Book Review: “Teaching English Language Learners Through Technology” by Tony Erben, Ruth Ban and Martha Castaneda

I chose this text out of all the results that came up after an Amazon search for “teaching for language justice, technology.” This text appears to be designed for instructors in K-12 settings who are struggling to help ELL’s learn content- area curriculum as well as English, with technology being the tool to assist these students in engaging in the learning process.

The first section of the text, “Not All ELL”s are the Same,” reminds the reader that even though the title of the book suggests that this text generalizes the experience of English Language Learners, it does not and neither should teachers. The authors also provide several vignettes about ELL’s. The subsection titled “stages of cultural adjustment” was incredibly useful because knowing the stages and which stage a particular ELL student is in can dramatically effect the interaction of the student with the particular technology you are attempting to utilize. This can certainly facilitate technology choices. The stages of cultural adjustment are:

- Honeymoon stage

- Hostility stage

- Home stage

- Assimilation stage

- Re-entry shock stage

The rest of the book follows in this fashion, integrating second-language acquisition theory with technology use in the classroom. It is most certainly William Labov meets twitter, with a pinch of pedagogical theory.

Section 3.2, titled, “E-Creation Tools and Self-Made Computer –Based Resources: Getting ELL’s to Play and be Creative With Language” was an important section for understanding how to engage ELL’s in playing with language. This section highlights specific software and web-based programs for teachers to use. It covers everything from a subsection titled, “Presentation Software; PowerPoint” to a program I had never heard of called Hot Potatoes. I’m not sure if this is because Hot Potatoes is an older technology, or if it is one that specifically helps ELL’s, but it is useful to learn about technologies that can help students whose first language is not English.

The rest of the third chapter has tools for improving reading/writing literacies (wikis, writeboard, blogs, webquests), E-assessment (less applicable for writing instructors).

At the end of the text is a long Resources list, which provides the teacher with several places to go when attempting to resolve an issue, organize an online activity, or explore new innovations in technology and in technological pedagogy. The Resource section is not comprehensive, but it provides several new tools that I had not previously been exposed to.

This text would be useful for instructors who are teaching online or hybrid courses who have English language learners in their classes. Although this book has activities, tools and instruction for the K-12 setting, I think that there are several applications for freshman composition, particularly for our course that is often dominated by English language learners, Preparation for College Writing.