Meeting the Needs of English Learners in the Mainstream Classroom

1
Meeting the Needs of English Learners in the
Mainstream Classroom

• Carol Gallegos
• October 2011

2
Language Domains

• All students, but ELs in particular, need all
  four language domains all day long. Reading,
  writing, speaking, and listening.
• Writing and speaking - important.
• They need to hear it, see it, produce it in
  speaking, then produce it in writing.
• If a student cannot say it correctly, he/she will
  not be able to write it.

3
60 of all ELs get stuck at the intermediate
level (Clark, 2009)
Intermediate Early Advanced/Advanced
Conversational fluency Uses basic and run-on sentence structures when speaking Reading and writing, but decoding and spelling skills may be marginal or poor Control of some tenses Control of many basic synonyms Able to participate in content conversations supported by the teacher using basic language Academic language fluency Increased control over sentence structure when speaking and writing Proficient decoding skills Comprehension beyond literal level Demonstrates control of a variety of tenses and grammatical structures Precise word choice Participates in academic conversations using the correct terminology most of the time.
4
ELs in HESD

• Same number of long-term ELs in Hanford stuck at
  the Intermediate level of language fluency as we
  do stuck at Advanced or Early Advanced but still
  not achieving academically.
• What does that mean for the classroom?

5
Language Achievement

• The CELDT assesses mainly social language and
  basic academic language.
• The CST assesses the academic language register.
• Students need both, and, for ELs, academic
  language must be learned simultaneously with
  social language.
• Zwiers (2004/2005) calls academic language a
  third language for these students.
• How do we address both in the classroom?

6
Is It ELD or SDAIE?

• What is the instructional INTENT?
• English language development (ELD) is instruction
  targeted at teaching a student specific elements
  of the English language and is often based on the
  ELD standards.
• Specially designed academic instruction in
  English, or sheltered instruction, is instruction
  that utilizes specific scaffolds to make content
  instruction comprehensible for English learners.
  (Echevarria Short, 2010)
• English learners need both EVERY day.

7
English Language Development

• First objective is language.
• Mainly focused on oral language development with
  some inclusion of all four language domains.
• Vocabulary and learning about the language
• Academic and social vocabulary
• Precise word choice
• Grammar and sentence structure
• How will the teacher explicitly teach these
  language structures and, ideally, frontload the
  vocabulary and grammar needed to better
  comprehend the content area instruction?

8
Academic vs. Social Vocabulary

• ELD basic needs Expressing the need vs. asking to
  do something about it. What is the more correct
  usage? (B-EI)
• Bathroom vs. I need to go to the bathroom/I need
  to use the restroom vs. May I go to the restroom?
  (EI)
• Complete, correct, and intentional sentence
  structures for audience purpose (EA).
• Correct word choice (entering Intermediate).
• Precise word choice (entering EA).

9
ELD Lesson

• You will be reading a selection next week about a
  person who loses the trust of those around him
  and learn the consequences for that loss of
  trust.
• Today, you will learn about the concepts of trust
  and consequences and learn what those words mean.
• Familiar materials The Boy Who Cried Wolf

10
Teaching the Word

• Consequence (n.) (consequences plural)
• Con-se-quence
• Something that follows as a result.
• The relation between and result and its cause.
• Importance or significance.

11
Vocabulary Note-taking Scaffold
Word Meaning Examples Oral Task
consequence Con-se-quence Spanish consecuencia Something that follows as a result. A consequence of not doing what I was told is not going to to the movies with my friends. I did not complete my assignment. The consequence was that I did not go out to recess. (Past tense)
Writing task I did not ____. The consequence was that I ________. (did not receivewas punished/sent to my room) (Past tense) My sentence Writing task I did not ____. The consequence was that I ________. (did not receivewas punished/sent to my room) (Past tense) My sentence Writing task I did not ____. The consequence was that I ________. (did not receivewas punished/sent to my room) (Past tense) My sentence Writing task I did not ____. The consequence was that I ________. (did not receivewas punished/sent to my room) (Past tense) My sentence
12

• How Were All 4 Language
• Domains Included?
• Which language domain
• was predominantly used to
• teach the two vocabulary slides?

