Running head: FINAL CASE STUDY 1

Final Case Study

Tissa Minor

University of Southern California

EDUC 501T

November 22, 2013

Dr. Evelyn L. Monat

FINAL CASE STUDY 2

Abstract

This ethnography will investigate the case study subject’s (pseudonym “Jo”) high

affective filter, and related sub-themes, that could be attributing to her low verbal performance in

the classroom. The study participant was chosen because of her recent move to the U.S. from

Korea and her surprisingly high affective filter in the classroom. The research was conducted at

a public middle school in Gainesville, Florida, over the course of five weeks. Research and

information on the study participant was accumulated through in-class observations, as well as

interviews with teachers and family members. The study will further be analyzed using Stephen

Krashen's Affective Filter Hypothesis with a focus on variables that may be key to Jo's high

affective filter.

Keywords: case study, affective filter hypothesis, ethnography, anxiety, motivation, self-

confidence, TESOL

FINAL CASE STUDY 3

Final Case Study

Introduction

The following ethnography is a study that follows an eleven year old student, attending

a public middle school, in Gainesville, Florida. The study participant willingly volunteered, with

the approval of her parents, to participate in this case study. Observations were conducted in

selected classrooms and interviews were arranged between the participant, teachers, and family

members. The analysis of the research focuses on Krashen's Affective Filter Hypothesis, the

study participant's surprisingly high affective filter, and affective variables which contribute to

her high affective filter, such as anxiety, motivation and self-confidence. The following paper

will outline the study participant, instructional program, demographics, methodology,

limitations, analysis, recommendations and a personal reflection.

Case Study Participant

The case study participant is an eleven year old, Korean female, in the sixth grade,

attending a public middle school, in Gainesville, Florida. In this study, the participant will be

referred to as “Jo”. Jo moved to Florida four months ago with her parents and older sister, she

has lived most of her life in Korea. From the interviews with Jo and her sister, it was determined

that her parents do not speak much English, which was confirmed by an Email I sent to the

father. Jo and her sister started learning English six years ago, when their family moved to New

Zealand for a year. Afterward, both girls continued learning, by taking English classes while

they lived and attended school in Korea. Jo is not fond of reading in either Korean or English,

she only reads what is needed for school; however, she enjoys singing in the school choir.

Instructional Program

FINAL CASE STUDY 4

The case study student is following a regular 6th grade course track, in English only

instruction, with no ESL program, teaching or instructional involvement. Jo is enrolled in

regular subject courses, her primary English instruction took place in a reading classroom, with

native English speakers. The reading teacher holds an ESL endorsement, but as there are not

many ESL students in the school, there was no ESL course available at the school for ESL

students. While Jo's test scores were low at the time, Jo has shown improvement in her progress

monitoring assessments, and is likely to continue to improve in her testing. Jo's largest challenge

in the classroom was her high affective filter, which inhibited her from speaking inside the

classroom.

Most ESL students in the district attend a different school that offers ESL instruction and

more specialized learning opportunities for ELLs. The case study student and her sister would

not attend the alternate school, due to not living in the vicinity of the school, and because both

students are considered good learners that do not struggle in their regular subjects. As it was

explained by their teachers, the girls do not need special educational programs, because they do

not struggle to learn or in their normal subject areas, they are not below their grade level, they

are merely lacking English vocabulary and experience.

Demographics of the School and Classroom

The research school is a public middle school, within the Alachua school district, it has a

total student population of 852 students, 444 of which are white, and only 42 of whom are Asian

in origin (Alachua District, 2013). In the school, 39% of students are eligible for a free or

reduced lunch, and of the teachers, only 4% are considered under qualified, most teachers

possess a Bachelor's degree or higher (GreatSchools, 2013). In the case study student's reading

classroom, there are nineteen students, nine male and ten female, of whom ten are white, seven

FINAL CASE STUDY 5

are African American and two are Asian; however, Jo is the only non-native English speaker in

the class. In her reading classroom, the students are assigned to a literature circle for the year,

Jo's literature group consists of five students, two males and three females, two of whom are

white, two are African American and Jo being the only Asian.

Methodology

The case study was conducted over a five-week period, which included observations

inside the classroom, interviews, and other data and artifact collection. Consent forms were

signed and collected from Jo's parents for both her and her sister, which permitted observations

and interviews in relation to the study. Observations were conducted in both girls' Reading

classes, periodically from October 28 until November 18, 2013. Formal interviews with Jo and

her sister (pseudonym “Rom”) occurred on October 28 and November 14, 2013. An informal

Email was conducted with Jo's father on November 3, 2013. A formal interview with Jo's

reading teacher occurred on November 6, 2013, and informal Emails were exchanged with her

choir instructor. Writing samples and test scores were viewed on November 6, 2013, and a

writing sample collected on November 18, 2013 (see appendices).

