Una Manzana Para Mi Maestra An Apple for My Teacher

1
Una Manzana Para Mi MaestraAn Apple for My
Teacher

• Ways to Effectively Integrate ELL/ESL Students
  into the Classroom
• A Guide for Teachers

Brittney Alyson Sloan 20 October 2007
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Introduction
Introducción

• This presentation is designed to address the
  issues of teaching ELL/ESL students as they are
  integrated into a typical classroom setting.
• The ELL/ESL student population is growing at a
  rapid rate surpassing that of native English
  speaking students. Unfortunately, ELL/ESL
  students typically rank immensely low in academic
  achievement and exceedingly high in drop-out
  rates.
• This creates new challenges for teachers as they
  aim to help ELL/ESL students learn not only the
  English language, but master the required
  academic material, too. Every teacher who teaches
  subject matter in English to an ELL/ESL student
  is not only teaching the content area, but
  teaching the English language, as well.

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Overview
Descripción

• What is an ELL/ESL student?
• A brief description and explanation of terms and
  definitions
• Who are ELL/ESL students?
• Understanding how ELL/ESL students learn
• Creating a welcoming environment
• Helping ELL/ESL students feel comfortable
• The importance of parent-teacher communication.
• Working with parents of ELL/ESL students
• Statistics
• U.S. Census Bureau and National Center for
  Education Statistics
• Helpful websites and print sources
• Conclusion
• References

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What is an ELL/ESL Student? Qué es un
estudiante de ELL/ESL?

• Definitions of Terms
• ELL English Language Learner Language minority
  students who have difficulty comprehending,
  speaking, reading or writing English.
• ESL English as a Second Language English for
  use in an English-speaking region, by someone
  whose first language is not English.

ELL and ESL are interrelated terms which are
often used correspondingly. ELL/ESL students are
simply children who do not speak the English
language fluently. They are in school not only
to learn the required academic material, but to
acquire the English language, as well. These
students did not learn English as a primary
language. Generally, English is rarely, if ever,
spoken in the homes of these students.
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Who are ELL/ESL Students?
Quiénes son estudiantes de ELL/ESL?

• ELL/ESL students come from many different
• backgrounds. Though they tend to typically
• be of Hispanic origin, they are not always.
• All ELL/ESL students share several common
• needs
• To develop their oral English-speaking
  capabilities.
• To build their English reading and writing
  skills.
• To maintain a learning continuum in the content
  areas.

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Who are ELL/ESL Students?
Quiénes son estudiantes de ELL/ESL?

• ELL/ESL students share diverse cultural
  backgrounds

• Cultural differences can mean different rules
  for classroom behavior
• Students from other countries may have a
  different perspective on schooling. In some
  cultures, it is considered rude and disrespectful
  to ask the teacher a question.
• Cultural differences can affect interactions
  with others
• Verbal and nonverbal gestures are often
  interpreted differently by students of different
  cultures. For example, in Asian, Puerto Rican,
  African American, and Native American cultures,
  direct child-to-adult eye contact is considered
  rude or disrespectful.
• Cultural differences can affect students'
  understanding of content
• Knowledge is built upon what has been previously
  learned. Many school curricula assume students
  have all shared the same past experiences.
  However, many ELL/ESL students may need
  additional explanations to make a connection
  between the concept being learned and the
  background knowledge required to understand the
  lesson being taught. For example, before
  conducting a lesson on converting miles into
  feet, special consideration should be made for
  the student who has only known meters and
  kilometers.

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Who are ELL/ESL Students?
Quiénes son estudiantes de ELL/ESL?
Understanding the Needs of ELL/ESL Students

• It is difficult to learn a second language
• It is no simple task for a child to learn their
  primary language throughout the day. Moreover,
  the addition of academic material and acquisition
  of a second lesson only adds to the complexity.
  It takes time for children to learn a second
  language. Just think of it as learning to talk
  all over again. A toddler does not start out by
  speaking in precise, complete sentences, and
  neither will your ELL student.
• Being fluent does not necessarily equal being
  proficient
• Good conversational language is not to be
  confused with good academic abilities. Acquiring
  a new language goes beyond casual conversation.
  That being said, one cannot assume a child will
  learn a second language simply by being submerged
  in it.

