language development for english language learners
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Language Development for Language Development for English Language LearnersEnglish Language Learners
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DemographicsDemographics
Frequent terms used in the literatureFrequent terms used in the literature Language Minority Student (LM)
a child who hears and/or speaks a language other than English in the home
Limited English Proficient (LEP) Term used by federal government to identify LM students whose
limited command of English prevents independent participation in instruction
English Language Learner (ELL) an LM student designated locally (i.e., by the state) as limited English
Proficient the English Language Learner term is often preferred over Limited
English Proficient as it highlights accomplishments rather than deficits
Who areWho areEnglish Language Learners (ELLs)?English Language Learners (ELLs)?
National-origin minority students who have limited proficiency of English
Membership defined by limited proficiency in English language use, which directly affects learning and assessment results
Group membership is expected to be temporary
One of the fastest-growing groups among the school-aged population in this nation Of over 9 million LM students, roughly 5.5 million are classified as
Limited English Proficient (LEP/ELL)
Within the ELL population the largest and fastest growing segments are: Students who immigrated before Kindergarten U.S. born children of immigrants (native-born)
K-8: 76% 9-12: 56%
ELLs form a large, growing populationELLs form a large, growing population
By 2015, second generation children of immigrants are By 2015, second generation children of immigrants are expected to be 30% of the school-aged population.expected to be 30% of the school-aged population.
(Capps, Fix, Murray, Ost, Passel, & Herwantoro 2005)
By 2015, second generation children of immigrants are By 2015, second generation children of immigrants are expected to be 30% of the school-aged population.expected to be 30% of the school-aged population.
(Capps, Fix, Murray, Ost, Passel, & Herwantoro 2005)
Number of LEP StudentsNumber of LEP Students
U.S. Department of Education, NCELA, 2006
Density of LEP StudentsDensity of LEP Students
U.S. Department of Education, NCELA, 2006
Growth in LEP StudentsGrowth in LEP Students
U.S. Department of Education, NCELA, 2006
A heterogeneous populationA heterogeneous populationLanguagesLanguages Over 460 different home languages are represented
nationally Most common languages are:
Spanish (79%) Vietnamese (2%) Hmong (1.6%) Cantonese (1%) Korean (1%) Other 455 languages (15.4%)
Native language(s)
Level of native language/literacy skills
Level of English language/literacy skills
Age of arrival
Previous schooling experience
Familiarity with school routines
Content area knowledge
Parental education
Other Characteristics of this Other Characteristics of this Heterogeneous PopulationHeterogeneous Population
Definitions: At school entryDefinitions: At school entry
Identification Home survey Language
proficiency tests Other input (e.g.,
teachers)
Monitoring Language – Title III Achievement – Title I
ELLs(or LEP)
IFEP(fluent)
Langu
age P
rof.
Test
s
IFEP = Initially Fluent English Proficient
Slide courtesy of N. Lesaux and M. Kieffer, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Definitions: Over timeDefinitions: Over time
RFEP = Reclassified Fluent English Proficient
ELLs(or LEP)
RFEP(reclassified)Language Prof.
Tests
IFEP
Slide courtesy of N. Lesaux and M. Kieffer, Harvard Graduate School of Education
ELL Performance OutcomesELL Performance Outcomes Some states have begun to look at the performance
of ELLs on state tests after they have gained proficiency in English
Although some reclassified ELLs do well, many students who have lost the formal LEP designation continue to struggle with: listening, speaking, reading, and writing that involves
academic language access to content-area knowledge
Learning challengesLearning challenges
ELLs face a unique set of learning challenges: to develop the content-related knowledge and
skills defined by state standards while simultaneously acquiring a second (or third)
language for young children, this is a time when their first
language is not fully developed
to demonstrate their learning on an assessment in English
Language DevelopmentLanguage Development
What is Language?What is Language? Is a written or oral system of communication
made up of symbols with rules that govern their use
Is the gateway for learning
Enables us to communicate
1.1. PhonologyPhonology the patterns of basic speech units and the accepted rules of pronunciation
2.2. MorphologyMorphology smallest meaningful units of speech
3.3. SyntaxSyntax how individual words and basic meaningful units are combined
4.4. SemanticsSemantics the ways in which a language conveys meaning
5.5. PragmaticsPragmatics the appropriate use of language
Language ComponentsLanguage Components
First Language Development MilestonesFirst Language Development Milestones There are many theories of how we develop
language Language and speech development vary across
children Milestones serve as a guide to normal development Language development is cumulative
Simple skills are mastered before more complex ones
On average, children pass through different periods of language development at a certain age and time
Language Acquisition TheoriesLanguage Acquisition Theories Nativist theories
Propose that children are born with specific abilities that facilitate language learning
Linguists Chomsky
Universal Grammar
Lenneberg Critical Period for language acquisition
DeKeyser Role of language aptitude opposed to the Critical Period
Interactionist theories Theorize that adults play an important part in
children’s language acquisition Theorists: Snow; Bates; Tomasello
Language learning results from general cognitive abilities and the interactions between learners and their environment
Language Acquisition TheoriesLanguage Acquisition Theories
Some languages are easier to learn than others Some languages are easier to learn than others depending on the complexity of their depending on the complexity of their symbol symbol systemsystem and the degree of and the degree of transferabilitytransferability from from
the first language.the first language.
