English Language Learners

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English Language Learners

• BTE363/364

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National Student Profile

• 1 in 5 students in the U.S. are immigrants or
  American-born children of immigrants
• 2.0-3.3 million are English language learners
• 73 of ELLs are native Spanish speakers
• 2 in 5 Latino students aged 15-17 were enrolled
  below grade level
• (Source U.S. Department of Education)

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Stages of Second Language Learning

• Different children may enter school at different
  stages

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Phase I Observation Imitation

• Silent stage child is taking in new situation
  listening
• Child will imitate what other children do in
  class may be pretending to understand
• An outgoing child may use a lot of body gestures
  this may be misinterpreted as physical aggression

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Phase II Single word phrase use

• Child begins to use words or phrases that are
  important for survival in classroom
• Stop it Im next Me too!
• Child begins to use language but is still not
  sure of what constitutes single word in English
• I like it which students hears as two words
• I like it play ball I like it little
  trucks

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Phase III Initial Understanding of Grammatical
Rules

• Child may leave out plurals or past tense
• Childs comprehension exceeds ability to produce
  language may use appropriate content words but
  not in appropriate form
• Child may use grammatical forms that are literal
  translations from first language
• Child gets most of vocabulary but generalizes
  meaning

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Other Points

• Easy to assume child knows a lot more of language
  than they actually do
• Children will experiment more with new language
  when with peers than with adults if possible
  observe student interacting with peers

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What is dripping from the faucet?
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On what is the food sitting?
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The water table lies beneath the surface of the
earth. What is a water table?
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Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS)

• Language skills needed in social situations
• Day-to-day language
• Social interactions are usually context embedded
  occur in a meaningful social context not very
  demanding cognitively
• Language required is not specialized
• Usually develops within 6 months to 2 years after
  arrival in U.S.

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BICS (Continued)

• ELLs can comprehend social language by
• Observing speakers non-verbal behavior
  (gestures, facial expressions, and eye actions)
• Observing others reactions
• Using voice cues such as phrasing, intonation,
  and stress
• Observing pictures, concrete objects, and other
  contextual cues which are present and
• Asking for statements to be repeated and/or
  clarified.

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Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP)

• Refers to formal academic learning
• Listening, speaking, reading, writing about
  subject area content material
• Essential for students to succeed in school
• Usually takes from 5-7 years
• If child has no prior schooling or no support in
  native language development it may take 7-10
  years for ELLs to catch up to their peers

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CALP (continued)

• Isnt just understanding of content area
  vocabulary
• Includes comparing, classifying, synthesizing,
  evaluating, inferring
• Context reduced
• Becomes more cognitively demanding new ideas,
  concepts language are presented at same time

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CALP (continued)

• Proficiency in CALP is gained more slowly
  because
• Non-verbal clues are absent
• There is less face-to-face interaction
• Academic language is often abstract
• Literacy demands are high (narrative and
  expository text and textbooks are written beyond
  the language proficiency of the students) and
• Cultural/linguistic knowledge is often needed to
  comprehend fully.

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Common Underlying Proficiency (CUP)

• Skills, ideas, concepts learned in first
  language will be transferred to second language

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Teacher Expectations, Beliefs, and Attitudes
about the ELLs

• Teachers expectations work to make or break the
  ELLs.
• High expectations help ELLs.
• Lowering expectations hurts the ELLs.
• Teacher expectations work as a self-fulfilling
  prophecy.

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ELLs and Mainstream Teachers

• Negative attitudes and beliefs about the ELLs
  stem from societal attitudes toward the ELLs.
• Media bias and propaganda campaigns have given
  rise to English Only and English for Children
  movements.
• States have passed legislation banning bilingual
  instruction (California Proposition 227.)

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Mainstream Teachers Resistance to Helping the
ELLs

• Some teachers do not want to adjust and adapt the
  curriculum and instructional strategies to help
  ELLs.
• They think, Why should we make it easy for the
  ELLs?