Limitations of Study

The primary limitations of this study were timing, communication and scheduling.

Unfortunately, the 10 week time frame that was allowed for the study was reduced to less than

five for this study, due to a lack of participants at the research school and a disinterest in the

study from possible participants. With an unfortunate time limit, scheduling observations and

interviews was difficult and occasionally rushed. A third limitation was due to the study

participant's parents possessing limited English speaking ability and scheduling difficulties, no

FINAL CASE STUDY 6

interviews were able to be arranged with them. Lastly, the study was limited to the observation

of the participant's interactions within the Reading classroom only.

Analysis

Jo demonstrated a low level of verbal English proficiency, while her current writing

and reading proficiency appeared to be making marked improvements from her original work

four months ago. Jo's proficiency has been assessed through writing samples, prior assessments,

group interaction, classroom performance and through our interviews. From her benchmark

assessments, Jo had clearly been improving in her reading comprehension, but was still not at a

passing level. Jo demonstrated in her writing samples an understanding of the readings, good

paragraph and sentence structures, and clear demonstrations of improvements in her written

fluency (see appendices). Through observation and interviews with her teachers, it was

determined that Jo did not like to speak in her class to answer questions, and when called on she

appeared to have low self-confidence. Based on the gathered data, the analysis will discuss Jo

and her difficulties in using verbal English, through the lens of Stephen Krashen's Affective

Filter Hypothesis.

Krashen's Affective Filter Hypothesis (AFH) is concerned with “affective variables”,

such as personality and motivation, and how they influence second language acquisition

(Krashen, 2005). Krashen claims that second language acquisition takes place when students

obtain comprehensible input and when their affective filters are lowered enough to allow input in

(Krashen, 2005, pp. 44). Variables that affect Jo's performance and ability include anxiety,

motivation and self-confidence, all of which need to be addressed to lower her affective filter and

enhance her second language acquisition experience.

FINAL CASE STUDY 7

Anxiety in the classroom can negatively affect the learning process, “the more students

are “off the defensive”, the better the acquisition” (Krashen, 2005, pp. 43). Unfortunately, Jo

exhibited high anxiety in her reading classroom, from observations she demonstrates closed body

language, and often held a hand in front of her mouth, an indication she did not want to speak.

When the teacher asked students questions, she would randomly choose a student by drawing

their name, Jo always appeared uncomfortable and worried about possibly being called on to

speak. When she would be asked to speak in class, Jo would take twice as long to answer than

other students and would speak in a very soft voice, an indication that she did not like to be

heard. During interviews, Jo always spoke in a very soft voice and would answer questions as

quickly and shortly as she could. From her teachers, it was discovered that she enjoyed singing

in the school choir and performed well on a solo for a school event, the choir instructor indicated

that over time and practice, Jo's anxiety at singing in front of others lowered.

Motivation is a a key variable to second language acquisition, higher motivation

directly relates to student performance in lessons. Jo does not appear to have high motivation in

learning English, in the interviews, she claimed to dislike reading and felt that most school

subjects are difficult for her. Jo was also aware that at the end of the school year she would

likely be moved back to Korea, which could indicate a disinterest in learning more than is

needed. While she appeared to not mind learning English and wanted to be able to use it to

understand her studies, Jo does not appear to be motivated to put forward more effort outside of

the classroom and homework through extra reading, speaking with friends outside of the

classroom or extracurricular activities. However, she was not entirely unmotivated to learn

English, as can be determined from her interactions with her literature circle group where she

would interact and participate, as well as her steadily increasing scores on her benchmark

FINAL CASE STUDY 8

assessments. In her literature circle, it was observed that she was able to prepare what she

needed beforehand, she was eager to share her contributions to the group, and she was interested

in hearing what her group members had to say.

Jo appeared to posses low self-confidence, evidenced by her discomfort with speaking

in front of her classroom or when asked a direct question. “The acquirer with more self-esteem

and self-confidence tends to do better in second language acquisition” (Krashen, 2005, pp. 44).

