Title: ESL 101: Practical Suggestions for Accommodating English Language Learners in the Regular Classroom
1ESL 101 Practical Suggestions for
Accommodating English Language Learners in the
Regular ClassroomElana Hohl, St. James the
LessColumbus, Ohioehohl_at_cdeducation.org
2- Read the IM conversation on the next page. Use
the information from the conversation to answer
the questions.
3- Pnutbuttr Wuz LTNS
- Bandit Chillin School
- Pnutbuttr Wuz the 411 on Ethan?
- Bandit Cant talk PAW
- Pnutbuttr L8R then
- Bandit No OK now
- Pnutbuttr IZ movin?
- Bandit HSIK
- Pnutbuttr Heard he was -(
- Bandit Who Susan? ()
- Pnutbuttr UL miss him
- Bandit NBD
- Pnutbuttr 8-0
- Bandit Yeah, LOL, Ive moved on
- Pnutbuttr Who
- Bandit Alex . . . SETE
- Pnutbuttr Wow B
- Bandit Agreed. BRB
- Pnutbuttr B4N
4- Pnutbuttr Wuz LTNS
- Bandit Chillin School
- Pnutbuttr Wuz the 411 on Ethan?
- Bandit Cant talk PAW
- Pnutbuttr L8R then
- Bandit No OK now
- Pnutbuttr IZ movin?
- Bandit HSIK
- Pnutbuttr Heard he was -(
- Bandit Who Susan? ()
- Pnutbuttr UL miss him
- Bandit NBD
- Pnutbuttr 8-0
- Bandit Yeah, LOL, Ive moved on
- Pnutbuttr Who
- Bandit Alex . . . SETE
- Pnutbuttr Wow B
- Bandit Agreed. BRB
- Pnutbuttr B4N
- Why cant Bandit IM back when Pnutbuttr first
contacts her? - What does Bandit call Susan for telling about
Ethan moving? - How does Bandit feel about Ethan moving? Why?
- What does the word LOL mean?
- When does Bandit plan to see Pnutbuttr?
5- Pnutbuttr Wuz LTNS
- Bandit Chillin School
- Pnutbuttr Wuz the 411 on Ethan?
- Bandit Cant talk PAW
- Pnutbuttr L8R then
- Bandit No OK now
- Pnutbuttr IZ movin?
- Bandit HSIK
- Pnutbuttr Heard he was -(
- Bandit Who Susan? ()
- Pnutbuttr UL miss him
- Bandit NBD
- Pnutbuttr 8-0
- Bandit Yeah, LOL, Ive moved on
- Pnutbuttr Who
- Bandit Alex . . . SETE
- Pnutbuttr Wow B
- Bandit Agreed. BRB
- Pnutbuttr B4N
- Pnutbuttr Whats up? Long time no see.
- Bandit Ive been hanging out at school.
- Pnutbuttr Whats the information on Ethan?
- Bandit Cant talk. My parents are watching.
- Pnutbuttr Ill talk to you later then.
- Bandit No, its OK now.
- Pnutbuttr Is he moving?
- Bandit How should I know?
- Pnutbuttr I heard he was confused.
- Bandit From who? Susan? () She has a big
mouth. - Pnutbuttr Youll miss him.
- Bandit No big deal.
- Pnutbuttr Im shocked.
- Bandit Yeah, laugh out loud. Ive moved on.
- Pnutbuttr Who?
- Bandit Alex . . . Smiling from ear to ear.
- Pnutbuttr Wow. Hes hot.
- Bandit I agree. Be right back.
- Pnutbuttr Bye for now.
6- 1. Was this activity easy or difficult?
- 2. What would have helped you be more successful
with this activity? - 3. How does this relate to the ELLs in your
class?
7Lets clarify a few acronyms
- ELL - English language learner (the student)
- ESL - English as a second language (the program)
- LEP - limited English proficient (former term for
ELL) - TESOL - teaching English to speakers of other
languages (the professional organization) - L1 - first language
- L2 - second language
8Why do we need to think about the ELL in our
classrooms?
- Growing number of immigrants in our schools,
particularly those of Hispanic origin. - Public schools have been dealing with meeting the
needs of second language learners from many
countries--immigrants and refugees--for years.
Recent phenomenon in Ohios parochial schools due
to the states voucher system. - We have a moral obligation to educate all of the
students in our classrooms. - St. James has seen a growth from 8 to 150 in the
past 4 years.
