September 24, 2012

There are more people out there in the world who speak English as a second language as their first language.

Comprehensible Input Features
(From the SIOP text)

1. Speech appropriate for students proficiency levee
• Slower rate of speech
• Careful enunciation
• Simple structure for beginners
• Paraphrasing and repetition 
• Use cognates
• Pull from their prior knowledge
• Avoid using idioms 
2. Clear explanation of Academic Tasks
• Step by step directions
• show example of finished product
• oral and written directions
• opportunities to practice what has been explained
• need more guided practice
3. A variety of techniques use to make content concepts clear
• Modeling
• Visuals 
•  have pictures and label pictures
• Hands-on Activities
• Demonstrations
• Gestures
• Body Language
• Graphic Organizers

Read the lesson scenarios, create a T-Chart list effective and non-effective 

Tea Party Strategy

Can be a good strategy to use with students especially ELL students

Language and Content Objectives

• NCLB requires that we measure progress in both areas
• Academic Achievement (CRTs)
• English Langauge Proficiency (UALPA)
• Content knowledge cannot grow if we only focus on learning the English language
• Language learning cannot occur if we only focus on academic subject matter

4 Reasons to Combine Language and Content

1. language forms and vocabulary will develop as students study areas of interest
2. Motivation plays a role in learning complex language structures
3. Teachers can activate and build on students' prior knowledge in the content area
4. Language structure and form should be learning in authentic contexts rather than through contrived drills in language workbooks

Generating Language Objectives

1. Four language domains
   ...to demonstrate the "what" or content that they will learn
1. Reading 
2. Writing
3. Speaking
4. Listening
2. key vocabulary
3. language functions
1. agreeing and disagreeing
2. asking for permission, directions, help, questions
3. explaining
4. expressing likes, dislikes and opinions
5. describing and denying
6. classifying
7. commanding/giving instructions
8. identifying
9. sequencing, suggesting
10. planning and predicting
11. enquiring/questioning
12. asking for assistance or directions
13. wishing and hoping
14. refusing
4. grammar or language structures
1. particular verb tenses
2. possessives
3. plurals
4. adverbs
5. vocabulary words
6. sequencing words
1. first
2. second
3. meanwhile
4. next
5. third
6. after
7. before
8. finally
9. then
10. last
7. pre-fixes-suffixes
5. lesson tasks
6. language learning strategies

September 17, 2012 - Theories of Language Acquisition

Sheltered Instruction
an approach to teaching English language learners which integrates language and content instruction. The dual goals of sheltered instruction are: # to provide access to mainstream, grade-level content, and # to promote the development of English language proficiency

Sheltered Instruction is More Than Just Good Teaching

• Wait Time - give 5-7 seconds before having students respond.  You will receive better responses when you provide wait time
• Key Vocabulary
• Adapted Conent
• Language Objectives
• Clarification in L1
• Appropriate speech for proficiency level
• Supplementary materials
• Student background experiences

SIOP Text Summary
     Each group took a chapter of the text and shared the main idea, drew a picture of visual of key concepts, classroom connections and a summary.

Lesson Plan Checklist for the Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP)

Why is English so difficult to learn?  
     We have many words that have multiple meanings.

    
First Language Acquisition Theory

Behaviorist Theory of Language Acquisition (BF Skinner 1940's - 50)

• Imitation & Habit Formulation
• kids learn by imitating what they see and hear. 
• they form habits
• Stimulus, response, reinforcement
• "If you say "cookie" I will give you a cookie"
• Enforce "Use your words"
• Association
• associate vocabulary with actions
• Child's mind is a blank slate

Innate Theory of Language Acquisition

• Language is innate (Noam Chomsky. 1959)
• We have a universal grammar that allows us to be a sophisticated language
• humans are sophisticated communicators
• critical period for language acquisition

Interactionist Theory (Lev Vygotsky - Catherine Snow)

• Language develops as a result of interaction between unique human characteristics of the child and the environment in which the child develops
• Language that is modified to suit the capability of the learner is a crucial element in the language acquisition process
• ZPD - Zone of Proximal Development
• "Motherese" or Child Directed Speech
• Slower rate of speech
• higher pitch
• more varied intonation
• shorter simpler sentence patterns
• frequent repetition
• paraphrase

