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2. An Overview LA THEORY BICS and CALP PRACTICAL STRATEGIES Reasonable Accommodations Our ELL Program Myths

4. Stage 1: The Silent/Receptive or Pre-Production Stage Lasts 10 hours to 6 months. Students have about 500 words they comprehend, but cannot necessarily use. Teachers should not FORCE students to speak, but encourage communication through �yes,� �no,� pointing, acting, etc.

5. Stage 2: The Early Production Stage Can last 6 months after the initial pre-production stage. Students have developed up to 1000 active words---they can comprehend and use. Students can speak in one or two phrases Students answer simple yes/no, who/what/where, either/or questions.

6. Lasts up to another year beyond stages 1 and 2. Students have about 3000 words and can use short phrases and simple sentences. Use dialogue and ask simple questions, such as �Can I go to the restroom?� Answer simple questions. May produce longer sentences, but often with grammatical errors that can interfere with communication. Stage 3: The Speech Emergence Stage

7. Lasts another year Students have close to 6000 words and are beginning to make complex statements, state opinions, ask for clarification, share thoughts, and speak at greater length. Stage 4: The Intermediate Language Proficiency Stage

8. Stage 5: The Advanced Language Proficiency Stage Develops after 5-7 years. Students have some specialized content-area vocabulary. Can participate fully in grade-level classroom activities with occasional extra support. Students use grammar and vocabulary similar to their monolingual peers.

9. Who Cares About the Stages? Stephen Krashen�s �Comprehensible input� hypothesis. �Get your crayon.� ? �Get my crayons.�

10. BICS and CALP Jim Cummins Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills Conversational fluency Playground language 6 months-5 years (some controversy) Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency Technical academic language Takes 4-7 years depending on many variables.

11. The Variables Language proficiency level in native language Age and time of arrival at school Level of academic proficiency in native language Degree of support for achieving academic proficiency---that�s us!

12. More From Jim Cummins 2 Distinct types of Communication Context-embedded Communication More typical of real life language. Context-Reduced Communication Relies only on language to deliver meaning More typical of classroom activities Cognitively Undemanding Refers to subjects in which language has become automatic. Cognitively Demanding Communication Persuading, arguing, writing and essay,

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14. Four Principles To Increase Student Learning Increase Comprehensibility (Krashen) Use nonverbal cues to make learning easier. Objects, demonstrations, gestures, intonation cues, graphic organizers, hands-on learning opportunities, cooperative learning. Increase Interaction (Swain) Help the students �negotiate meaning.� Cooperative learning, study buddies, project-based learning, one-to-one teacher/student interactions.

15. Increase Thinking/Study Skills (Cummins) Force students to use higher order thinking skills. What would happen if�? Model �thinking language� by thinking aloud. Explicitly teach and reinforce test taking skills and study skills. Do not compromise the meaning of your content for the lack of language. Use the student�s native language to increase comprehensibility when possible. (Krashen, Cummins) Provide extra support for the higher order thinking in the students� native language when possible.

16. A Sampling of Teaching Strategies Total Physical Response (TPR) Cooperative Learning Dialogue Journals Academic Language Scaffolding **Native Language Support Accessing Prior Knowledge Culture Studies Realia Strategies TPR- may not be useful in mainstream classroom Cooperative Learning� ELL students benefit from being able to talk in small groups, and observing learning strategies used by their peers. Language Dialogue Journals- Interactive journals. Student writes back and forth with the teacher. Teacher does not correct student�s English, but models good English in the response. Scaffolding- consists of several linked strategies including modeling academic language, contextualizing academic language using visuals, gestures, and demonstrations, and using hands-on learning activities that involve academic language. Having students build upon their language learning experiences. Native Language Support- you do not have to be bilingual or speak any Spanish to do this, but it gives students access to the academic content, to class activities, and to their own knowledge and experience. It also shows the students you respect and value their native language/culture. Examples: offer bilingual texts, decorate with Spanish posters or something signifying cultural diversity, organize lessons around cultural content, encourage students to use words from their native language when they cannot find the appropriate word in English. Accessing Prior Knowledge: Helps students link what they are learning to something they may already know about. Culture Studies- Does wonders for the student�s language learning and culture shock. Helps the student feel valued. Have students create a mini or big presentation on their culture in which they interview parents, grandparents, etc. to learn more about their culture. Many of these students feel displaced and really have no reason why they are in the U.S. Conversations with parents are few. Something that can be incorporated into the entire classroom and can be incredibly academic. Realia- anything real, concrete that can be used in the classroom to create connections with vocab words, stimulate conversation, and build background knowledge. TPR- may not be useful in mainstream classroom Cooperative Learning� ELL students benefit from being able to talk in small groups, and observing learning strategies used by their peers. Language Dialogue Journals- Interactive journals. Student writes back and forth with the teacher. Teacher does not correct student�s English, but models good English in the response. Scaffolding- consists of several linked strategies including modeling academic language, contextualizing academic language using visuals, gestures, and demonstrations, and using hands-on learning activities that involve academic language. Having students build upon their language learning experiences. Native Language Support- you do not have to be bilingual or speak any Spanish to do this, but it gives students access to the academic content, to class activities, and to their own knowledge and experience. It also shows the students you respect and value their native language/culture. Examples: offer bilingual texts, decorate with Spanish posters or something signifying cultural diversity, organize lessons around cultural content, encourage students to use words from their native language when they cannot find the appropriate word in English. Accessing Prior Knowledge: Helps students link what they are learning to something they may already know about. Culture Studies- Does wonders for the student�s language learning and culture shock. Helps the student feel valued. Have students create a mini or big presentation on their culture in which they interview parents, grandparents, etc. to learn more about their culture. Many of these students feel displaced and really have no reason why they are in the U.S. Conversations with parents are few. Something that can be incorporated into the entire classroom and can be incredibly academic. Realia- anything real, concrete that can be used in the classroom to create connections with vocab words, stimulate conversation, and build background knowledge.

