Teaching English Language Learners: A Closer Look at Approach, Attitude, and Methods

1
Teaching English Language LearnersA Closer Look
at Approach, Attitude, and Methods

• Catherine Holsen
• EDCI6300 Multicultural Education
• Dr. Beth Christian
• March 24, 2008

2
Introduction

• Have you ever moved from one part of the country
  to another? If not, have you ever moved from one
  part of a city to another? Have you moved from
  one school to another?
• How did you feel in your new situation? Did you
  know anyone? Were you welcomed?
• Now imagine that you have moved from one country
  to another. You arrive in the new country and
  everything about you, including the way you
  speak, the way you dress, and your perspective,
  is very different from everyone else. You do not
  speak their language, and they do not understand
  a word you say. Welcome to the world of an
  English language learner.

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Introduction

• How do you, as a teacher, deal with a student who
  is trying to cope with these new circumstances?
• How can a teacher help a student succeed
  academically when the student has to learn a new
  language as well as master course content?
• There are more English language learners in
  schools than ever before. Teachers must know how
  to teach these students and help them achieve
  academic success.

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Introduction

• Why is it important to know which approaches,
  attitudes, and teaching methods are most
  effective for English language learners?
• The population of speakers of other languages is
  increasing.
• NCLB requirements for English Language Learners
  dictate effective teaching.
• All students must have equal access to education.
• A multicultural education enriches all
  participants.

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Overview

• What matters in the classroom?
• Approach?
• Attitude?
• Teaching methods?
• All three?
• How can teachers best serve English language
  learners?

6
Overview

• This presentation will introduce you to some of
  the terms that are commonly used to refer to
  students whose first language is not English and
  identifies who these students are.
• The next three sections of the presentation will
  highlight the ways in which attitudes,
  approaches, and teaching methods make a
  difference to English language learners.
• The first section contains a brief discussion of
  approaches that a teacher should take to help
  English language learners become engaged in the
  classroom.
• The second section discusses attitudes that
  should be encouraged in the classroom.
• The third section offers a framework of teaching
  methods that will help English language learners
  understand both academic language and course
  content.
• Concluding comments will follow the discussions
  and summarize the approaches, attitudes, and
  teaching methods that can help teachers lead
  their English language learners to achieve
  academic success.
• Additional references, including web and print
  resources, will be listed after the concluding
  remarks.

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Commonly Used Terms

• ELL
• English Language Learner
• ESL
• English as a Second Language
• LEP
• Limited English Proficiency

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English Language Learners

• Who are English language learners?
• Non-native speakers of English
• Immigrants
• Refugees
• What does a teacher know about English language
  learners?
• They are culturally diverse
• They are or are becoming bilingual
• They are overcoming trauma
• Leaving everything they knew
• Entering new schools in a new language
• Experiencing trauma as refugees or immigrants

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Approach
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Approach

• Approach ESL students positively, as human beings
  who happen to speak another language better than
  they speak English.
• Avoid the deficit model LEP label. The
  students limited English proficiency is only
  temporary.
• Emphasize the students capabilities, not their
  lack of English proficiency.
• Remember the students dual identity as
  cultural citizens of both their native country
  and the U.S.

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Approach

• Show interest in the students cultures.
• Encourage the students to share their
  experiences.
• Include the students in class discussions by
  using contexts that include, rather than exclude
  them. For example, students from other countries
  might be perplexed and confused by a discussion
  of American football.
• Model appreciation for the students cultural
  differences.
• Encourage native-speakers to support ELLs in
  their learning.
• Interact with students.
• Watch, understand, and act on their nonverbal
  communication.
• Assess and be sensitive to students needs. For
  example, some cultural groups find competitive
  classrooms incompatible with their social
  beliefs. Include cooperative learning
  activities.
• Avoid lecturing. Make the classroom interactive.
• Encourage students as much as possible.

12
Attitude
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Attitude

• Understand the students cultures.
• Discover any overt or covert prejudices,
  stereotypes, or biases that you or
  native-speakers of English in your class may
  harbor.
• Instill a sense of tolerance and acceptance in
  all students. Model the behavior you expect.
• Use lessons about culture to talk about concepts
  and beliefs that are important in the students
  cultures.
• Use appropriate methods, language, and
  techniques. For example, understand that
  students from some cultures may not be prepared
  to work independently or competitively.
• Avoid a laissez-faire attitude.
• Do not assume that students can work alone to try
  to complete classroom tasks.
• Use pair work or cooperative learning
  extensively.
• Be available and supportive as students work on
  class activities.
• Be an advocate for your students.
• Deal with discrimination, taunts, and bullying
  against English language learners swiftly and
  severely.
• No one should be allowed to laugh at the
  students mistakes in English.
• Make sure the students are included in
  discussions and activities.

