First thing that comes to mind..
0 When you think of an ELL student what do you
picture in your mind?
0 Where does this student come from?
0 What does this student need?
0 What can you offer?
0 What can this student offer to you?
Tell me more about your
students…
0 Where do they come from?
0 Why are they in your county?
0 What can you tell me about their background?
0 What do you feel you need help with to better serve
these students?
ENGLISH!ENGLISH!ENGLISH!
0 Everyone agrees that we would like our ELL students
to master English.
0 How hard is that?
0 How long does it take for someone to master a new
language?
Just how long does it take?
A key finding of the research by the University of
Calgary team found that students who take foreign
language classes at school are unlikely to receive
sufficient exposure to the language to gain deep fluency:
0 “Learning a second language for 95 hours per year for
six years will not lead to functional bilingualism and
fluency in the second language. Expectations must be
realistic.” (Archibald et al., 2007, p. 3)
Just how long does it take?
Language learning in terms of hours – Apply the “10,000hour rule”
Though the researchers don’t say how they arrived at the
number of 95 hours per year, we can figure it out. Let’s look:
0 4 hours per week of language classes x 12 weeks per
semester x 2 semesters per school year
0 = 96 hours per year.
If a student begins learning a language in grade six and
continues on through to high school completion in grade 12,
that constitutes 6 years of language learning.
Taking a Break from that
thought
0 What kinds of words do we learn faster when we are
studying a language?
0 What takes us longer?
Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills
(BICS)
The commonly used acronym BICS describes social, conversational
language used for oral communication. Also described as social
language, this type of communication offers many cues to the
listener and is context-embedded language. Usually it takes about
two years for students from different linguistic backgrounds to
comprehend context-embedded social language readily. English
Language Learners can comprehend social language by:
0 observing speakers’ non-verbal behavior (gestures, facial
expressions and eye actions);
0 observing others’ reactions;
0 using voice cues such as phrasing, intonations, and stress;
0 observing pictures, concrete objects, and other contextual cues
which are present; and
0 asking for statements to be repeated, and/or clarified.
Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency
(CALP)
0 CALP is the context-reduced language of the academic classroom. It takes
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five to seven years for English Language Learners to become proficient in the
language of the classroom because:
non-verbal clues are absent;
there is less face-to-face interaction;
academic language is often abstract;
literacy demands are high (narrative and expository text and textbooks are
written beyond the language proficiency of the students); and
cultural/linguistic knowledge is often needed to comprehend fully.
Language proficiency alone will not determine when English Language
Learners are prepared to use their second language (L2) to learn with their
grade level monolingual English-speaking peers. Previous schooling,
academic knowledge, and literacy skills that second language learners have
in their first language (L1) are also strong determiners (Cummins, 1984,
Baker, 1993 ).
Thinking more about CALPS
0 Regardless of the language in which a person is operating, the thoughts that
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accompany talking, reading, writing, and listening come from the same central
engine. When a person owns two or more languages, there is one integrated source of
thought.
Bilingualism and multilingualism are possible because people have the capacity to
store two or more languages. People can function in two or more languages with
relative ease.
Information processing skills and educational attainment may be developed through
two languages as well as through one language. Cognitive functioning and school
achievement may be fed through one monolingual channel or equally successfully
through two well developed language channels. Both channels feed the same central
processor.
The language the child is using in the classroom needs to be sufficiently well developed to
be able to process the cognitive challenges of the classroom.
Speaking, listening, reading or writing in the first or the second language helps the
whole cognitive system to develop. However, if children are made to operate in an
insufficiently developed second language, the system will not function well. If children
are made to operate in the classroom in a poorly developed second language, the quality
and quantity of what they learn from complex materials and produce in oral and written
form may be relatively weak.
Just how long does it take?
0 96 hours per year for 6 years = 576 hours of language
instruction
0 In his book, Outliers, author Malcom Gladwell highlights a study
originally published in the Harvard Business review by Ericsson
et al. The general premise has become known as the “10,000
hours to become an expert rule”. In the book Gladwell explains
the research behind the notion that true expertise is achieved
after an individual has invested 10,000 hours in learning or
practicing a skill. This may be a sport, a musical instrument or
the study of something.
