More than Good Teaching: Understanding Language Acquisition
for ELLs
Kathy Salmon
Where are you located?
Practice using Elluminate. Use a symbol to mark
where you are!
Session Overview
1. Myth or Fact?2. Cummin’s BICS and CALP3. Quadrants of BICS and CALP4. Common Underlying Proficiency5. Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development6. Krashen’s Comprehensible Input7. Roessingh’s Vocabulary Counts8. Oxford’s ESL Learner Strategies
Myth or Fact?
Read the following statements. Decide if they are myths or facts.
Place an A beside Myths and B beside Facts:
1.1. Children have acquired a second language as Children have acquired a second language as soon as they can speak it.soon as they can speak it.
2.2. Children learn second languages quickly and Children learn second languages quickly and easily.easily.
3.3. The younger the child the more skilled in The younger the child the more skilled in acquiring a second language.acquiring a second language.
4.4. The more time students spend in a second The more time students spend in a second language context, the quicker they learn the language context, the quicker they learn the language.language.
5.5. All children learn a second language in the same All children learn a second language in the same way.way.
http://www.apples4theteacher.com/resources/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=17
Myth 1
Children have acquired a second language as soon as they can speak it.
The iceberg metaphor
IcebergBICS (1-2 years)
Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills•Surface level – Here and Now•Familiar Content•Face to Face Conversation•High Frequency Vocabulary – 2000 words•Simple Sentence Structure•Low Pressure
CALP (5 or more years)
Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency•Experience and exposure to culture•Lectures, formal, written text, specialized terminology, humour, culture, idioms, textbook language, social appropriateness, non-verbal communications•Limited Interaction (textbook)•More Abstract •Less familiar content•Decontextualized•Low frequency Vocabulary•High Stakes (lots of pressure)
BICS or CALP?
Reading a textbook
Discussing the theme in a novel
Writing a journal response about personal experiences
Apply it tomorrow…
Think of an ELL in your class.
What is their level of BICS and CALP?
What is the level of teacher talk in the classroom?
What is the level of student response in the classroom
Sample student responses
One hundred fifty-two
..this hundred place?
For expanded notation you have to know place value.
Myth 2
2. Children learn second 2. Children learn second languages quickly and languages quickly and easilyeasily
The Dual Iceberg: Full Bilingual Proficiency
The “Dual Iceberg” Representation of Bilingual Proficiency (Cummins, 1980, 36; 1996, 111)
SURFACEFEATURE
SOF L2
SURFACEFEATURES
OF L1
COMMON UNDERLYING PROFICIENCY
Young Arrivals: Low Levels of L1 and L2 (balanced but inadequate bilingualism)
Underdeveloped potential that needs to be built in L2
SURFACE
FEATURES
OF L2
SURFACEFEATURES
OF L1
COMMONUNDERLYIN
GPROFICIENC
Y
Young Arrivals: Low L1, Better Developed L2
Underdeveloped potential
SURFACE
FEATURES
OF L2
SURFACEFEATURES
OF L1
COMMONUNDERLYIN
GPROFICIENC
Y
Junior High Arrivals: Uneven L1 and L2
Underdeveloped potential that may be developed in L1 and/or L2
SURFACE
FEATURES
OF L2
SURFACEFEATURE
SOF L1
COMMONUNDERLYIN
GPROFICIENC
Y
Older Arrivals: Full L1 Proficiency, Intermediate L2 Proficiency
Underdeveloped potential- Use L1 to help build this in L2
SURFACE
FEATURES
OF L2
SURFACEFEATURES
OF L1
COMMONUNDERLYIN
GPROFICIENC
Y
Interpersonal
Communication Basic
Skills
What’s your CUP? Create a dual iceberg to represent your
language proficiency in L1 and L2
If you do not have an L2, think of a student in your school or your own child and their dual iceberg.
Apply it tomorrow…
Is this a good strategy? Talking to a peer in L2 about a new concept
Using a translator or bilingual dictionary
Suggesting a family continue to talk in L1 at home
Supporting a families decision to send their children to a weekend language school
Myth 3
3. The younger the child 3. The younger the child the more skilled in the more skilled in acquiring a second acquiring a second languagelanguage
Words, words, words… What is the average vocabulary of a native
English speaking student entering grade 10?
