The English as a Second Language student may need the teacher to adapt lessons so that he can fully understand literary terms, which lead to better text comprehension. The lessons should be taught on the student's level so that each term is made comprehensible. The goal is that the ESL student will recognize literary terms and concepts when reading independently.

Simile Poetry
Find a poem that uses a lot of simple similes that would be easy for an ESL student to understand. The teacher should read the poem aloud the first time, then let the students chorus read with the teacher. Use the computer to print pictures of the similes, or students can draw pictures. The ESL students stand in line holding the simile pictures. The teacher reads the poem and the student says his part and holds up the picture. For example, the teacher reads, "Strong as an_____" and the student says "Ox" and raises a picture of an ox. The ESL student learns similes as well as the poem's vocabulary.

Personification Posters
The teacher lists some personification phrases on the board such as, "The book raced around the room" and "The cloud cried drops of rain." Explain the definition of personification and divide students into groups or partners. The ESL groups will brainstorm some other examples, then take turns sharing answers with the class. Give each group blank paper and a marker. Instruct the group to write the personification on the paper to draw a large illustration to describe it. Once completed, hang the posters in the class as a visual cue of personification. The sentences matched with visuals, help the ESL students to make a connection when personification is taught in class again.

Listen for Onomatopoeia
Ask the students to close their eyes and just silently listen to the sounds heard in the classroom or outside. When the ESL students open their eyes, call on individual students to describe what was heard. If an answer is clock for instance, ask "What sound did the clock make?" The teacher will write a list of sounds on the board that the students describe and add other onomatopoeia examples. Action comic books are a good resource of onomatopoeia. Distribute these to the class and read aloud with the students, paying attention to the onomatopoeia as you read.

Cause and Effect Bingo
The teacher will discuss and review cause and effect examples with the ESL students. Playing games are a fun way for ESL students to learn and retain information. The teacher will design a cause and effect game with some effect statements on the game board. Make the game short with only nine boxes until students become proficient using cause and effect. The teacher will write some cause statements on cards and randomly choose from these statements. When the ESL student think he has a match, he will cover the effect statement on his card with a Bingo chip until he has three in a row and wins Bingo.