ELL Strategies

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIHwIoqTPhU

Modern Family, baby cheeses

Modern Family, drop-in vs. drop-off

Ed Murphy

What will we talk about today? The Background of our ELL Population The Background of our General

Education Population Academic Vs. Social Language Niles Township’s ELL Program Strategies to use with ELL Students Things to Remember

The ELL Population at Niles: As of October 20th, there were 78 ELL

students at Niles North and 139 ELL students at Niles West.

The largest language group is Assyrian. This is true for Niles North and Niles West.

The next largest language groups are Urdu, Arabic and Korean.

The ELL Population at Niles:Language West North

Arabic 20 1

Assyrian 46 26

Bulgarian 1 0

Cantonese 1 0

Cebuano 1 0

Chaldean 0 1

Farsi 4 2

French 2 0

Gujarati 6 6

Haitian Creole 3 1

Hindi 1 0

Indonesian 0 1

The ELL Population at Niles:Language West North

Jamaican 1 0

Japanese 1 0

Korean 14 4

Malayam 2 1

Mandarin 1 0

Mongolian 0 1

Punjabi 0 1

Russian 2 4

Spanish 6 6

Swahili 1 0

Tagalog 5 4

Tamil 2 0

The ELL Population at Niles:Language West North

Thai 1 0

Urdu 15 15

Vietnamese 1 2

How many more ELL students will come?

We can expect about 70 new ELL students at Niles North and Niles West.

On average about one new ELL student enrolls every 2 and ½ days.

How many students will exit the District’s ELL program at the end of the 2010-2011 school year?

At Niles North about 25 students will exit from the ELL program into the general education program.

At Niles West about 45 students will exit from the ELL program into the general education program.

How many students report that a language other than English is spoken in their homes?

North West

# % # %

A language other than English is spoken in the home. 1257 57% 1638 63%

Total # of Students in School 2195 2581

How many different languages are spoken in the homes of our students?

There are 78 different languages reported being spoken in the homes of our students.

Language Aquisition

There are two types of language that students must acquire:

Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills also known as BICS (James Cummins, 1984)

Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency, also known as CALP (James Cummins, 1984)

BICS

CALP

It takes one to two years to achieve proficiency.

It takes five to seven years to achieve

proficiency.

James Cummins, 1984James Cummins, 1984

Important to Remember about ELL students:

It typically takes one to two years to learn social language.

ELLs who speak English well in social situations are not necessarily prepared for academic tasks in the classroom.

How long does it take to learn academic language?

It usually takes from five to seven years. Research (Thomas & Collier, 1995) has

shown that if a child has no prior schooling or has no support in native language development, it may take seven to ten years for ELLs to catch up to their peers.

What is our ELL programming like?

Intro to ELL 1-2 (4 prds)

Students have no English skills. Often have experienced interrupted education.

ELL 1-2 (3 prds)Students have between a 1st and 3rd grade reading level.

ELL 3-4 (3 prds)Students have between a 3rd and 6th grade reading level.

ELL 5-6 (2 prds)Students have between a 6th and 8th grade reading level.

ELL Am. Lit. & U.S. Hist. (2 prds)

Students have between a 7th and 8th grade reading level.

As a teacher, what can I do? Take time to learn about your ELL

students’ background, countries they came from, and various cultures.

Try to understand the culture that the students come from.

Provide opportunities for other students to learn about their ELL classmates.

How can I improve communication with ELL students?

Avoid using idiomatic expressions. Avoid the use of cursive writing. Avoid the use of the passive voice. Write out simplified directions. Use commands. Avoid phrases like,

would you please take out your paper. Tape record yourself and listen to it.

How can I improve communication with ELL students?

Face students when speaking to them. Put key words on the board when

presenting new information. Be aware of vocabulary, especially words

that sound similar. For example: wind [wind] and wind [wīnd]

Strategies for Mainstream Teachers Working with ELLs

Use highlighters and sticky notes to identify the material you expect them to focus on.

Identify several essential ideas for students to learn in each lesson.

Provide a concentrated list of core vocabulary from the lesson.

