The Language Lens for Content Classrooms

“The Language Lens for Content Classrooms offers an essential blend of instructional strategies and approaches as well as a holistic vision of the mindsets and perspectives any and every educator of English Learners must have. Ottow breaks down the terminology and context of an increasingly diverse K-12 education system and provides suggestions, tools, and thought-provoking questions to guide the reader. Readable, relatable, and rich with examples and anecdotes, I recommend [this book] for educators starting off or seeking to refine and deepen their practice in teaching with English Learners.”

“Author Sarah Ottow’s wealth of knowledge is on full display here. This book is a comprehensive and accessible primer for classroom teachers who want to support their multilingual learner students but aren’t sure where to start. Language and content teachers alike will find practical “next day” strategies to help meet the needs of multilingual learners.”

“This book arrives right on time, as it provides teachers and leaders with a practical guide that combines language development tools and strategies with an appreciation for culture and student identity. As an ESL student who now sits in the superintendent’s office, I appreciate the book’s conscious effort to move practitioners to getting to know their students culturally and linguistically, while providing a very comprehensive set of competencies that support language learners in content classrooms. The stories of students’ language learning journeys bring this work to life and the added bonuses of links to many other resources make this book a must have for anyone interested in building a multi-lingual community.”

“This timely book provides a host of highly practical insights for addressing one of our most important challenges faced by educators striving to meet the academic and sociolinguistic needs of all students: cultivating the powerful symbiosis of language development and content learning.”

“Putting on a ‘language lens’ in your content classroom is akin to giving your students superpower capes. The practical ideas in this book will transform your classroom into a more engaging and interactive space where students use oral and written language actively. In doing so, students will develop a meta-understanding of the power of language as a lifelong tool to learn everything more deeply and convey that learning with the enviable competency they will need in college and career.”