While Jo would participate in her literature circle group, she was not as anxious when it came to

speaking, and was confident in sharing her contributions with her group members. She tended to

show more confidence when speaking with classmates in a small group, it was also observed that

she communicated well in pair groups. Her choir instructor indicated that while she was not very

confident with singing in the beginning, she seemed to become more confident with practice,

which Jo later demonstrated through her performance with the choir, and a solo, in front of a

large audience.

Summary of Conclusions & Recommendations

It can be concluded from the gathered data and analysis that Jo does have a very high

affective filter, which lowers under certain conditions. Jo was less anxious, more confident, and

more willing to participate when she was involved in small groups, or speaking with pairs, of her

peers. Jo did not appear to be comfortable when speaking in front of a large audience or an

adult. Jo also appeared to become more confident when she had time to prepare for speaking to

others and was familiar with the subject in discussion. It could also be determined that her

motivation, while not particularly high, could be increased with more knowledge and

encouragement of her particular interests. Jo also appeared to enjoy her choir participation

enough for her affective filter to lower and to gain more self-confidence.

FINAL CASE STUDY 9

It is believed that Jo could learn English more easily if her affective filter could be

lowered enough for her to be able to comprehend the input she is constantly receiving from an all

English speaking environment. To encourage the lowering of her affective filter, it is

recommended that she interact more with her peers inside the classroom and through after school

activities which interest her. Jo needs to become more confident in her verbal skills, through

practice and interaction with others her own age, in an environment where she feels comfortable.

It is further recommended that she continue with her choir lessons, and possibly become

involved with other music related after school groups, to encourage and build her self-confidence

as well as expose her to English music and songs. It is also recommended that arrangements or

accommodations be made for her to have extra time during tests, and to be allowed to prepare

answers and information for subjects before class as often as possible. In this endeavor, a variety

of study guides, outlines or agendas may provide the information and structure that the student

needs to be adequately prepared and aware of what is occurring inside the classroom.

Personal Reflection

While I suffered a number of complications in the beginning of this assignment, the

study itself has proven very interesting. I found it interesting to be able to observe classrooms

and speak with ESL students, use the knowledge base that I am building through my studies in a

practical way, and to truly see how theories and their uses relate in practice. This assignment

was very educational and involved, I was able to learn more about the school district and how it

handled ESL students, to observe and hear how the ESL students struggle when they are tracked

through mainstream courses, and I could see the effects of standardized tests on ESL students. I

became more aware just how biased the testing for an ESL student is when they are expected to

participate in English only subject area exams, which then judge their abilities, not taking into

FINAL CASE STUDY 10

account that the student is doing twice the mental work of a native English speaker. It is

unfortunate, but I also was able to learn of the difficulties foreign students have in relating to and

communicating with their classmates, as one ESL student described that she didn't have any

English speaking friends because she struggled with English. This ethnography certainly

revealed to me a variety of issues and insights into both teaching and learning a second language

in public schools.

FINAL CASE STUDY 11

References

Alachua District. (2013, September 26). Student population by race/ethnicity and grade level.

Student Enrollment Summary Report, p. 1.

Cummins, J. (2005). Teaching the language of academic success: A framework for school-based

language policies. In C. Leyba (Ed.), Schooling and language minority students: A

theoretical framework (pp. 3-32), 3rd Ed. Sacramento: LBD Publishers.

Fort Clarke Middle School. (n.d.).GreatSchools. Retrieved November 17, 2013, from

http://www.greatschools.org/florida/gainesville/32-Fort-Clarke-Middle-School/?

tab=demographics

Krashen, S. (2005). Bilingual education and second language acquisition theory. In C. Leyba

(Ed.), Schooling and language minority students: A theoretical framework (pp. 33-61),

3rd Ed. Sacramento: LBD Publishers.

FINAL CASE STUDY 12

Appendix A

Consent Form (1)

FINAL CASE STUDY 13

Appendix B

Consent Form (2)

FINAL CASE STUDY 14

Appendix C

Field Journal Assignment 2.3: Gathering Demographic Data and Local Definitions

Gather the demographic data of the school and classroom you are observing. Commonly used demographics include such items as: total enrollment, ethnic breakdown of both teachers and students, age, social economic strata (SES as determined by free lunch program), languages spoken, language determinations (LEP, FEP, etc.), school description, enrollment by grades, average class size, API scores, technology status, teacher certification data, and even physical location descriptors. Most schools have a School Accountability Report that contains this important information.

The research school is a public middle school within the Alachua school district, it has 852 students, 444 of which are white, and only 42 of whom are Asian in origin (Alachua District,2013).

The students eligible for a free or reduced lunch: 39% (GreatSchools, 2013).

