This week we are looking at the importance of activating background knowledge when working with ESL students. Background knowledge is the knowledge students have learned both formally in the classroom and informally through life experiences. Activating background knowledge in ESL learners is a key strategy for making new language learning meaningful and relatable. When learners connect new information to what they already know, it enhances comprehension, retention, and engagement. Let’s look at some strategies to activate background knowledge in ESL students:
Use Culturally Relevant Materials
Choose texts, videos, and real-life scenarios that relate to learners’ cultural backgrounds, life experiences, professional fields, or interests. When learners see familiar contexts, they can more easily connect with the new language.
- Example: For learners with a background in agriculture, use stories or articles about farming, crops, or climate change.
Begin with Discussions or Open-Ended Questions
Start lessons by asking learners to share what they know about a topic before diving into new content. This allows them to access prior knowledge and feel more confident.
- Example: Before a lesson on job interviews, ask, “Has anyone had a job interview in their home country? What was it like?”
Use Visuals and Real-Life Objects
Show pictures, videos, or actual objects related to the topic. Visuals help learners make connections between their experiences and new vocabulary or concepts.
- Example: Bring in sales flyers for different grocery stores. Ask students how they shopped for groceries in their home country.
Storytelling and Personal Anecdotes
Encourage learners to tell stories or share personal anecdotes related to the lesson topic. This activates their background knowledge and provides real-world examples of language use.
- Example: During a unit on healthcare, ask students to share how they handle doctor visits in their home countries. This leads to vocabulary around symptoms, appointments, and medical settings.
KWL Charts (Know-Want to Know-Learned)
Use a KWL chart to activate and track learners’ knowledge. Start by having students fill out what they Know about a topic and what they Want to learn. After the lesson, they complete the Learned section.
- Example: Before a lesson on workplace communication, students might write what they already know about common phrases or etiquette, and what they want to learn.
Use Visual or Word Maps
Have learners create visual or word maps around a key topic. This helps them see connections between what they know and new information they are about to learn.
- Example: Before teaching vocabulary on “food and cooking,” ask learners to create a word map of food-related words they already know. This could include items, methods of cooking, or cultural dishes.
Leverage Professional and Life Experience
Adult learners often have years of work or life experience that can be a valuable resource for language learning. Relate new language skills to their previous careers, hobbies, or everyday responsibilities.
- Example: If learners have experience working in restaurants or kitchens, connect that experience to a lesson on customer service phrases or kitchen vocabulary.
Pre-teaching Key Vocabulary
Before diving into a new reading or listening activity, introduce key vocabulary and phrases that are likely to appear. Ask learners if they have seen or heard these words before and in what contexts.
- Example: Before a lesson on emergencies, introduce vocabulary like “emergency,” “fire alarm,” and “first aid,” and ask if they’ve encountered these terms in their home countries.
Role-Playing Familiar Scenarios
Create role-play activities that simulate familiar experiences, such as visiting a bank, ordering food, or attending a job interview. This builds on learners’ prior experience while allowing them to practice a new language in a safe setting.
- Example: For a lesson on job interviews, have learners act out interviews based on real experiences they’ve had or anticipate having.
Bridge from First Language to English
Encourage students to make connections between their first language and English. Allowing brief discussions in their first language about key concepts can help clarify meanings and create stronger connections with the new language.
- Example: If learners are discussing a complex topic like “democracy,” they can first discuss the concept in their first language to ensure understanding, then move into English vocabulary and discussions.
Why Activating Background Knowledge is Important:
- Enhances Comprehension: It helps learners understand new language more quickly because they’re building on what they already know.
- Boosts Confidence: When learners realize they have relevant knowledge, they feel more capable and confident, which encourages participation.
- Personalized Learning: Connecting lessons to learners’ personal and professional experiences makes learning more relevant and engaging.
By activating background knowledge, you create a more dynamic and learner-centered ESL environment where adult students feel empowered while learning English.
Resources
PBS Learning Media: A demonstration on using KWL charts and activating background knowledge
Texas A&M: An example of a KWL chart
https://asc.tamu.edu/study-learning-handouts/reading-strategies-the-kwl-method
Literacy Minnesota: Shows different graphic organizers and links to find additional resources
https://www.literacymn.org/graphic-organizers
