State University of New York
Graduate School of Education
Spring, 2014
LTRC 513: Language and Literacy Instruction for K-12 English Language Learners
Meets Mondays from 4:40 – 7:10 PM at AB 234
Course Instructor:
Bogum Yoon, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Literacy Education
Office: AB-238
Phone: (607) 777-3325
Email: byoon@binghamton.edu
Office Hours: Mondays & Tuesdays, 3 - 4PM.
Graduate Assistant:
Rukhsar Sharif
Doctoral Student in EdD Program
Office: AB-245
E-mail: rsharif1@binghamton.edu
Course Description: This class focuses on the principles of second language acquisition
and its application for elementary, middle, and high school teachers to effectively teach
English language learners (ELLs) in K-12 classrooms. Instructional strategies that are
adapted to promote the language and literacy development of ELLs will be highlighted. 5
hours of fieldwork are required for this class.
Course Objectives:
Students will be able to:
 discuss differences in first and second language acquisition
 identify principles of second language acquisition in classroom settings
 outline strategies for modifying content area lessons to accommodate English
language learners
 analyze and assess student progress in English and content area knowledge
 develop and adapt theme-based lesson plans for K-12 English language learners
Classroom Environment:
The Faculty and Staff in the Graduate School of Education are committed to serving all
enrolled students. The intention is to create an intellectually stimulating, safe, and
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respectful class atmosphere. In return, I expect that each of you will honor and respect the
opinions and feelings of your fellow students. Additionally, I ask that you respect me as
well as others, by attending class daily and on time with cell phones off and minds
prepared for class.
Academic Honesty:
The University’s Student Handbook
http://studenthandbook.binghamton.edu/studenthandbook06-07.pdf provides detailed
information on academic integrity (see pp.106-110). The Graduate School of Education
website http://www2.binghamton.edu/gradschool/manual/index.html#Academic_Honesty
also explains procedures for professors to deal with academic dishonesty. Unless
specified otherwise in the syllabus, I expect the work you submit for grading to be yours
and yours alone. Not acknowledging another’s work with proper references, taking credit
for someone else’s work, or letting your work appear in another student’s paper are
grounds for failing the assignment and/or the course. The University’s Student Handbook
specifically prohibits “Submitting substantial portions of the same work for credit more
than once, unless there is prior explicit consent of the instructor(s) to whom the material
is being or has been submitted” (p.107). If you have any questions about what constitutes
plagiarism or cheating, please ask me.
The Student Handbook and Graduate School of Education website also outline
procedures if you have a grievance about a course grade. In both documents, the first step
is to contact the instructor to discuss your concerns. If you have any questions or
concerns about how I have graded your work, please arrange to meet with me.
Finally, Binghamton University has obtained a license with Turnitin.com to facilitate
faculty review for potential plagiarism of papers and projects in their courses, which we
are encouraged to do.
Disabilities:
Students who have a documented disability and wish to discuss academic
accommodations should contact the instructor as soon as possible to explore alternative
arrangements in class learning and completing assignments. Additional assistance also is
available through the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) at 777-2686.
Their office is at LH-B51. The SSD office makes formal recommendations regarding
necessary and appropriate accommodations based on your specific diagnosed disability.
Information about your disability will be treated in a confidential manner.
Required Texts:
Brown, H. D. (2007). (5th ed). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching.
White Plains: New York, Pearson/Longman.
Yoon, B., & H. K. Kim (Eds.) (2012). Teachers’ Role in Second Language Learning:
Classroom Applications of Sociocultural Theory. Information Age Publishing,
Charlotte: North Carolina.
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Reiss, J. (2007) 102 Content Strategies for English Language Learners: Teaching for
Academic Success in Grades 3-12. Pearson: Merrill/Prentice Hall
Recommended Text:
Peregoy, S. F., & Boyle, O. F. (2005) (4th ed). Reading, writing, & learning in ESL: A
resource book for K-12 teachers. Pearson.
Cary, S. (2007). Working with second language learners: Answers to teachers’ top ten
questions. Heinemann.
