Teaching English Language Learners

Sheltered English immersion (SEI)

ESL instruction: 30-60 minutes a day, provided in class by the classroom teacher Content-area instruction: All subjects taught in English through sheltered instruction Primary language support: Provided as needed during ESL and sheltered instruction Effectiveness research: More effective than pull-out ESL in isolation but not as effective as bilingual program models

Pull-out ESL

Other name: ESL withdrawal classes Target population: ELLs Typical grade span: K-6 (In secondary schools ESL is provided as a separate class period) Language goals: Help students attain proficiency in English. Academic goals: Help students gain the English proficiency needed to understand content-area instruction. Culture goals: Acculturation to mainstream school and society; assimilation common. ESL instruction: 30-60 minutes a day Primary language support: May be provided as needed Effectiveness research: In isolation, does not enable ELLs to achieve parity with English-speaking peers. Integral part of effective sheltered English programs when ESL is not provided in the classroom. Least effective, most expensive.

Bilingual Immersion Programs

Other name: Immersion program Target population: 50% Language minority (e.g., Native American, Hawaiian); 50% English Typical grade span: (Same as DBE: K-6) Academic goals: (Same as DBE and DLP: Meet grade-level content-area standards. Be prepared to fulfill societal needs requiring citizens with bilingual skills Culture goals: Same as DLP(i.e., Biculturalism, cross-cultural understanding) and communication skills ESL Instruction: Same as TBE: 30-60 minutes a day only if program includes ELL students Content-area instruction: 90/10 → 50/50 Primary Language support: May be provided as needed, though bilingual immersion programs make strong efforts to separate the language of instruction as much as possible Effectiveness research: Reach/exceed grade-level expectations and become bilingual, biliterate, and cross-culturally competent

Developmental bilingual education (DBE)

Other names: Maintenance bilingual education; late-exit bilingual education Target Population: (Same as TBE: 100% "Spanish") Typical grade span: K-6 Language goals: Bilingualism and billiteracy Academic goal: (Same as TBE: Meet grade-level content-area standards. Be prepared to fulfill societal needs requiring citizens with bilingual skills) Culture goals: Biculturalism) ESL instruction: (Same as TBE: 30-60 minutes a day) Content-area instruction: 90/10 → 50/50 Primary language support: (Same as TBE: Provided during sheltered instruction and ESL instruction as needed.) Effectiveness research: ELLs achieve parity with their English-speaking peers and become bilingual, biliterate, and bicultural

Performance Assessment

A form of observation in which the students are asked to perform a specific task or create a specific product, and the teacher evaluates the process, the final product, or both according to a pre-established set of criteria.

Emergent Bilingual

A less limiting term for ELL's. It draws attention to the other language or languages in the linguistic repertoires of the students and situates them on a continuum of bilingual development.

ELL (English Language Learner)

A non-native speaker of English who is in the process of attaining proficiency in English. [or English Learner (EL)] • Label preferred by most in the field; Emphasis on actively learning the new language • But no acknowledgement of native language

Pull-out ESL

A teacher trained and/or certified to work with ELLs pulls students outside the classroom for ESL instruction

Language Minority Students

All students in the US who speak languages other than standard English.

FEP (Fluent English Proficient)

An ELL student who has attained enough proficiency in English to be re-designated.

Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills

BICS • Language proficiency for everyday communicative contexts • Sometimes called "playground language" • Develops rather quickly (given the right conditions)

Communicative Competence

Being able to use a language to communicate effectively and appropriately with other speakers of the language.

Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency

CALP: • Language use in decontextualized academic situations • Language necessary for academic success • Requires an extended period of time to develop in children with no prior schooling or no support in native language development.

Common Underlining Proficiency

CUP: All languages have the same underlying proficiency: transfer of cognitive/academic and literacy skills is possible across languages.

Criterion Referenced Test

Determines how much a student has learned by tallying how many questions are answered correctly.

Language-as-resource orientation

Important for schools to view students' native languages as a strength and rich resource to develop and build upon.

Standard Error of Measurement (SEM)

Indicates a range of trustworthiness of an individual student's score.

