A Guide for working with Newly Arrived Children who do not speak English Developed by Heather Chatfield for Northern Sydney Region, Equity Programs 1 | Page Program for New Arrivals Part 1 The new ESL child Part 2 Themes / topics for newly arrived students Part 3 Program for new arrivals Part 4 Program for new arrivals – explanation of sections Part 5 Resources Equity Programs Supporting Students, Teachers and Parents in Northern Sydney Region
Transcript
A Guide for working with Newly Arrived Children who do not speak English
Developed by Heather Chatfield for Northern Sydney Region, Equity Programs 1 | P a g e
Program for New Arrivals
Part 1 The new ESL child Part 2 Themes / topics for newly arrived students Part 3 Program for new arrivals Part 4 Program for new arrivals – explanation of sections Part 5 Resources
Equity Programs Supporting Students, Teachers and Parents in Northern Sydney Region
A Guide for working with Newly Arrived Children who do not speak English
Developed by Heather Chatfield for Northern Sydney Region, Equity Programs 2 | P a g e
INDEX Pages
Part 1 The new ESL child 2 - 3
Factors that affect resettlement 4
Language acquisition development 5 – 7
Part 2 Themes / topics for newly arrived students 9
Part 3 Program for new arrivals 10 – 13
Part 4 Program for new arrivals – explanation of sections 14 - 22
Section 1 Survival Language / Skills 14
Section 2 The alphabet 15
Section 3 Me and my family 16
Section 4: Days/months/seasons – the calendar 16
Section 5: Time 17
Section 6: School 18
Section 7: Colours 18
Section 8: Body Parts 19
Section 9: Feelings 19
Section 10: Action Verbs 20
Section 11: Clothing 20
Section 12: Maths language 21
Section 13: Food 22
Part 5 Resources 23 - 24
A Guide for working with Newly Arrived Children who do not speak English
Developed by Heather Chatfield for Northern Sydney Region, Equity Programs 3 | P a g e
... but can he speak English?
Remember that English competency is not indicative of
cognitive ability – the student may not be able to speak
English, but this does not mean a lack of intelligence.
Incorporating the non-English speaker into your
classroom
A student will only acquire language if it is spoken and heard,
and if he/she uses it. A silent classroom is not conducive to a
student‟s language development.
So…
Ensure that your programme allows time for discussion
about various topics.
Allow and encourage discussion to occur between
students, and with you.
Create opportunities for your students to talk with an
interested adult or older language model.
The teacher and more articulate students extend and clarify
the language repertoire of the group. The traditional classroom
in which all communication is directed by and through the
teacher restricts the quality of learning. Students, who are
organised to work in groups to carry out and discuss shared
activities, develop a well-rounded communicative competence.
A Guide for working with Newly Arrived Children who do not speak English
Developed by Heather Chatfield for Northern Sydney Region, Equity Programs 4 | P a g e
Part 1: The new ESL child
The new child is likely to be stressed and traumatized by
all the changes he/she is experiencing.
The child has lost: place (home), status, culture, ability to
communicate, and maybe even their name (have they
just taken on an English name?).
The extent of the cultural differences they are
experiencing varies, depending on:
The extent of the difference between school and
home.
The extent of awareness and interest of the school
in the student‟s culture.
The student‟s personality and motivation to adjust.
The student‟s expectation of the role of the
teacher, - they may be used to a very directed and
strict teaching style.
They may have to learn new learning skills e.g.
group work, use of individual initiative, learning
through play.
They need you to recognize the value of their cultural and
linguistic background. Depending on their age they may
already have literacy skills, but in their first language.
Some of these skills can transfer across to learning in
English.
The first few days:
The teacher and the child may be uncomfortable.
The child may experience a sense of overload and
exhaustion from trying to listen in a strange
language and make sense of all that is going on
around them (imagine yourself in this position).
The child needs to feel welcome and secure.
A Guide for working with Newly Arrived Children who do not speak English
Developed by Heather Chatfield for Northern Sydney Region, Equity Programs 5 | P a g e
The teacher can:
Smile.
Use body language and signing to communicate.
Pronounce the child‟s name correctly.
Learn to say hello in the child‟s language.
Don‟t raise your voice to try and be „heard‟.
Don‟t over correct. Praise any attempts to
communicate.
Provide a buddy/buddies (someone who speaks
the child‟s home language would be ideal) to show
the child around and be company during breaks.
Where is the child at?
Consider Age / Stage of schooling. Has the child
had any schooling?
Has the learning been interrupted?
What level of proficiency does the child have in
his/her first language?
Is the child responsive or silent?
Is the child familiar with the English alphabet or
with a different script?
Is the child familiar with the conventions of English
writing such as left to right, front to back and
punctuation?
What can the child do initially?
Drawing / Colouring
Looking at picture books / bilingual books
Sequencing pictures
Cutting and pasting
Writing in their own language
Matching / sorting games – e.g. Memory
Doing jigsaw puzzles
Working on the computer – English language /
vocabulary activities
Cutting out pictures from magazines and creating
a vocabulary book
Copying from a neighbour
A Guide for working with Newly Arrived Children who do not speak English
Developed by Heather Chatfield for Northern Sydney Region, Equity Programs 6 | P a g e
Factors that affect resettlement
Culture shock
is the anxiety which arises when one no longer knows or can control the various aspects of the environment in order to gain feedback and reinforcement.
