SAS EAL - Enduring Understandings

EAL Enduring Understandings (for students):

Language learning is a lifelong process.
Individuals learn languages at different rates and with their own learning styles.
Language empowers me to act in ways that better myself and my world.
Students' home languages/cultures influence their identity and learning.

EAL Essential Agreements (for staff):

Understand that a range of teaching and learning strategies support language acquisition.
Understand that language is learned through meaningful and significant use.
Faculty will incorporate a variety of methods and techniques to meet the diverse styles of our ELL student population.
Each student will have the opportunity to discover his or her own learning preferences.
Research supports the use of L1 in order to help comprehend L2 content. (Descriptive study of services to LEP students . . ., Zehler)

Core Beliefs**

Everyone learns language at a different rate.
Language learning happens in many ways.
Developing students' home language supports their English language literacy.
Language empowers me to act in ways that better myself and my world.
All languages have patterns and commonalities that I can use to build my language learning.
I can use strategies to find and analyze appropriate information.
Sometimes I need to make mistakes in order to succeed.
Taking risks allows me to grow.
Language learning is an ongoing process.
Effective communication is the key to success.
Culture matters and my languages/cultures influence my identity and learning.
I should take pride in my multilingualism.
Learners need to take responsibility for their own learning.