English Language Learners in Language Arts

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English Language Learners in Language Arts

• READ 621
• SPRING 2005
• Dr. Schneider

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Important questions

• Who are English Language Learners?
• What are classic integration programs?
• What are important terms to know?
• What are their characteristics?
• What are characteristics of second language
  learning vs. foreign language learning?
• What is effective teacher language?
• What are effective teaching strategies?

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Important questions

• What are good learning
  strategies to teach?
• How does one best foster peer interaction?
• How does one best interact with parents of ELLs?
• Why are ELLs usually over-identified as students
  with language learning disabilities like
  dyslexia?

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Who are ELLs?

• They are individuals who learn English in an
  English speaking environment to become full
  members of culture and workforce .
• English is not their native language.
• They learn English as an additional language,
  added to their mother tongue, often NOT
  simultaneously with L1.

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Who are ELLs?

• Young children in this situation (PreK-1) can be
  considered learning L1 L2 simultaneously.
• Older students, feel the delay between L1 L2
  learning.
• This time delay has an impact on how the brain
  develops and expands to take in new languages.

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Who are ELLs?

• The younger the learner, the more efficient
  overlap and automatic contrastive language
  awareness develops for languages.
• A 3 year-old growing up with more than 1 language
  can automatically correct language errors of
  others learning a FL in school does not provide
  one with this skill.
• gt treat ESOL learners with respect patience!
  Their brains are conducting MAJOR accomplishments
  even when they are quiet.

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Types of integration programs for English
Language Learners

• Complete immersion
• (French Canada Cummins)
• Gradual immersion part of the
• Day in ELL class and part of the day in regular
  English class, gradually more English
• No immersion (not practiced anymore)
• ELLs are taught content only in their mother
  tongue

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Researchers Terms in ELL

• Important researchers in the field of ELL
• Cummings (Canadian, McGill University)
• Ester Geva (Hungarian-Canadian, University of
  Toronto ESL-LD research
• Alba Ortiz (University of Austin, TX, ESL-
  Hispanics, assessment, legal issues, LD)
• Important journals
• TESOL focuses on whole language like
  instruction
• Language Learning
• Modern Language Journal

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Example of ELL diversity

• Examples of cultural linguistic diversity
• African American culture
• Hebrew culture
• American Indian culture
• Asian-American culture
• Hispanic American culture
• Greek Orthodox culture
• Russian Orthodox culture

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Researchers Terms in ELL

• Different Terms for same learner situation
• ESOL English as a Second or Other Language
• ELL English Language Learner
• ESL English as a Second Language Learner
  (English not always the 2nd but 3rd or 4th)
• TESOL - Teachers of English as a Second or other
  Languages

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What are characteristics of ELL learners?

• (1) Receptive language (understanding spoken,
  written language) develops before productive
  language (speaking, writing, reading)
• gt ELLs are usually quiet for a long time. BUT
  THEY ARE LEARNING
• DO NOT FORCE THEM TO SPEAK, at most invite them
  in 1-on-one gently
• Cultures that punish mistakes make this an even
  longer period (Asian cultures)

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Characteristics of ESOL learners

• (2) Depending on cultural background, their
  social obligations at home clash with/ distract
  from school obligations.
• ELLs are considered adults at home and children
  in school having to obey different standards.
• Students are often torn between new standards
  (knowledge a virtue, value) and home.

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Characteristics of ELLs

• (2) Depending on cultural background, their
  social obligations at home clash with/ distract
  from school obligations.
• gt Learn about home obligations show respect
  while at the same time instilling the value of
  education knowledge in individual
• gt mentor motto if you excel you can help family
  better

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Characteristics of ELLs

• (3) Depending on personal background, their
  academic background differs greatly.
• Illiterate in mother tongue (L1)
• Partly literate in L1 ( different or same print
  system than English makes a difference!)
• Literate in L1 (only reading, or reading
  writing at different levels)

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Characteristics of ELLs

• (4) academic background differs greatly.
• gt Learn about background anticipate that
• The less background and the older learner the
  more time it will take to catch up in English.
• The more different the previous print system
  (e.g. logographic Chinese, Japanese, Korean vs.
  alphabetic English, Polish, Italian vs.
  Hebrew, Russian, the more challenging is
  literacy process

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Characteristics of ELLs

• (5) Acceptable Language features
• Students take in English, hypothesize
  subconsciously and consciously about language
  patterns and fine-tune increasingly correct oral
  written language.

