Seyyed Ahmad Fatemi-Samir Fatemi-سمیر فاطمی-سید احمد فاطمی

Fastest growing segment of the student population in U.S.

1 in 5 students in the U.S. are immigrants or American-born children of immigrants

2.0-3.3 million are English language learners

73% of ELLs are native Spanish speakers 2 in 5 Latino students aged 15-17 were

enrolled below grade level(Source: U.S. Department of Education)

Many ELLs have disabilities. Children learn a second language quickly

and easily. When an ELL student is able to speak

English fluently, s/he has mastered it. All students learn English in the same

way. Teaching ELLs means only focusing on

vocabulary.(Source: National Council of Teachers of Engliish

Different children may enter school at different stages

Silent stage – child is taking in new situation & listening

Child will imitate what other children do in class; may be pretending to understand

An outgoing child may use a lot of body gestures; this may be misinterpreted as physical aggression

Child begins to use words or phrases that are important for survival in classroom Stop it; I’m next; Me too!

Child begins to use language but is still not sure of what constitutes single word in English “I like it” which student hears as two words “I like it play ball”; “I like it little trucks”

Child may leave out plurals or past tense Child’s comprehension exceeds ability to

produce language; may use appropriate content words but not in appropriate form

Child may use grammatical forms that are literal translations from first language

Child gets most of vocabulary but generalizes meaning

Easy to assume child knows a lot more of language than s/he actually does

Children will experiment more with new language when with peers than with adults; if possible observe student interacting with peers to assess student’s English language skills.

Language skills needed in social situations Day-to-day language Social interactions are usually context

embedded; occur in a meaningful social context; not very demanding cognitively

Language required is not specialized Usually develops within 6 months to 2

years after arrival in U.S.

ELLs can comprehend social language by:

• Observing speakers’ non-verbal behavior (gestures, facial expressions, and eye actions);

• Observing others’ reactions;

• Using voice cues such as phrasing, intonation, and stress;

• Observing pictures, concrete objects, and other contextual cues which are present; and

• Asking for statements to be repeated and/or clarified.

Refers to formal academic learning Listening, speaking, reading, & writing

about subject area content material Essential for students to succeed in school Usually takes from 5-7 years If child has no prior schooling or no

support in native language development it may take 7-10 years for ELLs to catch up to their peers

Isn’t just understanding of content area vocabulary

Includes comparing, classifying, synthesizing, evaluating, & inferring

Context reduced Becomes more cognitively demanding;

new ideas, concepts & language are presented at same time

Proficiency in CALP is gained more slowly because:

•Non-verbal clues are absent;

• There is less face-to-face interaction;

• Academic language is often abstract;

• Literacy demands are high (narrative and expository text and textbooks are written beyond the language proficiency of the students); and

• Cultural/linguistic knowledge is often needed to comprehend fully.

Skills, ideas, & concepts learned in first language will be transferred to second language

Teachers expectations work to make or break the ELLs.

High expectations help ELLs.Lowering expectations hurts the

ELLs.Teacher expectations work as a self-

fulfilling prophecy.

Negative attitudes and beliefs about the ELLs stem from societal attitudes toward the ELLs.

Media bias and propaganda campaigns have given rise to “English Only” and “English for Children” movements.

States have passed legislation banning bilingual instruction (California – Proposition 227.)

Some teachers do not want to adjust and adapt the curriculum and instructional strategies to help ELLs.

They think, “Why should we make it ‘easy’ for the ELLs?”

Newcomers need visual & kinesthetic support to understand academic content material Board sketches Photographs Visual materials Mime, gestures, or acting out Exaggerate emotions and vary voice; teach

mainstream student to do same Repeat actions & rephrase

Speak in a clear, concise manner at slightly slower pace using short, simple sentences & high-frequency words

Students won’t understand fast speech or words run together

Pause after phrases or short sentences, not after each word

Avoid passive voice, complex sentences, & slang

Smile & speak in a calm, reassuring manner

Show patience through facial expressions & body language

Make every effort to understand ELLs’ attempts to communicate

Allow new ELLs extra time when listening & speaking

Many ELLs translate language they hear to their native language, formulate a response, & then translate response into English

Check comprehension frequentlyDon’t ask “Do you understand?”Write down information so students

have visual as well as auditory inputPrint clearly & legibly; cursive writing

may not be understood by ELLs

Accept one word answers, drawings, & gestures Do not jump in immediately to supply words or

insist ELLs speak in full sentences Resist urge to overcorrect which will inhibit

newcomers If students respond with incorrect English, repeat

their answers correctly but do not ask students to repeat corrected response

Allow ELLs to use a bilingual dictionary or ask for help from same language buddy

If you have important information, speak to newcomer individually

Don’t insist student make eye contact; this is considered rude in many cultures

Let students know which question you are going to ask in advance

This will give students time to prepare a response

Use choral readingBe sure ELLs understand what they

are reading chorally

Write key words on board so students have visual as well as auditory input

Emphasize these key wordsWhen writing notes home to parents,

print your message or use a computer

Use black or blue ink; in some cultures red is the color of death

Questioning strategies Ask ELLs to point to picture or word to demonstrate basic

knowledge Using visual cues, ask simple yes/no questions Embed response in question using “either/or” Break complex questions into several steps; simplify

your vocabulary Ask simple “how” and “where” questions that can be

answered with a phrase or a short sentence; don’t expect ELLs to answer broad open-ended questions

There will be times when you will not be able to get an idea across

Ask ESL teacher in your school for list of students who speak newcomer’s language

You can call on these students to act as translators; remember K-2 students do not make good translators

• Developed by Echevarria, Short, and Vogt.

• Uses a research-based instructional approach.

• Theory is that language acquisition is enhanced through meaningful use and interaction.

• Combines good teaching practice and instruction specially designed for ELLs.

• Cooperative learning activities.

• Focus on academic language as well as key content vocabulary.

• Use of ELLs’ first language as a tool.

• Hands-on activities.

•Incorporates students’ background knowledge into classroom lessons.

•High level of student engagement and interaction leads to more discourse and critical thinking.

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

• Content objectives – Clearly define what the students will be able to do; write them on the board.

• Language objectives – Clearly define the language objectives; write them on the board.

•Concepts should be appropriate for the age and educational background of students.

•Materials – What can you use to promote comprehension? Pictures? Multimedia? Demonstration?

•Find ways to integrate the content with language practice – Listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

• New concepts should be linked to students’ background.

• Past learning and new concepts should be tied together.

•Emphasize key vocabulary

Create a word wall; leaving it up during the lesson for students to see.

• Teach the lesson

Use appropriate speech at student’s proficiency level.

Clearly explain academic tasks.

Use a variety of techniques to make concepts clear.

• The key is to teach students strategies so that they can be empowered to learn--make them independent learners.

•Scaffolding – break concept down into manageable pieces; guide students through process; help students move to higher levels of expertise.

•Use different question types.

• Provide lots of interaction.• Use group work that supports language & content objectives.

Cooperative groupsBuddiesPairsLarge & small groups

• Give students time to respond.• If possible, clarify using native language.

• Hands-on activities, models, blocks, tools, etc.• Activities that allow students to apply both content and language knowledge.•Activities that integrate language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

• Support content and language objectives.•Engage students at least 90% of the time.•Pace the lesson; gear it to the students’ ability levels.

• Review key vocabulary and other concepts.•Students receive feedback and are assessed throughout the lesson.