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OVERVIEW: TEACHING

ELLS

Dr. Laura McLaughlin TaddeiNeumann UniversityOriginal PowerPoint created by Dr. Megan Scranton

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DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGES & DIVERSITY

U.S. Population: Becoming more racially, ethnically, & linguistically diverse More than 90% of recent immigrants are coming from non-English-speaking countries Today: 1 in every 3 children is from a different ethnic or racial group Today: More than 14 million ESL students in U.S. By 2030: More than 50% of school-age (K – 12) population in U.S. will be ELLs Over 400 different languages spoken in U.S. ELLs are diverse; vary in educational & cultural experiences

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STATISTICS Only 30% of all secondary students read proficiently, but for students of color, the situation is worse: 89% of Hispanic students & 86% of African American middle & high school students read below grade level (2005)

English learners have some of the highest drop-out rates & are more frequently placed in lower ability groups & academic tracks (2004)

Only 31% of English learners complete high school (2004) Graduation rate for ELLs in PA is 55% (2012).

Why? (Turn & Talk)

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ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

Research says if English is not a child’s first language, that child is less likely to be successful than a native English speaker

Why?1) Lack of acceptance & inclusion of a student’s home culture in the schools2) Complex nature of learning a 2nd language3) Low socioeconomic status (SES)

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IMPORTANT ACRONYMS ELL – English Language Learner (student) ESL – English as a Second Language (teacher, program) LEP – Limited English Proficient ESOL – English to Speakers of Other Languages IMM – Immigrant SLA – Second Language Acquisition WIDA – World-Class Instructional Design & Assessment consortium

ACCESS for ELLs – Annual assessment to test language proficiency

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CLOZE ACTIVITY: FILL IN THE BLANKS

The questions that p_______ face as they raise ch________ from in_______ to adult life are not easy to an_______. Both fa________ and m________ can become concerned when health problems such as co______ arise any time after the e_____ stage to later life. Experts recommend that young ch________ should have plenty of s_______ and nutritious food for healthy growth. B______ and g______ should not share the same b______ or even sleep in the same r______. They may be afraid of the d_______.

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STOP & JOTHow does life experience

and background knowledge affect

students’ ability to process new information?

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WHAT DO YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR

ELLS? Their English language proficiency levels in listening, speaking, reading, & writing

Their background knowledge & experiences (including their previous formal schooling)

Their cultural values, norms, beliefs, & practices Additional relevant student factors (immigrant & refugee status, language & social distances)

Their “special” needs, such as their giftedness, cognitive limitations, &/or behavioral difficulties

Their interests

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CULTURE“The way of life of a given society passed down from one generation to the next

through learning and experience.”

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ACTIVITY: CULTURAL OR NOT?

An ELL won’t look you in the eye when you are speaking to him

The parents of your ELL do not show up (or are late) for P-T conferences or school events

An ELL hits another boy after the boy takes a ball away from him

An ELL is extremely quiet in class & never asks ??s An ELL refuses to work in a group & has difficulty interacting with others

An ELL is always in your face & is a close-talker An ELL falls asleep in your class

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DEVELOPING CULTURAL COMPETENCY

A path to Intercultural LearningoEthnocentricity: My way is the bestoAwareness: There are other ways?oUnderstanding: There are reasons why they act differently?oAcceptance/Respect: It’s ok to be differentoAppreciation/Value: Value the differenceoSelective Adoption: Take certain aspectsoMulti-culturation: Stir-fry vs. melting pot

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BECOMING CROSS-CULTURALLY COMPETENT

Manage personal biases Reduce tendency to negatively judge those who are different Flexibility Be warm; recognize each person as an individual Personalize observations so others know you care Pay attention to your own thoughts & feelings Listen attentively/observe carefully Assume complexity Tolerate stress of uncertainty Keep a sense of humor Show respect & empathy

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PROVISION OF A CULTURALLY RELEVANT EDUCATION FOR

ALL STUDENTS Develop understanding of multiethnic groups Respect students’ ethnic identities, heritages, traditions, & beliefs – Be aware of own as well

Multiculturalism – Refers to race & ethnicity as well as class, culture, religion, sex, & age

