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Any references for core textbooks aimed at English language learners at the university level?

I have need of them for: Calculus I-II-III, Linear Algebra, and Differential Equations.

Most of my students are in a unique situation where the only language they can sort of read is English, but not well enough for the standard textbooks to be accessible to them. Currently, I am essentially wasting my students' money since their books are unreadable to them.

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    $\begingroup$ Do you think this may be appropriate at ell.stackexchange.com ? $\endgroup$
    – Gerald Edgar
    Dec 4, 2021 at 22:00
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    $\begingroup$ Can you help them with the reading more? Where are you located? $\endgroup$
    – Sue VanHattum ♦
    Dec 5, 2021 at 2:52
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    $\begingroup$ Perhaps you can add those details to your question. Just use the Edit link. $\endgroup$
    – J W
    Dec 5, 2021 at 16:37
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    $\begingroup$ It is possible to be American, and to have a first language other than English. But rare. What is the first language of your students? If it is English, they are not ELL students. $\endgroup$
    – Sue VanHattum ♦
    Dec 5, 2021 at 22:35
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    $\begingroup$ @SueVanHattum "It is possible to be American, and to have a first language other than English. But rare." - Rare, really? $\endgroup$
    – Rusty Core
    Dec 7, 2021 at 2:38

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You've said that your students are at a "university" (i.e., not a community college), and have clarified that they're in the US. Your characterization is that "most of" them find a standard textbook not "accessible," or "unreadable."

It's unclear what you mean when you say that you want to cater to "English language learners" but "most of the students are Americans." ELL is a term used to mean people whose native language is not English. Given your student population, it sounds like probably the majority of them are not people whose native language is not English.

Terms like "unreadable" are absolute, whereas reading comprehension is relative.

You cannot guarantee your students the ability to benefit from a college education. All you can guarantee them is college-level instruction that is appropriate for students who have the preparation and motivation to succeed in college-level work. You can also, if you choose to do so, guarantee that none of them will be limited to a second-class education by the structure of your class, or held back from improving their academic skills and critical thinking ability because the class is taught at an inappropriate pre-college level.

Currently, I am essentially wasting my students' money since their books are unreadable to them.

If money is the issue, then choose an OER text. There are many such texts to choose from at the lower-division level, especially for freshman calc.

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    $\begingroup$ Community college and university are not mutually exclusive. I teach at a community college which is part of an R1/R2 university (CUNY); all my students are receiving full university credit for every class. $\endgroup$
    – Daniel R. Collins
    Dec 6, 2021 at 14:49
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I think it's broadly unlikely that there are any calculus-track textbooks aimed at English Language Learners. But that's just an educated guess.

If you use OER textbooks, then you won't be wasting any of your students' money. I recommend the ones from OpenStax, which in my opinion are fairly high quality. That includes the full calculus sequence, but not linear algebra or differential equations.

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