an awareness workshop for classroom teachers with limited experience in working with eal students...
TRANSCRIPT
An Awareness Workshop for Classroom Teachers
with limited experience in working with EAL students
Dr. Judy CormierDr. Judy Cormier
Joyce B. VandallJoyce B. Vandall
Research-based instructional strategiesSystematic and explicit instruction
Differentiated instruction
Homogeneous groups or individual instruction/interventionResearch-based instruction targeting specific skill/contentIncreasing instructional time and intensity
Instruction designed to uniquelearner needs
Narrowed instructionalfocus
Increasedtime
Response to Intervention Model
The Acronym EALThe Acronym EAL
English as an Additional Language
Burning Issues
One per person (recorded on one side of flip chart paper)
One per group (recorded on the other side)
Immigration the 3rd wave is NOT an aberration
Immigration is not temporary; it is our new Canada changing the faces of our schools and communities across the nation.
Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
Annual flow of immigrants to Canada, 1901 to 2006
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
1901
1906
1911
1916
1921
1926
1931
1936
1941
1946
1951
1956
1961
1966
1971
1976
1981
1986
1991
1996
2001
2006
Thousands
Opening and Settlement of the West
World War I1914-1918
The Great Depression and World
War II1939 to1945
Post-war economic boom and the acceptance of "Displaced Persons" from European countries after World
War II
Slow economy of the early
1980s
1978: Immigration Act became law
Canada has welcomed over 1 million immigrants during the first five years of the millennium.
2002: Immigration and Refugee Protection Act
One in five were foreign-born.(Since 1931, this is the highest proportion in
the population in 75 years.)
Number and Proportion of foreign-born in Canada, by census year
0
1,000,000
2,000,000
3,000,000
4,000,000
5,000,000
6,000,000
7,000,000
1901 1911 1921 1931 1941 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2006
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
Number
%
Sources: Statistics Canada, censuses of population, 1901 to 2006.
Dispelling Myths and Celebrating Best Practices
First Language Use Second Language Acquisition English Language Literacy Placement
First Language Use
It’s okay. It’s good. It won’t hurt. In fact, it will help.
EAL is English as an Additional Language– These students are language rich.
Second Language Acquisition
Learning a language is a process. It doesn’t matter what language, it is still a process!
Younger children are not more effective language learners than older children.
A concentrated effort in teaching English will not result in improvement in all academic areas.
English Language Literacy
EAL students require inclusion in content area classes with scaffolding and specific teaching strategies.
EAL students do not need to have a good grasp of oral skills before learning to read and write in English.
Being assisted in content area classes with support is necessary for academic success.
Placement
EAL students need support throughout their school years.
EAL students need to be placed with their age appropriate peers.
Teachers need not adjust their academic expectations for EAL students.
Important Notice
There is NO typical EAL student, just like there is no “normal” student…
WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT!
Learning Language Lottery
What’s Easy and What’s Not? Put activities/skills in order of
Easy to More Difficult If time permits, organize into a hierarchy of 4
groups.– easy– less easy– not so easy– not very easy at all
How will the results of the learning language lotto affect your teaching strategies?
Discuss at your tables.
What strategies are used?
Language Learning
Language Learning Lotto
BICS CALP
Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency
Cognitively Undemanding ActivitiesNon-Academic
Cognitively DemandingAcademic
Easy Difficult
Context Embedded Context Reduced Context Embedded Context Reduced
Developing survival vocabulary Engaging in predictable telephone conversations
Developing academic language Understanding academic presentations without visuals or demonstrations
Playing Simple Games Developing initial reading skills: decoding and literal comprehension
Understanding academic presentations accompanied by visuals, demonstrations of a process, etc.
Making formal oral presentations.
Participating in art, music, physical education Reading and writing for personal purposes: notes, lists, recipes, etc.
