ESL - DISTRICT REPORT 2008-2009

1. ESL - DISTRICT REPORT 2008-2009 September 28, 2009

2. OVERVIEW 2008 - 2009 • September 2008: 2 full day workshops on the new ESL models in schools. • November 2008: Elizabeth Coelho workshops, first for ESL teachers and then for classroom teachers. • The ESL team presented the new ESL model in most elementary and middle schools to entire staffs. • The ESL helping teachers developed curriculum and resources collaboratively with teachers. • The ESL helping teachers conducted demonstration lessons and team taught with teachers.

3. REGULAR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT • The Elementary, Middle and Secondary ESL teachers attended 2 hour workshops once a month. Professional Development was in the areas of: • Learning the principles of Applied Functional Linguistics and the Genre Teaching-Learning Cycle • Applying Functional Linguistics in the classroom • Examining and developing a Co-Teaching Model • Identifying Essential Outcomes and associated vocabulary • Teaching Academic Vocabulary • Assessment • Oral Strategies (local teacher) • PWIM (Picture Word Induction Model) (local teacher) • Collaborated with U.B.C. to offer a Masters of Education in Teaching English as a Second Language as an Abbotsford cohort

4. CURRENTLY… • U.B.C. Assessment Consortium (with Lee Gunderson): developing secondary ESL reading assessments in collaboration with other Lower Mainland districts, normed on OUR students • Developing modules with the Burnaby School District • Team teaching with ESL teachers using the Language & Literacy framework • Providing intensive support and training of new ESL teachers • Continuing training sessions with ESL teachers • Creating teacher support materials and curriculum

5. WHAT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED • AbbyNet as a resource • Research • District Resources • School Level Resources • Online Bookmarks • Pro-D Topics • General Information

6. In the District Documents folder Our Resource Manual In the Secondary ESL folder Course Resources Assessment Tools Links to Online Resources

7. CURRENT RESEARCH THAT INFLUENCES THE WORK AT THE MIDDLE/SECONDARY LEVELS • The modules and courses that are being developed at the middle and secondary schools are based on current research and educational leaders in the field of English Language Learning. • Pauline Gibbons-Purpose of Language • Jim Cummins-Social vs. Academic Language • Stephen Krashen-Second Language Acquisition • Michael Halliday-Functional Linguistics • Robert Marzano-Vocabulary Development • Kate Kinsella-Vocabulary Development • The program reflects functional linguistics theory and practice.

8. PREVIOUSLY AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL • Classes were multi ESL Levels: 1 - 5 • There was no overarching second/additional language acquisition framework guiding instruction and strategies. • The teacher taught one-on-one or small groups in classes of up to 27 students. • Levels 3 and 4 ESL students often failed the Grade 10 English Provincial Exam. • Students were not successful in other academic subject areas, particularly those that required writing tasks (e.g., Socials Studies, Science, some electives)

9. CHANGES AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL • Students are grouped by their language proficiency needs (e.g., Levels 1 and 2 together). • Teachers are learning and using concepts of Applied Functional Linguistics as an overarching language framework to guide instruction. • There are approximately 17 students in a class. • A block of monitoring time has been provided for teachers to: • to provide collaborative support to subject area classroom teachers, including in-class support, • monitor and assess all ESL students, • to complete the necessary documents for the Ministry.

10. COLLABORATIVE WORK BY THE SECONDARY TEACHERS • A redesigned, consistent Annual Instructional Plan defining level-specific learning goals. • Redesigned ESL Progress Reports based on the new AIPs’ Learning Outcomes. • A document for mainstream classroom teachers to report language-based issues in subject area classes to the ESL specialist. • Sharing of resources and strategies for the Language Enriched Socials 10 and English 10 courses.

11. SPECIALTY COURSES AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL • A framework for ESL instruction has been developed by teachers for identified funded and non-funded Level 3 students (Becoming Familiar). The course builds academic language and tasks that are required across all subject areas. • Language Enriched English 10 and Socials 10 are offered to Levels 3 and 4 students to build academic language in core subjects. • These changes create the scaffolding to enable ESL students to enter mainstream English courses without automatically being streamed into Communications 11 and 12.

12. THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SECONDARY SCHOOL MODEL, SEPTEMBER 2009 1. Student Numbers are too low to offer a full service ESL program

13. RESULTS OF COURSES 2008-2009

14. ANECDOTAL RESPONSES This was an important, perhaps essential "stepping stone" for these students. Benefits for students included: • a smaller class size • focus on vocabulary-building and skill development that the students would not have received in the regular English 10. • developing their self-confidence to approach our provincial exam feeling prepared. Skills developed in this class will benefit them in all their academics. These students deserve the language support (and emotional support) that is needed at this important crossroads in their education. Teacher, LE English 10 “…I learned to write a better persuasive essay by expanding noun groups and using more academic words. Furthermore, I learned a more efficient way to learn vocabularies by learning word families and pictures. … [I] would use what I learned in other subjects.” Wei, 17, Lang & Lit (China) “I’ve learned …not only the grammar that was about grouping process, noun-groups, and circumstances, but also…the methods to write persuasive essays.”John, 15, Lang & Lit (Korea) “I learned about the nominal groups and how to use them. …now I know how to build them and make them more powerful to improve my academic writing.”Anon., 16, Lang & Lit (Germany)

15. MIDDLE SCHOOL UNFUNDED ESL STUDENTS’ (5+) PILOT PROJECT 2008/09 • Schools Involved: Howe and Reimer • Number of Students: 71 • Purpose of Modules: to develop academic language through teaching targeted academic genres. • Target Students: ESL students with language proficiency levels of 3 to 4 on the ESL Writing Matrix • Pedagogy: These teaching modules are based on the best thinking in the field of English Language Learning and use an applied linguistics approach. Note: The majority of these students were born in Canada

16. RESULTS OF THE LANGUAGE & LITERACY MODULES AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS

17. ANECDOTES BY MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS AND TEACHERS “I liked the procedures. It helped me even in science when we did labs. I knew how to do it step by step, and list materials.” Student “Today we were writing a paragraph in class, and I just remembered the parts of a discussion and it helped me and I finished on time.” Student “It helped me when we were doing our speeches [in class]. In ESL we learned if you use better words and stronger words it helps out your discussion and your argument against and for.” Student “[The ESL class taught me] how to write better and new vocabulary for writing sentences and paragraphs. I know the purpose about writing and what to do. I learned the orientation for a good story . . .”Student “The 5+ students have clearly demonstrated improvement in planning, proof-reading, and essay writing skills. Several of the students have improved by at least one letter grade in English, and they all show a deeper understanding of the subject matter.” Grade 6 Teacher, Howe

18. ELEMENTARY Model recommended is the co-teaching model. • ESL teachers have been trained • More schools are moving towards the model as opposed to only pull out service • Works better at schools with a full time or more than one ESL teacher • Several schools have implemented the co-teaching model, and others are moving towards the model • Classroom teachers see the value in co-teaching and are using ESL strategies • We are increasing teacher capacity to build academic vocabulary for ESL students • 2 elementary itinerant TAs at small elementary schools

19. SETTLEMENT WORKERS IN SCHOOLS • The SWIS program is effectively building the bridge between home and school • Communication is better between students, parents and teachers • Supporting the ESL program in the areas of affective domain for the students • Specialist services available for SWIS students, e.g., Specialist counseling in Mandarin • Total served in the SWIS program last year- Students: 510, Clients (parents/caregivers): 467, TOTAL: 1035 • Multicultural Workers and SWIS workers collaborate with students, teachers and families