Second Language Acquisition Theory

Learning - Acquisition Hypothese

• one learns a second language the same way they learned it.  By using it. They need to be immersed in it, and use the language for meaningful purposes.
• Acquisition vs Learning
• Acquisition
• focus on need to communicate
• errors are expected as developmental
• it's an unconscious process, a result of exposure
• student-centered
• Learning
• Focus on forms to be mastered
• error correction is a critical feature to promote mastery
• learning is a conscious process of memorizing rules, forms and structures
• Teacher - centered  
• Language is best taught when it is being used to transmit messages, not when it is explicitly taught for conscious learning.
• Natural Order hypothesis
• linguistic forms emerge in L2 in much the same order ask they do in L1. 
• Verb forms
• Start with present and past progressive (is walking, was not walking)
• present perfect tense (have/has been walking)
• phrasal verbs (walk down the street. Walk up the path)
• conditional form (If we walk to the store, we will not...)
• the learner will "fill in" the blanks with a predictable and logical form, based on the rule-goverened patterns of language.
• The Monitor Hypothesis
• students begin to modify speech to conform to the speech and written language of native speakers 
• Comprehensible Input Hypothesis
• The learner acquires or learns language he/she understands by connecting to prior knowledge and known concepts.  Language not understood is just L2 noise.
• Affective Filter Hypothesis
• There exists a "filter" or "mental block" that impedes L2 from getting in.  A low filter is associated with relaxation, confidence to take risks and a pleasant learning environment.
• Code Switching
• The learner naturally develops an interim form of language that is a mixture of L1 and L2. ELL will fill with first language skills, where they don't know the form in L2.

What does it mean to be proficient in a different language?

• There are 3 dimensions of language proficiency (Jim Cummins)
1. basic interpersonal communication skills or BICS
• social language kids learn in social situations (contextual situations)
• communicate successfully with other native speakers
2. Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency or CALP
• language of the classroom.  Science, Social Studies, Reading, Math....etc
• skills that are associated with literacy and cognitive development and that are learned through formal instruction
3. Discrete Language Skills (phonological, literacy, and grammatical knowledge)
• grammar, syntax, phonics, ....
• Stages of Language Acquisition
  Initially, ELLS are able to comprehend more than they can express
• Preproduction
• Student behaviors:
• minimal comprehensin
• "Silent Period"
• Nods "Yes" and "no"
• draws, points, gestures
• responds to commands
• Strategies
• Use sheltered Instruction
• Ask yes or no questions
• show me...
• point to...
• circle the...
• where is...
• who has...
• put the___next to the ____
• Is this a ______
• Total Physical Response (TPR)
• Receptive before expressive language
• Imperatives used to transfer or communicate information
• students not forced to speak until ready
• Early Production
• Student Behaviors
• limited comprehensive
• one or two word responses 
• key words and familiar responses
• present tense verbs
• frequent errors
• Teacher Prompts
• yes/no questions
• either/or questions
• one or two words answers
• lists
• labels
• Speech Emergence
• Student behaviors
• good comprehension
• can produce simple sentences
• makes grammar and pronunciation errors
• frequently misunderstands jokes
• Teacher prompts
• Why....?
• How....?
• Explain...?
• Describe...?
• Phrase or short sentence answers
• Intermediate Fluency
• Student behaviors
• has excellent comprehension
• makes few grammatical errors
• may have difficulties in abstract, cognitively demanding subjects when high level literacy required
• Teacher Prompts
• What would happen if....?
• Why do you think.....?
• Describe/compare....?
• How do you think the story will end...?

Sept. 10, 2012 - Theories of Language Acquisition

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but having new eyes."
                  - Marcel Proust

History, Politics and Education of ELL's 

Who are our ELLs?

• Get to know who your ELL's are
• What are their WIDA scores
• What do they what to go by.  (Learn to pronounce their names....correctly)
• ELL's are a large growing population
• Since 1995 the ELL population has grown, by leaps and bounds
• Some of the most common languages:
• Spanish
• Vietnamese
• Hmong
• Cantonese
• Korean
• Other - 455 language

National Demographics and Trends

• 14 million language minority children (Census Bureau, 2006)
• Fastest growing group 12% annually (U.S. Dept. of Ed 2004)
• Achievement gap increasing in reading and math (2007)
• ELL (35%) and Immigrant (48%) students have highest drop out rate
• 76% of Ell's are Spanish speaking
• 85% of ELL's are born in the U.S. Start school in K and 1st grade.