Making models, maps, charts and graphs in social studies
Using higher level reading comprehension skills: inferential and critical reading
Language Learning
Language Learning Lotto
BICS CALP
Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency
Cognitively Undemanding ActivitiesNon-Academic
Cognitively DemandingAcademic
Easy Difficult
Context Embedded Context Reduced Context Embedded Context Reduced
Engaging in face -to -face Interactions Writing answers to lower level questions
Understanding written texts through discussion, illustrations and visuals
Reading for information in content subjects
Practicing oral language exercises and communicative language functions
Writing simple science and social studies reports with format provided
Writing compositions, essays and research reports in content subjects
Answering lower level questions Answering higher level questions
Solving math problems without illustrations
Following demonstrated directions Writing answers to higher level questions e.g. comment on …
Taking standardized achievement tests
BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communications Skills)• 2-3 years• Cognitively undemanding• Everyday language• Basic language structure• Context embeded (e.g., face to face gestures, concrete)
CALPS (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency)• Cognitively demanding • Academic language • Abstract concepts, specialized vocabulary, complex language structure• Context reduced• Analysis• Synthesis• Evaluation• Semantic meaning• Functional meaning
Basic Understandings
Timing
It takes most learners from 5-7 years. Language learning is through language
acquisition, and not through language learning.– Language learning
Rules Awareness of rules Ability to talk about rules
Factors in the Timing
Age of acquisition Motivation Learning language strategies Gender and gender expectations Integration Length of exposure to target language Academic experience (school experience) Exposure to English (e.g., core English) Difficulty in transference of language due to difference in
alphabet Past traumatic issues of war Involuntary departure from homeland (refugee) Sheltered period
Integration
The Four Stages (Also known as culture shock) The honeymoon stage The cultural shock or crisis stage The adjustment and gradual recovery stage The integration stage
Strategies for the community, school, and classroom
“The entire school is responsible for the learning and interactional needs of EAL
students.”Jim Cummins (1994)
Strategies for the community, school, and classroom
Try to be as visual and concrete as possible.
Place the EAL student (if possible) beside another EAL student who can guide him/her away from auditory distractions.
Actively engage the EAL student in the school and class.
Strategies
Evaluate using straightforward questioning.– Remember…they will always nod and say yes
even if they don’t understand.
Encourage their contributions, but don’t push EAL students to participate in class. – EAL students can be a resource for content
covered in class.
Strategies
Find some area in which the EAL student can succeed in the presence of classmates.
In order to assist with the overall comprehension of a storyline, encourage EAL students to:– watch visual productions of novels covered; or,– listen to audio recordings of novels covered.
Use your public and regional libraries.
Strategies
Use graphic novels for students so they understand the overall storyline of the content being studied.
Allow EAL students extra time for some assignments, especially if a lot of reading or writing is required.
Be specific in expectations (e.g. due date, format, etc.)
– Instructions written on the board or in a handout are better than oral instructions.
Strategies
For written exams, allow extra time as needed and the use of first language dictionaries. However, monitor the use of dictionaries so a dependency on them does not occur.
As a learning tool, allow students re-writes for out of class assignments.
Strategies
Provide EAL students with a list of (and actual copies of) required reading material.– e.g. Provide a list of novels at the beginning of the
semester so that students can prepare reading selections if desired.
If possible, print directions on the board for assignments and handouts. – Many EAL students do not read cursive writing.
Strategies
Scaffold content in subject area. – Break down assignments into shorter tasks– Model– Highlight important concepts
Increase print size when photocopying. Provide an extra textbook for home. Give the EAL student a copy of notes.
Strategies
Celebrate March 21 – International Day For The Elimination International Day For The Elimination
of Racial Discriminationof Racial Discrimination
Respect a student’s silent period– This silent period may last for several months.
Strategies
Have reading materials and magazines available.– Children’s books contain 50% more rare words
than adult prime-time television or conversations with university graduates.
– Popular magazines have 3 times as many rare words as television and informal conversation.
Corson, D. (1997). The learning and use of academic English words. Language Learning, 47(4), p 677.