0 There are many ways to define “fluency”.
0 If, for the sake of argument, we consider fluency to be the
same as being an “expert” in speaking a language, then a
learner may well invest 10,000 hours in their language
studies to attain fluency.
Just how long does it take?
0 Let’s look at some different scenarios:
0 Scenario #1: One 3-hour adult education course per week
x 8 weeks = 24 hours
0 Scenario #2: One year of language learning in school = 4
hours per week x 12 weeks x 2 semesters = 96 hours
0 Scenario #3: 1 year of consistent, dedicated self-study (or
homework) at 1 hour per day = 365 hours
0 Scenario #4: One year of total immersion in the new
language (Assuming that in a 24-hour day, we allow 8
hours for sleeping per day) = 16 hours per day x 365 days
= 5840 hours
Just how long does it take?
0 If we use Gladwell’s of 10,000-hour rule, here’s how long it
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would take to achieve “expert ability” in a foreign
language:
Scenario #1 – Adult education classes – 416 courses of
24 hours per course. If you did 2 courses per year, you’d
need 208 years to become fluent.
Scenario #2 – Foreign language studies at school – 96
hours of classes per year = 104 years to achieve fluency.
Scenario #3 – Dedicated self-study – An hour a day,
every single day of the year = 365 hours per year = 27
years
Scenario #4 – Total immersion – Approximately 2 years
General Good Practices
0 What strategies have
you heard are effective
with ELL students?
0 Pictures
0 Give them a dictionary
0 Start with simple tasks
0 Make sure to modify
assignments
0 Pair them with a partner
0 Have them work in
groups
0 What else?
In Their Shoes
0 We are going to do a
simple activity that will
use these various
strategies.
0 We want you to walk in
your students shoes.
0 Pictures
0 Give them a dictionary
0 Start with simple tasks
0 Make sure to modify
assignments
0 Pair them with a partner
0 Have them work in
groups
0 What else?
Forgetting English…
0 I am not going to SPEAK only Spanish.
0 I am going to forget my English and completely
immerse you in a language experience.
0 The only requirement is that you do all that I ask you
to do and clearly follow instructions.
0 Simple right????
Creo que si!
Camina en mis zapatos
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Direcciones
0 Quiero que escuchan un libro.
0 Despues del libro quiero que me digan un poco de la
historia o proposito de la historia en tus propias
palabras.
0 Quiero que escriban las respuestas de las siguientes
preguntas.
0 Pueden trabajar en grupos de 2.
Contesta las siguientes preguntas
en su papel en Espanol.
0 Que paso en la historia?
0 Donde paso la historia?
0 Que queria ser el pequeno tortuga en
el futuro?
0 Porque quiere ser pirata?
Explica a la clase
0 Quiero que pasen en frente de la clase y comparta sus
respuestas de las preguntas en Español.
How was your experience?
General Good Practices
0 So maybe ELL students
need bit more than just
these few things.
0 Pictures
0 Give them a dictionary
0 Start with simple tasks
0 Make sure to modify
assignments
0 Pair them with a partner
0 Have them work in
groups
0 What else?
Fata Morgana- Mirage
0 http://vimeo.com/channels/frodokuipers
0 Many educators and administrators find the world of
providing instruction for Limited English Proficient (LEP)
students to be mysterious and complicated when in fact
there exists a simple mantra: good teaching is good
teaching. But what exactly is meant by good teaching?
Good teaching in all subject areas is employing basic
techniques that assist all students in learning. Some of
these techniques, such as paired and cooperative learning
and hands-on instruction, are ways of differentiating
instruction that help meet the needs of a variety of
learners. There is no doubt that instructional delivery
becomes more of a challenge when there are students
whose native language is not English. And when ten or
more languages and nationalities may be represented in
the same classroom, the problem is compounded.
Nevertheless, even with a minimum of instructional
delivery modifications, English language learners (ELLs)
can and will grow in their abilities to communicate in
English.
Differentiating Instruction
0 It is important that teachers differentiate tasks, taking
into consideration what educational philosopher John
that we begin
where the students are, not
where we would like them to
be.