17. Ten Things Mainstream Teachers Can Do Today To Improve Instruction for ELL Students 1) Enunciate clearly, but do not raise your voice. Add gestures, point directly to objects, or draw pictures when appropriate. 2) Write clearly, legibly, and in print�many ELL students have difficulty reading cursive. 3) Develop and maintain routines. Use clear and consistent signals for classroom instructions

18. 4) Repeat information and review frequently. If a student does not understand, try rephrasing or paraphrasing in shorter sentences and simpler syntax. Check often for understanding, but do not ask �Do you understand?� Instead, have students demonstrate their learning in order to show comprehension. 5) Try to avoid idioms and slang words�or explain them when you do use them. 6) Present new information in the context of known information.

19. 7) Announce the lesson�s objectives and activities and list instructions step-by-step. 8) Present information in a variety of ways. 9) Provide frequent summarizations of the salient points of a lesson, and always emphasize key vocabulary words. 10) Recognize student success overtly and frequently. But, also be aware that in some cultures overt, individual praise is considered inappropriate and can therefore be embarrassing or confusing to the student.

20. A Quick Fix For Lessons

21. THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF TEACHING ELL STUDENTS�.

24. Reasonable Accommodations

25. Reasonable Accommodations

26. Reasonable Accommodations Using a peer tutor, English-Spanish dictionary to complete a test. Writing a paragraph and using the native language when they cannot remember an English word. Shortening a test. It takes ELL students much longer to read the problems and formulate answers. Multiple choice helps, but only some. The student still has to decode and read each answer. Asking for one well organized paragraph instead of a five-paragraph essay.

27. Identify common language learner mistakes when grading written work, but do not take off points for these mistakes. Verb tense, spelling, missing helping verbs, misplaced prepositions, no apostrophes, misplaced articles, etc. Allowing an extra day or two on deadlines. Be clear as to when they can have extra time. We don�t want to make bad habits, but sometimes they completely miss the homework assignments. Allowing students to use a note-card full of notes for a test. Working in groups. Be sure to vary the groups frequently. Working with English speakers is just as helpful as working with Spanish speakers. Reasonable Accommodations

28. Frame Paragraph Sentence 1: Announcement. Topic Sentence. Makes an argument of some sort. Like a thesis. Sentences 2-4: Evidence. Proof that your announcement is correct. Use quotes from a book. Be sure your logic is sound. Sentence 5: Concluding Sentence. So what? Why is this important? In an essay, this transitions to the next paragraph and ties this paragraph back to the thesis of your paper.

29. Example of Frame Paragraph School should start at 9:00 because students would learn more. Most kids cannot fall asleep until 10:30 or 11:00 at night. Most students need between eight and ten hours of sleep at night. When students do not have enough sleep, they cannot learn as well. Therefore, school should start at 9:00, so that students can be well rested and learn more.

30. Myths School districts are not obliged to enroll students who are not legal residents of the U.S. Teachers should not allow students to speak in their native language in the classroom. Learning a second language is entirely different from learning one�s native language. Younger children are more effective language learners than are older learners. Academic success is determined primarily by a student�s ability to learn English.

31. Myths Language students need about one year to learn English. Therefore, the emphasis should be on transitioning students out of special programs as quickly as possible. When teaching newcomers, it is best to hold off on reading and writing instruction until they have a pretty good grasp on oral language. ELL teachers need to be able to speak a language other than English. It�s impossible for us to involve ELL parents more, as most of our teachers are monolingual English speakers.

32. Questions

33. Bibliography Cross, David. A Practical Handbook of Language Teaching. Ed. C. Vaughan James. New York: Prentice Hall International, 1992. Davies Samway, Katherine, and Denise McKeon. Myths and Realities: Best Practices for Language Minority Students. New Hampshire: Heinemann, 1999. Payne, Ruby. Framework of Poverty Workshop Notes. Reed, Bracken, and Jennifer Railsback. Strategies and Resources for Mainstream Teachers of English Language Learners. Portland: Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, 2003. Richard-Amato, Patricia. Making It Happen: Interaction in the Second Language Classroom, From Theory to Practice. New York: Addison-Wesley Publishing Group, 1996.