc.

Instructional Methods

Linguistically Accommodated Content instruction

Communicated Methods

Sequenced Methods

Scaffolded Methods