The teachers: only 4% are considered under qualified, most teachers possessing a Bachelor's degree(52%) or higher(46%) (GreatSchools, 2013).

FINAL CASE STUDY 15

Find local definitions of English Language Learning programs and ELL students. How do your institutions categorize these students? How does your institution address English language learners?

In Alachua county, ELL students are assigned to ESL classes if the school has an ESL teacher and class available. Fort Clark does not have a large enough ELL student population to have ESL classes,instead ELL's are mainstreamed in regular Reading and Language Arts classes based on their FAIR test scores. If an ELL scores very low on the test for reading and comprehensions, the student is placed in a Reading class with an ESOL certified instructor.

FINAL CASE STUDY 16

Appendix D

Field Journal Assignment 3.4: Language Proficiency

What does it mean to be proficient in a language on your campus (or Case Study location)? What are the indicators (i.e., success on a standardized test, oral proficiency, ability to write an essay)? In other words, how does your school context define language proficiency?

At the case study location, language proficiency is the ability of the student to be able to adequately communicate with others, maintain a high Reading and Writing score on the FCAT or FAIR test. TheFAIR test is used to test student's abilities in their general subject areas, takes place three times a year, and is used to determine a student's probability of passing the FCAT. The FCAT is a Florida state standardized test that is given at the end of the school year, and tests on many subjects includingreading, writing, and math. Other methods used in the classroom is the student's ability to verbally communicate with other students and reading comprehension benchmark assessments that are given every few weeks.

Compare your school's expectations with your own expectations as an educator. Which of these week's readings supports your beliefs about language proficiency?

The school expects students in the classroom to make improvements on their reading and writing abilities until they are able to pass the FCAT at the end of the school year. As the class is not an ESL class, rather a standard reading classroom, the school and the tests do not take into account the case study participant's lack of English fluency. The reading teacher expects to be able to improve the study participant's English skills enough for her to possibly make a passing score on the FCAT. Based on my own expectations, I feel that the study participant should be able to make enough progress by the end of the year to make a barely passing grade, but I do not recommend the FCAT as a suitable indicator of her improvements in English or of her abilities in her subjects areas. The FCAT uses strong academic English that the participant just has not acquired yet, it is also a timed test that does not take into account that she will need more time to translate her test questions to understand and answer them.

In the Cummins reading, he discusses the CUP model (common underlying proficiency), which I feelbest supports my own ideas about language proficiency. The idea is that if a student has a strong proficiency in their first language and have strong academic skills, when they learn their second language they will be less likely to struggle with academic skills as they already have strong abilities to utilize. I believe that this is an important point to notice for language proficiency, because when a student is younger and learning regular subject matter in a second language, their ability to understand that subject matter becomes more difficult and increases their confusion in the new language.

Describe your case study student in terms of their BICS, CALP. Relate the Common Underlying Proficiency theory to their academic progress.

My case study student needs to further develop her interpersonal communication skills in English as well as her academic English. I have observed that she lacks confidence that she needs to be able to communicate with her peers and teachers and while she is able to understand her tasks, she tends to take longer to complete them. For the participant, she does not have a strong academic reservoir of knowledge in her first language to be able to make the difference for her struggling in her second language. That isn't to say she is a poor student, but is still young and learning, and has been introduced to a completely different school system, while being taught in only a second language thatshe does not yet have proficiency in.

FINAL CASE STUDY 17

Appendix E

Field Journal Assignment 4.4: Krashen’s Theories of Second Language Acquisition

In your fieldwork placement, observe the classroom for evidence of Krashen's 5 hypotheses. Which hypotheses do you see evidence of? What specific incidents, behaviors, dialogue, or practices do you observe?

In the case study participant's classroom I was able to observe examples of Krashen's Affective FilterHypothesis. In the classroom, the teacher has promoted a comfortable environment that allows students to enjoy a low affective filter. When the teacher asks questions of the class, many students raise their hands, are eager to share, and are comfortable speaking. The teacher does not choose a speaker simply because their hand is raised, but draws their name randomly. In their literature circle groups, the students are free to share with their groups and are comfortable in their roles within the group. Unfortunately, to counter this low affective filter, my case study participant has a strangely high affective filter, partially due to being the only ESL student in the reading classroom. She demonstrates anxiety in the classroom when the teacher asks questions, as if she is afraid of being called on and asked to speak in front of her classmates. One instance where she was called on, she seemed to understand the question, but took twice as long to answer as her classmates and did not speak about a soft whisper. She appears to dislike speaking, her body language often demonstrates her having a hand over her mouth as if she is restraining herself or discouraging others from asking her to speak.

