A Purpose-Driven ENL Summer Program Example: From Stable to Classroom: Language and Community with Retired Racehorses

Guest Bloggers: Sara Ray and Lisa Taylor

Gates Chili School District 

Secondary English Language Learners thrive when language acquisition is tied to tangible, real-world experiences. We begin summer planning by choosing an overall theme that we know will be high-interest and include all students.  Over the years, we have found that a project-based theme around animals and community supports language learning and student engagement the most. 

We introduce the theme of community and ask how can you help and be of service in your new community? By asking this question, students begin to see themselves as part of their new community.  This year, our project focuses on how students can help retired racehorses by learning about their care and rehabilitation.

Through this project, students develop and use language to research equine care, visit a sanctuary, build grooming tack boxes for the horses, and ultimately teach elementary ENL students what they learned.

Here is how to map this experiential project across four high-leverage language phases.

Phase 1: Build Background Knowledge (Research & Reading Comprehension)

Before visiting the horse farm, students must build background knowledge and learn the specific vocabulary of equine care (e.g., tack, grooming, rehabilitation, anatomy).

• Horse Biographies: Students read scaffolded profiles of retired racehorses. They identify each horse’s history, personality traits, and physical needs.
• Comparative Research: Groups compare a horse's life on the racetrack to its life in retirement, using graphic organizers to utilize contrast language ("Unlike their racing days, retired horses need...").
• Reading Diagrams: Students study diagrams of horses and grooming tools (curry combs, dandy brushes, hoof picks) to understand how and why specific grooming routines keep horses healthy.
• Guest Speakers from the Community: Invite community members with expertise to share their knowledge using realia. This will give students a chance to practice asking questions. This will help build student interest in meeting and working with the horses.

Phase 2: Speak with Purpose (Project-Based Learning & Oral Language)

We could never do this alone. That is why we collaborate with those around us.  Our technology department teachers have helped us prepare by having their students pre-cut and pre-drill holes for the tack boxes so that the ENL students can assemble them during the summer.  

• Partner Work: Partners assemble the box taking turns using the tools and using their oral language skills to work with their partner. 
• Translanguaging Brainstorms: Students use their full linguistic repertoires to discuss engineering challenges, ensuring complex problem-solving happens naturally before they present their ideas in English.

Phase 3: The Sanctuary Visit (Experiential Listening & Speaking)

The classroom moves to the horse farm. Students visit the horse farm to see, ride, and learn to groom the horses.

• Grooming & Riding the Horses: Students learn what goes into taking care of horses and then try it out.
• Presenting the Tack Boxes: Students present their completed grooming tack boxes to the farm staff using a script they have practiced ahead of time.

Phase 4: Cross-Age Peer Tutoring

The final stage turns secondary ELLs into the experts. They synthesize their research to create an interactive presentation for elementary ENL students.

• Bilingual Posterboard: Students write and illustrate about their horse's journey from racetrack to retirement or their visit to the horse farm.
• Interactive Tool Demonstrations: students draw tools (or use clean, safe real ones) to show the elementary classroom, teaching younger learners the action verbs of grooming (brush, scrape, clean).
• Empowerment Through Teaching: By mentoring younger peers, secondary ELLs shift from language learners to language teachers, boosting their speaking confidence.

Instead of learning English in isolation, they use English as a tool to make a physical object, care for a living creature, and mentor a younger English language learner. They leave the summer program not just with stronger language skills, but with confidence and an experience to remember.