Chapter 1
Saunders and Goldenberg
Research to Guide English Language Development
Instruction
Improving Education for English Learners:
Research-Based Approaches
Mt. Diablo USD
August 12, 2011
Improving Education for English Learners:
Research-Based Approaches
• A book developed by CDE to provide the latest guidance on best
practices for English Learners.
– Instructed ELD
• Research to Guide ELD Instruction
• Implementation, K – 5
• Implementation, 6 - 12
– Effective literacy instruction
– Effective sheltered content instruction
– Alternative educational (dual language) programs
Today’s Content Objectives
• Participants will understand:
– unique features of this book
– research-based approaches for improving
instruction for ELs
– the nature of instructed English Language
Development
– the different types of research supporting
ELD instruction
– 14 guidelines derived from research
Today’s Language
Objectives
• Participants will understand, and be
able to accurately use:
– Key terms related to instructed ELD
– Technical terms regarding theories and
research supporting guidelines for
instructed ELD
– Descriptions of best practices to guide and
support teachers in using these.
Chapters 1 - 6
1) Research to Guide English Language Development Instruction
– William Saunders and Claude Goldenberg
2) ELD: Issues and Implementation at Grades K–5
– Marguerite Ann Snow and Anne Katz
3) ELD: Issues and Implementation at Grades 6–12
– Susana Dutro and Kate Kinsella
4) Effective Literacy Instruction for English Learners
– Diane August and Timothy Shanahan
5) Programs and Practices for Effective Sheltered Content Instruction
– Jana Echevarria and Deborah Short
6) Alternative Educational Programs for English Learners
– Kathryn Lindholm-Leary and Fred Genesee
Introduction
Veronica Aguila
Schooling English Learners:
Contexts and Challenges
Introduction
• California enrolls the most ELs of any state
– (>1.5 million).
• Mt. Diablo has over 7,000 ELs (21% of all enrollment).
• Features of the publication
–
–
–
–
–
Based on research
Responds to questions posed by practitioners
Close coordination between practitioners and authors
Authors provided feedback to each other
Overall content editor ensured coherence
Intro…
• History of programs for English
Learners
• Academic performance of English
Learners
• Research on school effectiveness
• Importance of professional development
(for teachers, but not much on
administrators or others)
• There is limited information on
Activity #1
Before we dive into the chapter:
• Think about the best ELD instruction you have seen.
• Whether or not it is in the chapter, write a brief
guideline for this excellent ELD instruction that you
would like to see supported by research.
• What does your experience tell you about the best ways
to promote L2 acquisition?
• We will come back to this at the end of the session.
Chapter 1
William Saunders and
Claude Goldenberg
Research to Guide English Language
Development Instruction
Chapter 1
Chapter 1
• Research is the focus of this chapter. Other
sources of guidance are:
–
–
–
–
Theory: behaviorist, communicative, etc.
ELD Standards: California, TESOL, etc.
Practitioner experience
Published instructional programs
• What is Academic Language?
• What is Instructed ELD?
What is Instructed ELD?
• …instruction delivered in a portion of the
school day separately from English-language
arts and other content areas…that focuses
specifically on helping English learners develop
English language skills.
– (p. 21)
• ELD instruction is designed specifically to
advance English learners’ knowledge and use
of English in increasingly sophisticated ways.
– (p. 23)
ELD
and
English
ELA
Language and literature
[Almost no oral language]
Advanced
_________________________________________________________________________________
Advanced
Early Advanced
______________________________________________________________________________
Reclassified FEP} 
Intermediate
{EL}
Early Intermediate
{EL}
Beginner
{EL}
Proficient
Basic
Below
Basic
Far Below Basic
• There is less research than we might expect.
• Fourteen guidelines are supported by:
– 1. Relatively strong research evidence
• Research on ELs
– 2. Hypotheses emerging from recent EL research
– 3. Non-EL research.
Table 1.2
The Guidelines
1. Relatively strong research evidence (research on ELs)
1. ELD Instruction is better than no ELD
instruction.
2. Interactive activities can be productive, but
they must be carefully planned and carried
out.
The Guidelines
2. Hypotheses emerging from recent EL research
3) A separate, daily block of time should be
devoted to ELD Instruction
4) The ELD block can incorporate reading and
writing but should emphasize listening and
speaking.
5) ELD instruction should explicitly teach
elements of English (e.g., vocabulary,
syntax, grammar, conventions).
The Guidelines
2. Hypotheses emerging from recent EL research
6) ELD instruction should integrate meaning
and communication to support explicit
teaching of language.
7) ELD instruction should provide students with
corrective feedback on form.
8) Use of English during ELD instruction should
be maximized; L1 should be used
strategically.
The Guidelines
2. Hypotheses emerging from recent EL research
9) Attend to communication and language
learning strategies and incorporate them
into ELD instruction.
10) Emphasize academic language as well as
conversational language.
11) ELD instruction should continue at least until
students reach level 4 (early advanced) and
possibly through level 5 (advanced).
The Guidelines
3. … grounded in non-EL Research
12) ELD Instruction should be planned and delivered
with specific language objectives in mind.
13) ELs should be carefully grouped for ELD
Instruction, not in classrooms segregated by
language proficiency, but by language proficiency
for specific ELD Instruction.
14) The likelihood of establishing and/or sustaining an
effective ELD Instructional program increases
when schools and districts make it a priority.
Activity #2
Think-Write Pair-Share
Choose one or two of the guidelines:
A. For each, describe 1-2 practices that currently
are used in our schools that might need to
change.
B. Describe 1-2 practices that you feel should be
reinforced.
C. How can we best make needed changes?
Activity #3:
Reflect on your guidelines:
• Let’s look at what you wrote at the beginning of
this session.
• Think about how this relates to the guidelines
provided by Saunders & Goldenberg.
• What would it take to provide empirical evidence
to support your guideline?
Resources
• WestEd Webinar for Saunders and Goldenberg
(archived from 11-02-10)
– http://www.schoolsmovingup.net/cs/smu/view/e/4684
WestEd Webinar Series
http://www.schoolsmovingup.net/cs/smu/view/e/4687
1) November 2, 2010 – ELD Research
– William Saunders and Claude Goldenberg
2) November 9, 2010 - ELD: K–5
– Marguerite Ann Snow and Anne Katz
3) February 9, 2011 - ELD: 6–12
– Susana Dutro and Kate Kinsella
4) October 27, 2010 - Literacy Instruction for English Learners
– Diane August and Timothy Shanahan
5) January 19, 2011 - Effective Sheltered Content Instruction
– Jana Echevarria and Deborah Short
6) February 16, 2011 - Alternative (Bilingual) Educational Programs
– Kathryn Lindholm-Leary and Fred Genesee
Mt. Diablo Book Study
Schedule
• Fri., August 12 – Ch 1
AM
• Weds., October 19 – Ch 2
AM &
PM
• Weds., November 16 – Ch 3AM & PM
• Weds., January 4 – Ch 4
AM &
PM
• Weds., March 21 – Ch 5
AM &
PM
• Weds., May 2 – Ch 6
AM & PM
Today’s Content Objectives
• Participants will understand:
– unique features of this book
– research-based approaches for improving
instruction for ELs
– the nature of instructed English Language
Development
– the different types of research supporting
ELD instruction
– 14 guidelines derived from research
Today’s Language
Objectives
• Participants will understand, and be
able to accurately use:
– Key terms related to instructed ELD
– Technical terms regarding theories and
research supporting guidelines for
instructed ELD
– Descriptions of best practices to guide and
support teachers in using these.
Thanks!