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Attitude

• Develop ESL students self-confidence and
  self-esteem.
• Help native-speakers in the class understand how
  much more complex tasks are for non-native
  speakers.
• Encourage native-speakers to be interested in and
  support ELLs.
• Explore the students cultures in the classroom.
• Validate the students.
• Give the students an opportunity to talk about
  concepts and beliefs that are important to them.
• Help native speakers of English understand other
  cultural perspectives.

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Teaching Methods
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Teaching Methods

• Build a community of learners.
• Pair supportive native-speakers with ESL
  students.
• Encourage cultural discussions in an affirming
  way so all students can share.
• Help students develop supportive relationships
  with each other.
• Model your instructional expectations.
• Offer explicit instructions.
• Help students understand the culture of the
  American classroom.
• Help students with social skills as well as
  academic knowledge.
• Use sheltered teaching techniques.
• Use students prior knowledge to help them
  understand course content.
• Enhance contexts with gestures, pictures, realia,
  manipulatives, maps, graphs, outlines, or any
  suitable supplementary material to help students
  understand.
• Use an appropriate level of language.
• Give students sufficient time to process
  questions and answers.

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Teaching Methods

• Use the students first language to help them
  interpret concepts.
• Provide assistance to the English language
  learners through aides, volunteers, or other
  students.
• Challenge the students.
• They probably do not belong in lower track
  classes.
• Avoid using the deficit model LEP.
• Help them achieve academic success in any way you
  can.

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Conclusion

• How do appropriate approaches, attitudes, and
  teaching methods benefit English language
  learners and mainstream students alike?
• Lower anxiety levels
• Higher levels of confidence and self-esteem
• Enhanced learning experiences
• Validation of multicultural experiences
• Encouragement of tolerance and communication
  among students
• Engaged, participative, and successful students

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Conclusion

• Remember that the language barrier is only
  temporary and does not imply that English
  language learners lack the cognitive skills
  necessary to succeed in the classroom.
• Help students understand that their culture is a
  valuable asset. Have them share their
  perspectives so that they become important
  members of the classroom community and help their
  American classmates understand them and their
  struggles.
• Use students experiences, knowledge, and skills
  as tools for teaching. Use sheltered techniques
  to help students master course content.
• Create a classroom atmosphere in which English
  language learners feel secure, protected, and
  accepted.
• Above all, teachers must set the tone in the
  classroom and model behavior that accepts,
  includes, values, and appreciates all students.
• English language learners must overcome difficult
  challenges, and teachers can help these students
  become successful in their new culture by
  implementing appropriate approaches, attitudes,
  and teaching methods in their classrooms.

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Additional References

• Useful Websites
• Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language
  Electronic Journal
• www.TESL-EJ.org
• This is an online journal that defines itself as
  a dynamic and reliable source of research and
  information in English as a Second or Foreign
  Language. It offers peer-reviewed articles, book
  reviews, reader comments, and helpful ideas. For
  example, Betty Azar, who is a well-known author
  of grammar books, wrote an article in a recent
  issue about grammar-based teaching. An article in
  response to Ms. Azars, which disagreed with her
  approach, appeared in the same issue. This is a
  useful site for people who are serious about
  teaching English as a second language because it
  offers research articles that can help teachers
  in the classroom.
• The Internet TESL Journal For Teachers of English
  as a Second Language
• iteslj.org
• This is an online journal which includes
  teaching techniques, articles, lessons plans, and
  activities for students. The journals are
  archived back to 1995. It is extremely useful
  for teachers of English as a second language as
  it provides information about teaching English,
  for example, an article about activities to use
  to teach idioms. A wealth of material that can be
  used in classroom activities is contained in this
  site.
• English Teaching Forum
• exchanges.state.gov/forum
• This is a website offered by the U.S. State
  Department Bureau of Educational and Cultural
  Affairs. It offers a quarterly journal which
  contains articles about teaching English language
  learners. Issues of the journals from 1993 to the
  present are available online and include lesson
  plans, research articles, teaching techniques,
  and articles of general interest. Most articles
  are written by classroom teachers and offer
  useful insights, techniques, and classroom
  activities. For example, one useful article
  discussed the topic of developing cultural
  understanding and included a lesson plan to help
  students discover and understand cultural
  differences. This site is useful for teachers or
  anyone who wants to know more about language and
  other cultures.

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Additional Resources

• Useful Websites
• One Stop English
• www.onestopenglish.com
• This is a website offered by Macmillan
  publishers and includes both free and
  subscription content. The site offers lesson
  plans, worksheets, activities, games,
  discussions, grammar references, teaching tips,
  and professional support for teachers as well as
  useful links to other websites. This site is
  extremely useful for teachers of English because
  it offers background information from experts,
  online games, lesson plans, and activities that
  include photocopiable worksheets. There are
  grammar, reading, writing, and conversation
  activities that can be printed and used in your
  classes. For example, there are worksheets for
  practicing verb tenses. It is a very
  teacher-friendly site and teachers are invited to
  participate in sharing lessons, anecdotes, and
  forum discussions.
• Macmillan Business English Business English
  Resources
• www.businessenglishonline.net/resources.htm
• This site, also offered by Macmillan publishers,
  offers free material that can be used in the
  classroom. It features activities and
  photocopiable worksheets that focus on business
  vocabulary and social situations. It has many
  activities that focus on pragmatics, such as
  developing negotiation skills or learning how to
  disagree politely, as well as activities that
  deal with business issues. Sample units from
  Macmillan textbooks are provided. This is a
  useful site for teachers of English whose
  students are adults who need to know pragmatic
  skills as well as language skills. It is
  particularly good for teachers of international
  business students. One caveat this site uses
  British spelling and pounds rather than dollars.

