Title: Developing a Four-Year Comprehensive Program for Spanish Heritage Learners
1Developing a Four-Year Comprehensive Program for
Spanish Heritage Learners
- Graciella Nápoles Kari Jaeckel
- Evanston Township High School
- Evanston, Illinois
2Presentation Agenda
- Demographics Background Information
- Rationale for SHL Program
- Evolution of SHL Program at ETHS
- Curriculum Development
- Curricular Content
- Current Projects
3Evanston Township High School
- Four-year, comprehensive high school
- Located in Evanston, Illinois, a Chicago suburb
along the Lake Michigan Shore - Serves the city of Evanston and a portion of the
neighboring village of Skokie - Total district population of approximately 78,000
- Community offers ethnic, economic, racial, and
cultural diversity that is reflected in the
student body
4Evanston Township High School District 202
Demographic Information
Demographic Information 2007-2008
5Student Achievement at ETHS
4 performance levels (Prairie State Achievement
Examination Grade 11) 1 Academic Warning 2
Below Standards 3 Meets Standards 4 Exceeds
Standards (Based on PSAE Results April 2007)
Reading Scores
6Demographic Information Students We Service
- 10.7 of population at ETHS or students are
Latino (2007-2008) - 5 years ago this was 7.5
- 124 students enrolled in SHL courses in 2007-2008
- Regular, Honors and AP levels in SHL classes
- Enrollment of Latino students in 5 AP Spanish
Literature course is steadily increasing - 54 Latino students have taken both the AP Spanish
Language and Literature exams since 1997-1998
all but one received passing scores (3,4, or 5)
7Demographic Information Students We Service,
continued
- Enrollment of Latino student in 5 AP Spanish
Literature class - School year Latino students Class
enrollment 3 or higher on AP exam - 07-08 5 38
- also 9 in 4 AP
- 06-07 10 45 100 Lang 93 Lit
- also 4 in 4 AP
- 05-06 14 39 100
83 also 9 in 4 AP - 04-05 3 29 100 93
- 03-04 5 29 100 86
- 02-03 10 24 100 91
- 01-02 7 28
100 96 - 00-01 5 20
100 100
8Identification and Placement of SHL Students
- Articulation with Middle Schools
- Collaboration with Counselors
- Placement Process speaking, oral reading
fluency, writing sample, teacher checklist
9Creating a Spanish for Heritage Learners Program
- Identify Heritage Language Learners
- Students raised in homes where non-English
languages are spoken - Students who speak and/or understand the heritage
language - Students who are to some degree bilingual in
English and the heritage language
10Creating a Spanish for Heritage Learners Program,
continued
- 2. Needs of Heritage Language Speakers
- Opportunities to develop greater bilingual
communication range - Opportunities to use heritage language to connect
with other disciplines and acquire new info - Opportunities to develop insight into the nature
of their heritage language and culture
11Creating a Spanish for Heritage Learners Program,
continued
- 3. Instructional Options for Heritage Speakers
- Transfer of Literacy Skills
- Focus on reading writing
- Editing written language
- Teaching strategies designed to monitor the use
of non-standard register
12Creating a Spanish for Heritage Learners Program,
continued
- 4. Language Maintenance
- Issues of identity and language
- Reading culturally-relevant texts
13Rationale for Spanish for Heritage Learners
Courses at ETHS
- Goal To provide academically challenging and
relevant courses to educate Latino students in
Spanish, increasing their language and literacy
skills in their home language - Academically equip students for future careers,
higher education, and AP Language and Literature
courses in Spanish
14Rationale for Spanish for Heritage Learners
Courses at ETHS, continued
- Courses contribute to ETHS goals as well as
World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment
(WIDA) goals - Provide opportunities for all students to perform
at their fullest potential - Provide equitable educational opportunities for
Latino students
15Developing a Four-Year Sequence of Spanish for
Heritage Learners Courses
- Characteristics of a Level 1 SHL Student
- Often more English-dominant
- Sometimes at a loss for vocabulary switches back
and forth between Spanish and English in informal
conversations - Can read and understand intermediate-level
readings, but writing in Spanish, like speaking
experience, has been limited to informal use of
language at home and with bilingual friends - Often struggles academically
- Literacy skills in English may also be low
16Developing a Four-Year Sequence of Spanish for
Heritage Learners Courses, continued
- Characteristics of a Level 2 SHL Student
- May be more dominant in English than in Spanish
for academic purposes, and have little or no
schooling in Spanish, or - May be a native speaker of Spanish with limited
formal schooling in Spanish - Lacks academic and literary vocabulary in Spanish
- Can read and understand intermediate-level
readings, but writing in Spanish, like speaking
experience, is still limited - Often struggles academically
- Literacy skills in English may also be low
17Developing a Four-Year Sequence of Spanish for
Heritage Learners Courses, continued
- Characteristics of a Level 3 SHL Student
