Effective Pedagogy for
ELLs
Catherine Hoang, Rebecca Espinosa, and Therese Trinko
Poll
Should immigrants coming to America assimilate
or preserve their native culture?
Text to: 37607
If you agree with...
-Assimilate: Text 393584
-Preserve their native culture: Text 393585
Goals
❖ Participants will be able to name and explain the
major types of programs for ELLs.
❖ Participants will be able to explain the benefits and
challenges of each program.
❖ Participants will discuss the components of a
successful language program.
❖ Participants will be able to recommend a program
for a specific district.
Legality and History
❖ Bilingual Education Act (1968)
➢ Civil Rights Title VI
➢ Requires schools to provide “equal educational
opportunities” for language-minority students
❖ ELL students must be in a program until they can read,
write, and understand English “meaningfully in all aspects
of the school’s curriculum”
❖ The OCR does not require a specific program for ELL
instruction. However, common programs include dual
language, ESL, and immersion.
http://www.facethefactsusa.org/facts/limited-english-students-test-public-schools
Percentage of
public school
students who
are ELLs by
state. (20102011)
Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics
The Current State of ELLs in Texas
❖ ~800,000 students
➢ 15% total students
National Center for Education Statistics, 2010-2011
❖ ~10% ELLs in grades 7-12
were retained
National Education Association, 2000-2001
❖ ELLs dropout 4x more
than native English
speakers
National Education Association, 2000-2001
Types of ELLs
Newly arrived with adequate
formal schooling
❖ Recent arrival: less than 5 years in the US
❖ Adequate schooling in native country
❖ May still score low on standardized tests
Newly arrived with limited formal
schooling
❖ Recent arrival: less than 5 years in the US
❖ Interrupted/limited schooling in native
country
❖ Poor academic achievement
Long-term English learning
❖ 7+ years in the US
❖ Have had ESL or bilingual instruction, but no
consistent program
❖ Below grade level in reading and writing
❖ Discrepancy between student’s perception
of achievement, and actual grades
❖ Some get adequate grades, but score low on tests
Types of ESL and
Bilingual models
in Texas
Bilingual Education
Students are taught all
subjects in their native
language (such as
Spanish, Mandarin,
Navajo) and English
Source: National Association for Bilingual Education
English Immersion: ESL
Classes
❖ At the elementary level, the students are pulled
out from their regular classes for ESL
instruction
❖ In middle and high school, the student is
enrolled in an ESL course. (self-contained
classroom)
McKeon, ERIC Clearinghouse on Languages and Linguistics
Reflective Question:
What kinds of programs are most effective for promoting English language proficiency in US schools?
Studies on Success
Bilingual Pros
(ESL)
By high Pros
school, dual-language students receive
closer scores to English proficient students than
ESL students
Collier and Thomas, Educating English Learners
“The more children develop their first language
[...], the more successful they will be in academic
achievement in English by the end of their school
years”
Collier and Thomas, Educating English Learners
Teaching students in their first language
promotes higher levels of reading achievements
in English.
Goldenberg, Claude, “Teaching English Language Learners”
American Educator, 2008
English Immersion
In Chicago area schools, English-immersion
schools ELLs did better than bilingual
schools ELLs
Lexington Institute
Structured English Immersion (SEI) is more
effective than bilingual education.
Horne v. Flores, op. cit. p. 24
California Prop. 227, which restricted bilingual
education in public schools, benefited
English learners.
Rossell, Christine, “Dismantling Bilingual Education” Public
Policy Institute of California, 2002
Summary
Bilingual Pros:
❖ Better content
knowledge
❖ Preservation of the
native language
ESL Pros:
❖ Faster English
language speaking
ability
❖ Tried and moderately
true
Krashen on Bilingual
Education
Ideal program would include:
❖ ESL instruction
❖ Sheltered subject matter
teaching
❖ Instruction in the first
language
Source: Bilingual Education and Second Language Acquisition Theory by Stephen D. Krashen
What’s “working” with Asian ELLs
Alhambra School district in Southern California followed certain
strategies to help their ELL students. These included:
❖ Early Intervention
❖ Multilingual Coordinators placed at various positions to bridge
connections between parents and the school
❖ Regular Cultural and Diversity Training for staff, which led to
an increase in student achievement
(AYP scores for API students)
❖ Math: 63% in 2002 to 83% in 2008
❖ English: 45% in 2002 to 69% in 2008
Source: National Education Association
Discussion Questions
❖ What is the best way to teach ELL
students?
➢ ESL content based
➢ ESL pull-out
➢ Transitional bilingual, early exit
➢ Transitional bilingual, late exit
➢ Dual immersion, one-way
➢ Dual immersion, two-way
Effective Pedagogy for ELLs
❖ According to Tharp, “schools should teach students to
be literate in the most general sense of the word capable of reading, writing, speaking, computing,
reasoning, and manipulating visual as well as verbal
symbols and concepts” (Rousing Minds to Life).
❖ What then is the duty of a school to provide for it’s ELL
students? What should ELLs graduate knowing and
which program best helps them achieve that?
District Profile #1
San Francisco Unified School
District, CA
❖ 26.5% ELLs
❖ 44 documented languages
spoken in student body
Source: District Data Center SFUSD
SFUS
D
(2014)
District Profile #2
Irving Independent
School District, TX
❖ 39.3% ELLs
❖ 68.7% Hispanic/Latino
Source: The Texas Tribune, Irving Independent School District
District Profile #3
White County School
District, GA
❖ 93.8% White
❖ 1% ELLs
Source: Census Bureau “White County School District” 2009
What’s important
Bilingual vs. ESL Immersion Education
❖ Should immigrants coming to America
assimilate or preserve their native culture?
➢ Survey results
❖ What is more important for students to know,
content or the English language?
Final thoughts
“We have already argued that teaching
cannot be expected to occur unless
schooling itself is organized in ways that
support teaching.” (Rousing Minds to Life Tharp,
93)
Bibliography
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McKeon, Denise. "Different Types of ESL Programs." ERIC Digest. Eric Clearinghouse System, 1987. Web. 08 Apr. 2014.
"White County School District, GA (1305670) DP1 General Demographic Characteristics."Proximity One. Census Bureau, 2009. Web. 08
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2014.
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