How The ELL Brain Learns

David Sousa's How the Brain Learns combines recent research on what we know about how the brain learns language with strategies for teaching English language learners in K-12 classrooms. After an introduction about English language learners in the schools and recent research on learning languages, Sousa invites the reader to asses his or her current knowledge of learning language before delving into a deeper discussion of some of the key distinctions between learning the first language and learning a new language later. With coverage of the differences between monolingual and bilingual brains, levels of language comprehension, components of speaking and understanding language, and the effects and impact of brain development and learners' cultures on learning, Sousa provides a wealth of insights and practical information for teachers to put to immediate use in the classroom. A chapter on teaching English language learners includes specific brain compatible strategies for teaching both English language acquisition and the acquisition of subject matter, and subsequent chapters provide teachers with the necessary tools and program intervention ideas to recognize and address common problems that their English language learners may encounter.