- Maybe fully bilingual in spoken language
- May have some formal schooling in Spanish, but
prefers to speak English, or - May be a native speaker of Spanish and an ELL,
and have extended formal schooling in Spanish - Comprehends nearly all spoken Spanish, informal
and formal, academic and personal - Rich vocabulary development in Spanish if student
is more Spanish-dominant and has more schooling
in Spanish developing Spanish vocabulary if
schooling was primarily in English - Can read and understand most readings that use
contemporary language and more concrete themes
and topics is developing comprehension and
confidence with abstract and symbolic language in
Spanish - Writing in Spanish lacks development, often
mimics spoken language - Often struggles academically
- Literacy skills in English may be low
18Developing a Four-Year Sequence of Spanish for
Heritage Learners Courses, continued
- Characteristics of a Level 4 SHL Student
- Has experience in academic Spanish
- Can communicate in speaking and writing
completely in Spanish, though may still code
switch or use English in public/school settings - Comprehends nearly all spoken Spanish, informal
and formal, academic and personal - Rich vocabulary development in Spanish if student
is more Spanish-dominant and has more schooling
in Spanish, developing Spanish vocabulary if
schooling was primarily in English - Can read and understand most readings, and is
developing confidence with abstract and symbolic
language in Spanish - Writing in Spanish shows development, though
common spelling, grammar and punctuation errors
are still evident - Often struggles academically
- Literacy skills in English may be low
19General Strategies for Teaching Spanish Heritage
Learners
- Holistic language arts approach, taking into
account students backgrounds and cultures - Guide students in identifying what it means to be
Latino - Foster positive attitudes through enabling
students to gain a better understanding of their
heritage language - Use of a variety of materials
culturally-relevant readings (short stories and
other selections), history and geography, current
events articles and films
20Sample Unit Level 1 Spanish For Heritage
Learners
- Myths Legends of Latin America
- OVERARCHING UNDERSTANDINGS
- Students will understand what storytelling is and
how its role has changed. - Students will understand what legends and myths
are. - Students will understand the differences between
legends and myths from various Hispanic cultures
and other places around the world. - ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
- What is storytelling and how has its role
changed? - What are legends and myths?
- What are similarities and differences between
legends and myths around the world, including the
various Hispanic cultures?
21Sample Unit Level 1 Spanish For Heritage
Learners, continued
- Myths Legends of Latin America
-
- DESCRIPTION OF FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS
- Participation in daily group and class
discussions - Quizzes on individual readings
- Dictations
- Journal writing
- Daily homework
- Quizzes on sound-symbol correspondence
- DESCRIPTION OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTS
- Paragraph summary of myth or legend
- Guided expository writing using specific
transition words - Unit exam
- THINGS STUDENTS NEED TO KNOW AND BE ABLE TO DO
- Comprehend text at a beginning/intermediate level
- Understand correct sentence structure
- Begin expository writing
22Sample Unit Level 1 Spanish For Heritage
Learners, continued
- Myths Legends of Latin America
- OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN
- Reading Selections
- Myths and Legends of Latin America
- La llorona
- La Virgen de Guadalupe
- Los tres consejos
- La comadre Sebastiana
- Los novios
- Guanina
- La creación (hace mucho tiempo)
- Vocabulary Development
- Reading Related
- Language Mechanics
- Review of capitalization and punctuation
- Dictations
- Phonetics
- Sound-symbol correspondence (review)
23Sample Unit Level 1 Spanish For Heritage
Learners, continued
- Myths Legends of Latin America
- OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN, continued
- Language Structure
- Review of sentence structure
- Writing Development
- Continue journal writing
- Introduction to expository writing
- Short paragraphs and transition words
- Paragraph summary of legend or myth
- Comparison/Contrast of two legends or myths
- Film
- Macario
24Sample Unit Level 4/4AP Spanish For Heritage
Learners, continued
- Literatura Fantástica Chac Mool
- OVERARCHING UNDERSTANDINGS
- Students will understand the characteristics of
literatura fantástica. - Students will have an understanding of Fuentes
short stories. - Students will have a better understanding of
contemporary Mexican society. - Students will have a better understanding of
Aztec mythology and symbols. - ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
- What is literatura fantástica?
- What are the features of Fuentes short stories?
- What are the characteristics of contemporary
Mexican society and how are they reflected in
Mexican literature? - What is the importance of Aztec myths and
symbols?
