Increasing Comprehensibility: Effective Instruction for ELLs

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Increasing ComprehensibilityEffective
Instruction for ELLs

• Minda Lopez
• minda_at_satx.rr.com

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Some terms

• For the learner
• ELLEnglish Language Learner
• LEPLimited English Proficient
• LESLimited English Speaker
• SLLSecond Language Learner

• For the programs
• ESLEnglish as a Second Language
• ESOLEnglish to Speakers of a Second Language
• SI or SIOPSheltered Instruction or SI
  observation protocol
• SDAIESpecifically Designed Academic Instruction
  in English

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Demographics of US ELLs

• 12 of entire population in 2004 is foreign born
  (more than doubled since 1970)
• 1 in 5 children under the age of 18 are the
  children of immigrants
• ELLs represent 6 of total student population
  nationwide

Source OELA, 2001
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Demographics of US ELLs

• 55 of foreign born children are from Latin
  America
• 25 were born in Asia
• 4 were born in Africa
• 17 in Oceania, Europe or Canada

Source OELA, 2001
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Demographics of US ELLs

• 74 of ELLs speak Spanish as their L1
• No other language is represented by over 3
• Order of languages spoken by ELLs in US Schools
• Spanish
• Chinese
• Vietnamese
• Korean
• Hmong
• French
• German
• Russian
• French/Haitian Creole
• Arabic

Source OELA, 2001
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Demographics of our ELLs

• Latinos in the US
• The population is younger than average
• 35 of Latinos are under 18 vs. 22 of NHW
• 40 of Latinos are foreign born
• 52.1 entered U.S. between 1990 and 2000
• Less likely to have graduated from high school
• 57 of those 25 and older have high school
  diplomas vs. 88.7 N-HW
• Language spoken at home (U.S. Latino population 5
  yrs. old and over)
• English only 82.1
• Spanish only 10. 7 ( dont have the
  bilingual statistic)

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Demographics in TX

• 94 of ELLs in Texas Speak Spanish
• All other groups are 2 or less
• Spanish
• Vietnamese
• Cantonese
• Urdu
• Korean
• Arabic
• Mandarin
• Khmer
• Lao
• German

Source OELA, 2001
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Texas Latinos

• Texas population (2000 Census)
• Total 20,851,820
• Hispanic/Latino 32
• 27 speak Spanish

• Bexar County population (2000 Census)
• Total 1,392,931
• Hispanic/Latino 54.3
• 41 speak Spanish

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Bexar County ELLs

• Languages represented
• (dont know the specific order)
• Spanish
• Mandarin
• Cantonese
• Urdu
• Vietnamese
• Korean

• German
• French
• Japanese
• Bantu (Somalia)
• Russian

Source Region 20, NEISD, NISD
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The research ELLs

• Vygotsky (1978) Sociocultural approach--view that
  learning and literacy are social, cultural and
  linguistic acts situated in a sociohistorical
  context
• Krashen (1987) Acquisition-Learning Hypothesis,
  Input Hypothesis (i 1) and Affective Filter
  Hypothesis
• Cummins (1984) 2 dimensions of languagesocial
  (BICS) and academic (CALP)

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Types of Language ProficiencyAccording to Jim
Cummins

• BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills)
• 1-3 years to develop

• CALP (Cognitive Academic Language
  Proficiency)
• 4-10 years to develop

What are the implications of this for our
classrooms? How does this help us to be better
advocates for English Language Learners?
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Social vs. Academic Language

• Social Language (BICS)
• Simpler Language
• Usually face-to-face
• Informal settings
• Precise understanding is seldom required
• Familiar topics
• Clues from expressions, gestures, context
• Many opportunities to clarify

• Academic Language (CALP)
• Technical Vocabulary (written has longer
  sentences more complex grammar)
• Lecture-style communication or textbook
  style--few context clues
• Precise understanding required
• Abstract topics cognitively complex new
  information
• Fewer clues
• More difficult to clarify

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According to Cummins...

