English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) in the Classroom

1. English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) in the Classroom

2. Session Objectives Content Objectives: Participants will develop background knowledge of why Language Objectives are an essential part of lesson delivery for Limited English Proficient (LEP) students. Participants will be able to describe how Language Objectives differ from Content Objectives. Language Objectives: Participants will orally discuss and categorize Content and Language Objectives. Participants will create and record Language Objectives using TEKS Skills. Participants will demonstrate their knowledge of Language Objectives by sharing with the group.

3. English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) The English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) were approved by the State Board of Education on November 16, 2007.  These standards will replace the English as a Second Language Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (ESL TEKS) beginning in the 2008-2009 school year and may be found online at http://www.tea.state.tx.us/curriculum/biling/elps.html.

4. Why are English Language Proficiency Standards Necessary? • Attain English proficiency, • Develop academic language, and • Meet the same challenging academic content and achievement standards that all children are expected to meet.

5. English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) The ELPS have two components: • cross-curricular second language acquisition essential knowledge and skills • proficiency level descriptors (Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced, and Advanced High)

6. Every teacher in any content or enrichment course who teaches ELLs must teach a language objective as well as a content objective.

7. BICS Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills Language Acquisition is a subconscious, effortless process that occurs without people actually realizing that it is occurring.The information acquired is then stored in the subconscious for later use.  It is what children do when learning to speak their first language. Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) are the language skills necessary to communicate basic needs and wants; they do not guarantee academic success. (There may be students who have 'acquired' native-like fluency in oral speech, who are still unprepared to face the academic challenges of school Krashen, 1992 & Cummins, 1996 Conversational CALP Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency Language learning is what usually occurs in school. It is an overt and consciousprocess.  When people are learning, they are aware they are learning because they are participating in the process. Therefore, it must be explicitly taught.  Once the information (knowledge) is learned, it is consciously stored in the brain, for later use.  This learned academic language is the kind of language needed for tasks such as comprehension of text, analysis, and synthesis. For students learning English as a second language, this is what we refer to asCognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP).  Echevarria & Graves, 2006 Textbook language The Nature of Language Proficiency:

8. Academic Language Academic language is the language used in content area classrooms. It is linked to higher order thinking processes and developed by extensive modeling and scaffolding of classroom talk. In order to develop academic language, students must be immersed in a language-rich, interactive environment. Academic language characterization the present or past point of view analysis of relationships persons, places, and events cause and effect inference

9. Teaching Guidelines • Select content objectives from the TEKS • Provide academic language activities in which students read, write, listen to, discuss, and make presentations on chosen content • Teach and have student practice learning strategies with all activities

10. TEKS and ELPS Objectives Content Objectives are the: Language Objectives are the : What? How?

11. Writing Language Objectives • Language Objectives are the HOW of the lesson. Your language objectives should include interaction in the form of discussion (paired and/or cooperative learning activities). Think about specific language skills you want students to develop; include them as language objectives. Then plan the lesson accordingly. • Most of the language verbs lend themselves to language objectives: • define (vocabulary is most important) • describe • identify • label • name • spell

12. More Procedural Language for ELLs

13. Sentence Stems ELLs benefit from having language scaffolded through the use of sentence stems when engaging in activities involving speaking and writing. Stems are used until they have mastered that scaffold. It should not become a “crutch” for the students. Sentence stems: • Are short phrases that provide models for how to use academic vocabulary and correct grammar in context. • Help English learners have a starting place for communicating their ideas orally and in writing. • May be oral and/or written. • Can focus on issues and concepts. • Should be created using the language of TEKS and TAKS. • Are created by understanding the academic language students are currently able to use and will need to use to demonstrate their knowledge of the content objective.

14. TEKS 8.6C: Identify colonial grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence. explain how those grievances were addressed in the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Content Objective: Student will use a graphic organizer to identify colonial grievances in the Declaration of Independence. ObjectivesHistory Language Objective: TLW identify and describe colonial grievances using the sentence stems: A grievance can be defined as ___________. Three examples of colonial grievances listed in the Declaration of Independence are _______, ________, and ________. ELPS: 3(H) Narrate, describe, and explain with increasing specificity and detail as more English is acquired.

15. CONTENT Complete a timeline listing the events in order leading up to the climax of the selection. LANGUAGE In the reading, highlight the important events in the story. Highlight the exposition in red and the rising action in blue . Explain to a partner your timeline. Use the words first, second, then to show sequence. ObjectivesELA

16. CONTENT The students will be able to use constructions to explore attributes of geometric figures and to make conjectures about geometric relationships. LANGUAGE The student will be able to use mathematical vocabulary to explain orally or in writing the attributes of geometric figures. Students will construct a Venn Diagram to contrast and compare one geometric figure to another. Students will work in pairs to create a list of construction methodologies related to the significant attributes of each figure. ObjectivesMath

17. ObjectivesScience • Content • The student demonstrates that energy, such as sound energy, can travel through matter. • Language • The student will use English to achieve academically in content areas. • The students will follow oral and multistep directions • The students will make oral and written inferences and draw conclusions from the activity

18. Instructional Strategies • Act out meanings • Activate prior-knowledge and build upon students’ background experience (i.e., schema) • Adapt content-critical content • Allow • multiple learning opportunities (2-3) • the student to highlight texts • Contextualize language • Create word banks • Describe • difficult concepts visually with the use of graphic organizers and other charts • assignments orally and in written form—having the assignment written on the board at the beginning of class gives the student the entire hour to copy it • Embed definitions • Emphasize of key vocabulary

19. LANGUAGE OBJECTIVES – LISTENING • 2A – recognizes: correct pronunciation • 2B – recognizes: sounds in words (ph.awareness) • 2C – recognize: words/phrases in discussion • 2D – understand or seek help • 2E – use technology to learn / review • 2F – gist, main points, details • 2H – implied info • 2I – listening comprehension

20. LANGUAGE OBJECTIVES – SPEAKING • 3A – correct pronunciation of words ____ • 3B – use new vocabulary about topic • 3C – use variety of sentence stems • 3D – speak using newly taught vocabulary _____ • 3E – share in cooperative groups about ____ • 3F – ask / give info using words ____ • 3G – give opinions about ___ using words, phrases • 3H – narrate, describe, explain • 3I – use in/formal English to say____ • 3J – oral response to variety of media about____

21. LANGUAGE OBJECTIVES – READING • 4A – letter-sounds & phonics • 4B – directionality • 4C – sight vocabulary • 4D – BEFORE reading support • 4E – simplify text (to access content) • 4F – pictures / semantics to support reading (predictable text) • 4G – show comprehension individually or in groups • 4H – demonstrate comprehension of text read silently • 4I – develop basic reading skills that build comprehension • 4J – make inferences about text & graphics • 4K – analyze text

22. LANGUAGE OBJECTIVES – WRITING • 5A – use letter-sounds, phonics • 5B – use new vocabulary • 5C – spell correctly • 5D – Edit writing • 5E – simple & complex sentences • 5F – use sentence frames & selected vocabulary • 5G –narrate, describe, and explain in writing

23. Final Thoughts or Questions

24. English Language Proficiency Standards Texas Education Agency Developing Language Objectives for the Classroom From Theory to PracticeSouthwest Educational Development Laboratory Mastering Multiple Literacies: Implementing the English Language Proficiency Standards Austin Independent School District Stepping Up Your Sheltered Content Instruction Dr. Kate Mastruserio Reynolds University of Wisconsin