Keys to Understanding
and Teaching English
Language Learners
By Kari Free and Laura Stevens
Introductory Video:
Immersion and ELLs
O https://www.youtube.com//watch?v=I6Y0H
AjLKYI
O Immersion (12 minute video)
O What did you learn about ELLs in the
content classroom?
Our Background and Goals
O Who we are: background & experience
O Our Goals:
1. To help you understand ELLs
2. To explain how to teach ELLs
3. To give you ideas about how to involve ELL
parents
Who are ELLs?
O Born in the United States (many)
O Immigrants
O SIFE (Students with interrupted formal
education Ex. Refugee Camps)
O Riley vs Kingsford Ele. vs OMS & OHS
What to Do When You Get an
ESL Student?
O Check file for educational background
O Learn about the culture
O Find out about prior experiences (Ex. Time in
the country, life in other countries)
O Age
O First language and how literate in it
O English language proficiency level
Where Do ELLs Come From?
O Think of a country, any country. They come
from there.
O APW-One student from China
O Mexico CSD-Two students from a refugee
camp in Ethiopia
O Auburn CSD-Three students from Uzbekistan
What Are The Top Languages ?
2013-14 Top Home Languages
O Spanish 61.3
O Chinese 10.2
O Arabic 3.9
O Bengali 2.9
O Haitian/Creole 1.7
O Urdu 1.7
O Russian 1.6
Source: Public School ELL Counts as of May 31, 2014
NYS ELL Demographics
Distribution of ELLs by School Level:
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Elementary school: 56.6%
Middle school: 18.0%
High School: 25.4%
Distribution of ELLs by Subgroup:
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Newcomers: 63.3%
Long Term ELLs (7 or more years of ELL service): 24.9%
Students with Disabilities: 21.9%
Students with Interrupted Formal Education (SIFE): 8.7%
More Information:
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Over 240,000 ELLs are eligible to take the NYSESLAT
8.4% of all NYS students are former ELLs (scored proficient on the NYSESLAT)
ELL population in NYS has increased by 20% in the last 10 years
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Source: NYSESLAT 2015: New York State ELL Demographics, EngageNY.org
Where Are They in the United
States?
O Think of a state, any state. They are there.
O Where are the largest numbers:
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, Common Core of Data (CCD), "Local Education Agency
Universe Survey," 2011–12. See Digest of Education Statistics 2013, table 204.20.
Why Do They Come Here?
O Pull factors – better life, jobs, education,
dreams, family in America ( Ex. Chinese
parents who come to open restaurants,
adopted from another country)
O Push factors – war, poverty, persecution,
refugees, religious and/or class persecution,
environmental catastrophes, better schools,
financial reasons (Ex. Puerto Rico and their
schools )
How Do I Teach Them?
Comprehensible Input
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=4K1
1o19YNvk 2 minutes
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Identity Affirmation is important (valuing culture and
language of the student)
O First, find out any of the following info:
- What is their educational background?
-Learn about their culture
-Any important background info – SIFE? IEP?
O Then:
-Link new information to prior knowledge
-Scaffolding assignments:
O Sentence frames
O Graphic organizers
How Do I Teach Them (Cont.)
-Determine key concepts and define language and
content objectives
-High expectations for ELLs but a different way to get
there (Spanish speaking student reads a book in
Spanish and does a presentation in Spanish that the
Spanish teacher grades if possible instead of the
English teacher)Use native language as much as you
can
-Group students with native English speakers and
speakers of their native language
-Real objects, visuals, pictures, body language
-Language AND content standards
-Explicit vocabulary instruction-tie vocabulary to prior
knowledge then use visuals to reinforce meaning
How Do I Involve ESL Parents?
O A translator is necessary
O For low incident languages seek assistance from:
regional or state educational agencies, community
organizations and members, or college students at a
nearby university
O http://www.colorincolorado.org/pdfs/guides/Engaging-ELL-
Families.pdf
Engaging ELL Families
O
http://www.nccrest.org/Briefs/PractitionerBrief_BuildingCollab
oration.pdf
Building Collaboration Between Schools and Parents of ELLs
Resources
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https://sites.google.com/site/northerneslplc/working-with-newcomer-ells
Working With Newcomer ELLs
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https://www.engageny.org/resource/spring-2015-nyseslat-resources
NYS ELL Demographics Power Point & 2015 & NYSESLAT Information
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https://sites.google.com/site/eslruralmural/
ESL Rural Mural
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http://www.oswego.org/webpages/lstevens
Laura Stevens Web Page
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http://www.state.nj.us/education/bilingual/ell_mainstream/index.html
ELLs in the Mainstream
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http://www.cultofpedagogy.com/supporting-esl-students-mainstream-classroom/
Twelve Ways to Support ELLs in the Mainstream Classroom
O
http://www.ocmboces.org/tfiles/folder922/Dr%20Honigsfeld%20Handouts%20TE
SOL.pdf
Planning with ELLs in Mind
Questions?
O Kari Free, Oswego Middle & High School,
kfree@oswego.org
O Laura Stevens, Charles E. Riley Elementary
School, lstevens@oswego.org