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Characteristics of ELLs

• (5) Acceptable Language features
• Students go through overlapping developmental
  phases in speaking writing similar to L1
  development
• 1-2 word phase substituting a sentence
• Gradually longer phrases
  for sentences

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Characteristics of ELLs

• (5) Acceptable Language features
• In this process students specific language
  bridging errors that are
• logical must be respected as such
• Teacher rephrases gently and friendly in correct
  English but DOES NOT MAKE ERROR EXPLICIT in
  natural speaking flow (possible in writing,
  depends on learner stage gt inhibits learning
  process

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Characteristics of ELLs

• (5) Acceptable Language features
• Overgeneralizations overuse of a discovered
  pattern
• -ed for past tense on all verbs
• -ing for progressive form on all verbs
• Plural s on all nouns sheeps, mans
• No 3rd person singular s He go vs. He goes
• Adding -ly onto all adverbs fastly vs. fast
• Using -er/-est with all comparisons/
  superlatives bader/badest vs. worse/worst

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Characteristics of ELLs

• (5) Acceptable Language features
• Code switching using L1 (or other language)
  features in English speaking/writing
• Use of word, phrase, sentence that comes into
  mind fastest based on previous experiences gt
  efficiency, fluency issue
• Example He took a siesta. She said Hasta luego!

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Characteristics of ELLs

• (5) Acceptable Language features
• Code switching gt respect, nod and calmly try to
  rephrase in complete English if you do not
  understand expression, it is part of natural
  communication process to ask for clarification
  with verbal non-verbal cues.

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Second foreign language learning

• FOREIGN LANGUAGE
• L2 learned in environment where L2 is NOT used
  daily as means to participate in culture
  work-force.
• Usually taught in school setting
• Usually not acquired simultaneously w/ L1

• SECOND LANGUAGE
• L2 learned in environment where L2 is used daily
  as means to participate in culture workforce.
• Usually taught in school setting acquired in
  real life
• Often acquired simultaneously w/ L1

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Second foreign language learning

• FOREIGN LANGUAGE
• L2 oral language learned with explicit rules.
  (Krashen, 1982)
• L2 written language learned like oral language in
  artificial setting
• Brain builds rather separate compart-ments for
  L1/L2.

• SECOND LANGUAGE
• L2 oral language acquired usually w/o explicit
  rules.
• L2 written language partly acquired and partly
  learned w/ explicit rules surrounded by L2
• Brain builds rather overlapping compart-ments
  for L1/L2.

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Effective teacher language

• Use international terms
• Use simple instructional language support it
  with reliable gestures and or picture cues
• Use same language cues for same activity
  instructions repeat it several time
• Model for students how to integrate new ELLs into
  games outdoor activities

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Effective ELL teaching strategies

• Turn abstract into concrete by using
• universal kinesthetic-tactile activities
• Illustrations other visuals to support oral
  language.
• various graphic organizers w/ pictures.
• Use Word banks with pictures to match when
  testing vocabulary instead of gap-filling
  vocabulary quizzes.
• Organize vocabulary according to patterns to make
  learning more efficient.