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Who are ELL/ESL Students?
Quiénes son estudiantes de ELL/ESL?
Understanding the Needs of ELL/ESL Students
(cont)

• Every child learns in a different way
• Just as each child will have his or her own
  learning style when it comes to the academic
  curriculum, the same goes for children who are
  learning a second language. Acquisition styles
  vary by individual. Some students are more
  outgoing and are likely to verbally repeat words
  and phrases the teacher says. Other students may
  quietly take things in. These students tend to
  be mistaken for not acquiring the language as
  quickly as outgoing students. Both students
  should be allowed time to focus on listening
  rather than speaking.
• Dont discourage by constantly correcting errors
• It can actually be a good thing when students
  make errors. This may mean they are trying to
  connect words and phrases to try out new
  combinations. Instead of directly correcting
  their mistakes, simply repeat back what they were
  trying to say the correct way.

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Creating a Welcoming Environment
Crear un ambiente que da la bienvenida

• Provide multiple opportunities for students to
  talk
• With a partner
• With a small group
• With the teacher
• With someone who speaks their native language

• Having a morning meeting time
• Allow students to greet one another each day in
  the language of their choice

• Incorporate all students cultures into the
  classroom
• Provide books, toys, pictures, objects, etc.,
  reflecting the lives of culturally diverse
  individuals
• Encourage children to write in a journal using
  their home language

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The Importance of Parent-Teacher Communication
La importancia de la comunicación del
padre-maestra
Parental contact is essential to the language
development of the ELL/ESL student

• Help parents understand the school culture and
  procedures
• Keep parents up-to-date about their childs
  progress
• Utilize parents to encourage and support the
  ELL/ESL student in their language acquisition
• Provide parents with exercises they can complete
  with their child. This is helpful not only to
  the child, but to the parent who perhaps fears
  their child learning a new language because they
  will be no longer able to communicate with them.

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The Importance of Parent-Teacher Communication
La importancia de la comunicación del
padre-maestra
Conducting a parent-teacher meeting with parents
of ELL/ESL students

• Talk about issues that may come up between the
  school and the ELL parents
• Inform parents of the ELL programs goals
• Help ELL parents and teachers to communicate with
  one another effectively
• Devise a plan to support the students language
  acquisition together
• Become each others allies

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Statistics
Estadísticas

• According to the National Center for Educational
  Statistics the general population has grown 9
  from 1993 to 2003, while the ELL population has
  grown 65 in that same time. The ELL student
  population now comprises 10 of all students.
• In the 2003-04 school year, English language
  learner (ELL) services were provided to 3.8
  million students (11 percent of all students).
  California and Texas had the largest reported
  number of students receiving ELL services (NCES).
• In 1990, 32 million people over the age of 5 in
  the United States spoke a language other than
  English in their home, comprising 14 percent of
  the total U.S. population. By 2000, that number
  had risen by 47 percent to nearly 47 million,
  comprising nearly 18 percent of the total U.S.
  population (U.S. Census Bureau 2002).

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Helpful Website 1

• Colorin Colorado Learning About Your Students
  Backgrounds

• http//www.colorincolorado.org/educators/reachingo
  ut/backgrounds

• This website describes numerous ways teachers can
  tap into their students cultural backgrounds.
  Many ideas for getting to know students are
  listed, such as a getting to know you survey.
  Additionally, the site gives links to other
  resources and articles regarding integrating ELL
  students into the classroom. This site is
  bilingual and can be translated into Spanish by a
  click of the mouse.
• This site in an invaluable resource to new
  teachers who need ideas about how to learn more
  about all their students especially those with
  limited proficiency in English.

This site is useful for teachers
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Helpful Website 2

• English Language Learners Working with Children
  for Whom English is a New Language

• http//www.bankstreet.edu/literacyguide/ell.html

• This multi-page website includes many helpful
  instructional and educational strategies
  implemented for teaching ELL/ESL students. It
  includes a description of language acquisition
  stages, instructional hints, teaching strategies,
  and even sample lesson plans.
• This website is beneficial to both teachers and
  parents who want to help their child succeed in
  acquiring English as a second language. The
  information is written in a straight-forward and
  easy to understand manner, making this a great
  choice for anyone new to ELL/ESL teaching.

This site is useful for parents teachers
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Helpful Website 3

• UsingEnglish.com Learning English (ESL) Online

• http//www.usingenglish.com/

• This website provides many links to tools and
  resources teachers may utilize for teaching
  ELL/ESL students. The site includes everything
  from handouts, to tests, to articles - all
  geared toward ESL students. It will prove to be
  an invaluable resource for any teacher with an
  ELL/ESL student in their classroom.
• This site is extremely helpful for both the
  beginning ELL/ESL teacher and anyone who wants to
  learn more about ESL learners.