Portfolio Assessment

One of the most effective ways to measure a student's progress by collecting samples of the student's work throughout the year and organizes it systematically in a portfolio.

Transitional bilingual education (TBE)

Other Name: Early-exit bilingual education Target Population: 100% "Spanish" Typical grade span: K-3 Language goals: Learn English as quickly as possible Academic goal: Meet grade-level content-area standards. Enter English-only mainstream classroom as soon as possible Culture goals: Acculturation to mainstream school and community assimilation common Issues: "Language-as-problem" orientation, deficit view subtractive bilingualism. ESL instruction: 30-60 minutes a day Content-area instruction: 90%/10 → 0/100 Primary language support: Provided during sheltered instruction and ESL instruction as needed. Effectiveness research: More effective than English-only programs but less effective than other models of bilingual education.

Dual language programs

Other names: Two-way immersion; dual language immersion. Target Population: 50% "Spanish", 50% English Typical grade span: Same as DBE: K-6 Language goals: Same as DBE: bilingualism, biliteracy Academic goal: (Same as DBE: Meet grade-level content-area standards. Be prepared to fulfill societal needs requiring citizens with bilingual skills) Culture goals: Biculturalism, cross-cultural understanding, cultural pluralism Content-area instruction: 50/50 → 50/50 or 90/10 → 50/50 Primary language support: ESL and SSL Effectiveness research: Reach/exceed grade-level expectations and become bilingual and biliterate with strong cross-cultural communication skills Issues: English is always more privileged

Submersion

Placing and ELL student in a mainstream classroom where there is no ESL, instruction, no sheltered instruction, and no primary language support.

Summative Evaluation

Provides a summery of what a student knows and can do.

Formative Assessment

Provides information to a teacher about how a student is doing and what modifications may be needed in instruction.

Reliability

Refers to the consistency with which a test measures whatever it's measuring.

Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol

SIOP

Separate Underlying Proficiency

SUP: Languages are stored separately in the brain; Learners do not draw upon knowledge from the same place.

Heritage Language

Students from homes where a language other than English is spoken ans who speak or at least understand some of that language.

Language Majority Students

Students who speak the dominant societal language, standard English.

Newcomer Program

Taught, trained, and certified by ELL teachers who provide intensive ESL instruction focused o helping students develop.

Validity

The accuracy with which a test or assessment measures what is purports to measure.

Pragmatics

The study of language in use The study of "invisible" meaning ◦ How we recognize what is meant even when it isn't actually said.

Syntax

The study of the rules governing the way words are combined to form sentences and the rules governing the arrangement of sentences in sequences - Grammar - Who did what to whom, when, where, and how

Assessment

The systematic iterative process of planning, collecting, analyzing, reporting, and using student data from a variety of sources over time.

Evaluation

The use of the evidence gathered through assessment to make a judgement about the effectiveness of the student's learning.

Lexicon

The vocabulary of a person, language, or branch of knowledge. (Dictionary)

Norm-referenced test

Used to compere a student's score to those of other students.

Multiple Measures

Using several alternative and authentic assessments throughout the year.

Additive Bilingualism

• English as an addition to the native language

Subtractive Bilingualism

• English replaces the native language • Primary language loss has a number of negative social and academic consequences for students

LEP (Limited English Proficient)

• Label used in federal and some state laws • No indication of active learning; Emphasis on "limited" takes a deficit view

Semantics

• The study of the meaning of words, phrases, and sentences Colorless green ideas sleep furiously

Phonology

• The study of the sound systems of a language • Phoneme - Smallest units of sound in a language - Change in phoneme causes a change in meaning • Ex: rice/lice

Morphology

• The study of the structure of words - Morpheme: the smallest unit that carries meaning or has a grammatical function • free morpheme(play in player) • bound morpheme(-er in player) • Inflectional: non-category changing (e.g., -s(pl), -ed, -ing, -er (comparative), -est • Derivational: category changing affixes (-ly, -ness, -ful)

Redesignation

• When ELLs attain English proficiency, they are ______ as Fluent English Proficient (FEP). • Determined to be no longer in need of ESL or other specialized services and instruction • Concern that many ELLs are _______ before they are ready