Contemporary Issues in ESL Education

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Contemporary Issues in ESL Education

• Tonnie Martinez, Ph.D.

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Hot Topics

• What are some of the hot topics in ESL?
• How L1 influences content comprehension.
• The importance of assumption hunting.
• What are some things other schools are doing that
  we might want to consider?

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Humans are Complex Experienced Expectant and
Require Complex Experiences to Learn
Pictures taken from the book, The Amazing Brain
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Looking at Culture with New Eyes

• Its All in the Cards!

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The Card Youve Been Dealt

• 2-5 Not so good you are thought of as lower
  class. Treated poorly, ignored.
• 6-10 Better, but really just the middle of the
  pack.
• Face Card JACK POT! You are greeted with
  enthusiasm and warmth! ACES get the were not
  worthy!

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COMMON ESL ACRONYMS

• LEP- Limited English Proficient
• ESL- English as a Second Language
• ESOL- English to Speakers of Other Languages
• ELL- English Language Learner
• SEL- Standard English Learner
• CLD- Culturally and Linguistically Diverse

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What is Culture?

• Heritage
• Beliefs
• Customs
• Group with commonalities
• Some are by choice, some are not
• Think about the cultures you belong to.
• Roles you play

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COMMON ACRONYMS

• LEP- Limited English Proficient
• ESL- English as a Second Language
• ESOL- English to Speakers of Other Languages
• ELL- English Language Learner
• SEL- Standard English Learner (example)
• Formal/Informal English
• CLD- Culturally and Linguistically Diverse

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Readiness for Critical Reflection

• Critical reflection is a uniquely adult ability?
• Assumption Hunting
• Validity Testing
• Example

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Readiness for CLD students and families

• Assumptions
• Acculturation Issues
• Bi-racial Children

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Who are they?
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Understanding Cultural Differences

• Cultural Differences can mean different rules for
  classroom behavior. (co-ed?)
• Cultural Differences can affect students
  understanding of content. (Math)
• Cultural Differences can affect interactions with
  others. (home visits)

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Who are our people?
Mexican/Latino/Hispanic/Spanish/African
American/Black/Asian/Other
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Diversity can influence understanding of content.

• Brain is pattern-seeking
• Cultural norms and patterns can play defense
  against new information.
• We need to scout the opponent and help the
  players to understand what they are up against
  and give them some plays in order to score.

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Cultural Text / Discourse Patterns

American Direct, linear, state the topic,
explain and conclude. Ex I need a pair of shoes.
Im going to the store. Ill buy some running
shoes.
Adaptation from original study by Robert Kaplan
L. Valdez Pierce, 2001 Kaplan, R. (1966).
Cultural Thought Patterns in Intercultural
Education. Language Learning, 16, 1-20.
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Semitic(Arabic languages)
A repetitive, recursive structure. Ex I
need shoes. Ill go to the store. I need shoes.
I should measure my feet. I really need shoes.
My old ones are worn out.
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Asian
A circular pattern. Sensory details
abound. Ex In the winter, the ground is frozen.
In the summer, it is hot and there are sand
burrs. So your feet can get frostbite or burns.
Shoes can be useful.
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Romance Languages(French, Italian, Spanish)
Linear, but with digressions which tend to
involve family and friends. Ex I need a pair of
shoes. Ill get some running shoes. You know,
my sister got some running shoes a while ago at
J.C. Penneys. They gave her blisters, but they
were cheap. Maybe we shouldnt go to Penneys to
look for shoes.
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Slavic(Polish, Czech, Russian)
Some of the contents of text may appear to be
extraneous and digressive, swinging between
extreme points. Ex I need a pair of shoes. You
know back in _____ they have the worst factories.
You cant get a decent pair of shoes there. Im
glad to buy shoes here.
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Sample Question

• A jogger immediately called the wildlife
  department on her cell phone when she saw the
  beached ..........
• Wail
• Whale
• While
• COULD OF

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The need for multiple modalities

• Listening
• Speaking
• Reading
• Writing

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District Issues

• Identification
• Assessment
• Alternative Language Program (model)
• Staffing
• Program Evaluation
• Communication with Parents
• Special Opportunities

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We want our intentions to be GOOD!

• In the eyes of OCR we are ALL ESL teachers.
• When is the training, what is it, and what are
  the qualifications of the trainer?
• www.ed.gov/ocr

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Parents

• Caution about assumptions (Immigrants may leave
  identity behind)
• Teachers are the experts (Maestro)
• Name changes add to distrust
• Ask! Ask! Ask!
• Visit the community shops, restaurants, events!

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Parental Involvement Ideas

• Create an inviting place! (School Scavenger Hunt)
• Include classified personnel in professional
  development
• Diverse Site Council
• Faith-based parent nights (their turf)
• Dedicated answering machine
• Fill the chairs
• Home visits
• Encourage home language use

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Questions? Comments?