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Additional Resources

• Useful Print Resources
• Sheltered Content Instruction Teaching English
  Language Learners with Diverse Abilities by Jana
  Echevarria and Anne Graves.
• This is a book about using specific sheltered
  teaching methods for English language learners.
  It discusses language acquisition theory,
  affective issues, and learning strategies as well
  as specific sheltered techniques to use in the
  classroom. This book is used in certification
  and masters degree programs for teachers of
  English to speakers of other languages. It is
  scholarly yet readable. This is a wonderful
  resource for teachers of English to speakers of
  other languages.
• Making Content Comprehensive for English Language
  Learners by Jana Echevarria, MaryEllen Vogt, and
  Deborah J. Short.
• This book is for teachers who want to enhance
  their instructional practice. The authors
  describe techniques for teaching English language
  learners by using enhanced contexts to facilitate
  learning content material as well as academic
  vocabulary in the classroom. This book is
  written for teachers.

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Additional Resources

• Useful Print Resources
• The Adult Learner The Definitive Classic in
  Adult Education and Human Resource Development by
  Malcolm S. Knowles, Elwood F. Holton III, and
  Richard A. Swanson.
• This book is for anyone who is interested in
  adult education. It is written by Malcolm
  Knowles, who is the recognized expert in the
  theory of adult education. This book focuses on
  adult learners, not English language learners,
  but it makes the case that adults bring a
  considerable amount of experience to the
  classroom and that experience should be used as a
  resource for learning. This concept can be used
  with English language learners as well. Anyone
  who teaches adults should read this book.
• Learning Teaching A Guidebook for English
  Language Teachers by Jim Scrivener.
• This is an excellent basic book for anyone who
  aspires to be a teacher of English to students
  whose first language is not English. It contains
  discussions that range from basic, such as how to
  set up a classroom, to more advanced concepts
  about how to teach English. Scrivener includes
  examples, exercises, and opportunities for
  reflection that are useful even for experienced
  teachers.

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References

• Curtin, E. (2005). Instructional styles used by
  regular classroom teachers while teaching
  recently mainstreamed
• ESL students Six urban middle school teachers
  in Texas share their experiences and perceptions.
  Multicultural Education, 12 (4), 36-42.
• Gebhard, M. (2003). Getting past See Spot Run.
  Educational Leadership, 60(4), 35-39.
• Macswan, J. Rolstad, K. (2006). How language
  proficiency tests mislead us about ability
  Implications for English language learner
  placement in Special Education. Teachers College
  Record, 108 (11), 2304-2328.
• Matikainen, T. Duffy, C. (2000). Developing
  cultural understanding. Forum, 38 (3), retrieved
  February 15, 2008, from http//exhanges.state.gov/
  forum/vols/vol38/no3/p40.htm
• McBrien, J.L. (2005). Educational needs and
  barriers for refugee students in the U.S. Review
  of Educational Research, 75 (3), 369-364.
• Meyer, L. (2000). Barriers to meaningful
  instruction for English learners. Theory into
  Practice, 39(4), 228-236.
• Nguyen, H. (2007). Educating Vietnamese American
  students. Multicultural Education, 15 (1),
  23-26.
• Sharkey, J. Layzer, C. (2000). Whose
  definition of success? Identifying factors that
  affect English language learners access to
  academic success and resources. TESOL Quarterly,
  34(2), 352-368.

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References

• Solomon, M. Lalas, J., Franklin, C. (2006).
  Making instructional adaptations for English
  learners in the mainstream classroom Is it good
  enough? Multicultural Education, 13 (3), 42-45.
• Straub, H. (1999). Designing a cross-cultural
  course. Forum, 37 (3), retrieved February 15,
  2008, from http//exhanges.state.gov/forum/vols/vo
  l38/no3/p40.htm
• Szapara, M. Ahmad, I. (2007). Supporting
  English-language learners in social studies
  class.
• The Social Studies, 98, (5), 189-195.
• Yoon, B. (2007). Offering or limiting
  opportunities Teachers roles and approaches to
  English-language learners participation in
  literacy activities. The Reading Teacher, 61
  (3), 228-236.
• .

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THE END

• This concludes the presentation.
• I hope you both enjoyed it and learned something
  from it.
• Thank you for reading it.