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Effective Communication Tips

• Newcomers need visual kinesthetic support to
  understand academic content material
• Board sketches
• Photographs
• Visual materials
• Mime, gestures, or acting out
• Exaggerate emotions and vary voice teach
  mainstream student to do same
• Repeat actions rephrase

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Effective Communication Tips

• Speak in a clear, concise manner at slightly
  slower pace using short, simple sentences
  high-frequency words
• Students wont understand fast speech or words
  run together
• Pause after phrases or short sentences, not after
  each word
• Avoid passive voice, complex sentences, slang

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I am an avid hunter. I recently bought a
Labrador retriever puppy. I cant wait until he
grows up so that I can hunt him. What does this
imply?
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Effective Communication Tips

• Smile speak in a calm, reassuring manner
• Show patience through facial expressions body
  language
• Make every effort to understand ELLs attempts to
  communicate

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Effective Communication Tips

• Allow new ELLs extra time when listening
  speaking
• Many ELLs translate language they hear to their
  native language, formulate a response, then
  translate response into English

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Effective Communication Tips

• Check comprehension frequently
• Dont ask Do you understand?
• Write down information so students have visual as
  well as auditory input
• Print clearly legibly cursive writing may not
  be understood by ELLs

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Effective Communication Tips

• Accept one word answers, drawings, gestures
• Do not jump in immediately to supply words or
  insist ELLs speak in full sentences
• Resist urge to overcorrect which will inhibit
  newcomers
• If students respond with incorrect English,
  repeat their answer correctly but do not ask
  students to repeat corrected response
• Allow ELLs to use a bilingual dictionary or ask
  for help from same language buddy

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Effective Communication Tips

• If you have important information, speak to
  newcomer individually
• Dont insist student make eye contact this is
  considered rude in many cultures

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Effective Communication Tips

• Let students know which question you are going to
  ask in advance
• This will give students time to prepare a response

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Effective Communication Tips

• Use choral reading
• Be sure ELLs understand what they are reading
  chorally

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Effective Communication Tips

• Write key words on board so students have visual
  as well as auditory input
• Emphasize these key words
• When writing notes home to parents, print your
  message or use a computer
• Use black or blue ink in some cultures red is
  the color of death

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Effective Communication Tips

• Questioning strategies
• Ask ELLs to point to picture or word to
  demonstrate basic knowledge
• Using visual cues, ask simple yes/no questions
• Embed response in question using either/or
• Break complex questions into several steps
  simplify your vocabulary
• Ask simple how and where questions that can
  be answered with a phrase or a short sentence
  dont expect ELLs to answer broad open-ended
  questions

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Effective Communication Tips

• There will be times when you will not be able to
  get an idea across
• Ask ESL teacher in your school for list of
  students who speak newcomers language
• You can call on these students to act as
  translators remember K-2 students do not make
  good translators

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Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP)

• Developed by Echevarria, Short, and Vogt.
• Uses a research-based instructional approach.
• Theory is that language acquisition is enhanced
  through meaningful use and interaction.
• Combines good teaching practice and instruction
  specially designed for ELLs.

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Features of SIOP

• Cooperative learning activities.
• Focus on academic language as well as key
  content vocabulary.
• Use of ELLs first language as a tool.
• Hands-on activities.
• Incorporates students background knowledge into
  classroom lessons.
• High level of student engagement and interaction
  leads to more discourse and critical thinking.

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SIOP Components

• Lesson Preparation
• Building Background
• Comprehensible Input
• Strategies
• Interaction
• Practice/Application
• Lesson Delivery
• Review and Assessment

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Lesson Preparation

• Content objectives Clearly define what the
  students will be able to do write them on the
  board.
• Language objectives Clearly define the
  language objectives write them on the board.
• Concepts should be appropriate for the age and
  educational background of students.
• Materials What can you use to promote
  comprehension? Pictures? Multimedia?
  Demonstration?
• Find ways to integrate the content with language
  practice Listening, speaking, reading, and
  writing.

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Building Background

• New concepts should be linked to students
  background.
• Past learning and new concepts should be tied
  together.
• Emphasize key vocabulary
• Create a word wall leaving it up during the
  lesson for students to see.

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Comprehensible Input

• Teach the lesson
• Use appropriate speech at students proficiency
  level.
• Clearly explain academic tasks.
• Use a variety of techniques to make concepts
  clear.

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Strategies

• The key is to teach students strategies so that
  they can be empowered to learn--make them
  independent learners.
• Scaffolding break concept down into manageable
  pieces guide students through process help
  students move to higher levels of expertise.
• Use different question types.

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Interaction

• Provide lots of interaction.
• Use group work that supports language content
  objectives.
• Cooperative groups
• Buddies
• Pairs
• Large small groups
• Give students time to respond.
• If possible, clarify using native language.

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Practice/Application

• Hands-on activities, models, blocks, tools, etc.
• Activities that allow students to apply both
  content and language knowledge.
• Activities that integrate language skills
  listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

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Lesson Delivery

• Support content and language objectives.
• Engage students at least 90 of the time.
• Pace the lesson gear it to the students ability
  levels.

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ELL Website at ISU
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The End!