Other readings may be placed on Blackboard. Students will be expected to access
blackboard regularly as I will be using it to post course documents, send communications
or announcements, etc.
Journals to Get to Know:
TESOL Quarterly, Bilingual Research Journal, The Reading Teacher, Journal of
Adolescent and Adult Literacy, Language Arts, Research in the Teaching of English,
Journal of Literacy Research, Reading Research Quarterly, American Educational
Research Journal, Harvard Educational Review.
Internet Sites to Get to Know:
www.tesol.org, www.reading.org, www.readingonline.org, www.ncte.org, www. aera.net,
www.nysed.gov
Course Grades: 93-100 A, 90-92 A-, 87-89 B+, 83-86 B, 80-82 B-, 77-79 C+, 73-76 C, 70-72
C-, 69 & below F
Note: 1) Five points will be deducted from your final grade if there is any incomplete
weekly assignment, and 2) Ten points will be deducted from your final grade for any
unexcused absence.
You are responsible for all class meeting, activities, and assignments whether you are
present or not. If you are absent or late, it is your responsibility to find out what you
missed by contacting your peers. I will not teach the class over for you.
Course Requirements:
1. Attendance, Participation, Efforts, & Professionalism (10%)
Attend class regularly, Participate in discussions, and actively Complete assigned
activities. You are expected to attend all sessions, arrive on time, and stay until the end of
class. If you arrive late and leave early, time of arrival or departure will be documented
and seriously affect your final grade. I reserve the right to increase or decrease your grade
based on your participation, efforts, and professionalism.
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Since this class will be conducted like a seminar, it is essential that you keep up with the
reading. You are also expected to contribute to class discussions and to be prepared for
every assignment. Additional readings and activities will be assigned that are not listed
on this syllabus.
2. Questions for Discussion (15 %).
Bring in three to five most significant questions (at least one for each
reading/chapter/article) that you might have while you read the weekly assignments. The
key idea of this assignment is to question the author’s points. The questions will be used
for peer or group discussion.
Recommended format: 1) briefly write down the author’s main points by identifying the
page # or the author’s quotes to help your peers locate your questions 2) briefly write
down your own perspectives/thoughts on the author’s points, and 3) ask the question to
the author in a concise manner.
The questions will be evaluated based on following criteria:
 Apparent understanding of the readings. It should be clear that you
have read the material thoroughly and that you understand the material as
it is presented by the author(s).
 Depth of response/questions. Your questions should show evidence that
you have seriously considered the issues or concepts presented in the
readings.
 Timeliness. Late responses will not be accepted regardless of attendance
status.
3. Facilitator of a Class Discussion (10%)
You will be asked to choose a text that interests you related to English language learners.
The definition of text is broad here which includes articles, advertisements, movies,
dramas, music, arts, and etc.
You will be asked to let everyone in the class will read the text of your choice at least one
week before and will be discussed in class with your facilitation.
You will be asked to facilitate a segment of a class focused on your topic. You are
NOT being asked to lecture/present on your topic, although there might be a small
amount of presentation involved. I would like you to use one or more innovative and
creative techniques to engage the class in experiencing and thinking about your topic.
You will do this project with two or three peers in class.
4. Strategy Presentation (15%): 102 Content Strategies for English Language
Learners
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In small groups of 2-3, you will teach one of the strategies presented in the chapter you
are assigned to or you choose. Sign-ups for chapters will be available on the week before
the presentation.
Handout
You will prepare a 1-2 page handout that gives a brief synopsis regarding the guidelines
for practice for the chapter, then you will describe the strategy you have chosen and then
explain how to apply the strategy.
Presentation
For the presentation, you will first summarize the topic, and the guidelines for practice
for the chapter. Then, you will explain the strategy you have chosen as well as why you
felt this is useful. Prepare a short, original activity for the class to
illustrate/demonstrate/teach the strategy. Conclude with thoughtful questions and
feedback from the class participants (see questions at chapter end for ideas).