Reflect on how the hypotheses impact your case study student's language development and academic development in positive or negative ways. What are the implications for your case study student's academic success?

My study participant's high affective filter is negatively affecting her development in speaking English and communicating with her peers and teachers. Because she does not like to speak in the classroom, she is not developing her verbal English as she should. I did observe that she was more comfortable speaking when in small groups, but she still lacks confidence in speaking above a whisper. However, she lacks the confidence to be able to speak in front of her classmates as a whole, possibly hindering her teacher's ability to make informal classroom assessments of the student.

FINAL CASE STUDY 18

Appendix F

Field Journal Assignment 5.4: Conduct Interviews

Conduct interviews with your Case Study student and teacher(s). If it is possible, conduct interviews withparents, siblings, and or friends of the student. Do your best to speak to as many people as you can who have been a part of your case study student’s language and academic development. You may not have access to parents, siblings, or other support staff, but do your best to conduct as many interviews as you can. The more data you can collect the richer your understanding of your Case Study student’s successes and challenges.

InterviewsRom Oct. 28. 2013

Age: 13 Gender: Female Grade: 8th

L1: Korean Country of Birth: Korea

Do you speak any other languages? Yes. Some Japanese, Chinese and French. How long have you been in the US? 3 Months. Did you take English lessons in Korea? Yes, for six years. Does your family speak English? Not Really. What do they speak at home? Korean. Do you use your Korean? Yes, mostly at home. Is the educational system here significantly different from in Korea? Very different. What subjects do you find difficult in the US? Reading, Lang Arts and Vocab are

difficult. Were you placed in classes like ESL? No. Would you have preferred to be placed in an ESL class or in regular school classes? I

would like regular school classes rather than ESL. Have you been involved in any after school programs to assist with your English

learning? No. Do your parents help support you in learning English? Yes. When you have trouble with homework, is there someone at home who can help you?

No, I do my homework myself. How much English do your parents speak? Not much. How many siblings do you have? One sister. What language does she speak? Korean. Do you have easy access to books at home? Yes, but in Korean. What is your attitude towards higher education? I want to go to a University in Korea. Was there anything surprising about American schools? The math was easier. Do you feel like a majority or a minority in your class? Minority. What is your favorite part of the school day? Lunch time. Are you confident in your ability to speak Korean? English? Korean yes, English no. How did you feel about having to learn English? Not upset, I like learning.

FINAL CASE STUDY 19

Jo 10. 28. 13▪ Age: 11▪ Gender: Female▪ Grade: 6th▪ L1: Korean▪ Country of Birth: Korea

Do you speak any other languages? No. How long have you been in the US? 3 Months. Did you take English lessons in Korea? Yes, for five years. Does your family speak English? Yes. What do they speak at home? Korean. Do you use your Korean? Yes, with friends. Is the educational system here significantly different from in Korea? Very different. What subjects do you find difficult in the US? Reading and Science. Were you placed in classes like ESL? No. Have you been involved in any after school programs to assist with your English

learning? No. Do your parents help support you in learning English? Yes. When you have trouble with homework, is there someone at home who can help you?

Yes, my sister helps me. How much English do your parents speak? Not much. How many siblings do you have? One sister. What language does she speak? Korean. Do you have easy access to books at home? Yes, in Korean. In what other ways do you use Korean while in the US? When I talk to friends on the

phone or am using the internet. Do you feel like a majority or a minority in your class? Minority. Are you confident in your ability to speak Korean? English? Korean yes, English no.

Rom and Jo 11. 14. 13 How did you first communicate with students and teachers?

◦ Rom: I was nervous and didn't talk, my Korean friends helped. How do your English classes in the US differ from those in Korea?

◦ Rom: in the US they have more academic content and I am often confused by Historyand Literature. In Korea they focus on communication in basic situations, role playing, it is much easier.

Are the classes in the US more demanding than in Korea? ◦ Rom: Here you can search for and find answers, the work is more difficult in Korea. ◦ Jo: I have a hard time in math because the vocabulary is different.

Do you find the course work interesting and helpful? ◦ Yes, it is interesting.

Are your classmates helpful? ◦ Rom: My classmates don't talk with me much, because I am Asian and they think I

can't speak well. ◦ Jo: some of my classmates help me.

FINAL CASE STUDY 20

What kind of help do you get from your classmates? ◦ Jo: Vocabulary.

What is the most difficult part of the school day for you? ◦ Rom & Jo: Talking in front of my classmates.

