Fordham University: RBERN
Presented by Ivannia Soto, Ph.D.

 ELLs represent the fasting growing segment of the school-age population (National
Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition,
2002).
 While the overall number of school-aged children grew by 19% between 1979 to 2003, the number of ELLs grew by 124% (National Center for
Education Statistics, 2005a).
 By 2030, ELLs will comprise 40% of elementary and secondary students (Thomas & Collier,
2001).


ELLs who have been in U.S. schools for six years or more without reaching sufficient English proficiency to be reclassified as fluent in English.
 The majority ( 59%) of English Language
Learners (ELLs) at the secondary level are Long-Term English Learners
(LTELs).
(Olsen, 2010
)

 Get a glimpse of the levels of productive speech and active listening occurring in K-12 classrooms.
 Objective is to open eyes , not point fingers.
 Recognize how the presence/absence of productive speech and listening affects student learning .
 Serve as a shared L2 experience for schools, districts, and/or county offices.
 Act as a bridge to our study of research-based practices with ELLs and Gibbons text.

Results of LAUSD,
District 6
Shadowing
Experience
“The person talking most is the person who is learning most. . . . And I’m doing most of the talking in my class!”
~ District 6 Elementary
Intern Teacher

1. Develop students’
English language proficiency (ELD)
2. Provide meaningful access to grade-level academic content via appropriate instruction (ALD)
( Lau v. Nichols ; Castañeda v. Pickard ; NCLB)



ALL students are AESL
(Academic English as a Second Language)
Academic English is not natural language.
It must be explicitly taught.
Essential Components of Academic
English Language:

Vocabulary (Frayer model)

Syntax (Academic language stems)

Grammar (Summaries from Think-Pair-Share)

Register (Think-Pair-Share)
(Kinsella, 2007)

Jannette Valencia
Questions while watching video:
What were Jannette’s needs in each of the areas of ALD?




Vocabulary
Syntax
Grammar
Register

Question or
Prompt
What I thought
(speaking)
What my partner thought
(listening)
1. What has been your
AHA moment from the presentation so far?
What we will share
(consensus)
(Adapted by Soto-Hinman, 2009)

Language Strategies for
Active Classroom Participation
Expressing an Opinion Predicting
I think/believe that . . . I guess/predict/imagine that . . .
It seems to me that . . . Based on . . ., I infer that . . .
In my opinion . . .
Asking for Clarification
What do you mean?
Will you explain that again?
I have a question about that.
I hypothesize that . . .
Paraphrasing
So you are saying that . . .
In other words, you think . . .
What I hear you saying is . . .
Soliciting a Response
Do you agree?
What answer did you get?
Acknowledging Ideas
What do you think? My idea is similar to/related to
We haven’t heard from you yet. ____’s idea.
I agree with (a person) that . . .
My idea builds upon ____’s idea.
(Kinsella & Feldman, 2006)

 1. What my partner said and why?
 2. What I said and why?
 3. A combination and why?
 4. A whole new idea and why?

Speaking and Listening
 An important focus of the speaking and listening standards is academic discussion in one-on-one, small group, and wholeclass settings .
 Formal presentations are one important way such talk occurs, but so is the more informal discussion that takes place as students collaborate to answer questions, build understanding, and solve problems .

Learn
English then Academic
content
Language
OR
Academic
Content
Academic vocabulary as overlap
(CA Together, 2012)

MATH
SCIENCE
LANGUAGE ARTS
*
• instructional discourse
• expressing and understanding reasoning
(CA Together, 2012)

ELA/Literacy Shifts
1.
Building knowledge through content-rich nonfiction
2.
Reading, writing and speaking grounded in evidence from text , both literary and informational
3.
Regular practice with complex text and its academic language
4.
Collaborative discussions and inquiry to process information collected from multiple sources




ELL Shifts
Shift #1: Language
Development Across the
Curriculum
Shift #2: More Informational ,
Rigorous, and Complex
Texts
Shift #3: Increased Focus on
Oral Language and Multiple
Opportunities for Speaking and Listening
Shift #4: Emphasis on
Collaboration , Inquiry , and
Teamwork
15

✔




Not another word for help .
Special kind of help that assists learners to move toward new skills, concepts, or levels of understanding.
Temporary assistance by the teacher so that the learner can eventually complete a task alone.
Gibbons (2002)

Learners should be guided or
“apprenticed” into understandings and language.
ELLs are often relegated to IRF interactions.



