Straight Talk about Language Diversity in the Classroom

1. Straight Talk about Language Diversity in the Classroom Aja LaDukeUniversity of ConnecticutTNE Beginning Teacher ConferenceSeptember 27, 2008

2. What Context Are We Working In? • Schools • ELL Trivia Quiz • Nationally • Thinking Around Language Diversity • Policies • Bilingual Education Act and Lau vs. Nichols • English-Only Policies / Elimination of Bilingual Education

3. ELL Trivia Quiz

4. Thinking Around Language Diversity • Political principles • “Immigrants who came here to enjoy the blessings of America have a patriotic obligation to speak America’s language.” • Ethnic paranoia • “English may be spreading throughout the world, but Spanish is taking over the U.S.A.”

5. Thinking Around Language Diversity • Family legends • “My great-grandfather came to this country without a word of English and he succeeded without bilingual education.” • Conventional wisdom • “The best way to teach English is ‘total immersion,’ the earlier the better, because young children can easily ‘pick up’ a second language.

6. Language Policy in Schools The Bilingual Education Act authorized funding to provide support for children who were both poor and “educationally disadvantaged because of their inability to speak English” through programming, instructional materials, and teacher training. The Bilingual Education Act did not require schools to provide instruction in another language. What is really meant by “Bilingual Education” here?

7. Lau vs. Nichols • In the 1974 Lau vs. Nichols Supreme Court case Chinese-speaking students in San Francisco claimed their right to receive additional linguistic support in school, citing this lack of support as a violation of their civil right to an educational experience equal to that of their native English speaking peers. The ruling fell in favor of Lau and deemed “sink or swim” education for English learners as unacceptable.

8. Programming • Dual-Language Schools • Curriculum delivered in two languages, typically a 50/50 model • May include native speakers of English only, or native speakers of other languages • Often private schools • Two-Way Bilingual Education • Serve language majority and minority students simultaneously • Encourage socialization / learning about respective cultures • Models vary – 90/10, 80/20, 60/40

9. Programming • Maintenance Bilingual Education (or developmental) • One-way = one language group receiving schooling in two languages • Maintain native language of language minority group and develop positive attitude toward native culture while learning English • Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) • Providing native language instruction only temporarily in order to foster English skills • Pull out or integrated

10. Structured Immersion • Bilingual structured immersion • Most instruction in English except first hour of day – explanations in native language, teach native language literacy • Students allowed to use native language even though instruction is in English • English structured immersion • Also known as Sheltered Immersion • Minority language groups segregated into English classrooms • Language simplified, non-linguistic supports used • Most aligned with current monolingual ideologies

11. Pushing out Bilingual Education • California • 1998 - Proposition 227 • Similar legislature • Arizona – 2000 • Massachusetts – 2002 • Other states • Connecticut has not mandated English-only programs, but has eliminated bilingual teacher certification

12. Instructional Concerns • What about English learners in my classroom? • Do I need to know all of the languages represented by my students in order to teach them?

13. NO! • What do I need to know? • Stages of Language Acquisition • Conversational vs. Academic Language • Recognizing how students are using their literacy knowledge in their first language to learn English • Recognizing misconceptions of bilingualism • Realize that instructional strategies to enhance learning for English learners, enhances learning for ALL students • Be aware of implicit messages about language value

14. Understanding Second Language Acquisition • Stage I: The Silent/Receptive or Preproduction Stage: This stage can last from 10 hours to six months. Students often have up to 500 "receptive" words (words they can understand, but may not be comfortable using) and can understand new words that are made comprehensible to them. This stage often involves a "silent period" during which students may not speak, but can respond using a variety of strategies including pointing to an object, picture, or person; performing an act, such as standing up or closing a door; gesturing or nodding; or responding with a simple "yes" or "no." Teachers should not force students to speak until they are ready to do so. • Stage II: The Early Production Stage: The early production stage can last an additional six months after the initial stage. Students have usually developed close to 1,000 receptive/active words (that is, words they are able to understand and use). During this stage students can usually speak in one- or two-word phrases, and can demonstrate comprehension of new material by giving short answers to simple yes/no, either/or, or who/what/where questions.

