internet course #2 - topic iii may 2-may 16 bilingual/multicultural ed. ellen marshall, ph.d. &...

Internet Course #2 - Topic III

May 2-May 16

Bilingual/Multicultural Ed.

Ellen Marshall, Ph.D. & Cathy McAuliffe-Dickerson, Ph.D.

During the last topic you explored…

• the components of a sound early childhood curriculum

• and the relationship between your philosophy of education, standards for ensuring quality care and education, and teaching techniques


What this topic is all about…

• First and second language acquisition• How a sound early childhood curriculum

addresses issues related to second language learners

• What a classroom with second-language learners in it should look like

• How this impacts your philosophy of teaching• A mini-case study that will pull all this together


Source

The information in this power pointpresentation comes from the following:One Child, Two Languages: A Guide forPreschool Educators of Children LearningEnglish as a Second Language

Written by Patton O. Tabors, Ed. D.Published by Paul H. Brookes Publishing Company, 1997


Introduction

• Although the title of the book refers to preschool educators, the concepts presented apply throughout early childhood

• There are three major categories of early childhood settings for second language learners• First-language classrooms

• Bilingual classrooms

• English-language classrooms


First-language classrooms

• The home language of the child is used as the primary language in the classroom

• The teachers and other adults are native speakers of that language


Why first-language classrooms?

• Children must develop their first language fully as a basis for later literacy skills and subsequent school success

• Young children are at risk for losing their first language if it is not strongly supported during the early years

• This support should continue during the early elementary years


Bilingual classrooms

• Classroom teachers are either bilingual or teachers have different language backgrounds


Why bilingual classrooms?

• Each child’s home language is being reinforced and supported

• Second language is being added

• Children have second language input from other children, not just the teacher(s)


English-language classrooms

• Primary language is English

• Primary language of child may not be supported


Why English-language classrooms?

• Teachers who understand the importance of a multicultural curriculum can make this a welcoming environment

• Teachers can bring parents and other people who represent the child’s language and culture into the culture


Where does your classroom fall on the following continuum?

First language Bilingual English language

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x


First and second language acquisition: an overview

• First language acquisition

• Second language acquisition• Simultaneous

acquisition• Sequential acquisition


First language acquisition

• Happens within the context of social interaction within the family unit

• Most oral language skills are acquired by age five

• More advanced uses of language continue to be acquired well past early childhood

• Vocabulary acquisition is a lifelong task


First language acquisition is monumental!

• Phonology: sounds of the language

• Vocabulary: words of the language

• Grammar: how to put the words together

• Discourse: how to tell stories or argue or explain…

• Pragmatics: how to use language


Babies…

• Coo

• Babble

• Baby talk

• First words and phrases

• Begin to understand grammar

• Begin to understand pragmatics


Preschoolers…

• Continue to learn pragmatics• Rhyming• Identifying initial sounds• Amazing increase in vocabulary• More complicated forms of grammar• Begin to be able to construct discourse• Learn to modify what they say according to their

audience


This might be a good time to go back and think about the C.I.R.C.L.E. project!

• http://www.uth.tmc.edu/circle/index.html


Simultaneous Second language acquisition

• Child is exposed to both languages from a very early age

• Children quickly show that they are able to separate the two languages

• They even know at a very early age which of the languages should be used when


No need to worry!

• It is clear that acquiring two languages from a very early age has benefits• Cognitive benefits• Social benefits


Sequential second language acquisition

• Occurs after first language has been established

• In this case, the process of language acquisition is somewhat different…


How is it different?

• Child has prior knowledge and about language and its uses

• Don’t need to discover what language is; need to discover what this language is

• Can be undertaken at any age• It’s riskier!

• Aptitude differences• Social factors• Psychological factors


Developmental sequence for acquiring a second language (sequential)

• Child may continue to use home language in second-language setting

• Child may enter a non-verbal stage if first language doesn’t work; during this stage, the child is collecting information and may experiment a bit with sounds

• Child begins to go public• Child begins to develop productive use of second

language


You were asked to choose a child for a mini case study…

• What stage of second language acquisition do you believe this child is in?

• Why?


Some characteristics of the non-verbal stage• Length of time of this stage varies…may last

several months or only a few weeks• The younger the child, generally, the longer the non-

verbal stage• Non-verbal communication

• Not talking doesn’t mean not communicating!• You are likely to see

• Attention getting behaviors• Requesting behaviors• Protesting behaviors• Joking behaviors


Becoming verbal in the second language

• Does this look familiar?• Phonology: sounds of the language• Vocabulary: words of the language• Grammar: how to put the words together• Discourse: how to tell stories or argue or

explain…• Pragmatics: how to use language


During the non-verbal stage, the child was gathering data about this language

• What kind of data does it appear your mini-case study child has gathered?

• Why do you think that?


Teaching the child who is learning English• Start with what the children know…their home language

• Learn a few simple words in the child’s home language• Start slowly

• Set up a low-demand language environment• “Double the message”

• Say and point• Say and do

• Repeat, repeat, repeat• Talk about the here and now• Expand child’s utterances and extend child’s utterances• Begin to insist on verbal communication before complying with a

request• Now you can begin to fine tune the second language acquisition!


Organizing the classroom

• Provide safe havens• Child can feel comfortable, competent, and occupied• Learning centers!

• Help child become a member of the group• Establish and stick with routines that second-language learners can

recognize and go along with

• When forming small groups, mix first- and second-language learners

• Help the English-speaking children develop friendships early on with the second-language learners


Using the curriculum to facilitate second-language learning

• Having a curriculum that is developmentally appropriate means you are more than half way there!

• Meeting the criteria laid out in the ECRS-R means you are even further along towards meeting the needs of second-language learners!


But there are a few things to consider• Activity time

• Provide a running commentary to what you are doing and what child is doing

• Book-reading time• Keep it short• Read to small groups rather than the whole group• Carefully choose books – stories are more compelling

for group reading• Talk the story, rather than read it• Repeat, repeat, repeat• Encourage children to “read” to each other


Also consider…

• Snacks and lunchtimes• Engage in and model social conversation

• Circle times• Keep to a routine• Include songs and movements that are highly

predictable• Introduction of themes should be short, simple, and

visual• Avoid calling on second-language learners before they

are ready…self-confidence must be maintained


And last but not least…

• Outside time• Recognize demonstrations of physical

competence• Encourage highly ritualized games (Duck,

Duck, Goose)• Pair up English speaking children with second-

language learners for cooperative games


Stop and read this position statement:• Go to www.naeyc.org• Find the position statement titled: Screening and

Assessment of Young English Language Learners


Remember your philosophy?

• How does what you have been reading about in this power point and in the position statement impact your philosophy?

• Do you need or want to amend it?


Now what?

• Now that you’ve thought about• First and second language learning• The relationship between the curriculum and second-language

learning• The classroom and second-language learners• Assessing second-language learners• And you have re-visited your philosophy of teaching…

• Go back to the child you have chosen for your mini-case study and write an analysis of this child in relation to all of the above• Include a brief description of the child, his or her family, home-

setting, personality characteristics, etc.


internet course #2 - topic iii may 2-may 16 bilingual/multicultural ed. ellen marshall, ph.d. &...

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