You will use the textbook as a jumping off point for this assignment, but do not ‘lift’
examples from it to illustrate the strategy you have chosen. Use your background, area of
expertise, curricula and even your classroom, to personalize it and make the use of the
strategy useful and relevant.
You will be assessed based on the following criteria:
A) Clear and succinct handout
B) Brief and informative summary/explanation of strategies
and why chosen
*C) Interesting and effective presentation of strategies
D) Thoughtful questions/feedback elicitation
*Weighted most heavily; therefore should be the focus of the presentation.
5. Practicum (25%)
You will work with one ELL to help her/him engage in literacy activities through the
theories and strategies that you learned in this course. In these tutoring sessions (at least 5
times: 1 observation/interview & 4 different lessons), you will also have opportunities to
modify the strategies based on your student’s needs. If you need help to find a student,
contact Ms. Tami Mann, Senior Staff Assistant, tmann@binghamton.edu, (607) 777-5322.
There is some flexibility with this assignment.
 You may tutor one-on-one in an in-school context. Working with a small group of
two or three students is also acceptable.
 You may work in your own classroom.
 You may make arrangements to work in a colleague’s classroom
 You may make arrangements to work outside of a school environment. Some
potential ideas are: in a day-care setting, with a child you know locally, with a
child you know from a prior work experience. Note well – this option, while it
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seems the easiest to schedule, is also fraught with issues since you will be dealing
with other people’s schedules, potential motivation issues of the child, etc.
You will observe/assess your student, set goals for the student’s language and
literacy development, work with the student in those areas, and document the
work you and the student do through lesson plans and reflections.
(a) Goals for the student should focus on the areas of language and literacy in which
your student needs additional support. You will identify these areas through
observation, written assessments, and interactions with the student. Set specific goals
for language and literacy, keeping in mind how you will develop lesson plans related
to the goals and how you will assess whether the student achieved these goals. If it is
appropriate for your student, involve her/him in the goal-setting process. This could
be as simple as asking what s/he would like to learn or get better at during the time
you are there.
(b) Lesson plans describe what you will do (Activities), why you will do it
(Rationales), and how you will do it (Methods/Procedures). If you have challenges
with the plans, please request additional assistance. Each practicum session should
include modeling, guided, and independent practice.
(c) Reflections After each session with your child, you will write a reflection that
describes the opportunities to learn which you provided for your student and how
your student responded to them. Also, you will describe the thoughts, feelings,
joys, and concerns you had during the session and will share information about what
you are learning about you as a teacher AND about teaching in general from this
practicum experience.

In your reflection, there should be clear connections between current research,
theory and practice about ELLs.

To capture accurate information about your thoughts and feelings that resulted
from this session, this reflection should also be written as soon as possible so
you will not forget pertinent information.
The lesson plan, reflection, & student’s work must be submitted together. I CAN NOT
GRADE THEM UNLESS YOU SUBMIT ALL PIECES TOGETHER.
(d) Practicum Presentation
You will have the opportunity to present some of the things you learned while working
with your student and to share activities and books that you and your student enjoyed. Be
sure to include the goals that you and your student set, products your student creates, and
lesson plans that go with the products or projects.
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6. Final Project (25%)
Complete a Final Project that represents your experiences in the course. You’ll be asked
to present your final paper toward the end of this course. When you present, use of
technology such as PowerPoint is recommended. Visuals are always helpful for the
audience’s understanding. The format is free. Be creative.
Options for the final project:
1) Analysis of Classroom Observation
You will work as a researcher in a mainstream classroom that has ELLs. The research
process is as follows: 1) Create a research question that guides your observation (what do
you want to focus on when you observe? e.g., ELLs’ participatory behaviors in literacy
activities, interaction between the teacher & ELLs, ELLs’ writing/reading activities,
Mainstream teacher’s literacy instruction for ELLs), 2) Observe the classroom at least
three times focusing on your research question, 3) Analyze your observation based on
your learning experiences in this course, and 4) Report your analysis in a paper of at least
12 double spaced pages.
