Hands-on Teacher’s Guide to Culture: Understanding Culture’s Role in

the Behavior and Learning of ELLs

Welcome!

Kay Almy, MAT

Educational Specialist, TESOL

A Spanish and ESL Teacher – & an ESL Mom!

Ohio licensed in Spanish and TESOL

PSI

Over 30 years supporting schools & education in Ohio

We do ESL!

Session Topics… Culture Shock

How culture affects language acquisition & behavior.

The risk of (mis)interpreting ELLs’ behavior

Different cultural linguistic forms, styles of communication & body language that impact interactions & understanding

Effects of Idioms on cultural communication

Useful tools to help ELLs adapt to U.S. culture

Tips to help ELLS become socially & academically integrated & adept

iPhone-t kérne a legtöbb gyerek karácsonyra A táblagépek és laptopok után az iPhone idén a legnépszerűbb karácsonyi

ajándék az amerikai fiatalok képzeletbeli listáján. A legfrissebb kutatások szerint a 12 és 17 év közé eső gyermekek zömével iPhone-t kérnének idén a Jézuskától, de emellett viszonylag sokan vágynának valamilyen táblagépre, azon belül is első sorban iPad-re – derült ki az Ebates online vásárlással foglalkozó weboldal aktuális felméréséből. A karácsonyi kívánságokkal kapcsolatos trendek évről évre változást mutatnak: míg néhány évvel ezelőtt a hasonló korosztályúak körében főként a laptop és táblagép állt a karácsonyi kívánságok között, ma már főként a mobiltelefon kezdi átvenni a dominanciát. A kutatás aktuális eredménye azt mutatja, hogy megkérdezettek közül többnyire a lányok vágynának iPhone-ra, míg szemben a másik oldallal, a fiúknál az iPhone mellett előkelőhelyen szerepel például a PlayStation 4, vagy az új Xbox is. A kutatásról beszámoló Cnet egyébként többek között arra is felhívja a figyelmet, hogy a bár a tendencia mindig változik, általánosságban elmondható, hogy az Apple-termékek mint karácsonyi ajándékok egyre inkább a fiatalabbak körében népszerűek, az idősebb (16-18) generáció túlnyomórészt még mindig a laptopot, asztali számítógépet, vagy egyéb elektronikai eszközt kérne a fa alá.

Communication Game

What's in a gesture?

“As a student in my country, I could talk. I could express my ideas and opinions. When I came to this country I became mute.” - A second year ELL

Getting to Know

Your ELLs

Get to know more about each ELL

The ELLs story tells a lot about

how he/she learns,

why he/she learns the way he/she does,

and how his/her cultural views impact learning

ELL’s Point of View – Culture Shock

ELL MUST LEARN

New language

Subject content

Classroom method- ology

New time concept

New customs

New social relationships

4 STAGES of CULTURE SHOCK 1. Newness- when the ELL likes

his/her new environment. 2. Dislike of the new surroundings- ELL finds faults, noticing discomforts and problems 3. Adjustment- realizing the differences that do exist; understanding and accepting them 4. Assimilation/Adaption - New self-confidence, merging of identities

14

WHY ADDRESS CULTURE SHOCK? It produces a feeling of disorientation,

May manifest itself as home-

sickness, imagined illness or

unreasonable fear

Children who experience culture

shock may want to remain

isolated to protect themselves

from an unfamiliar environment

The Solution? Help the ELL: 1. Become familiar with environment & expectations, 2. Give many different ways to experience culture 3. Be patient & understanding 4. Give time to process what he/she sees& hears 5. Let him/her share about native culture

15

KNOW THE ELLs PROFICIENCY LEVEL

3 English Proficiency Levels:

1. Beginning, 2. Intermediate 3. Advanced

• At each Proficiency level: What can the ELL do? What can you expect?

Use to determine expectations &

outcomes

16

TIP Identify what your ELL’s

proficiency level is and how

he/she learns best.

Confusing to ELLs Words with several meanings

Word order

Translation from L1 to L2

Idioms

Many languages have NO article or articles have a gender

Native background/knowledge –Material often interpreted through ELLs cultural understanding, NOT ours

Jokes can be hard to understand

Passive voice

Spanish example

English sentence: “He sat on the floor putting on the rough boots.

Literal translation “Sat on the floor himself he was shoeing the rough boots.”

Arabic example

English sentence: “In the heart of London there is a broad square called Kensington Square.”

Literal translation “in here at London she-stands square broad she-is-called Kensington Square.”

Vietnamese example

English sentence: “There is no need for us to find out about his next day.”

Literal translation ”That-man-that next day about we knowing taking need-not.”

Internet Translator Example

English: Spare the rod and spoil the child, as the good book says. I'm a-laying up sin and suffering for us both, I know. He's full of the old scratch, but laws-a-me! He's my own dead sister's boy, poor thing, and I ain't got the heart to lash him somehow. Every time I let him off my conscience does hurt me so; and every time I hit him my old heart most breaks. (Mark Twains Tom Sawyer – Chapter 1)

German translation (using Google E G) : Wer die Rute schont Spile das Kind, wie das gute Buch sagt. Ich bin a-Auflegen Sünde und Leiden für uns beide, ich weiß. Er ist voll von alten Kratzer, aber Gesetze-a-me! Er ist mein eigenes toten Schwester des Jungen, das arme Ding, und ich nicht habe das Herz ihn irgendwie zu peitschen. Jedes Mal, wenn ich ihn aus meinem Gewissen tut mir so weh, und jedesmal, wenn ich ihn getroffen mein altes Herz meisten Pausen. This translation does not give the reader the same meaning that the original Mark Twain passage gives to the English reader. It is actually a vey difficult read. The underlined items are not native to the German language & would actually never be written in this format.

English translation (using Babylon G E) : Who protects the rod game the child, such as the Good Book says. I am a-hang up sin and suffering for us both, I know. He is full of old scratch, but laws-a-me! It is my own dead sister of the young, the poor thing, and I don't have the heart to whips him somehow. Each time, when I take it from my conscience i am so hurt, and every time I met him my old heart most breaks.

Useful classroom tools to help

ELLs adapt to U.S. culture 1. Learn their names (pronunciation!)

2. Offer one-on-one assistance

3. Post a visual daily schedule

4. Use an interpreter

5. Invite ELLs culture into the classroom (materials)

6. Label classroom objects in both languages

7. Include ELLs in a non-threatening manner

8. Involve ELLs in cooperative learning

9. Help your ELLs follow established rules

10. Use visuals

11. Physically model language

12. Be consistent and fair http://www.colorincolorado.org

Tips to help ELLS become Socially

& Academically Integrated & Adept

Connect Students' Background Knowledge to Content in the ELL Classroom

1. Learn about your students' backgrounds and find culturally relevant resources to teach content

2. Look for resources that go beyond the textbook that will engage students and involve them in the learning process so that they find elements they can connect to and learn from. (Art, Music, Culture Kits)

3. Use literature, stories, and folktales from other cultures as a way of encouraging students to connect what they are reading to their own experiences.

4. Use storytelling Kristina Robertson (2007)

Thank you for your participation!

Kay Almy, PSI ESL Coordinator

kayalmy@psi-solutions.org 330-425-8474 800-841-4774

Sources Buduleta, Elisabeth, ESL Instructor – Brooklyn City Schools,

ESL For Mainstream Teachers

Colorín Colorado http://www.colorincolorado.org

Hayes, Judy, ESL Teacher as Cultural Broker, http://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/crosscultural.php

Iphone Hungary, http://iphonehungary.hu/2013/11/03/iphonekaracsony/