Differences Among ELL's

• Native language(s)
• Level of native language and literacy skills 
• this is a great proficiency of how they will be able to learn English.
• Previous schooling experience
• many refugees come form situations where they didn't have the opportunity to go to school.  They have no knowledge or foundation of school, and these are the students who really struggle.
• Familiarity with school routines
• Content-area knowledge
• Parental education
• The higher the education of the mother in the family has a positive correlation of how successful the student will be
• How do we get the parents involved?  More parent involvement, the better

A Culturally Responsive Classroom

• Welcoming the student in his/her native language
• Providing books in the class that reflect the students that are in your classroom

Different Types of Programs and Services Offered to EL's in School/District

• Imagine Learning
• ESLVideo.com
• Think Pair Share

Language Instruction Educational Programs 

         All of these programs:  Focus is on developing literacy in English

• SDAI (Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English)
• been around for 30 years
• similar to sheltered instruction
• Content - Based ESL
• SIOP
• English Language Development
• ESL Pullout
• Newcomer Programs
• students that are new to the country have a location they go to within the school where they can learn basic English skills.

      The following programs: Focus on developing literacy in two languages

• Two-way immersion 
• Dual language
• Have a majority language (example: native English speaking students learning Chinese, Spanish, French....Canyons has this program)
• Not very ELL's are in these programs.
• Great programs for students to learn a different language
• Bilingual Immersion
• You have a majority minority group of students. That minority group are taught in their native language, and then are taught English as a second language on top of that.
• Development Bilingual Ed
• Heritage language 

Strategies seen in the Dual Immersion video that we could use with ELL students

• repetition
• modeling....lots and lots of modeling
• hand gestures
• pictures
• teach through song
• no pressure to understand everything every time

Common Acronyms

• ELL - english language learner
• ESL - english second language
• L1 - native language of the student
• L2 - language student is learning 
• BICS - Basic interpersonal communication skills 
• CALP - cognitive academic language proficiency
• SI - Sheltered Instruction
• SIOP - Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol

Office of English Language Acquisition

• ensure all ELL's, including immigrant children attain English proficiency
• develop and reach high levels of academics attainment in English
• meet the same challenging State academic content and student achievement standards as all children are expected to meet

Office for Civil Rights (OCR)

• ensure equal access to education 
• promote educational excellence

Legal Decisions

• Lau v. Nicols 1974
• identical is not equal
• San Francisco chinese-american families sued the district for not providing appropriate instruction for the ELL students
• Plyler v. Doe
• the state (any state) does not have the right to deny free public education to undocumented immigrant children
• Castaneda v. Pickard
• Criteria for programs serving ELL's
• based on "sound educational theory"
• implemented effectively with adequate resources and personnel
• evaluated as effective in overcoming language barriers

Sheltered Instruction

• A means for making grade-level academic content (science, social studies, math) understandable for English language learners while promoting their English language development.
• The practice of highlighting key language features and incorporating strategies that make the content comprehensible to students.

Sheltered Instruction Strategies that you should be using with ELL's (If not, all of our students)

• cooperative learning
• promotes risk taking
• develops social skills
• lowers affective filter
• provides support system
• new ways to solve problems
• hands-on activities
• develop concepts
• supports reading and writing
• interesting and challenging
• may be or lead to assessment
• may be or lead to assessment
• promotes open ended thinking
• visual strategies
• take abstract and make it concrete
• associates vocabulary and concepts
• incorporate into games, activities and tests
• pre-teach key vocabulary
• guard vocabulary
• pay attention to the rate of speech
• repeat key vocabulary
• contextual clues
• allow for student talk time
• Using books
• wordless books 
• big books
• picture books
• abc books
• concept books
• multi-cultural books
• content specific books
• trade books/chapter books
• billngual books

ELL Websites

• www.siopinstitute.net - SIOP lesson templates
• www.google.com/language_tools?hl=en - Translate notes from English to other languages
• http://online.culturegrans.com/index.php -Cultural Information on more than 200 countries
• http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/ -  National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition
• www.cal.org - Center for Applied Linguistics

Homework:

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