2) Integrated Content Area Lesson
You are going to design a lesson that uses the concepts that we have studied with respect
to integrating content and language objectives as well as learning strategies. At least two
content areas must be integrated (e.g, Science-Math, Social Studies – English). You may
choose to work independently or with another class member to create your lesson. The
complete lesson may span up to 3 days of “real class time.”
3) Critique Texts
You will find and read at least three empirical research articles which are relevant to
teaching ELLs. A critique has two dimensions. One is information about the piece itself
such that the reader of your critique has a decent sense of the original work (about 1
page). The second dimension is an evaluation of the components of the piece based on
the theories of second language learning. When you evaluate, you need to stand on your
position. Your arguments should be supported by relevant examples and be linked to
theories and experiences which you have been accumulating through this course and
others.
4) Critical Reflective Essay
You will write a reflective essay that shows your learning throughout this semester. The
format is free, but it needs to reflect your learning experiences in a synthetical manner. It
must connect to course readings and discussions that focus on second language
theories and practices.
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This is your opportunity to put it all together and develop your own philosophy of
teaching ELLs. You should state your previous understanding of ELLs before this class
and how it was (un)changed through this course. The overarching question for this paper
that you might want to think about before you organize it is: How can I support ELLs?
Note: Each project needs to be at least 12 double spaced pages. In the introduction page,
include the reason of your choice of the particular project and how it connects to your
future or current teaching of ELLs. In completing all papers, it is expected that you will
meet “standards” of grammar, spelling, style, and organization that are appropriate for a
graduate level class. APA (6th edition) format is required for all assignments.
7. Final Reflection
You’ll complete a 2 to 3 page final reflection which shows your learning experience
throughout the course. The format is free but a narrative essay type would be appropriate
for this reflection. This will be a part of your participation grade.
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LTRC 513 Tentative Schedule
Date
TOPIC
Jan. 27
Course Overview
Feb. 3
Second Language Acquisition
*Language, Learning, and Teaching
*First Language Acquisition
*Age and Acquisition
*Human Learning
*Styles and Strategies
Second Language Acquisition
*Personality Factors
*Sociocultural Factors
*Communicative Competence
*Cross-Linguistic Influence and Learner
Language
*Toward a Theory of SLA
Teachers’ Roles in Second Language Learning:
Sociocultural Perspectives
Feb. 10
Feb. 17
ASSIGNMENT DUE
Your experience in learning second/foreign
language
-Questions on the readings:
Brown: Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5
-Be prepared as a discussion leader on the
assigned chapter: Brown: Chapters 6, 7, 8,
9, & 10
-Questions on the readings:
Yoon & Kim (2012).(Eds.)
Feb. 24
Discuss Practicum/Fieldwork
Content Area Instruction
Mar. 3
Strategy Demonstration (Group 1 & 2)
-Handout for presentation
Mar. 10
Strategy Demonstration (Group 3 & 4)
Mar. 17
Facilitator of a Class Discussion
Mar. 24
Practicum Lesson 1 & 2 Presentation
Mar. 31
Practicum Lesson 3 & 4 Presentation
Apr. 7
Culture/Identity/Multicultural Literature
On-line Discussion
Instructor at American Educational Research
Association Conference, Philadelphia
Spring Recess
-Handout for presentation
-Text name & hard copies for next week
-Reading of the text provided by your peers
-Bring your practicum lesson 1 for peer &
instructor feedback
-Bring your practicum lesson plan 1&2,
reflection 1 &2, & student work for
presentation
-Submit your practicum portfolio for
evaluation and feedback
-Post your questions on the readings to the
BB: Articles
Apr.
14/21
Apr. 28
May 5
-Read and Critique Reiss’s book
-Proposal of your Practicum/Fieldwork
Assessment and Programs
for ELLs
-Questions on the readings:
Articles on BB
Final Project Presentations
Course Evaluations
Final Project Due: 4:40 PM
Final Reflection Due: 4:40 PM, May 12 via
e-mail.
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