• English Language Learners must make 15 months
  gain for mainstream students 10 months gains
• Constantly trying to catch up to their English
  speaking peers

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Social and Academic Language Proficiency
Native English Speakers English Language Learners
Proficiency
Proficiency
Typically 5-7 years if ELLs have had 2-3 years
of first language schooling in home country7-10
years if not
5-7 years (up to 10)
2 years
Social Language (BICS)
Academic Language (CALP)
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BICS and the Language of the Content Areas

• 1. In your group, fill out the matrix--using
  vocabulary from the specific content areas.

• 2. Be prepared to share some of your answers
  with the whole group.

There may be more than one correct answer per box!
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The Language of the Content Areas
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BICS and CALP in the classroom Word Maps
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What is Language Proficiency?

• Level of skill student demonstrates in a language
• Ability to understand messages
• Ability to express meaning effectively
• Ability to use language fluently across a variety
  of contexts
• Ability to self-correct

A. Ortiz, Learning Disabilities Occurring
Concomitantly with Linguistic Differences, 1997
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Language Proficiency Levels

• Pre-production
• Early Production
• Speech Emergency
• Intermediate Fluency
• Fluency

PEPSI
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(No Transcript)
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Additional Challenges

• ELLs are 3 times more likely to be considered low
  achievers
• In Texas, all ELLs are automatically considered
  at risk
• 30 of ELLs were retained in at least one grade
  (compared to 17 of native speakers)
• 1/3 of Hispanics and 2/3 of immigrant students
  drop out of school
• Sources ECS Clearinghouse (1997)
• When Students Get Behind Flores, J. L, Ed (1996)
• Children of La Frontera Binational efforts to
  serve Mexican Migrant and Immigrant Students ERIC

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What are some effective ways to help ELLS
overcome these challenges?
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Effective teaching strategies

• What is effective for ELLs?

• What is not?

Create a t-chart brainstorm
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What is Sheltered Instruction?
Sheltered instruction is a total English approach
to instruction and classroom management that
teachers can use to help English language
learners acquire English and content area
knowledge and skills.
From Region IV State Supported Sheltered
Instruction Training
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What is Sheltered Instruction? continued
Draws from and complements methods and
strategies advocated for both second language
learners and mainstream classrooms. S.I. is
beneficial for ELLs because the more familiar
they are with academic tasks, routines, etc., the
easier it will be for them to focus on the new
content in mainstream classes.
Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol by
Echevarria, et. al
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When do we use Sheltered Instruction?

• Sheltered Instruction can be a part of many
  program designs, ESL, bilingual education, dual
  language immersion, etc.

p. 12 Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol
by Echevarria, et. al
In Texas, Sheltered Instruction is commonly used
to refer to ESL instruction by a non-ESL
certified teacher to ESL students along with
English speaking students in the mainstream
classroom (Secondary) or to mixed population
classes (ESL and mainstream) in a classroom
(Elementary).
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What is the SIOP?

• Overall approach to working with ELLs
• SIOP stands for Sheltered Instruction Observation
  Protocol
• SIOP is an observation tool designed for use with
  teachers and administrators working with ELLs
• SIOP also provides guidelines for working with
  ELLs and strategies for planning and implementing
  lessons

Echevarria, et. al (2003)
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What is SIOP?
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What is the SIOP?

• Overall approach to working with ELLs
• SIOP stands for Sheltered Instruction Observation
  Protocol
• SIOP is an observation tool designed for use with
  teachers and administrators working with ELLs
• SIOP also provides guidelines for working with
  ELLs and strategies for planning and implementing
  lessons

Echevarria, et. al (2003)
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Sheltered Instruction Analogy

• In your group, complete and illustrate the
  following analogy statement
• Sheltered Instruction is like _________________be
  cause _________________________.
• Be prepared to present your analogy

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SIOP Components

• Preparation
• Building Background
• Comprehensible Input
• Strategies
• Interaction
• Practice/Application
• Delivery
• Review/Assessment

Preparation
Instruction
Assessment
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3. Comprehensible Input
Comprehensible Input
Explain Academic Tasks
Modify Speech
Include Visuals
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Comprehensible Input Features

• Speech appropriate for students proficiency
  level
• Clear explanation of academic tasks
• Use of visuals, gestures, etc. to scaffold speech
• A variety of techniques to make content concepts
  clear

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How do I increase comprehensible input?