Strategies for Mainstream Teachers Working with ELLs

Frequently check for understanding. Use gestures, draw pictures when

appropriate, use physical activity (TPR). Rephrase or paraphrase in shorter

sentences using simpler syntax. When showing a film, use subtitles in

English.

Strategies for Mainstream Teachers Working with ELLs

Provide graphic organizers. Provide students with pre-copied class

notes before the lesson. Help students make connections between

prior knowledge and new learning. Restate a student's response.

Strategies for Mainstream Teachers Working with ELLs

Use think-alouds. Use scaffolding techniques throughout the

lesson. Provide ample wait time for responses.

Assessment

Know your students. Teach them how to do a Scan-tron exam. Have clearly defined, reasonable goals and

expectations.

How can I help my students?

Assessment

Test the way instruction was delivered. Take the first item of each section and do it

with the class on the overhead the day before the quiz or test.

Provide study guides before tests.

How can I help my students?

Assessment

Allow oral response vs. written response. Allow product-based / performance

response vs. written assessment. Read the test for the student vs. having

the student read the test. Use checklist vs. using essay style for low

functioning ELL students.

How can I differentiate assessment ?

Assessment

Shorten the task, reduce the number of items.

Allow additional time. Assess frequently on smaller chunks of the

content. Consider using the “open book” test

format.

How can I differentiate assessment ?

Assessment

Allow free choice in the style and content of performance indicators (poster, PowerPoint, music, graphics, etc.)

Allow the student to use the ELL Resource Center to take quizzes and tests.

How can I differentiate assessment ?

Remember, English is tricky.

Steve Martin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjdDIhG5WvU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORw8PKNt1Yo&NR=1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjdDIhG5WvU&NR=1

Remember, English is tricky. Why is it…

reads [rēdz] but likes [līks]? read [rĕd] sometimes and read [rēd] other

times? plane [plān] and plain [plān]? two [tū], too [tū] and to [tū]?

I am on the plane, I am on the train, I am on the bus, but, I am in the car?

Look me in the eye, he punched me in the nose?

I open up the store and I close it up? I open up the clogged up drain?

Remember, English is tricky. Why is it…

John will take Cybil out tonight at 7:00. I don’t want to take on that responsibility. I don’t like that picture. Can you take it down. I said you were a nice person, but I take it

back. We saw the plane take off on time. The militant opposition will take over the city. Jim really takes after his father. My mom said I can not take in any more dogs.

Remember, English is tricky. Why is it…

A little bird told me. Bats in the belfry Cold turkey Benedict Arnold Blackball Greenhorn In like Flynn

Remember, English is tricky.Imagine trying to understand idiomatic expressions:

John Hancock Whistling Dixie Banana Republic Bread and butter Carrot and stick Get wind of Shoot the breeze

Remember, English is tricky.Imagine trying to understand idiomatic expressions:

References Dredske, J., Frinak, C., & Goggin, P. (Eds.). (2007). Working with students who are learning to

speak English. Retrieved from http://web.cesa5.k12.wi.us/ site_uploads/ news/ newsfile424_3.pdf

English idioms & idiomatic expressions [Idiomatic expressions]. (n.d.). Retrieved October 26, 2010, from http://www.usingenglish.com/ reference/ idioms/

Haynes, J. (n.d.). How long does it take to learn English? [Research on ELL students]. Retrieved October 22, 2010, from Everything ESL website: http://www.everythingesl.net/ inservices/ _long_does_take_learn_english_55843.php

Haynes, J. (n.d.). SIOP: Making content comprehensible for ELLs [SIOP explanation]. Retrieved October 19, 2010, from everythingESL.net website: http://www.everythingesl.net/ inservices/ using_siop_model_08621.php.php

Helping educators work effectively with English language learners [SIOP description]. (n.d.). Retrieved October 20, 2010, from http://www.cal.org/ siop/ index.html

Hume-Nigro, J. (2004). Strategies for mainstream teachers working with English language learners [strategies]. Retrieved October 22, 2010, from ELL Consortium website: http://www.ellconsortium.com/ Data/ FileManager/ strategies.doc

Modifying for ELL students [strategies]. (n.d.). Retrieved October 21, 2010, from Bethlehem Central School District website: http://bcsd.k12.ny.us/ academics/ ESL/ esl_modifications.html#instruction