What’s the “knowledge base” for the education of ELLs?

What’s the “knowledge base” for the education of ELLs? Educ 388 Language Policies and Practices Jan. 17, 2008

Labels come and go…. • Bilingual students • ESL (English as a second language) students • NES/LES (non/limited English speaking) students • LEP (limited English proficient) students • ELL (English language learners) students …. All refer to students who are not proficient in English and come from non- or limited-English speaking homes.

Labels come and go…. • Bilingual students • ESL (English as a second language) students • NES/LES (non/limited English speaking) students • LEP (limited English proficient) students • ELL (English language learners) students …. All refer to students who are not proficient in English and come from non- or limited-English speaking homes. Labels change but the challenges remain… and are growing

You are a Medieval English Language Learner (MELL) Your assignment: Translate the Prologue excerpt from Canterbury Tales. (handout p. 1)

Use the dictionary if you have to. (handout pp. 2-3)

Think-Pair-Share

Think-Pair-Share • Think (& jot down): What part(s) of the passage could you understand/not understand? Did the dictionary help?

Think-Pair-Share • Pair: Discuss answers with someone next to you.

Think-Pair-Share • Share: I’ll ask some of the pairs to share out: What could you understand, and not? Did the dictionary help?

This is the situation faced by millions of children every day: They understand little or onlysome of what’s going on in the classroom.

Our goal is to (try to) help them understand it all.

Why is this hard to do? • ELLs must learn content as they learn the language (if they are in all-English instruction) • Our “knowledge base” for instructing ELLs (=what works) is limited.

T-P-S: Knowledge about teaching ELLs • Think (& jot down): How do we “know” what to do to help ELs? Where does that knowledge come from?

T-P-S: Knowledge about teaching ELLs • Think (& jot down): How do we “know” what to do to help ELs? Where does that knowledge come from? • Pair: Decide on 1-2 best sources.

T-P-S: Knowledge about teaching ELLs • Think (& jot down): How do we “know” what to do to help ELs? Where does that knowledge come from? • Pair: Decide on 1-2 best sources. • Share…..

Knowledge from published research ….. • Studies that collect data to make judgments about particular practices

Knowledge from published research ….. • Studies that collect data to make judgments about particular practices • Experiments are often a good way to determine “what works,” but it’s not the only way; in any case……

Knowledge from published research ….. • Studies that collect data to make judgments about particular practices • Experiments are often a good way to determine “what works,” but it’s not the only way; in any case…… • Research-based knowledge is inadequate--relatively little we can say with certainty.

So what do we know from the research?

So what do we know from the research? 1. Primary language instruction promotes second language achievement (esp. in reading) 2. What is effective instruction “in general,” generally works for ELLs, but … 3. ELLs need added support due to language limitations (“just good teaching?”)

So what do we know from the research? 1. Primary language instruction (“bilingual education”) promotes second language achievement (esp. in reading)

Primary language instruction promotes second language achievement • Approx. 25 experiments in past 35 yrs • 5 syntheses of these studies (“meta-analyses”) • Consensus is that PL instruction is effective (evidence is strongest for reading) • Effects are positive but modest • Long-term PL better than short-term? • Quality of instruction, consistency of program very important

Why primary language instruction? Research has shown that teaching students to read in their primary language improves their reading achievement in English. Why do you think that is? (discuss in groups; see handout p. 4)

Why primary language (L1) instruction? • Ease of learning in L1 vs. L2 • Difficulty of simultaneously learning and acquiring academic skills in L2 • More effective to learn L2 while acquiring and developing academic skills in L1 • Transfer from L1 to L2 • Learn academic skills in L2 as proficiency in L2 increases

Primary language instruction models (see handout p. 5, “The lingo”) • Transitional bilingual education (TBE) • Early (1-2 yrs) & Late (3-4 yrs) exit • Developmental bilingual education (DBE; or “maintenance”) • Two-way immersion (“dual language”) • 50-50 and 90-10 models Contrast with “English-only” models: • Mainstream placement (“submersion”) *might be illegal* • Sheltered English • English as a second language (ESL)

So what do we know from the research? 2. What is effective instruction “in general” generally works for ELLs(, but …)

What is effective instruction “in general” generally works for ELLs • “Basic” teaching functions (clear objectives, modeling, well-structured activities, active learning, practice, level of difficulty, etc.) • Building blocks of literacy are the same, e.g., phonological awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, writing • What you learn in other courses are the foundation for what you do with ELLs

So what do we know from the research? 3. ELLs need added support due to language limitations (“just good teaching?”)

Instructional supports for ELLs have different labels…(see handout p. 5, “The lingo”) • “Sheltered instruction” (see SIOP) • SDAIE (Specially designed academic instruction in English) • “ESL techniques” (see handout p. 6, “Sheltered” strategies)

… but have the same basic idea: Make content comprehensible to students who must SIMULTANEOUSLY learn English while learning academic content in English.

Which sheltered strategies work? Or are best?

Which sheltered strategies work? Or are best? We don’t really know.

But 2 of the best resources are …. • Building Academic Language by Jeff Zwiers and • Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model by Jana Echevarría et al.

What’s the “knowledge base” for the education of ELLs?