• Speak slowly, enunciate clearly and explain
  idioms and pragmatic concepts.
• Make connections between concepts and words,
  social and technical vocabulary.
• Teach students valuable study skills and thinking
  strategies so they may use them across all
  content areas.
• Modify lessons and texts as needed.

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Modify Texts According to Language Proficiency
and Reading Levels
Teachers can make content more comprehensible for
their students by

• Using graphics
• Using outlines
• Rewriting the text
• Using audio recordings
• Providing demonstrations
• Using alternate books or materials

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Teach students how to use textbook chapters by

• Engaging them in a picture walk of the
  textbook.
• Pointing out important aspects of the chapter,
  titles, headings, margins, maps, keys, etc.
• Create a textbook scavenger hunt or textbook
  outline to get students to notice aspects of the
  chapter.
• Use From Text to Graphics and Back Again
  technique

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From Text to Graphics and back again

• Sequence of steps to help ELLs understand content
  area information
• The major concepts in the text are put into
  graphic form, then the graphic form is used to
  organize student talk and writing

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Process for text-graphics-text
Integrating Language and Content
Teacher Input
Student Tasks
Graphic organizers to show major concepts and
organization
Planning
Explicit attention to language and organization
of textbook
Construct graphic from text
Construct text from graphic
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Knowledge StructuresChapter 1Other Places,
Other Times
Teacher summary of chapter
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What kind of GO fits best with the information?
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Graphic Representation of Homo Habilis to
accompany Other Places, Other Times
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Chapter Review
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By this time students have...

• Read text
• Filled in webs, graphic organizers
• Talked about the content
• Completed a Matrix on the content
• All these activities have reinforced both
  language and content!

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Four rules of thumb for this strategy

• We should use a few, well-chosen graphic
  organizers (GO) repeatedly. (Some are better for
  certain content areas than others.)
• The GO needs to accurately reflect the
  relationship it is depicting.
• The GO must contain key vocabulary students will
  need to express their learning. Students should
  have opportunities to practice talking about the
  content through their GOs can be done
  individually, in pairs, in small groups and whole
  class.
• We should teach students to be progressively
  independent in their use of GOs (scaffolding).

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Student-generated timeline
This was student-initiated for a later unit.
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Final Stepstudents generating text
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Practice From text to graphics and back again

• Preview a chapter/literature book and determine
  how it is organized and what its key concepts
  are.
• Choose and draw a GO that will help students
  understand the organization and/or relationships
  in the chapter.
• Write several, simple sentences that express the
  content and relationships illustrated in the
  organizer.
• Describe a student writing task which would use
  the content, language, and relationships in the
  organizer.

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Authors Chair
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References

• Cummins, J. (1990) The Acquisition of English
  as a Second Language
• ECS Clearinghouse (1997) Children of La
  Frontera Binational efforts to serve Mexican
  Migrant and Immigrant Students
• Flores, J. L, Ed (1996) When Students Get
  Behind
• Grognet, Jameson, Franco Derrick-Mescua.
  (2000) Enhancing English Language Learning in
  Elementary Classrooms
• Gunderson, L. (1991) ESL Literacy Instruction
• Marzano, R. J. (2004) Building Background
  Knowledge for Academic Achievement Research on
  what works in Schools.
• Nagy, W. (1988) Teaching Vocabulary to Improve
  Reading Comprehension. ERIC Clearinghouse.
• Optiz, M. (1998) Flexible Grouping in Reading
  Practical Ways to Help All Students Become Better
  Readers.

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References continued...

• Ortiz, A. (1996) Bilingual Special Education
• Ortiz, A. (1997) Learning Disabilities
  Occurring Concomitantly with Linguistic
  Differences
• Rasinski, et al (Eds). Teaching Word
  Recognition, Spelling, and Vocabulary (2000)
  International Reading Association.
• Strickland, D., Ganske, K., Monroe, J. (2002)
  Supporting Struggling Readers and Writers
  Strategies for Classroom Intervention, grades 3-6
• Texas Education Agency Second Grade Teacher
  Reading Academy.
• Texas Education Agency SIOP (Sheltered
  Instruction Observation Protocol) Training
• Texas Education Agency Third Grade Teacher
  Reading Academy.
• Tomlinson, Carol A. (1999) The Differentiated
  Classroom Responding to the Needs of All
  Learners.