HELP PLEASE
 

Hello to All,
I am a first year teacher, licensed in French, and find myself in the position of teaching 2 ESL classes. I have some experience working with ELL's, but no real formal training. My one class up until today consisted of 1 student who is fluent in English, but is extremely learning disabled. Today I received a new student who says he has studied English for about 7 years in his native country, but it is clear that his English is extremely limited.
I know that now I must differentiate, but I don't know how, or where to start. I have very little support at my school, and the other ESL teacher has not really been very helpful. I have not been given a curriculum, I only know that my students must pass the NYSESLAT.
Does anyone have any ideas or suggestions of books, websites, anything that might give me a starting point and a reference? Thank you so much!
MsB

Re: HELP PLEASE
 

Do you know what the NYSESLAT consists of? If you can get a hold of a copy, use the questions in there and guide your lessons around that.

Are you a high school teacher? Elementary? How many students do you have in your class?

Try doing an overarching lesson and during independant work give the students a worksheet or something separate to work on while you individually go through the lesson with them and check their own understanding.

Re: HELP PLEASE
 

There's a pretty good forum here:
Teachers.Net - ESL/EFL - English as a Second Language teachers, join your fellow teachers on the ESL/EFL teacher chatboard. The Teachers.Net English as a Second Language website offers ESL/EFL teachers a English as a Second Language teachers mailring

You might post your question there as well.

Re: HELP PLEASE
 

Thanks for your input. I am familiar with the NYSESLAT, and have used it to diagnose. I think my problem is more to do with differentiation and finding appropriate materials.