Inclusive Instructional Practices for the Diverse English Language Learners

Today’s English language classrooms are increasingly diverse, including growing numbers of children and youth designated as English Language Learners (ELLs). They bring unique linguistic, cultural, and academic needs. To be inclusive, instructional practices in the classroom must be able to address these needs in tailored strategies in order to create equitable learning environments and to cater their needs. This article provides an overview of the theoretical underpinnings of inclusive education, identifies key challenges that ELLs face and offers practical, research-based instructional strategies. Examples highlighted in this paper promote culturally responsive teaching, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and scaffolding techniques. In turn, these practices ensure that ELLs not only gain proficiency in the new language but will also perform well academically.