I have learned a great deal about Project-Based Learning and how it can be beneficial for students. Throughout my journey of learning more about it, I have often paused to consider how to make learning this way accessible for my students who are language learners. I realized that they need support much longer than we sometimes think, and linguistic and cultural accommodations are two ways to ensure that the content is comprehensible and relatable. These accommodations can provide ELLs with necessary support as they navigate learning information that is sometimes very unfamiliar.

There are several linguistic and cultural accommodations that can be useful when implementing Project-Based Learning as a way for students to acquire the content. Some of them are:

Linguistic Accommodations

• Start with a list of tiered vocabulary words applicable to the unit: A tiered vocabulary list will be helpful for you as the teacher as you prepare to assign the project. It will give you an opportunity to increase vocabulary acquisition as the project is being completed.

• Frontload vocabulary with a vocabulary list: Unfamiliar words can make learning feel complicated, even with a fun and engaging project. Vocabulary lists are a great way to help students to build their academic language. Adding Spanish translations so that students can recognize them as cognates is an even better way to help them to make connections with word meanings. If there are students who speak languages other than Spanish, terms in their language should be added to the list as well so that other cultures are not excluded and they are able to learn from one another.

• Give students lots of opportunities to interact with the words on the vocabulary list: Once the list is given, students will need to interact with the terms in order to develop an understanding of their meanings and how to use them in the proper context. Some of the ways that they can do this is by completing graphic organizers, sentence stems, and anchor charts that provide visuals.

Cultural Accommodations

• Get to know what students know first: As teachers, we want to help students to see the significance of what they are learning and show them how it is culturally relevant. However, they may already be aware of how it is relevant! Giving students an opportunity to express what they already know can actually open the door for rich discussion about the topic being learned.

• Allow students to share the experiences that they have had: It is possible that students have a connection to what is being learned. Providing a safe space for them to share those experiences can make the project much more meaningful for them. Perhaps maybe they can have an opportunity to complete a writing reflection that communicates their personal experiences, share personal stories when appropriate, or share pictures that they have that are relevant to the topic.

• Provide books in students’ L1 to support their research: Having books available that are in students’ L1 can be a great way to support them. This way, they can expand their knowledge of English while simultaneously strengthening their native language. Though they are learning English, there is still a place for their home language and it is so important that they know this.

Linguistic and cultural accommodations can make the experience much more positive for ELLs as they engage in Project-Based Learning. Including these supports can help them to do their best and make the process so much smoother….for the students and the teacher!