Write down a number on the screen
Roessingh’s Vocabulary Trajectories
Vocabulary
AgeNative
SpeakerElementary
with helpElementary
without helpJunior High
with helpSenior High
with help
1 0
2 400
3 1000
7 8000
10 0 0
12 5000 5000
13 2500
15 40000 15,000 15000 10000 8,000
16 20,000 18000 16,000
17 25,000
18 100000 30,000 18,000 26,000 24,000
http://apollo.ucalgary.ca/eslrw/node/3
What words do I teach?
Word Lists: Ogden’s Basic Words (850)
http://ogden.basic-english.org/words.html Comprehensive Vocabulary Word List (by topic):
http://www.manythings.org/vocabulary/lists/c/
Some Types of Vocabulary?
Subject specific - the words related to curriculum topics (These might also be in context defined.)
Context-defined - multiple meanings - transferable words across subjects i.e., “role”, noun clusters; i.e., ”global warming”
Academic Words – the language of thinking processes required to do academic tasks; i.e., “ compare”, “contrast”
Connectors – words and phrases used to show the relationship of ideas; i.e., ”whereas”, “the most important”
Figurative Language –Words or phrases that go beyond literal meaning and require contextual, social and/or cultural reference for understanding i.e., ”fork in the road”
Identify the type of Vocabulary
• Subject specific
• Context-defined
• Academic Words
• Connectors
• Figurative Language
Math Dictionary: CertainWe use the word certain
in probability to describe events that will definitely happen. July is certain to come after June. If a coin is tossed it is certain to land with either heads or tails face up.
Identify the type of Vocabulary
• Subject specific
• Context-defined
• Academic Words
• Connectors
• Figurative Language
CertainWe use the word
certain in probability to describe events that will definitely happen. July is certain to come after June. If a coin is tossed it is certain to land with either heads or tails face up.
Where to find different types of words?
Word Lists: Subject Specific Word list:
http://www.vocabulary.com/dir-wordlist-word_list Words with Multiple Meanings:
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/multmean.html# Academic Word List
http://www.victoria.ac.nz/lals/resources/academicwordlist/Publications/awlsublists.pdf
Connector Words - Common Transition Words: http://csd.mcmaster.ca/accesstomac/images/common.pdf
Figurative Language http://www.kidskonnect.com/subject-index/20-language-arts/343-figurative-language.html
What words for which age?
http://www.lextutor.ca
Kids list (http://www.lextutor.ca/vp/kids/kid_list_display/ )
Apply it tomorrow…
Put a sample of your spoken language in the vocabulary profiler on lextutor. http://www.lextutor.ca
Put a sample of some students spoken language in the vocabulary profiler
For your next lesson Look at the vocabulary required for your next
lesson? Recognize the vocabulary level of your students. Decide what vocabulary to teach
Myth 4
4. 4. The more time students spend in a second language context, the quicker they learn the language.
Quality and Quantity Time
ELLs benefit from:ELLs benefit from:
•Explicit language Explicit language instructioninstruction
•Appropriate resourcesAppropriate resources
•Language learning Language learning strategiesstrategies
……At the ‘just right level’At the ‘just right level’
Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development
• is the difference between what a child can do on their own and what they can do with assistance.
•It includes all things that a child can do only with the help of a more-knowledgeable other.
•It is a scaffolding process, where supports are provided by a parent, teacher, or peer who has already has mastery of the task.http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/constructivism.htm
Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development
Practice:1.Think of a learner in your class
2.Think of one thing they can do on their own
3.Think of one thing they can do with assistance now
Krashen’s Comprehensible Input
Comprehensible means to understandInput means “what goes in”
Learning takes place when the brain can connect new information to existing knowledge.
It is important to provide students information at their language level.
Language proficiency is increased by gradual steps always working from student’s present language level.
Use 1st language to help make connections in 2nd language
Comprehensible Input Hypothesis
The learner learn language he can understand by connecting it to known concepts and prior knowledge.