Dewey suggested long ago:
Differentiating Instruction
0 How can you modify assignments for ELL students?
Speak clearly and in
standard English
0 Teachers need to model academic English with clear
pronunciation and diction. Teachers should also
refrain from using slang.
Position yourself so that the ELL student
can see your face when you are speaking.
0 Language learners rely on both verbal and nonverbal
cues. Therefore, beginning ELLs will want to watch
your mouth when you speak since they are not only
hearing the pronunciation but they are also watching
the words as you form them with your lips. Also,
speaking while facing away from the class can muffle
your voice, for example if you are speaking toward the
chalk board or wall. Additionally, novice ESL students
rely not only on being able to see your mouth when
you are speaking but also on watching your face for
other nonverbal cues to meaning.
Assign a "buddy" to
your ELL student.
0 These buddies should be strong students who will
help the ELL become inducted into the class and into
the school. Initially, seat the ESL student next to the
buddy so that the buddy can guide the student and
answer questions at any point in the class in as
unobtrusive a manner as possible.
0 YOU NEED TO KNOW THE ABILITIES OF THE
“Buddy”!
Learn and use the
student’s name.
0 Foreign names can be a challenge for teachers, but it is
important to practice their pronunciation. Students
tend to say their names quickly; ask them to repeat
their name slowly, and tell them you want to learn
how to say their name correctly. If you have not
received any written information from the
administration in the form of student files, ask the
student to write his or her name for you. Do not give
the student an English name to make it easier for you
or the rest of the class to remember or to pronounce.
For middle school and high school
students, ask the student what he or
she would like to be called.
0 At the middle school and high school levels, some ESL
students intentionally change their names to English
names because they want to blend in with their
American classmates. Honor their choices.
Be as visual as possible
0 It is good to say something in clear, concise English; it
is even better to have a picture or visual to use while
you are speaking that reinforces what you are saying.
For example, if you are teaching a science unit on the
water cycle, have as many pictures to visualize each
part of the cycle as possible.
Comprehension
precedes production.
0 Beginning ESL students understand more than they are
able to produce orally. Look for other ways for students to
demonstrate comprehension. If you are teaching the
science concept of the water cycle, have the student put
visuals in the correct sequence of the water cycle to
demonstrate comprehension of the topic. Ability to
verbalize will follow. Also, do not simply ask students "Do
you understand?" to check for comprehension. They will
almost always say "yes" to avoid embarrassment. Rather,
ask students to demonstrate (if they are preverbal) or to
repeat what they understood you to say.
If students can say it,
they can write it.
0 In native language development, the normal progression of skills
is first to say something and then to be able to read and write
what one can say. Therefore, abundant oral practice needs to be
made available to students in order to afford them the first steps
of creating with language. The converse of this phenomenon is
also true; if students are not able to produce an idea orally, they
will probably not be able to write it. A corollary to this axiom is
that students will usually write at the level at which they speak.
Although there will be some students who will read and write at
a higher level than their speaking ability, this tends not to be the
norm. This notion becomes clearer when we think of the ability
of our native-English-speaking students. It is usually true that
our best writers and readers are those who have the highest level
of spoken language.
Speaking louder does not
aid in comprehension.
0 Unless the student is hearing impaired, speaking
louder does not aid in comprehension. Also, speaking
in an exaggerated, slow fashion only embarrasses the
ELL student and does not facilitate comprehension
Create certain predictable routines
in your class.
0 For example, at the elementary school level, start each day
with taking attendance, reading the lunch options out loud,
and making announcements. If your cafeteria has
dedicated lunch days, such as hot dogs on Mondays and
hamburgers on Tuesdays, you may wish to have pictures of
the meals for your novice ESL students. An example of a
routine at the middle and high school levels would be to
have homework assignments written in the same corner of
the chalkboard each day. If assignments are listed on the
Internet, a reminder on the chalkboard that you point to
each day will help the ESL students incorporate this into
their daily habits.
Learn as much as you can about
the countries represented in
your class.
0 As often as possible, honor the diversity in your classroom.
You can do this through reading assignments about a
particular culture that the entire class reads, class
discussions about cultural practices, or assignments where
the students can speak or write about their heritages. Also,
learning about the cultures represented in your classroom
may explain some resistant behavior or behavioral
problems. For example, in some countries, students are
taught in single-sex classrooms by teachers of the same
sex, so some boys have never had female teachers and
some girls have never had male teachers.