Cultural Diversity – Refers to the wide variety of backgrounds, languages, customs, & environments represented within the larger society or a given classroom

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GOALS FOR A CULTURALLY DIVERSE CLASSROOM

1) Children need to feel comfortable with their ethnic identities

2) Children need to learn to function in other cultures (particularly in the dominant culture)

3) Children need to relate positively with individuals from varied ethnic backgrounds

4) Children who do not speak English or standard English must learn English, but they should also retain & value their first language(s) & culture(s)

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HELPING ELLS IN THE CLASSROOM

Diverse language abilities of children – from little or no English to monolingual in English Immerse in language-rich classrooms Provide natural opportunities to communicate with each other – purposeful pairings Respect & value native languages Include plenty of words, phrases, & texts in the native languages of ELL students

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TYPES OF INSTRUCTION FOR

ELLS1) English Immersion: English-only instruction;

effective with young children who are able to acquire new languages easily

2) English as a Second Language (ESL): Children are taken out of their classroom (pull-out) by a different teacher & taught English

3) Primary Language Instruction: Develops literacy in primary language first before shifting to bilingual or English-only instruction

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TYPES OF INSTRUCTION FOR ELLS, CONT…

4) Bilingual Educationa) Transitional Approach: Promotes subtractive bilingualism; English eventually replaces the student’s native languageb) Maintenance Approach: Promotes additive bilingualism; students learn English while maintaining their first languagec) Two-way Bilingual Approach: Used in classrooms with a mix of English & Non-English speakers; half of curriculum taught in English & Half in other language

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ACTIVITY – THE GRANT YEARS

In groups of four, assign each member to read a paragraph from “The Grant Years”

Underline any word that is a content-based word, or a word that most students would NOT use when talking with friends

When finished, read your paragraph to your group, but substitute “blah” for the underlined words

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TURN & TALKWhat kind of content

vocabulary do your students need to know?

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BUILD BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE & ACADEMIC

VOCABULARY Activate what they already know Use informal assessment checks Front-load vocabulary Revisit vocabulary frequently Incorporate visuals, realia, & graphic organizers

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ACADEMIC LITERACY The foundation of school success is academic literacy in English

Age-appropriate knowledge of the English language is a prerequisite in the attainment of content standards

ELLs must master “academic language” which includes semantic & syntactic knowledge along with functional language use

ELLs must acquire 3 knowledge bases: Knowledge of English, Knowledge of the content topic, & Knowledge of how the tasks are to be accomplished

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WHAT IS ACADEMIC LANGUAGE? The language used in the classroom and workplace (academic & professional settings)

The language of text The language of assessments The language of academic success The language of power

Students who do not learn academic language will struggle academically & be at a higher risk for dropping out of school

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RESEARCH FINDINGS (FROM THE NATIONAL LITERACY PANEL ON

LANGUAGE-MINORITY CHILDREN & YOUTH, 2006)

ELLs benefit from instruction in the key components of reading: Phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, & text comprehension

Instruction in these 5 components is necessary but not sufficient to teach ELLs to read & write proficiently in English. Oral language proficiency is also needed.

Oral proficiency & literacy in the student’s native language (L1) will facilitate development of literacy in English, but literacy in English can also be developed without proficiency in the L1

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RESEARCH FINDINGS, CONT…

Individual student characteristics play a significant role in English literacy development

Home language experiences can contribute to English literacy achievement, but on the whole, the research on the influence of sociocultural factor is limited

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MORE RESEARCH FINDINGS(NATIONAL CENTER FOR RESEARCH ON EDUCATION, DIVERSITY, &

EXCELLENCE, 2006)

Processes of second language (L2) literacy development are influenced by a number of variables that interact with each other in complex ways

Certain L1 skills & abilities transfer to English literacy: phonemic awareness, comprehension, & language learning strategies, & L1 & L2 oral knowledge

Oralcy & literacy can develop simultaneously

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RESEARCH FINDINGS, CONT…

Academic literacy in the native language facilitates the development of academic literacy in English

ELLs need enhanced, explicit vocabulary development High-quality instruction for ELLs is similar to that for English-speaking students, but ELLS need instructional accommodations & support to fully develop their English skills