Language that is not understood is just “L2 noise”
http://www.sk.com.br/sk-krash.html http://www.languageimpact.com/articles/rw/krashenbk.htm
Comprehensible Input + 1 (CI +1)
Input must be comprehensible and also needs to be one level of linguistic complexity beyond the learner’s level to develop L2 proficiency.
CI + 1
CI + 10
Apply it tomorrow…
Think about what is being taught.
Think about the Comprehensible Input Level of the student
Are any adjustments required?
Myth 5 All children learn a second language in the All children learn a second language in the
same way.same way.
Learner Profiles On the screen write the different aspects of On the screen write the different aspects of
the learner profile (preferences, modalities, the learner profile (preferences, modalities, affect, attributes etc.)affect, attributes etc.)
More Krashen: Affective Hypothesis
Motivation, self-esteem, and interpersonal acceptance can limit or enhance the speed and amount of L2 learned.
Affective Filter Hypothesis
A filter or mental block can prevent L2 from getting in if a learner is anxious, afraid to take risks and in a stressful learning environment.
Relaxation, confidence to take risks, and a pleasant learning environment help to lower the filter.
Aptitude Hypothesis
Learners do have “innate” (natural abilities) aptitude to learn L2.
More impactful than aptitude is the learner’s attitude, which can enhance or impede the natural abilities to learn L2.
The Learner’s Affective Traits Self-Concept
The way I see my self The way I interact with others My disposition towards learning tasks The way I deal with problem solving and challenges
Skills (related to literacy, numeracy, relationships and problem solving etc.)
Strategies; cognitive, meta-cognitive, linguistic, socio-affective etc.
Cognitive Potential Motivation (Intrinsic, Extrinsic)
Rebecca Oxford’s ESL Learner Strategies Avoidance/reduction strategies
Message replacement (try to simplify) Topic Avoidance (change the subject) Message abandonment (give up!)
Achievement/Compensatory Strategies Circumlocution (talk around– describing when word is
unknown) Approximation (word that is close to intended word: Restructuring (re-stating in a different way) Literal Translation (from L1 to L2 or L2 to L1, occasional
errors)
http://www.cal.org/resources/digest/oxford01.html
Stalling or time-gaining strategies Fillers, hesitation (um, like, ahh, you know) Self and other repetition (echoing and copying)
Self Monitoring Strategies Self-initiated repair (recognize own errors and ask for
correction) Self-rephrasing (re-state independently and self correct)
Interactional Strategies Appeals for help
Direct – “What do you call..?” Indirect – “I don’t know the word in English”
Meaning Negotiation Strategies Clarification requests – “What does this mean?” Confirmation requests – “Does this mean _______ or ______?”
Rebecca Oxford’s ESL Learner Strategies
Think of language of assessments and language level of student
Learning Styles Self Assessment: http://www.ldpride.net/learning-style-test.html
Student self assessment of language http://www3.telus.net/linguisticsissues/selfassess2.html
Student self assessment of language http://www.acceleratedlearning.com/method/test_launch.html
ESL K-12 Proficiency Benchmarks http://education.alberta.ca/media/1111060/esl_benchmark1.pdf
Learner Profiles
What things do you currently know about your students?
What other additional information would you like to find out?
Think about it…
Where we’ve been…
1. Myth or Fact?2. Cummin’s BICS and CALP3. Quadrants of BICS and CALP4. Common Underlying Proficiency5. Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development6. Krashen’s Comprehensible Input7. Roessingh’s Vocabulary Counts8. Oxford’s ESL Learner Strategies
ATA Webinar and Print series: Understanding ESL Learners
Distinguishing between BICS and CALP:
ATA doc.
Meeting needs in the classroom:
ATA doc.
Assessment: ATA doc.
Differentiating Instruction:
ATA doc.
Teaching in the content areas:
ATA doc.
E.L.L.STUDENT E.L.L. STUDENT
http://www.teachers.ab.ca/Professional%20Development/Specialist%20Councils/Special%20Projects/Pages/Index.aspx
Graphic by Ray Campbell
Wiki - Entry
http://erlcdpl.wikispaces.com/message/list/Getting+Started+in+ESL+-+Intake+Strategies
Type in one “aha” or question
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Join us for a session on Differentiation for ELLs by Carla Fisher on March 2, 2010