8 Free EdTech Apps For ELL/ESL Alternate Route Teachers

English Language Learners are a rapidly growing segment of New Jersey’s student population.  Increased English learners in our schools has yielded a host of uniquely complex challenges that teachers must face.  Within a single English language learning classroom, a teacher can be engaging students of diverse linguistic, ethnic and educational backgrounds. ELL/ESL teachers oftentimes must differentiate instruction and employ a variety of specialized teaching strategies. A wide array of free and low-cost edtech apps that make English learning resources more accessible and deliver personalized, engaging lessons have emerged in recent years.

Here are eight recommended edtech tools for ELL/ESL teachers:

1. Irregular Verbs English: Irregular verbs are particularly challenging for English learners. Think of this tool as a comprehensive reference book on English irregular verbs for those with Russian, Italian, German, French, Spanish, Romanian, Portuguese or Ukrainian as a first language. Students whose languages are supported in this free Android app can use it as an added resource when studying at home.

2. Learn English with Lingo Arcade: Gamify the English language learning process with this free iPhone/iPad app. Lingo Arcade contains four games designed to help students read, speak and write English.

3. Duolingo: Duolingo is the premiere edtech app for language learning, available on iOS, Android and Microsoft devices. Their game-like, science-based lessons support ELL/ESL students in learning to read, write and speak English. The lessons adapt to each student’s learning style, providing a personalized learning experience. Students receive instant feedback on their vocabulary, speaking and listening skills at the end of each section. The app’s rewards platform encourages students to stay consistent with their practice.

4. FluentU: Turn real-world videos like music videos, commercials, news, cartoons and inspiring talks into English learning experiences with this free mobile app, available for iOS and Android. These culturally relevant, carefully annotated videos help students expand their vocabulary, contextualize word definitions and excitedly engage in learning.

5. Stick Pick: For ELL/ESL teachers interested in differentiation, this iPhone/iPad app is a great asset. Teachers can link question stems to the cognitive and linguistic needs of their students, assign unique difficulty levels for the questions each student receives, and rate each learner's response on a 0-5 point rubric using the degree of elaboration rubric.

6. English Grammar Book: Could your students benefit from practicing their English grammar more? This free Android app provides detailed explanations of grammar topics such as nouns, verbs, passive voice, idioms, conditionals and more. The app also contains practice exercises.

7. Speak English!: Students can listen to recordings of English speakers discussing topics ranging from interviewing to customer service with this free Android and iOS app,. Students can audibly compare their voice to the recordings, and practice their enunciation.

8. Memrise: Create materials and manage student groups using this free mobile app. Memrise is best known for helping students remember English words and expand their vocabulary by adapting to the personal learning style of each student. As an added bonus, it also works offline.

These edtech apps allow ESL/ELL teachers to overcome challenges faced when addressing the varying levels of student need present in individual classes. They can be used for in-class activities, group projects and solo homework assignments. Those that rely on gamification can help ELL/ESL teachers instill a love for learning English in their students. Those that serve more as referencing tools can make information traditionally found in printed educational materials more accessible. For this reason, we recommend that alternate route teachers incorporate a medley of edtech apps into their teacher toolbox.

ESL/ELL teachers, how are you using the edtech apps curated above? Share in the comments below. For more edtech advice, see our recommendations on free assessment and classroom management apps. ELL teachers whose schools can dedicate more of a budget to edtech should also consult this comprehensive report from Getting Smart.