25Sample Unit Level 4/4AP Spanish For Heritage
Learners, continued
- Literatura Fantástica Chac Mool
- DESCRIPTION OF FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS
- Written assessments
- Group assessments
- DESCRIPTION OF SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENTS
- Summary of the short story
- Descriptive piece modeled after the style of the
work cuento arqueológico - Unit exam
- THINGS STUDENTS NEED TO KNOW AND BE ABLE TO DO
- Read and comprehend unit selections
- Identify elements of Aztec myths and recognize
their influence in contemporary Mexico - Apply knowledge of writing concepts (description
and summary) - Identify characteristics of literatura fantástica
26Sample Unit Level 4/4AP Spanish For Heritage
Learners, continued
- Literatura Fantástica Chac Mool
- OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN
- Reading Selections
- Chac Mool
- Vocabulary Development
- Reading Related
- Definition of genre of literatura fantástica
- Cultural Enrichment
- Review of Aztec mythology
- Contemporary Mexico
- Writing Development
- Cuento Aqueológico
27Texts and Materials
- Levels 1 2
- Nuevas Vistas, Curso Uno
- (Holt, Rinehart and Winston)
- Nuevas Vistas, Curso Dos
- (Holt, Rinehart and Winston)
- Sendas Literarias (Pearson Prentice Hall)
- Other short stories from a variety of sources
- Levels 3 4
- Manual de ortografía y gramática para hispanos
(Pearson Prentice Hall) - Cinco maestros (Coleman, ed.)
- Literary works from a variety of sources
28Current Projects
- Developing reading and writing strategies for all
SHL classes - Through work in Professional Learning Community
- Technology integration
- Visual and audio prompts for designated topics
and themes to enable students to employ registers
of language in a variety of settings both aurally
and orally (using the Language Laboratory).
29Current Projects, continued
- Reading Strategies (sample from Level 1)
- El trabajo en el campo
- by Rose del Castillo Guilbault
- Before reading (sample questions)
- 1. Conoces a alguien que trabaja en el campo?
- 2. Qué tipo de vida lleva la gente en el campo?
- 3. En dónde en los EE.UU. hay muchos
trabajadores agrícolas de origen mexicano?
30Current Projects, continued
- Reading Strategies (sample from Level 1)
- El trabajo en el campo
- by Rose del Castillo Guilbault
- While reading (sample questions)
- 1. Cómo se sentía la narradora la primera vez
que trabajó en el campo? - 2. Por qué el jefe de los campesinos no quería
contratar a la familia? - 3. Qué comprendió la niña con respecto al
trabajo agrícola de la familia mexicana?
31Current Projects, continued
- Reading Strategies (sample from Level 1)
- El trabajo en el campo
- by Rose del Castillo Guilbault
- After reading (sample questions)
- Multiple choice questions
32Current Projects, continued
- Reading Strategies (sample from Level 4)
- Cartas de amor traicionado
- by Isabel Allende
- Before reading (sample questions)
- 1. Si quisieras impresionar a una persona que no
te conoce muy bien, qué tipo de cosas le
escribirías en una carta o mensaje electrónico? - 2. Es posible enamorarse a través de la
escritura? - 3. Qué te sugiere el título de este cuento?
33Current Projects, continued
- Reading Strategies (sample from Level 4)
- Cartas de amor traicionado
- by Isabel Allende
- While reading (sample questions)
- Qué había puesto Analía en una caja de sombreros
durante un año? - 2. Qué hacía Luis cuando ella le mencionaba
las cartas? - 3. Qué motivos tenía la persona que escribió
las cartas?
34Current Projects, continued
- Reading Strategies (sample from Level 4)
- Cartas de amor traicionado
- by Isabel Allende
- After reading (sample questions)
- Multiple choice questions
35Current Projects, continued
- Writing Strategies
- Cloze text activities taken from in-class
readings - Guided essays representing a variety of genres
36Current Projects, continued
- Technology Integration
- Listening activities including speakers from a
variety of Spanish-speaking countries in
different contexts - Video clips on a variety of topics with
discussion prompts to follow - Internet research and PowerPoint presentations
37Resources
- Azulejo. Colbert, Colbert, Kanter, Maura
Sugano eds, Wayside Publishing. 2002. - La ensenanza del español a hispanohablantesPraxi
s y teoría. M. Cecilia Colombi and Francisco X.
Alarcon eds, Houghton Mifflin Co. 1997. - Teacher Preparation and the Heritage Language
Learner What Teachers Need to Know. Guadalupe
Valdez, Stanford University. 2000.