13
ELD Teach Conceptual Vocabulary

• Students need to know
• words that are important for understanding a
  particular lesson concept (peer pressure,
  technology, cultural traditions)
• words that are likely to be encountered on a
  regular basis (consequence, significant, analyze,
  respond) in academic settings.

14
ELD Usage

• Usage must be explicitly and carefully planned
  for to ensure correct usage and full
  comprehension.
• It is not enough to simply increase turn and
  talks, only when students are explicitly coached
  in correct usage and then held accountable to try
  it and use the form correctly does it make a
  difference.
• ELs require multiple opportunities for supported
  and accountable language production during a
  lesson and across a unit.

15
Sheltered Instruction or SDAIE

• Primary objective is content.
• Secondary objective is language related to that
  content (but a good language objective can also
  target specific tenses, functions, and forms of
  language).
• How will the teacher make the content
  comprehensible given the language level of the
  students?

16
Instructional Scaffolds SDAIE

• Oral and written prompts
• Sentence frames
• Cue cards with sentence frames
• Small group
• Pre-teaching and review of the content (Could
  happen in ELD)
• Pre-teaching of the vocabulary and language forms
  using familiar content (ELD)
• Interactive writing of piece and/or of plan for
  piece of writing (differentiation for the level)
• Use of specific graphic organizers to support the
  content, the thinking process, and discussion
  around the content supported by academic
  conversation stems.
• (Dutro Kinsella, 2010)

17
Assessment Scaffolds

• Oral or written tasks
• Small group assessments
• Use of additional scaffolds, such as pictures,
  notes, other plans
• Group planning with individual response
• Oral rehearsal followed by individual written
  response
• (Dutro Kinsella, 2010)

18
Discussion Task Example

• Notice how these frames target content and
  language
• EI A good partner is _ (adjective helpful,
  polite, friendly, serious).
• I An effective partner tries to _ (verb help,
  finish, listen).
• EA I work more effectively with a partner who
  (verb s listens, participates, assists).
• A I tend to work more productively with a _
  (adjective) partner who _(verb s).

19
Differentiated Brainstorming Task

• B/EI People immigrate for better _ (noun
  jobs, education, lives, schools).
• I Many people decide to immigrate
  because they want/need _ (noun phrase a safer
  life, a better job, better schools). Or Many
  immigrants come to the U.S. for _ (noun phrase).
• EA/A People from many countries decide to
  immigrate because _ (independent clause they are
  victims of war in their homeland). Some families
  immigrate to the U.S. in order to _ (verb phrase
  escape war, make more money, attend school).

20
Vocabulary

• Vocabulary Order
• Basic words (rules, promise, water, air, city)
• Specific, yet general, utility words (laws,
  pledge, liquid, gas)
• Increasingly precise terms (judicial system,
  allegiance, properties, rural community)

21
Vocabulary Progression
B/EI I EA/A
Nouns rule problem law calculation judicial system computation
Adjectives full, empty, crowded Overcrowded, vacant, busy Deserted, un/occupied
Verbs ask, answer, tell Explain, respond, request Elaborate, pose a question, inquire, query
Adverbs now, soon, every day Right away, often, usually, on time Immediately, in a moment, frequently, regularly
22
ELD or SDAIE?
ELD Both SDAIE
Grammar related to usage Language is the main objective Should be targeted to a level or level range Should be thematic-related to ELA in that it will help students to know more language and help them to access the content instruction Mainly emphasizes speaking Social academic language Separate time of the day Dominated by student talk Structured language responses All four language domains Emphasize vocabulary Content is the main objective Special supports to make the content accessible All day long every day in every lesson Includes language supports for different levels Differentiated instruction and assessment, but not content