new ell presentation for es outline

8/10/2019 New ELL Presentation for ES Outline

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THEELLSOFAL-MADINAHSCHOOL:

POPULATION, TECHNIQUES, CONSIDERATIONS

Before we begin!

Our colleague, the respected Br. Mamun, will lead us in an

interactive activity designed to foster reflection about the

status of English Language Learners in our classrooms.

If you have questions about the procedure of the activity, then

please direct them towards him.

What is an ELL?

An English Language Learner (ELL) is a student that speaksa language other than English at home and scores below a

state-designated level of proficiency in English upon enteringthe New York City public school system.

The challenge of being an ELL

Teachers often note that ELLs have a double job, compared

to other students.

They must master content, as other students must, but they

alsomust achieve competence in language.

While mainstream students need to achieve competence in

the language of school as well, they have a firmer foundation

to work from.

ELLs in al-Madinah School

As we are all aware, al-Madinah School is a very unique

educational context.

It is therefore not surprising that our ELL populations are

unique as well.

The graphs you will see are based on the middle and high

school populations, but I have no doubt that they represent

schoolwide trends.

ELLs by Grade (7-12)

ELLs by First Language (L1)


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ELLs by English Proficiency

TECHNIQUES

THREE WAYS TO HELP OUR ELLs

Keeping in mind our responsibility to educate those under ourcare, and also keeping in mind your tremendously full

schedules, Ive surveyed a range of techniques that can help

ELLs succeed and pulled out three that are not too difficult for

you to implement, but are nonetheless helpful.

THE LIST

COMPREHENSIBLEINPUT

What is CI, and how can it help?

Comprehensible input was formally defined and explained by

the celebrated linguist S. Krashen (1982).

In short, it is language (either read or heard) that can beunderstood, and is a bithard for one (i + 1). According to

Krashen, it is the key driver of second language acquisition.

You acquire language by understanding messages in that

language; not by learning lists of grammar rules.

To maximize ELL understanding of the language you use, dothe following:

Elements of Comprehensible Input

1) Provide context for your students. Material should not be

without any non-linguistic reference points. Visuals, real

objects, gestures, etc.

2) Activation of background knowledge. Helping students

relate to the material through activation of prior knowledge

will ensure a greater level of understanding.

3) Modify your speaking style as follows:

Comprehensible Input Tips

1) Talk more slowly and clearly. Keep a natural rhythm, but

dont speed through your sentences.


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2) Monitor your sentence length; keep your sentences

reasonably short.

3) Simplify vocabulary when possible, and limit the

vocabulary words you must use to the new words youintroduced recently or have practiced often with students.

Avoid idiomatic speech.

4) Expand student answers. Often, they reply with one or twowords only. Substantiate what they say.

Activity

Think of something you explained to your class (a mini-lesson

prior to an activity would work) within the last few weeks that

could be modified in terms of context, speaking style, or

background-knowledge activation.

Jot down some concrete changes that would maximize

comprehensible input, then share with your group.

You have five minutes.

FOSTERINTERACTION

Foster Interaction

While interaction as a primary driver of language acquisition

is controversial (see Larsen-Freeman & Long, 1991), no

researcher denies that certain kinds of interaction promote

language acquisition in children.

Children who are interacting constructively in groups have

more opportunity for both input (from group members) and

output (from themselves).

What can we do?

1) Group work. Try to have many group activities for yourstudents to complete that require discussion.

2) Keep in mind ELL levels and expect the responses theyare capable of. This will be elaborated upon shortly.

3) Select group members carefully. Depending on the ELLs

level and native language, try to put groups together that will

lower students anxiety levels and get them ready to interact.


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Activity

Consider the children in your class who have language

difficulties. Who would you pair them with to make them lessanxious?

Consult with those of your group members who teach the

same children.

THESTAGESOFLANGUAGEACQUISITION

Language Development in ELLs

Cummins (1979), as a result of a meta-analysis, asserted that

language is of two types, BICS and CALP.

These two types are mastered at different paces. BICScomes first, within six months to two years, while CALP can

take five to seven years to master.

ELL students with sufficient skills in BICS may exhibit

excellent speaking skills, but be unable to read and write to

the levels necessary to succeed in school.

Proceeding Through Stages

Language acquisition can also be represented in a series of

stages. Children learning a new language in an ESL context all pass

through the same stages.

However, they pass through them at varying rates, depending

on many different factors.

They are as follows:

The Stages

1) Native Use -> Silent Period

2) Formulaic Speech / Early Production 3) Speech Emergent

4) Intermediate Fluency

5) Advanced Fluency

Native Use -> The Silent Period


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At first, many children will continue speak their nativelanguage, despite not being understood.

When this period ends, children enter a silent period which

may vary in length based on personality and other individualfactors.

What can they do?

Listen

Point

Move

Mime

Match

Draw

Select

Act out

Circle

Formulaic Speech / Early Production

Children begin speaking, but rely on short, ungrammatical

utterances and repeating what others have said. Limited

comprehension.

What can they do?

Name

Label

Group

Respond

Tell/say

Categorize

List

Speech Emergent

Children begin expressing themselves with novel sentences.

In the beginning, these sentences are grammatically

incorrect; however, they will improve with time.

What can they do?


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Recall

Retell

Define

Explain

Compare/Contrast

Summarize

Describe

Role-play

Restate

Intermediate Fluency

Comprehension increases; they speak in more complex

sentences and make fewer errors. What can they do?

Analyze

Create

Defend

Debate

Predict

List

Categorize

Advanced Fluency

Children approach grade-level fluency; they are able to use

sophisticated language, but still make a few, more

complicated errors.

What can they do?

Essentially, anything grade-level, but with some supports

where needed.

PROMOTEPARTICIPATION

THE BARRIERS TO CONTRIBUTION

In essence, the point of Promote Participation is that multiple

avenues should exist that allow for ELLs to get exposure to


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complicated ideas in a manner they understand AND to, as a

result of this knowledge, participate in classes despite

language barriers.

This is an invitation to teachers to allow multilingualresponses to material, and differentiate in requirements for

students who are unable to participate at the levels expected

of the majority due to their language difficulties.

Examples for L1 Avenues of Access

1) Buddy system. New children who do not speak anyEnglish should have an assigned buddy who speaks their

language understandably and can be counted upon to help

them by translating key terms. This may not be viable for very

low grade levels.

2) Bilingual reading materials. Many of our ELL students have

had robust educations in their countries of origin, and should

be allowed bilingual reading materials to encourage them to

continue reading.

Activity

In your groups, consider activities or assignments that you

have given to your students recently.

How could you modify the required responses to theseassignments in order to give students of all levels the ability

to participate?

Make a list of the kind of response you might want fromstudents of each level.

In conclusion, please remember and keep in mind!

"If the child is not learning the way you are teaching, then you

must teach in the way the child learns." - Rita Dunn,

Professor of Education at SJU.

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