Getting to Academic English: Instructional Practices for Secondary English Learners

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Getting to Academic English Instructional
Practices for Secondary English Learners

• Nancy Frey, Ph.D.
• PPT at www.fisherandfrey.com Click Resources

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Disciplinary Literacy
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Why Cant the English Teachers Teach This Stuff?

• Reading, writing, speaking, listening, and
  viewing
• Literacy is utilized in all content areas
• Language is specialized in each area
• All learning occurs through language
• Literacy Language and Language Learning

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Increasing Specialization of Literacy
Shanahan Shanahan, 2008
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Disciplinary Literacy is Academic Language
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What makes literacy hard in the disciplines?

• The goals of reading and writing and the
  approaches to reading and writing are different
  depending on the content area.
• The texts are written differently.
• Mathematics
• Science
• History/Social Studies

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Math Reading

• Goal arrive at truth
• Importance of close reading an intensive
  consideration of every word in the text
• Rereading a major strategy
• Heavy emphasis on error detection
• Precision of understanding essential
• Conclusions subject to public argument

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Mathematics Text

• 1.1 Introduction to Linear Equations
• A linear equation in n unknowns x1, xx, xn is
  an equation of the form
• a1x1 a2x2 anxn b,
• where a1, a2,,an, b are given real numbers
• For example, with x and y instead of x1
  and x2, the linear equation 2x 3y 6 describes
  the line passing through the points (3, 0) and
  (0, 2).
• Similarly, with x, y and z instead of x1,
  x2 and x3 the linear equation 2x 3y 4z 12
  describes the plan passing through the points (6,
  0, 0),
• (0, 4, 0), (0, 0, 3).
• A system of m linear equations in n unknowns x1,
  x2, , xn is a family of linear equations

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Look inside the science text

• Value on linking findings to other scientific
  principles
• Transformation of text information to another
  visual representation
• Marshaling background knowledge

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Science Text

• The Antarctic krill is (Euphausia superba) is a
  species of krill found in the Antarctic waters of
  the Southern Ocean. Antarctic krill are
  shrimp-like invertebrates that live in large
  schools, called swarms, sometimes reaching
  densities of 10,000-30,000 individual animals per
  cubic meter. They feed directly on minute
  phytoplankton, thereby using the primary
  production energy that the phytoplankton
  originally derived from the sun in order to
  sustain their pelagic (open ocean) life cycle.
  They grow to a length of 6 cm, weigh up to 2
  grams, and can live for up to six years. They
  are a key species in the Antarctic ecosystem and
  are, in terms of biomass, likely the most
  successful animal species on the planet.

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Chart
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History Reading

• History is interpretative
• Importance of authors and sourcing in
  interpretation
• Consideration of bias and perspective (including
  ones own) are essential
• Helpful to recognize history as an argument based
  on partial evidence (narratives are more than
  facts)

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Multiple Gist Text Set

• Chart of slaves owned by Jackson
• Text of Jacksons inauguration
• Bank Veto Speech

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Tools for Transforming Texts

• In the mind and on paper
• Language frames
• Visual displays
• Notetaking guides

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Multiple Text Discussion Web in History
YES
NO
Text 1 Evidence
Text 1 Evidence
Text 2 Evidence
Should explorers risk lives to achieve goals?
Text 2 Evidence
Our View
Text 3 Evidence
Text 3 Evidence
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Guided Notetaking in Science
Elements Arctic Krill Properties invertebrate Lays eggs 4 Stages to development larvae, juveniles, gravid females, and other adults Eat phytoplankton Lay eggs Processes Eggs are laid at surface of water and drop Hatched eggs rise to surface Larvae are at surface Krill reach adulthood (2-3 years)
Key Details 6,000-10,000 eggs laid Eggs hatch at about 2,000-3,000 meters Larvae develop, nourished by yolk Develop more legs, eyes, grow by molting, Eat algae under ice Juveniles move inland of adults Different stages kept separate! Analogies Like a snake sheds its skin as it grows, so does the krill. Krill eat algae the same way a lawnmower takes in grass Illustrations (Chart of different seasons and changes in the krill as it goes through the life cycle.)
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Alphabet Vocabulary Chart
A-B C-D E-F G-H
I-J K-L M-N O-P
Q-R S-T U-V-W X-Y-Z
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Alphabet Vocabulary Chart
A-B C-D crater E-F G-H
I-J K-L lava M-N magma O-P
Q-R S-T U-V-W volcano X-Y-Z
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Alphabet Vocabulary Chart
A-B ash C-D crater cinder cone E-F flow G-H
I-J K-L lava M-N magma magnitude O-P
Q-R Rim of Fire S-T shield volcano tremor U-V-W volcano vent volcanologist X-Y-Z
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Alphabet Vocabulary Chart
A-B ash active balsat C-D crater cinder cone caldera E-F flow eruption extrusion G-H geothermal harmonic tremor
I-J intrusion K-L lava lahar M-N magma magnitude mantle O-P obsidian pahoehoe pillow lava
Q-R Rim of Fire S-T shield volcano tremor U-V-W volcano vent volcanologist X-Y-Z xenoliths
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Establishing Purpose Why are we doing this
anyway?
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Two Components
Language Purpose
Content Purpose
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Heres what youre going to learn today, and
this is what I want you to do with it.
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The established purpose focuses on student
learning, rather than an activity, task, or
assignment.
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Students can explain the established purpose in
their own words.
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Writing to Explain Ones Thinking
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Writing to Summarize
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Generative Sentences
What are Comon Grammar Errors English Learners
Make?

• Given a word and conditions about the placement
  of the word, write a sentence
• Forces attention to grammar and word meaning
• Use student examples for editing

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Volcanoes in the 4th Position
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Volcanoes in the 4th Position
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Try these . . .
Word Position Length
cell 3rd gt 6


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Try these . . .
Word Position Length
cell 3rd gt 6
Because 1st lt 10

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Try these . . .
Word Position Length
cell 3rd gt 6
Because 1st lt 10
Constitution last 10
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Expanding a Generative Sentence
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Basic Writing Frame

• Although I already knew that ________, I have
  learned some new facts about _____. For example,
  I learned that _______. I also learned that
  ______. Another fact I learned _______. However
  the most interesting thing I learned was______ .

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• Making a claim
• I think that_________, because ________________.
• Although I agree that ______________, I still
  think that _________.
• She says ______, and I agree, because _________.
• Supporting/critiquing a claim
• Her idea that __________ is supported by
  _______________, ___________, and _______.
• For example, ________________ shows that
  ________________.
• They say that ___________ , but _______, _____,
  and ____ say differently.
• Introducing and addressing a counterargument
• Of course, you might disagree and say that
  _________________.
• Some might say _________, but I would say that
  _____________.
• While it is true that __________, that does not
  always mean that _________.
• Stating a conclusion or summing up an argument
• In conclusion, I believe ____________________.
• In sum _____________ is shown by _____________
  and ______________.
• For these reasons, _______________ should be
  ________________.
• Source Glencoe Literature, 2009. Used with
  permission of Glencoe/McGraw-Hill.

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Creating to Explain Ones Thinking
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The teachers role in developing academic
language

1. Analyze what makes the language demanding for
   individuals or groups.
2. Develop scaffolds and supports to help students
   understand and apply academic language.
3. Use strategies to develop their proficiency in
   academic language.

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Disciplinary Literacy
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Getting to Academic English Instructional
Practices for Secondary English Learners

• Nancy Frey, Ph.D.
• PPT at www.fisherandfrey.com Click Resources