Keep a student’s linguistic ability in mind
when selecting reading & writing
assignments.
0 Learning to read is a major key to any student’s success.
Research says that to remain academically competitive, a
student should be able to read at grade level by the end of
the second grade. Imagine, then, the challenges for LEP
students who arrive in the United States in middle or high
school. Those challenges are compounded if the students
cannot read in their native language. The teacher must
plan for differentiated instruction. For example, teachers
can help beginning language learners read for key points
or underline topic sentences. You can also provide students
with essential core vocabulary words for the lesson. The
number of words should be manageable so that the
student does not become overwhelmed.
Reading Activity
0 Read the following paragraph
0 “Tomar mucha leche podría no ayudar a tus huesos, según un estudio
(CNNMéxico) — La idea de que el consumo de leche puede fortalecer tus
huesos podría no ser cierta, e incluso, el abuso de este producto podría acelerar
tu envejecimiento e incrementar la mortalidad, de acuerdo con un estudio
publicado en el British Medical Journal.
Los investigadores analizaron los hábitos de consumo de productos lácteos de
más de 100,000 personas en Suecia, durante periodos de tiempo que van de los
11 hasta los 20 años.
El estudio encontró una relación entre aquellos que consumían más de tres
vasos de leche diarios y un incremento en la mortandad y fracturas. Mientras
que aquellos que tuvieron consumos bajos o moderados presentaron una
mejor salud y menos fracturas.”
Reading Activity
0 What words do you understand?
0 “Tomar mucha leche podría no ayudar a tus huesos, según un estudio
(CNNMéxico) — La idea de que el consumo de leche puede fortalecer tus
huesos podría no ser cierta, e incluso, el abuso de este producto podría acelerar
tu envejecimiento e incrementar la mortalidad, de acuerdo con un estudio
publicado en el British Medical Journal.
Los investigadores analizaron los hábitos de consumo de productos lácteos de
más de 100,000 personas en Suecia, durante periodos de tiempo que van de los
11 hasta los 20 años.
El estudio encontró una relación entre aquellos que consumían más de tres
vasos de leche diarios y un incremento en la mortandad y fracturas. Mientras
que aquellos que tuvieron consumos bajos o moderados presentaron una
mejor salud y menos fracturas.”
Importance of Native
Language
0 http://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2014/10/15/conoce-a-
la-mujer-camaleon-que-se-camufla-en-los-retratosfamiliares-de-otras-personas/
0 https://www.lensculture.com/articles/dita-pepe-self-
portraits-with-men#slide-14
0 How does native language help?
Translators
0 Use them to help explain core concepts and then help
with vocabulary development.
Language learning is a long
process
What the levels mean?
0 Pre-Production: Students start speaking whatever language that is spoken
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within their home and interact with you and other children the best way
they can. After a while, they become aware that their speech is different and
will try to learn what they can by listening to others. During this period,
they may not say or write much or anything. This is the silent
period. Learning is taking place, but you may not see much evidence.
Early Production: Students begin talking and tend to use telegraphic speech,
one- or two-word utterances to convey basic needs (e.g., bathroom, book,
have pencil).
Speech Emergence: Students begin to use formulaic speech, or stock phrases
that serve a somewhat wider range of purposes than telegraphic
speech. With enough stock phrases, children can appear to be quite
proficient.
Intermediate Fluency: Students demonstrate intermediate fluency (see BICS
below).
Native Fluency: At this point, students demonstrate language with proper
grammatical and syntactical dimensions (see CALPS below).
Simplifying Language
0 The ruby colored bird perched close to my right on a
branch. I sat and enjoyed the wonderful melodic song
he sang. I began to notice an orchestra of natural
sounds around me. I sat and contemplated the beauty
of nature and soaked it all in. I marveled that I had not
noticed these wonderful sounds before.
How can we simplify this information?
Sample Resource
0 It is important to have realistic expectations.
0 These help you think about how you can make
modifications.
Contact information
Jessica Castaneda
TOPS Program Coordinator
931-668-4139
migranted@blomand.net
www.tnopportunityprograms.org