What aspect of English is harder for you to learn? ◦ Rom: Vocabulary. ◦ Jo: Vocab and Science.

I understand you both do well in choir, is it easier for you to sing in English? ◦ Rom: it is not easier but I try.

Do you feel confused during your Reading classes? Yes What kind of assignments are you given in your reading classes?

◦ Rom: Blogs and vocabulary. ◦ Jo: Vocabulary and reading log.

Do you like to read in English? In Korean? ◦ Rom: I like certain genres in both English and Korean, like fantasy and science

fiction.◦ Jo: I don't really like to read at all.

When you write or think about something, do you think about it in Korean and then translate it into English? ◦ Rom: yes, exactly. I think it in Korean and then in English.

Do your teachers have sufficient knowledge of your native language and culture? ◦ Rom: I think one of my science teachers and one language arts teacher may know

some about Korea and Korean. ◦ Jo: I don't know of any teachers.

What social activities play a role in your English learning? ◦ Rom: Just reading. We don't have many social activities.

What is it like to take tests in a language you don't understand? ◦ Rom: Science, Reading and Language arts are difficult. ◦ Jo: I am good at math, numbers are easy, but Science is really hard.

What is the worst part of your schooling experience? ◦ Rom: The class time is very long. ◦ Jo: I don't know.

Mrs. Sieberling Jo's Reading Teacher 11. 6. 2013 How does this student contribute to the classroom experience?

◦ She tries hard, but she is too embarrassed to talk in class. We ware working on her language production. She has good writing and writes in complete sentences. She is also developing very fast.

How do you assess your student's progress? ◦ There is an FCAT progress monitoring test that is given three times in the year, called

the FAIR Test. There is also the SIMS assessment for benchmarks on various Englishtasks.

What do you do as a teacher to help this student get as much out of the classroom experience as she can?

FINAL CASE STUDY 21

◦ We have literature circles once a week where she must share something with her group. I broke the groups into students I felt are most helpful and able to work with each other. Everyone has a job in the group, they use and define vocabulary and sharewith other students in the group environment.

What do you think her classmates' attitudes towards her are? ◦ The students are supportive with her struggle to learn Eng. They are helpful when she

doesn't understand. I created the literature circle groups with her limited English in mind.

Is there additional assistance provided for the student outside of class? ◦ There is no outside help or tutoring for ESL.

In your opinion, what has helped her the most in acquiring English? ◦ Exposure is helping, but she needs to be more willing to talk in class. She needs to

read more, which she does a lot of in this class. She doesn't like to talk when I am around, but she does talk with other students and she has no trouble singing in the school choir.

How would you evaluate her writing skills? ◦ She is good with writing, she writes complete sentences and is good at word analysis.

Reading skills? ◦ She needs to build up her comprehension and vocabulary skills.

Her testing? ◦ She is improving in her SIMS, but she is still not passing. She has only had one FAIR

test and her scores were very low, but not the lowest.

FINAL CASE STUDY 22

Appendix G

Field Journal Assignment 8.3: Analyzing Instruction for ELs

What approach(es) is the teacher using to support English learners? How has the lesson been designed to make content comprehensible and reduce students' affective filter?

The reading class is not intended to support an English learner, in order to overcome such an obstacle, the teacher uses peer groups that study a book, these peer groups each have roles and responsibilities that contribute to the student's overall understanding of the reading. The groups develop plot diagrams, vocabulary, and share their reading comprehension with each other. The benefits of these groups include active participation and speaking, reading and comprehension, and writing. For my case study student, these groups lower her affective filter enough for her to feel comfortable sharing with her group members, to participate, and to have a routine that is comfortable and familiar.

What challenges do the curriculum materials pose for English learners? What types of supports in the curriculum materials are provided for English learners?

The biggest challenge in the curriculum materials is that they are not designed for English learners. The materials do provide a variety of tasks and are great for reading and language development. However, at my study participant's current English level, I would say it is too advanced and complex.For a high intermediate or advanced EL, I believe the reading classes curriculum would be very affective, but for someone with a high affective filter and still developing verbal skills, the material istoo advanced.

How might you supplement the materials to meet the language and literacy need of English learners?

The best option in this case would be to send the student into an ESL class that is at her level. Baringthat, any independent reading could be recommended by the teacher for her current English level, and to utilize more cooperative learning tasks in the classroom to encourage her to use verbal Englishin a low anxiety situation.

FINAL CASE STUDY 23

Appendix H

Writing Sample