Visual thinking strategies for English learners: Learning language through the power of art

Visual thinking strategies (VTS) is a museum-based technique with exciting potential for English learners' (ELs') language development. Originally used to engage novice viewers in discussing art pieces, English language arts and ESOL educators have enthusiastically adapted VTS to their instructional repertoires in order to bolster students' literacy development, language learning, and content learning. In this article, the authors consider the classroom use of VTS with linguistically diverse learners. They present its classic form through a vignette to illustrate how the visual stimulus, coupled with three questions-What's going on in this picture? What makes you say that? What else can we find?-can help students produce linguistically scaffolded content. The researchers draw from the literature and identify ways that VTS implementation has been shown to support learners' development of language modalities, critical thinking, and affective skills. Finally, the authors encourage educators to explore and expand their teaching practices with ELs to try this refreshing technique in their classrooms.