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In my experience working with ELLs as a substitute teacher (mostly at the elementary level), I have worked with students at different language development levels. To help my ELLs , I avoid using slang, and I will pose questions several different ways. I have also used visual aids to assist students. I have noticed that the ELL students I have worked with do not always participate in whole class discussion. To elicit student responses, I will pose open ended questions. Does anyone have other strategies to help ELLs feel more comfortable speaking in front of the class? 

Next semester, I will be student teaching high school biology. Introducing the students to biological terminology may be a challenge based on my students langauge development level. Often terms such as theory or law have different definitions in science than common language. During my observations, I have observed teachers pairing ELLs with a student who is bilingual during group work. The student who is bilingual can translate for the ELL. However, I have not observed any other strategies for helping ELLs learn science. Does anyone have suggestions for how to set ELLs up for success in the science classroom? What are some strategies for helping ELLs write lab reports?