This site is useful for teachers
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Helpful Website 4

• Interesting Things for ESL Students

• http//www.manythings.org/

• This website is designed to be a fun study guide
  for ELL/ESL students. The site includes games,
  puzzles, activities, and much more for teachers,
  parents, or students to use to strengthen English
  language skills. This site is fun, educational,
  and useful to both the learner and instructor.
• This site is very fun and entertaining. The
  included activities would also make great
  exercises for lower-elementary grade children
  building their language skills.

This site is useful for students, parents,
teachers
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Helpful Website 5

• Working with English Language Learners

• http//www.ncela.gwu.edu/pubs/pigs/pig19.htm

• This online article is beneficial to any teacher
  desiring to strengthen their ELL/ESL teaching
  strategies. It provides information on how to
  understand students and their culture,
  instructional activities for ELL/ESL students,
  hints on ways to create a welcoming environment
  for ELL/ESL students, tips on maximizing
  language-use opportunities, plus much, much more!
• This article is well organized and very
  informative. It gives straight-forward advice and
  ideas, making it very reader-friendly. The
  author cites many reliable references in her
  research, giving this piece credibility.

This site is useful for teachers
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Helpful Print Source 1

• Myths and Realities Best Practices for Language
  Minority Students

• Author(s) Katharine Davies Samway Denise McKeon

• This book discusses issues such as second
  language acquisition, as well as other topics
  such as legal requirements and assessment for
  ELL/ESL students. Each chapter presents and
  abolishes a common myth about ELL education.
• This book was easy to read and understand. It
  would make an excellent choice for a required
  reading in a graduate program or anyone who wants
  to learn about the education of language minority
  students.

This book is useful for teachers
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Helpful Print Source 2

• Becoming One Community Reading and Writing with
  English Language Learners

• Author(s) Kathleen Fay and Suzanne Whaley

• The importance of talking for an ELL/ESL student
  is emphasized throughout this book. The book
  includes several scenarios and dialogues in a
  classroom setting, teacher reflections, and
  examples of one-on-one conversations with ELL
  students of varying proficiency.
• This is not a how-to guide, but rather a
  collection of things that work and things that
  dont for teachers to reflect on.

This book is useful for teachers
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Conclusion
Conclusión

• The number of non-English speaking students is
  growing rapidly. Eventually, it is estimated
  that every classroom will have at least one
  non-English speaking student.
• Soon, all teachers will not only be required to
  teach the academic curriculum, but the English
  language, as well.
• Teachers must find ways to integrate all
  students cultures into the classroom. A clear
  understanding of culture is the key to countering
  the low academic achievement rates common for
  ELL/ESL students.
• It is essential for teachers to educate their
  selves on the methods of teaching non-English
  speaking students if they desire their ELL/ESL
  students to grow and develop both academically
  and socially.
• Every child has the capability to learn. But
  without the proper key, the door can never be
  opened.

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References
Referencias

• Delisio, E. (2004). Creating ELL-friendly
  classrooms. Retrieved October 21, 2007, from
  Education World Web site
• http//www.education-world.com/a_issues/chat/chat1
  24.shtml
• English language learning and teaching. (2007).
  Retrieved October 21, 2007, from Wikipedia, The
  Free Encyclopedia Web site http//en.wikipedia.o
  rg/wiki/English_language_learning_and_teaching
• Fast facts. (2006). Retrieved October 21, 2007,
  from National Center for Education Statistics
  Web site http//nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp
  ?id96
• Focus on effectiveness. (2005). Retrieved October
  21, 2007, from Northwest Educational Technology
  Consortium Web site http//www.netc.org/focus/ch
  allenges/ell.php

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References
Referencias

• Haynes, J. (1998). Holding an effective ESL
  parent meeting. Retrieved October 21, 2007, from
  Everything ESL Web site
• http//www.everythingesl.net/inservices/holding_
  effective_parent_meeti_68636.php
• Linquanti, R. (1999). Fostering academic success
  for English language learners. Retrieved October
  21, 2007, from WestEd Web site
• http//www.wested.org/policy/pubs/fostering/
• Zehler, A. (1994). Working with English language
  learners. Retrieved October 21, 2007, from
  National Clearinghouse for English Language
  Acquisition and Language Instruction Educational
  Programs Web site http//www.ncela.gwu.edu/pubs/
  pigs/pig19.htm