Initiation
Response
Feedback
Effective group work provides opportunities for students to speak and listen meaningfully.
Pauline Gibbons, (2002) Scaffolding Language, Scaffolding Learning . Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann
Publishers

The Research
•
•
•
ELLs need what EOs need, but sometimes modified, plus more (time and practice)
Oral language proficiency is critical; it is the foundation of literacy
Primary language literacy facilitates literacy in
English
(August & Shanahan, 2006)

5.
4.
2.
3.
1.
Benefits of Productive Group Work for ELL Students
They hear more language.
They speak more language.
They understand more language.
They ask more questions.
They are more comfortable about speaking.
Pauline Gibbons, (2002) Scaffolding Language, Scaffolding Learning . Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann Publishers

Characteristics of Effective Group Work for ELL Students (pages 20-28)
1.
2.
Clear and explicit instructions are provided.
Talk is necessary for the task.
5. The task is integrated with a broader topic.
6. All children are involved.
3.
There is a clear outcome.
7. Students have enough time.
4.
The task is cognitively appropriate.
8. Students know how to work in groups.

A.
B.
C.
D.
Summarizer: What are the three most important events/details from the reading and explain why they are important and how they are connected?
Questioner: Pose at least three questions about the text — these questions could address confusing parts of the text or thoughts you wonder about.
Predictor: Identify at least three text-related predictions — these predictions should help the group anticipate what will happen next.
Connector: Make at least three connections between the reading and your own experience, the world, or another piece of text.

Reciprocal Teaching:
Characteristics of Productive Group Work
A: Pages 21-24
1. Clear and explicit
instructions are
provided.
2. Talk is necessary for
the task.
C: Pages 25-26
5. The task is integrated
with a broader topic.
6. All children are involved.
B: Pages 24-25
3. There is a clear
outcome.
4. The task is cognitively
appropriate.
7.
D: Pages 26-28
8.
Students have enough time.
Students know how to work in groups.

“Listening is primarily a thinking process
– thinking about meaning.”
Listening is like reading – it’s about comprehension instead of production.
The listener is a “meaning builder” – not about sound discrimination.
Pauline Gibbons, (2002) Scaffolding Language, Scaffolding Learning . Portsmouth, NH:
Heinemann Publishers

Two-Way (Taking part in)
 A recess conversation about the rules for a game
 Learning how to use the free lunch system

Planning for a holiday assembly
 Other students talking about their weekend fun
 School announcements over the PA system
 Schedule for bus pickups at the end of the day
 A nutrition break conversation about an upcoming assignment
 Learning how to use the microscopes in science

Planning for a group presentation
 A read-aloud by the teacher
 Directions from the teacher for writing a narrative account
 Student-led small group social studies presentation
One-Way (Listening to)

Primary
Speaker
Your
Student
Mostly to Whom? Primary
Speaker
1.
Student
2.
Teacher Teacher
3.
Small Group
Mostly to Whom?
5.
Student
6.
Small
Group
7.
Whole
Class
4.
Whole Class
LISTENING
SPEAKING
Primary Listener Listening Mostly to
Whom?
Your
Student
1.
Student
2.
Teacher
3.
Small Group
4.
Whole Class