What is the Alphabetic Principle?What is the Alphabetic Principle?
The idea that letters and letter patterns represent the sounds of spoken language
What is an Alphabetic Language?What is an Alphabetic Language? A language that uses symbols to represent sounds in speech
and print. Examples: English, Spanish, Greek, Russian Alphabetic languages differ in how they present a single sound in
print.
Orthography (defines the set of symbols used and the rules about how to write these symbols) Transparent
Languages that allow a few or just one association between symbols and sounds
Opaque Languages that allow:
many ways to represent the same sound and a given symbol; or combination of symbols to represent sounds
Alphabetic LanguagesAlphabetic Languages English is considered to have an opaque
orthography due to its many combinations of symbols to a particular sound. Ex: English:
“f” and “ph” in fantasy and pharmacy; “ee”, “ei” and “ea” in need, receive, and read
“u” for umbrella or Utah
Whereas Spanish is considered to have a transparent orthography because of generally a 1:1 correspondence between letters and sounds.
What is Second Language Acquisition?What is Second Language Acquisition? The process of learning a language in addition to a
native or “first” language. Debate: how long does it take to become fully
proficient? Little empirical data to inform an answer to this question Factors that influence second language proficiency
Age of first contact with new language Level of proficiency in first language (L1) Language-learning ability Intensity of instruction and opportunities-to-learn
Assessment Assessment
Challenges in Assessing Challenges in Assessing ELLs’ Content KnowledgeELLs’ Content Knowledge Content area knowledge and language proficiency
challenges;
ELLs need to devote more cognitive resources than their monolingual peers to process the language of English assessments;
Fewer cognitive resources to attend content; and
Language demands of the tests
Francis, 2006
Language ProficiencyLanguage Proficiency Students considered fully proficient
communicate effectively and understand the meaning that others are trying to relay
Components of language proficiency oral (listening and speaking) skills written (reading and writing) skills academic and non-academic language
Language Proficiency TestsLanguage Proficiency Tests The purpose of using Language Proficiency
Tests with ELLs is threefold: To determine placement in language programs To monitor students’ progress while in these
programs To guide decisions about when students should
exit the program
(August & Hakuta, 1997)
Language Language of of AssessmentAssessment
In what language should ELLs be assessed?
Native Language
may give more accurate inventory of student’s knowledge and skills
may be less predictive of English skills than a English assessment, depending upon schooling history
English
may be more predictive of English skills than a native language assessment
may reflect misunderstanding of assessment directions more than actual skill level
may also reflect the ELL’s schooling experiences in English
Testing in both languages Provides a clear picture of knowledge, skills, abilities, and instructional
needs Ideally, instructions even for English assessments, should be given in
the student’s first language (L1) for ELLs who are indeed bilingual and biliterate
Challenges Difficult to find comparable assessments in L1 and English Technically and financially demanding Dialects Many skills being assessed are dependent upon instruction, but much
instruction is only in English
Language of AssessmentLanguage of Assessment
ReferencesReferences August, D., & Hakuta., K. (1997). Improving schooling for language minority children: A
research agenda. Washington, DC National Academy Press.
Capps, R., Fix, M., Murray, J., Ost, J., Passel, J, & Herwantoro, S. (2005). The New Demography of America’s Schools: Immigration and the No Child Left Behind Act. Washington, DC: The Urban Institute.
Francis, D.J. (2003, October) Identification of learning disabilities in Spanish-Speaking English language learners. Paper presented to the OELA/OSERS/NICHD Symposium on Learning Disabilities in English Language Learners. Washington, DC.
Hakuta, K. (2001). A critical period for second language acquisition? In D. B. Bailey, J. T. Bruer, F. J., Symons, & J. W. Lichtman (Eds.). Critical Thinking about Critical
Periods. Baltimore, MD: Paul Brookes Publishing Company.
National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition and Language. (2006). Growing numbers of limited English proficient students: 1995/96 – 2005/06. Retrieved June 25, 2008, from
http://www.ncela.gwu.edu/policy/states/reports/statedata/2005LEP/GrowingLEP_0506.pdf