www.ncliteracyresources.com

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Supporting the English Language Learner in the
Mainstream Classroomusing materials from
National Geographic School Publishing

• Johnston County
• August 8, 2007
• Presenter Marian Shuttlesworth

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Agenda

• Identify the challenges that ELLs face
• Identify the language and literacy needs of ELLs
• Examine instructional practices that best support
  ELLs
• How SIOP supports ELLs
• Determine ways to select appropriate texts to
  meet the needs of ELLs

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ELL Growth in NC
Source NC DPI, ESL Department Annual LEP
Headcount Data
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What Does an ELL look like?
Novice (Low and High) Learners -
Intermediate (Low and High) Learners -
Advanced Superior Learners -
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Language Transfer Issues

• What is Language Transfer?
• Language transfer typically refers to the learner
  trying to apply rules and forms of the first
  language into the second language.
• Talk with a Partner
• When would a student have issues transferring
  rules and forms of their native language to the
  new language? What languages would you expect to
  have fewer transfer issues? What languages would
  you expect to have more?

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Language Transfer Issues

• Examples

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BICS vs. CALP

• BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills)
  refers to the basic communicative fluency
  achieved by all normal native speakers of a
  language.
• It typically takes language learners 1-3 years to
  develop BICS if they have sufficient exposure to
  the second language.
• CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency)
  refers to the ability to manipulate language
  using abstractions in a sophisticated manner.
  CALP is used while performing in an academic
  setting. CALP is the ability to think in and use
  a language as a tool for learning.
• Research suggests that K-12 students need 5 to 7
  years to acquire CALP in the second language if
  the learner has native language literacy.
  Learners who do not have strong native language
  literacy often need 7-10 years to acquire CALP in
  the second language.
• Source Jim Cummins and Virginia Collier

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Text Challenges for ELLs

• Vocabulary
• Connections
• Sentence length
• Verb tense
• Pronouns
• Prepositional phrases
• Punctuation

• Possessives
• Contractions
• Passive voice
• Idioms
• Multiple meaning words
• Abbreviations

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Text Challenges Examples

• Pronouns
• The horse went in the barn. It was brown.
• IdiomsKick the bucket
• Multiple Meaning Words Discuss with a partner!
• What does the word Power mean in each of the
  following classes? Math, Social Studies, Science,
  Language Arts.

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Text Challenges for ELLs

• Vocabulary
• Connections
• Sentence length
• Verb tense
• Pronouns
• Prepositional phrases
• Punctuation

• Possessives
• Contractions
• Passive voice
• Idioms
• Multiple meaning words
• Abbreviations

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How to Evaluate Texts for ELLs?
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ELLs vs. Native Speakers

• What would you do differently to support an ELL?
• Frontload academic vocabulary
• Build background
• Introduce academic concepts
• Ask tiered questions associated with the students
  level of language proficiency
• Provide stage-appropriate adaptations of
  instructional strategies

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How do ELLs acquire academic vocabulary?

• Repeated reading of the same book
• Singing the same chants
• Singing familiar songs over and over
• Word Walls

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What the classroom teacher must keep in mind for
ELL learning

• Linking past learning to the new concept
• Using slower speech, visuals, real objects,
  manipulatives, etc. to clarify meaning
• Using scaffolding techniques beginning with
  students current levels of understanding
• Providing more wait time for an ELLs response,
  as well as more opportunities for student talk
  rather than teacher talk
• Pacing the lesson delivery to match the students
  ability level
• Providing many avenues of assessing knowledge

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• Language, Literacy, and Vocabulary
• Weather and Seasons
• Objectives
• Understand that weather and seasons change and
  that these changes affect people.
• Learn and use vocabulary related to weather and
  seasons.
• Use photographs to predict vocabulary
• Use text features, such as graphic symbols and
  TOC/Headings, to comprehend text

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Sing About Weather

• Have you seen a sunny day?
• A sunny day,
• A sunny day?
• Have you seen a sunny day?
• Its one kind of weather.

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Weather and Seasons
Concept Book
Nonfiction Student Books
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Scaffolded support
Concept Book

• Labels
• Graphic
• elements

builds language, supports content learning, and
aides comprehension.
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Weather and Seasons
Concept Book
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Academic vocabulary
Concept Book
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Concept Book
Repetitive Sentence Structure
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Concept Book
Use What You Learned
Discuss
Apply
Confirm
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Concept Books
Success from the start!
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Related Nonfiction Books
Emergent Science
Level 4
Level 3

• Support the Concept Book
• Support student learning in the content areas of
  science, social studies, and math

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Related Nonfiction
Extend learning

• Core content
• Key concepts
• Academic vocabulary

with meaningful connections.
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Optional Books
Content-Based Fiction

• Content-based
• Linked to standards
• Develop academic vocabulary
• Engage young readers
• Thematically linked to on
  Windows on Literacy LLV

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Grades 3 8
Accessible Grade-Level Content
Social Studies Series
Science Series
Scaffolded Literacy Instruction
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Student Books
Build Background

• Develop key concepts and vocabulary
• Help students build a strong foundation

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Student Books
Make Connections

• Students apply what they have learned in new
  contexts

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Student Books
Visuals Support Vocabulary and Concept Development

• Strong picture-text match makes abstract
  concepts more concrete

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Grades 3 8
Delivers grade-level and literacy instruction
Social Studies Series
Science Series
Carefully scaffolded support for students
functioning below grade level