ELL Student Shadow Study Observation Form
Student First Name: ____________________Grade: ____________ELD Level: _____________
Gender: _____________________ School: _____________________________
TIME
SPECIFIC STUDENT
ACTIVITY/
LOCATION OF STUDENT
5-MINUTE INTERVALS
8:00 Quickwrite
8:05 Instructional
Read Aloud
8:10 Think-Pair-Share
(student speaks)
8:15 Group Work
(student listens)
ACADEMIC
SPEAKING
7
ACADEMIC
LISTENING
1-Way 2-
Way
NO
LISTENING
( reading or writing silently )
NOT
LISTENING
( student is off-task )
X
2
COMMENTS
Student writes briefly.
Dozing off.
8:20 Teacher Lecture

ELL Student Shadow Study Observation Form
Student First Name: ____________________Grade: ____________ELD Level: _____________
Gender: _____________________ School: _____________________________
TIME
SPECIFIC STUDENT
ACTIVITY/
LOCATION OF STUDENT
5-MINUTE INTERVALS
8:00 Quickwrite
8:05 Instructional
Read Aloud
8:10 Think-Pair-Share 1
8:15
8:20
Group Work
Independent
Reading
ACADEMIC
SPEAKING
7
ACADEMIC
LISTENING
1-Way 2-
Way
NO
LISTENING
( reading or writing silently )
NOT
LISTENING
( student is off-task )
X
2
COMMENTS
Student writes briefly.
Dozing off.
3
1
3
X
Students on topic and engaged.
Student talks to student about group role.
Student seems to read text quickly.

Demographic Information
•First Name
•Date of Birth
•Date of Entry in US
•Date of Entry in District
Test Results (last three years, if possible):
•Language Proficiency Assessment
• State Assessment Results for ELA & Math
•Grades
•GPA
•High School Exit Exam Scores





Do shadow at the school level of your assignment.
Do help become familiar with forms.
Do help maintain focus on the student.




Don’t ask for a boutique assignment.
Don’t ask the student any formal questions.
Don’t share any evaluative statements about teacher or class.

✔

Question or
Prompt
What I thought
(speaking)
What my partner thought
(listening)
1. What has been your
AHA moment from the presentation so far?
2. What questions do you have about ELL shadowing?
What we will share
(consensus)
(Adapted by Soto-Hinman, 2009)

Results of LAUSD,
District 6
Shadowing
Experience
“The person talking most is the person who is learning most. . . . And I’m doing most of the talking in my class!”
~ District 6 Elementary
Intern Teacher

• High-Poverty, High-Performing School in Los Angeles County
(Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District)
• Title I Achievement Award and California Distinguished School
• 39% ELLs, with an additional 75% of students living in poverty
Year ALL Base Growth Point Gain
2008-2009 810 818 8
2009-2010 818
2010-2011 840
840
856
22
16
Year ELL Base Growth
2008-2009 769 791
2009-2010 791
2010-2011 826
826
851
Point Gain
22
35
25

SCAFFOLDING ACADEMIC ORAL
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

• For ELLs, oral language development is the foundation of literacy (August & Shanahan,
2006).
• Students need many opportunities to talk in a linguistically rich environment . Researchers have found that students' learning is enhanced when they have many opportunities to elaborate on ideas through talk (Pressley,
1992).

Language Strategies for
Active Classroom Participation
Expressing an Opinion Predicting
I think/believe that . . . I guess/predict/imagine that . . .
It seems to me that . . . Based on . . ., I infer that . . .
In my opinion . . .
Asking for Clarification
What do you mean?
Will you explain that again?
I have a question about that.
I hypothesize that . . .
Paraphrasing
So you are saying that . . .
In other words, you think . . .
What I hear you saying is . . .
Soliciting a Response
Do you agree?
What answer did you get?
Acknowledging Ideas
What do you think? My idea is similar to/related to
We haven’t heard from you yet. ____’s idea.
I agree with (a person) that . . .
My idea builds upon ____’s idea.
(Kinsella & Feldman, 2006)

 Teacher: Irene Mesa, Second Grade
 School: Morrison Elementary School,
Norwalk, CA (high poverty-high performing)
 Focus: Setting up Think-Pair-Share in an
English/Language Arts classroom