Structure of school the ESL program

1. Structure of school the ESL program Classroom teacher (math, science, social studies, English language arts) Music, art, gym/dance, drama, etc Push-in ESL program – would go into their classroom to work with them Small-group work or collaborative-teaching model Drawbacks 5 classes a day 15 to 25 per group vs. 15 to 25 per day (50 to 75) Different schools in New York City have different models of English language instruction. Different places in the United States have different models of English language instruction

2. Defining young learners Very Young Learners are under 7 years old. Young Learners are 7 – 12 years old. Their needs are different. They are not like older kids or like adults. They are social, active, and creative and need to be taught in a way that teaches to and takes advantage of their developmental levels.

3. What are young learners like? Young learners are curious and excited to learn. They like to move and they like to play. They learn through play. They are fun to teach and you are teaching them such an important thing. What are young learners like? Impulsive – they act before they think Inquisitive – they like to learn and they like to ask questions Learn from other people – they like to learn from their teacher and from their friends Energetic Want to be entertained They want your attention They want you to love them - Joan Kang Shin, 2010

4. Even more characteristics of young learners They are social - they are learning to socialize as well as learning through socializing They need to be physically active – they need to move They learn through play They needs lots of repetition and clear directions They are “me” focused and respond emotionally to learning activities They are naturally curious and usually willing to learn

5. Why are we teaching them English at such a young age? Yes, the government tells us we need to, but it is more than that We teach them English because… - English is important for their future. It will provide them more opportunities in life. - Children learn languages more easily than adults.  They are more willing to practice speaking than adults and speaking is very important to learning a language Before adolescence, “learners are less inhibited about using the foreign language in lessons, and so, although they do not know much of the foreign language, they may be willing to use what they have and try to communicate.” - Cameron, 2001

6. Why are we teaching them English at such a young age? English, like any language, is very difficult and hard to learn. The earlier we start teaching English, the more time they have to learn English. The more time they have to learn English, the more likely they are to REALLY KNOW English Students who know more than one language tend to be more successful in school too

7. Why are we teaching them English at such a young age? What are we trying to create by starting so young? Learners who have a positive attitude toward English  Learners who like learning English. Life long learners of English

8. How young learners learn best Young language learners need an experiential approach. People remember: 20% of what they read 20% of what they hear 30% of what they see 50% of what they see and hear 70% of what they see, hear, and discuss 90% of what they see, hear, discuss, and practice. (Rutgers Cooperative Research & Extension, 2004)

9. Best practices for working with young learners Visuals, realia, and movement (TPR). Let students make the visuals. Allow students to relate personal experience. Develop classroom routines in English. Have a plan for when to use Spanish in the English class. Scaffold, scaffold, scaffold Alternate the level of activity. Alternate the types of activities

10. Activities for young learners should be: - Scaffolded - Enjoyable – who says learning shouldn’t be fun! - Social – they should be working with other students - Meaningful - Full of practice - Shin (2006)

11. scaffolding Scaffolding is giving part of the answer so the student can get all of the answer. Successful scaffolding: Creates interest in the task/explores background knowledge of the task Breaks the task into small steps. Reminds the child about the purpose or goal. Points out important parts of the task. Controls the child’s frustration. Models the task. - Bruner (1983)

12. scaffolding When we scaffold, we… - Use pictures, charts, sentence starters, models and samples, songs, videos, movement (TPR), etc. - Talk about our personal lives and experiences - Break a big activity into small parts -

13. Alternate the level and type of activity Quiet and noisy Different skills - listening, speaking, reading, writing Whole class, pair work, small group work, and individual work With the teacher, with other students Alternate activities – young learners do not have the attention span for long activities so instead, do many different short activities

14. Develop classroom routines in English You were wonderful You were great See you next time And don’t be late! Instructions should be in English and should be routine Morning (or beginning of class) routine Day, date, year routines – There are 7 Days in the – Week Weather routines Morning message – written on chart paper/on a board Star child – a book about each student Class transitions routine – changing activities Pay attention routine – clapping hands, counting/counting backwards, ring a bell, etc End of class routine

15. Create a print-rich environment Your classroom should have lots of words and lots of pictures. - There should be lots of thematic charts in your classroom. Morning routines/message should have accompanying charts/pictures - Make materials interactive. - Have materials at their reading level - Have classroom items labeled – desk, table, chair, etc.

16. Develop a strategy for using Spanish Think, pair, share: When should you use Spanish in your English class?

17. Develop a strategy for using Spanish Use Spanish to: Explain difficult concepts. Give complicated directions. Allow students to help each other in Spanish. You will know if they are on-task! Keep Spanish to a minimum. Keep checking your level of use. It gets really easy to fall back-upon Spanish and sometimes we do not realize how much we are using it

18. Video #1 - What activity are they doing? - What do you notice about the classroom? - Was the activity successful? - What did you like? - What would you improve?

19. Video #2 - What activity are they doing? - What do you notice about the classroom? - Was the activity successful? - What did you like? - What would you improve?

20. Video #3 - What activities are they doing? - What do you notice about the classroom? - Were the activities successful? - What did you like? - What would you improve?

21. Working with young learners How will use this information in your classroom? Any questions? What topics would you like to explore in future workshops? shannonbs@gmail.com