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Effective ELL teaching strategies

• Organize vocabulary according to
• Word families with same root, prefix or suffix
• Word families with same base word
• Words with same spelling pattern and same
  pronunciation (boot, moon, loon, spoon, spooling,
  spooled)
• Words with same spelling pattern but different
  pronunciation (boot/cook, seat/head, lotion,
  impression)
• Words with different spelling pattern but same
  pronunciation homophones (red/read, pain/pane)
• Words with same spelling but different meaning
  homographs (chair/chair, trunk/trunk run/run)
• gt Ida Ehrlich (1968) Instant Vocabulary

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Effective ELL teaching strategies

• Use multiple repetition with variety and
  continuity.
• Use multiple kinesthetic-tactile practice
• Integrate age and culture appropriate literature
  and pictures.
• Provide opportunities for ESOL students to share
  information about their culture and tradition so
  that classmates learn to respect and value the
  odd member in the group.

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Effective ELL teaching strategies

• Involve a bilingual tutor
• Allow ESOL students
• to share teach about their language
  (expressions, gestures)
• to use their native language orally and in
  writing if it fosters content understanding and
  motivates further engagement in literacy reading
  writing
• to read discuss literature written and read in
  their native tongue
• To watch/discuss native language video tapes
• Bring environmental print in their L1 into the
  classroom.

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Effective ELL teaching strategies

• Use portfolio assessment
• Use small-group, peer- learning experience to
  lower performance pressure
• Praise for every little success
• Allow ELLs
• to answer in native language and then ask student
  to help YOU figure out meaning.

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Effective ELL teaching strategies

• Use culture sensitive literature and pictures
• Use real pictures, not stereo-typed ones
• Avoid pictures that depict problems in this new
  culture (US) in the beginning
• Use picture books and travel books that display
  areas ELLs know as their home territory and can
  talk about.
• Use music from different cultures
• National Geographic
• Geography/Travel section library
• Fairy tales from different cultures

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Effective ELL teaching strategies

• Provide explicit, consistent visual clues for
  INSTRUCTIONAL routines
• Writing on Computer
• Math
• Art

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Effective ELL teaching strategies

• Provide explicit, consistent visual clues for
  INSTRUCTIONAL routines
• Silent reading
• Writing
• Spelling

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Effective peer language behavior

• Assign team partner (rotate) to help out
  provide this partner with some social reward
• Show peers how to point to text while reading to
  give ELL visual support
• Encourage peers to praise ELL for progress or
  hard work (high 5 gesture etc)
• Encourage integration into out-of school sports
  or other activities

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Interacting with parents of ELL students

• Since academic performance is valued differently
  in different cultures, inform your-self about
• How does students culture react to difficulties,
  poor grades? -gt Asian cultures tense issue,
  Latino culture not so much, more family service
• How well do parents understand English AND the
  American education system? -gt Make explicit with
  help of translator graphs, pictures

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Interacting with parents of ELL students

• Inform your-self about
• How does family need student at home and in
  public (translator role)?
• How does family value home visits? -gt This might
  be most effective way to communicate with
  parents FIND OUT ABOUT PROPER WAYS TO DO SO
  TAKE TRANSLATOR ALONG parents will be less
  intimidated by foreign environment later, when
  trust has been built, invite parent participation
  sharing of culture language in school.

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Over-identification of ELLs as learning
disabled Reasons

• FACT Varying from state to state between 20-50
  of ELLs wrongly placed into SPED classrooms
• Standardized tests, required to truly identify
  disability are NOT available in the appr. 500
  languages needed
• If available, they have poor reliability,
  validity e.g., SPANISH WISC, WOODCOCK READING)

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Over-identification of ELLs as learning disabled
Reasons

• Lack of properly trained ELL teachers.
• SPED teachers thought to be best qualified to
  meet different students needs.
• SPED teachers have smaller groups are expected
  to be able to devote more individual time to
  ELLs.
• ELLs are measured against language performance of
  L1 learners. If they do not perform like them gt
  considered problematic, dumb,

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Over-identification of ELLs as learning disabled
Reasons

• Lack of awareness among regular ED teachers
  regarding
• how L2 language learning occurs
• what parts in curriculum causes stumbling blocks
  for ELLs (speed, lack of visuals repetition)
• How to show respect appreciation for ELL s
  (potential) contribution to class, the other
  culture language
• How to modify instruction to meet ELL needs