9What factors do we need to consider to
accommodate these students in our classrooms?
- Background of Student
- BICS vs.CALP
- Content Area Classrooms
- Teaching Strategies
10Background of Student
- Age of the Student
- Individual personality
- Language background
- Educational background
- of student
- of parent
- Background experiences
- Socio-economic level
11 BICS vs. CALP
- BICS - Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills
or social language--the language of everyday
conversation and social interaction learned in 6
months to 3 years -
- CALP - Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency
or academic language--the language of academic
settings learned in 5 to 7 years--or longer -
12(No Transcript)
13(No Transcript)
14What do students identify as reasons why content
area subjects are difficult?
15- Homework--no one to help me at home
- Vocabulary, vocabulary, vocabulary
- No background in the subject
- Too many new concepts
- Tests, notes, text too difficult
- Too much to write and remember
- Pacing is too fast
- Teacher speaks too fast
- Dont like to read
16What do students identify as reasons why they
feel comfortable in a content area class?
17- The teacher tries to understand what I say.
- The teacher is nice to me.
- The teacher explains things to me.
- The teacher uses easier words to explain things
to me when I dont understand. - When there are fewer students in the class I
dont feel embarrassed making mistakes. - My English doesnt have to be perfect.
18What have students told us they need us to do to
help them succeed in the classroom?
19- Explain things to me help me to understand
- Use easier words
- Teach us how to do it (model)
- Repeat in different ways (scaffold)
- Use verbal and non-verbal cues
- Write on the board
- Use positive reinforcement
20- Speak slower
- Give us more time to do the work/assignment
- Say it more than once so we can get it
- Do group work so someone can explain to me
- Dont write in cursive
- Write it AND tell me
- Give me written notes so I can study at home
21- Teaching in primary grades tends to be more
context embedded (show and tell/hands
on/movement) - Teaching in secondary grades tends to be less
context imbedded and require more listening
without the benefit of visual clues (lectures,
read and respond to textbooks). -
- Learning for ELLs at the secondary level depends
on teachers using strategies and accommodations
to help their students learn.
22Language confusion in the content classes?
Some examples
23Math
- A submarine is 285 feet under the surface of the
ocean. A helicopter is flying at 285 feet above
sea level. Given that the helicopter is directly
above the submarine, how far apart are they? - 285 feet
- 4215 feet
- 4785 feet
- 4,500 feet
24Social Studies
25Language Arts
- Q Which words from the passage are used as
persuasion in that they express an attitude of
sympathy for animals that are prey to big cats? - A. how they move and hunt
- B. might eat fruit, field mice and large
insects - C. dinner, which is usually an unfortunate
antelope. - D. that they are wild, powerful animals.
26Surviving High Stakes Testing
- ELLs must acquire the language skills
- needed for everyday communication--skills that
native English speakers usually bring to school - as well as those needed for subject matter
learning.
27- Children do not learn this kind of language on
their own or through simple immersion in an
English speaking environment. - Mastering academic English--and thus surviving
high stakes testing - and graduating from high school--
- requires instructional activities and strategies
that actively promote language development in the
context of learning intellectually challenging
content.
28How to Modify for the ELL in Your Content Area
ClassroomRealistic Suggestions from Teachers
in the Trenches
29- Suggestions for Modifying and Note-taking
-
30- Activate prior knowledge
- Brainstorm as a group
- Combine language objectives with content area
objectives - Use word associations (Ex. synonym and same)
- Pre-teach essential vocabulary
- Provide visual ways to remember things
- Make real world associations (Ex. slope and
snowboarding) - Categorize vocabulary (Ex. by parts of speech,
similarities, etc.
