Final answer:
To accommodate ELL students, one should provide accessible dictionaries, extended time for tasks, collaborative learning opportunities, and possibly simplified content, all while maintaining high standards and providing varied assessments. Additionally, dual-language programs and immersive approaches like the master-apprentice method can significantly enhance language acquisition and comprehension.
Step-by-step explanation:
The best strategy to adjust the instructional unit to meet the needs of English Language Learners (ELL) in a diverse classroom is a multifaceted approach that includes making dictionaries accessible, allowing additional time for assignments, enabling collaborative learning among ELL students, and possibly simplifying content presentations. However, it is crucial to maintain high academic standards while providing scaffolds to language acquisition. Strategies such as the master-apprentice approach can be implemented, emphasizing language practice in an immersive context. Additionally, incorporating a dual-language program within the curriculum, as evidenced by the success of Lucy, can help ELL students maintain content learning while improving their English proficiency without oversimplifying the material. It is also beneficial to incorporate a variety of assessments to gauge ELL students' understanding comprehensively and to provide opportunities for deep engagement with the subject matter through different learning media. Furthermore, the classroom environment should be designed to accommodate multiple perspectives and linguistic backgrounds, thus promoting a deeper comprehension and broad understanding that go beyond language proficiency. Keeping in mind the positive outcomes of the research from the University of Chicago and Johns Hopkins University, such inclusivity can aid in bridging the achievement gap and enhancing overall student performance.