What is ELD?

ELD Strategies

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What is ELD?

Second Language Acquisition and Literacy

English Language Development (ELD) is a systematic instructional model designed to develop the English language proficiency of English learners (i.e., students who speak English as a second language). ELD instruction emphasizes the development of all four language domains: reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Effective ELD programs include the following components:

Phonology: the sound system of English
Morphology: the forms and formation of words, including prefixes, affixes, suffixes, root words, inflections, etc.
Syntax: the structure of language, including the rules that govern phrases and sentences
Semantics: the meaning of language,including vocabulary and academic language
Language functions: the purposes of languages
Pragmatics: situational appropriateness of language use

During the ELD instructional block, instruction is differentiated in order to meet the needs of students who are at various levels of English language development. There are five different English proficiency levels within the second language development continuum: beginning, early intermediate, intermediate, early advanced, and advanced. Instructional techniques and language development expectations will vary depending upon each student's particular needs as well as their respective English proficiency levels.

ELD can be taught during a separate ELD instructional block that focuses exclusively on language, or can be integrated with Science and Social Studies during a separate content-based ELD block. Content-based ELD is an instructional model of ELD that integrates both content objectives (i.e., Science, Social Studies) with ELD language objectives (i.e., ELD standards, English Language Arts standards). Content-based ELD promotes language development through the medium of content, with a focus on such language features as phonology, morphology, syntax, language structures, academic language, language functions and other features. Content-based ELD can only be considered as English Language Development if ELD language objectives are integrated with content objectives. You can find additional information about content-based ELD by visiting the pages about the SIOP Model or Project GLAD. Additional resources on content-based ELD can also be found in the ELD Strategies store as well as throughout the ELD Strategies website.