31- Connect to the cultures and backgrounds of
diverse students (Ex. examine foods unique to
students cultures to determine food groups) - Classify information from texts using graphic
organizers and other visual representations
(tables, T-charts, KWL charts, Venn diagrams) - Connect through pictures and realia
- Complete tasks in small groups with specific
responsibilities assigned to each student
(recorder, reporter, supervisor) - Give students specific items to identify rather
than broad vocabulary words (Ex. Explorers--where
from, where going, when and why, result/outcome - Student presentations through active
involvement--chants, plays.drama, visuals, models
dioramas, posters
32- Sample Modifications for
- Social Studies and Science
33- Identify and make students responsible for the
big ideas - Break assignments into parts
- Pair ELLS with a competent science/social studies
partner - Reduce number of requirements within each part of
the assignment - Check frequently for understanding
- Write examples/directions on the board (visuals)
- Show ELLs a successfully completed assignment
- Add participation to the standard of grading
- Choose an element that the ELL can relate to
- Give extended time
- Give mini-deadlines rather than one due date
34- Test Modifications and Accommodations
-
35- Use old tests for review so students can become
familiar with format, types of questions - Reduce length of test as appropriate
- Provide review sheet
- Reduce language complexity
- Highlight key words
- Reduce number of choices (eg. 4 to 3 multiple
choice responses) - Provide a word bank for fill-in-the-blank
- Reduce essay requirements. Assign a specific
writing topic prior to the test. - Read the test aloud to students with more basic
English proficiency - Provide extended time to complete the test
- Give open book/open note test
36Adapting Strategies for Classroom Instruction
What do we need to think about when we plan our
lessons?
37- Activating and building background knowledge
- Checking for comprehension
- Giving clear directions
- Creating homework routines
- Increasing opportunities for teacher-student
interaction - Increasing opportunities for student-student
interaction - Adapting textbooks
- Modifying the language of assignments
- Modifying assessments
- Giving alternative assessments
38- Creating an environment where the student feels
comfortable about asking questions and making
mistakes.
39Activating and Building Background Knowledge
- Brainstorm
- Think-pair-share
- Use graphic organizers when possible, such as
K-W-L charts, webs, venn diagrams - Personalize the lessons (through comparisons,
real world connections, etc. - Link lessons to past learning and experiences
40Checking for Comprehension
- Never ask an ELL student, Do you understand?
- - Use signals (thumbs up, thumbs down)
- - Ask them to complete the sentence
- - Ask them to show you
- - Ask an open-ended question
- (Not all questions are created equal.)
- End with review. It reinforces and provides
feedback.
41Giving Clear Directions
- Help students identify multiple steps.
- Give both oral and written directions.
- Model what you want the student to do.
- Show the student examples of good work.
- Have the students repeat the directions back to
you. - Ask for questions.
42Creating Homework Routines
- Allow the student adequate time to write down the
homework. - Write the assignment down in the same place every
day. - Allow time to begin in class.
- Allow extra time to complete the assignment.
43Increasing Opportunities for Teacher-Student
Interaction
- Lower anxiety.
- Encourage participation.
- Lengthen wait time.
- To involve ELLs, begin with Yes/No and one-word
response questions, and gradually up the ante
as student gains more knowledge and language
skills. - Try to understand the message rather than the
language. - Repeat, review and summarize.
44Increasing Opportunities for Student-Student
Interaction
- Small group work
- Give explicit directions
- Discuss group responsibilities
- Mix groups
- Check for comprehension/clarification
- Provide a time frame
- Monitor groups as they work
- End with sharing
- Use peer tutoring
- Pair ELLs with reliable students (same language
or English-speaking)
45Adapting Textbooks
- Pre-select and pre-teach essential vocabulary
- Highlight important concepts
- Use graphic organizers, such as T-notes and Venn
diagrams - Discuss the text. Dont expect the ELLs to be
able to read it on their own. - Find parallel texts/trade books that are written
on a lower language level - Examine new uses of familiar words
- Discuss synonyms
- Have students keep personal dictionaries
46Modifying the Language of Assignments
- Provide a word bank
- Assign fewer questions. Choose questions that
get at the big idea - Evaluate for content only-the message and not the
means - Provide models and outlines
47Modifying Assessments
- For essay questions, allow students to use
visuals and graphics, e.g. sequenced pictures,
labeled diagrams, maps, etc. - Replace multiple choice questions (or even short
answer and essay questions) with completion
questions which require a much lower
reading/language demand - Example The battle of Antietam was important
because __________ .
48- Once the student can read well enough, use the
cloze technique, omitting key words from a
paragraph that students then have to replace.
(Using a word list is often helpful in
determining comprehension of key concepts.) - Allow use of a dictionary.
- Allow extended time to complete the tests.
- Shorten the test by choosing the concepts that
are the most important. - Limit choices on multiple choice tests.
- Divide word banks into smaller groups.
- Test the student orally.
- Allow students to use their notes. (Encourages
them to pay attention and take notes.) - Give an open book test.
49Giving Alternative Assessments
- Portfolios
- Learning logs
- Self assessments
50Kids dont care how much you know until they
know how much you care.