15. Understanding Second Language Acquisition • Stage III: The Speech Emergence Stage: This stage can last up to another year. Students have usually developed approximately 3,000 words and can use short phrases and simple sentences to communicate. Students begin to use dialogue and can ask simple questions, such as "Can I go to the restroom?" and are also able to answer simple questions. Students may produce longer sentences, but often with grammatical errors that can interfere with their communication. • Stage IV: The Intermediate Language Proficiency Stage: Intermediate proficiency may take up to another year after speech emergence. Students have typically developed close to 6,000 words and are beginning to make complex statements, state opinions, ask for clarification, share their thoughts, and speak at greater length. • Stage V: The Advanced Language Proficiency Stage: Gaining advanced proficiency in a second language can typically take from five to seven years. By this stage students have developed some specialized content-area vocabulary and can participate fully in grade-level classroom activities if given occasional extra support. Students can speak English using grammar and vocabulary comparable to that of same-age native speakers.

16. Looking at Student Work • Lupe’s Essay

17. Misconceptions of Bilingualism • Yesterday • Research in early 1900’s supported theories that bilingualism caused mental retardation and failure in schools • Today • “You are not going to speak Portuguese to him, are you? You know, if you speak Portuguese to him, he’ll end up in special ed.” • Over-representation in Special Education

18. Instructional Strategies for ALL Students • Making curriculum accessible to bilingual students & English language learners • Demonstrating sensitivity to cultural and linguistic diversity • Providing relevant background knowledge • Analyzing material into content knowledge, academic proficiency • Including language development and content vocabulary development objectives and activities • Using additional resources

19. Planning and Instruction • Develop culturally, linguistically responsive teaching • Use culturally relevant literature for better student performance • Modify and adapt lessons to include culturally, linguistically relevant information and examples to enhance student motivation

20. Planning and Instruction • Include both language development and content vocabulary development • Language development = curricular modifications to evoke talking, reading, writing at students’ current level of English proficiency • Vocabulary development • Less is more! • To teach new concepts, use known vocabulary • To teach new vocabulary, use known concepts • This is effective for all students – native speakers as well as bilingual/ELL students • Not watered down, just more manageable

21. Planning and Instruction • Vocabulary development (cont.) • Use of cognates • Education / Educación (English / Spanish) • Many cognates across content areas

22. Planning and instruction • Examples of lesson with both language and content objectives • Grade: FourthContent Area: ReadingTime Frame of Unit: Ten 90-minute lessonsUnit Theme: Understanding Characters  

23. Guiding Questions • How do writers, readers, and actors bring characters to life? • How can readers use textual clues to create mental images and interpret characters’ moods and actions? • How do readers use schemas to understand characters? • How are traditions similar/different between cultures? • How do cultural traditions shape our perspectives/upbringing? • Big Ideas • Readers create mental images of characters’ personae and actions, based on aspects of text. • Readers can better understand a text by thinking about and discussing characters’ motivations and relationships to other characters. • Readers can use prior knowledge to understand characters. • Different cultures have their own portrayals of the same character or legend, but some elements are universal. • Background/Prior Knowledge to be Activated in the Unit • Experience with the performance of stories, such as books read aloud and theater productions • Familiarity with various types of characters from fairy tales, legends, and popular children’s fiction • Knowledge of cultural elements (in particular, specific characters) associated with traditional holidays • Objectives • Content Area Skills and Concepts • Making and confirming predictions about text using prior knowledge and textual clues, such as titles, topic sentences, key words, and foreshadowing • Visualizing—creating images of setting, characters, and events—based on aspects of text • Drawing inferences about cause and effect • Identifying thoughts, words, or actions that reveal characters’ personality traits • Language Skills • Reading aloud with appropriate expression and fluency • Understanding vocabulary: mental image, schema, foreshadowing, visualize, mood, character, traits • Understanding idioms and exaggerated descriptions of characters in the text

24. Planning and Instruction • Use study resource guides appropriate for bilingual and English learners • Maximize use of visual aids, photographs, slides, sketches, videotapes, etc. • Provide concrete, hands-on experiences to increase bilingual learners’ understanding • In and out of classroom setting • Use graphic depictions, representations, realia • Use audiotapes • Provide models of fluent speech • Reading and listening to text at same time lowers cognitive overload • Repetition • Provide live demonstrations/modeling • Use alternate/supplemental books – picture books, etc.

25. Implicit Messages of Language Value • Reinforcement of English only practices sends clear messages about value of native language and culture, and in turn identity • Deficit perspectives often manifest themselves in the ways that English language learners and students of color in general are labeled in schools. These labels have a profound effect on identity development for these students. • “at risk” • “developmentally delayed” • “not ready to learn” • In practice, dual language programs despite missions to give 50/50 attention to each language, favor English • Example – “We are here to learn.”

26. Questions and Conversation