Working with English Language Learners in the Classroom

1. Working with English Language Learners in the Classroom Session #1 English Language Learners & ME

3. English Language Learners & Me Welcome to the first session of our workshop about English Language Learners. Today we will be talking about the demographics of the state of Maine and how public school classrooms are being affected by those changes.

4. English Language Learners & Me Welcome to the first session of our workshop about English Language Learners. Today we will be talking about the demographics of the state of Maine and how public school classrooms are being affected by those changes.

5. Terminology • LEP – Limited English Proficiency • ESL – English as a Second Language • ELL – English Language Learner • ELD – English Language Development • TOEFL – Test of English as a Foreign Language • TESOL – Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages

6. Endorsement Endorsement Eligibility Pathway 2 • (a) Earned a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, in accordance with Part I Section 4.4 of this rule; • (b) Holds a valid Maine provisional or professional teaching certificate with a K-3, K-8, 5-8, 7-12, or K-12 endorsement; • (c) Completed a minimum of 15 semester hours in English as a Second Language coursework; • (d) Completed an approved course for “Teaching Exceptional Students in the Regular Classroom”; • (e) Passed content area assessment in accordance with Me. Dept. of Ed. Reg. 013; and • (f) Passed pedagogical knowledge and skills assessment at the appropriate grade level, in accordance with Me. Dept. of Ed. Reg. 013, or successful completion of an approved alternative professional studies program.

15. Home Language Survey TO THE PARENTS 1.     What language do you MOST OFTEN use when speaking to your child? English                   French             Passamaquoddy Vietnamese             Arabic              Khmer       Spanish                  American Sign    Somali Other: (specify) ___________________________________ 2.   What language did your child FIRST learn to speak?  ___________________________________        3.     What language does your child MOST OFTEN use when speaking to brothers, sisters, and other children at home?    ___________________________________ 4.  What language does your child MOST OFTEN use when speaking to you and other adults in the home?  (grandparents, aunts, uncles, guests)  ___________________________________ 5.    What language does your child MOST OFTEN use when speaking with friends or neighbors, OUTSIDE the home?   ___________________________________ * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *  TO THE TEACHER:   (1)  If you have observed this student use a language other than English, please indicate other language here:___________________________________________ (2)  Was the child's first language development interrupted at some point in time due to adoption, relocation of family or similar event that might suggest second language usage? ____Yes     ___No

16. LAU PLAN A Lau plan, named after the landmark Lau vs. Nichols U.S. Supreme Court Decision of 1974, is an equal access plan that protects English Language Learners (ELLs). The plan describes what a school district will do: • to identify its ELLs, • to design an effective program reflective of their needs, • to employ appropriate English-as-a-second-language or bilingual personnel (or both), • to align the instruction of ELLs to state and local content standards, and • to provide ongoing authentic assessments to ascertain their growth in English language proficiency and in the comprehension of academic content.

17. Standards for ELL • Maine is a member of the WIDA (World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment) Consortium. • We have adopted and use the WIDA Comprehensive ELP Standards • There are five English Language Proficiency Standards.

18. English Language Proficiency Standards • English language learners communicate: - for Social and Instructional purposes within the school setting. • information, ideas, and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Language arts. • information, ideas, and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Mathematics. • information, ideas, and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Science. • information, ideas, and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Social Studies.

19. Language Domains • Listening • Speaking • Reading • Writing

20. The Continuum of Second Language Acquisitionhttp://www.wida.us/standards/elp.aspx

21. WIDA Resource Guide • WIDA Standards also include “Can Do” descriptors which provide a good starting point for working with ELLS and for collaboration. • The Standards Resource Guide offers examples of supports, topics and genres and other helpful tools.

22. The goal is to help English Language Learners • and to do this you need to think about both content knowledge and language knowledge; • you also need to consider the role that language plays in culture; and • you need to consider the needs of every student in your classroom.

23. What defines Language? • Language has structure • Language is dynamic • Language is complex • Stress, pitch, rhythm, and intonation can change language meaning

24. Language What languages do you speak? How does your use of language change in your daily life? For example…. Do you speak differently when you talk with your friends as compared to how you speak in class? Do you listen in a different way when you are in class? Do you read a novel and a textbook the same way? Do you write differently in an email as compared with other written communication?

25. Culture and Language Think about it - language is connected to one’s identity as an individual and as a member of a cultural group. There are many elements of culture - language is just one element. As an educator you need to understand the students and families in your classroom.

27. Language Skills and the English Language Learner • BICS – Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills • CALP – Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency

28. How do we use language? Language is used differently in different settings: Can you define “social language”? Can you define “academic language”?

29. Social language vs. academic language • When using social, or informal, English in daily conversation, it’s possible to communicate by using slang and without using English in a grammatically correct way • You can be understood without using: • articles • prepositions • sophisticated vocabulary • pronoun reference

30. What is academic language? • Academic language is: • the language used in the classroom and workplace • the language of text • the language assessments • the language of academic success • the language of power Note: To see an extended introduction to academic language, look at chapters 4 and 5 of the Doing What Works’ Digital Workshop about Teaching Reading to English Language Learners.

31. Why is academic language so important? • Students who master academic language are more likely to: • be successful in academic and professional settings • Students who do not learn academic language may: • struggle academically • be at a higher risk of dropping out of school

32. Language defines us Has anyone ever corrected your pronunciation of a word either directly or indirectly? How did that make you feel? How would it make you feel in front of a room full of peers?

33. What can I do as an educator What are some of the activities/strategies could you use to: • increase comprehensibility, • increase student interaction, and • increase the complexity of student thinking on a topic?

34. Supports for learning • What sensory supports can you use? • What graphic supports can you use? • What interactive supports can you use?

35. Upcoming sessions • The role of the ESL teacher. • Writing language objectives. • Creating a language plan to compliment your lesson plan.