ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS

By: Courtney Butler

Definitions English Language Learners- ELL English as a Second Language- ESL First Language- L1 Second Language- L2

Statistics ELL are the fastest growing group of K-12

students in the United States The ELL population has increased 138%

according to Nation Center of Education Statistics take in 2003

In several States 40-50 percent of Latino students, many who are ELL students are not graduating from high school

Only 2.5% of teacher of ELL have received special preparations work with these students

Statistics Continued Approximately 79% of ELLs nationally are from

Spanish-language backgrounds 2004-2005 5.1 million of the U.S. student

population are ELLs North Carolina has experienced a 300% higher

growth of ELLs in a ten-year period 1995-2005 85% of the ELLs in California are Spanish

Speaking It takes 4-7 years of sustained institutional

support for ELL students to develop academic English proficiency

Assumptions of ELL ELL’s do not differ significantly from

those of other divers learners The discipline of ESL is primarily a

menu of pedagogical (teacher) adaptations appropriate for a diverse variety of learners

Misconceptions of ELL Many teacher’s assume that exposure to

language and opportunities for interaction with English speakers are the essential conditions for learning ESL

Because all children learn to speak their native language, teachers often conclude that all ELLs will learn their second language that same route and rate as their first.

Misconceptions of ELL Continued Good teaching for native speakers is

good teaching for ELL’s Using nonverbal support fails to meet

the needs of ELLs when teachers are unable to use them as tools for language development within content class.

Tips for Teaching ELL Encourage students to engage with one

another face-to-face to develop oral and written academic language

Provide feedback Help them build knowledge base by

incorporating media Encourage students to rely on their funds of

knowledge and build on their bicultural and bilingual experiences as a bridge to developing academic English proficiency

Code Switching Alternating between English and

Spanish Ex. Los biles = the bills

El cheque = the checks While students are writing having them

use their native language as well as English will allow them to portray their ideas in a better way.

Content-Area Cognates Cognates are pairs of words in two or

more languages that are similar in form and meaning. Ex. English- Bank

Spanish- banco Cannot apply this strategy

indiscriminately because some word pairs are false cognates

Graphic Organizers These are visual devices that help

students quickly access knowledge, tap into prior knowledge, discern relationships, establish a hierarchy among concepts, and review information.

These organizers allow ELLs to read and see content which reinforces the content

Using L1 language It is important to allow ELL students to

use their L1 language when needed. Whether it be in writing or speaking

Standards Most standards are based on

approaches for a diverse native-English speaking student population not solely based on an ELL population

Standards in NC 5 Standards:

1. English language learners communicate for social and instructional purposes within the school setting.

2. ELLs communicate information, ideas, and concepts for academic success in the content area of Language Arts.

3. ELLs communicate information, ideas, and concepts for academic success in the content area of mathematics

4. ELLs communicate information, ideas, and concepts for academic success in the content area of Science

5. ELLs communicate information, ideas, and concepts for academic success in the content area of Social Studies

Best way to ensure success Step 1: first language Step 2: Code switching or mixed

language Step 3: inter-language Step 4: Close to Standard English

ELLs and their Families Many of the ELL students are the main

communicator for the family Make sure to take into consideration

ELL holidays that may impact their attendance at school.

Create a welcoming environment in your school. These students and families may already be feeling ostracized as they may not be able to communicate

ELLs and Their Families Continued Make a personal connection with

families by showing that you care about their native language

Communicate Important information Provide ways for parents to learn

important topics and skills that will help them learn more about communicating with English Language Speakers.

Experiences Jen Peña

Private Catholic School in the Bronx's where she learned English from a friend.

Neither of her parents learned or spoke English

Being in an environment with English learners made it easier to learn the language.

Placed in ESL classes once she moved to North Carolina

Johnson County Middle School Female student who does not speak any

English First day at the internship

“Teachers should encourage Latino students to build on their bicultural and bilingual experiences to develop academic English”

“The window of opportunity for academic success begins to close for most students by the time they leave middle school” (National Public Radio, 2002)

Citations Fu, D. (2009). Writing between

languages . Portsmouth: Heinemann. Rubinstein-Avila, E. (n.d.). Connecting

with latino learners. Harper, C. (n.d.). Misconceptions about

teaching english-language learners. (2004). Journal of Adolescent & Adult Literacy, 48(2), 152-162.

Citations Continued Pena, J. (2013, April 16). Interview by C

Butler Breiseth, L. (n.d.). A guide for engaging

ell families: twenty strategies for school leaders . (2011). Colorín Colorado

State Board of North Carolina Department of Public Instruction, (2012). English language proficiency standards . Retrieved from website: http://eldnces.ncdpi.wikispaces.net/Curriculum and Instruction

Citations Continued Payan, R., & Nettles, M. (n.d.). Current

state of english-language learners in the u.s. k-12 student population . (2007). Retrieved from http://www.ets.org/Media/ Conferences_and_Events/pdf/ELLsympsium/ELL_factsheet.pdf

Ferris , D. (2003). Response to student writing . Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Publishers

(n.d.). English language learners and technology. (2005). SouthEast Initiatives Regional Technology in Education Consortium, 17(1), Retrieved from https://schoolweb.dysart.org/EdTech/uploads/initiatives/ELD/Vol7_1.pdf