Nicolle Fabrier, Consulting Psychologist
IMPACTS OF NEW ENVIRONMENT
Changes in
Physical
homes food clothing people schools support people education
work language; verbal and non-verbal
Sensory
smells sounds tastes
light climate
Cultural
beliefs values attitudes thinking behaviours
Internal manifestation
sadness…anger fear frustration
loneliness regret confusion
External manifestation
withdrawal acting out somatization Fatigue dependence over-activity
Settlement process responses
Alienation from new culture
Complete rejection of new
world
Alienation from old culture
Euphoric involvement with new world
Bi-culturalism
A positive ability to live comfortably with and between two (or more) cultures
A Guide for working with Newly Arrived Children who do not speak English
Developed by Heather Chatfield for Northern Sydney Region, Equity Programs 7 | P a g e
Language Acquisition Development
Theoretical Stages
Characteristics Behaviour
1. Silence
Understands little or no English. Student „quietly takes it all in‟. For some this stage may last a few minutes, others a few months.
Does not speak or understand English.
2. Nonverbal indications of understanding
Uses no English except for a word or two.
Student will not respond verbally but will respond physically to instructions or requests.
Understands only slow simple speech; requires repetitions.
Progresses to one word response in English or a response in own language.
Understands simple sentences but only uses isolated words or expressions.
3. Chunking
Understands simplified speech with repetitions and rephrasing.
Produces some common English words and phrases.
Uses unanalysed chunks of language that perform an important social function: “It‟s my turn”, “What‟s your name?” “Can I play?”
Understands more than he/she is able to produce.
Speaks English with difficulty.
Converses in English with help.
Understands at least part of the lesson.
Follows simple directions.
4. Inter-language
Understands adult speech but requires repetition and rephrasing.
Speech may be hesitant because of rephrasing and groping for words.
Uses some complex structures.
Overgeneralizes rules of grammar.
Difficulties with choice of verb tense, verb tense consistency, and subject/verb agreement.
Vocabulary is adequate to carry on basic conversation; some word usage difficulties.
„Interim grammar‟ one part one language/one part another. For example: “They in school and home live.” “My friend likes the books to read.”
Understands, speaks, reads, and writes English with some degree of hesitancy.
A Guide for working with Newly Arrived Children who do not speak English
Developed by Heather Chatfield for Northern Sydney Region, Equity Programs 8 | P a g e
Theoretical Stages
Characteristics Behaviour
5. Gaining control in English
Understands most adult speech except some advanced structures.
Speech may be non-native in evenness. An accent may be present
Demonstrates a fairly high degree of proficiency.
Controls most basic grammatical structures with occasional error in syntax. Some errors in a young learner may be seen as developmental.
Vocabulary is varied.
Understands and speaks English well but needs assistance in reading and writing in English to achieve at level appropriate for his or her grade level.
6. Fluent Speaker
Understands everything expected of a native speaker of the same age.
Speech is effortless and native-like; however an accent may be present.
Expresses ideas creatively having mastered a broad range of syntactic features.
Vocabulary is as accurate as a native speaker of the same age.
Uses different varieties of language depending upon the situation (code-switching).
Achieves at appropriate level.
First language competency is very important!
Maintaining and developing the mother tongue is essential
to the intellectual growth of the student.
Do not insist that parents communicate in English at home.
Skills learned in one language can be transferred to
another.
In addition to the importance of sustaining parent/child
relationships, first language maintenance assists rather
than hinders second language acquisition.
Also, we must not overlook the fact that, generally, parents
want their children to maintain their first language.
If your school is able to provide Bilingual Classes, or a
Community Language Programme, encourage this as it:
Supports the student‟s self-esteem as it demonstrates the
school‟s recognition and respect for his/her background.
Aids in the transference of concepts and skills to English.
Develops the mother tongue to a level which assists the
learning of English.
Gives all students the opportunity to learn and appreciate
not only the language and culture of different ethnic groups
but also the positive contribution they make to Australian
society.
A Guide for working with Newly Arrived Children who do not speak English
Developed by Heather Chatfield for Northern Sydney Region, Equity Programs 9 | P a g e
Don‟t speak too s…l…o…w…l…y in Pidgin English, or too LOUDLY.
Speak clearly, keeping in mind the amount of new information and the complexity of the structures contained in your language. It‟s
important that these be pitched slightly above the language level of the student. You will probably find this happens instinctively in
your efforts to communicate. (See Krashen, Research in Language Acquisition, Newbury House, 1980)
Consciously provide language extension in the form of unfamiliar or more complicated structures or new language. If you are
teaching a new concept use known language structures. Likewise, if you are teaching new language structures, use known concepts.
Remember: You and the other English speakers in the class may be the student‟s only English language models.
Believe that your child can understand more than he or she can say, and seek, above all, to communicate. Your aim: To understand and be understood. If you concentrate on communicating, everything else will follow.
Non-verbal communication
Each culture has a non-verbal language (facial expressions,
gestures, body contact, personal space) which conveys
messages e.g. in some cultures it is a sign of respect to avoid
eye contact when being disciplined. Many misunderstandings
can be attributed to misinterpretation of non-verbal cues.
Therefore, try to become aware of non-verbal cues you use
and make these clear to the non-English speaker. Also be
aware of the meaning of the non-verbal cues the student is
giving.
This teacher doesn’t realise that Novak has been
taught that averting his gaze in this situation is a
Continue re-reading readers and upgrading as ability develops (Note: check for comprehension).
words. Model constructing sentences based on those words. Child could copy sentences.
Beginning ESL. Unit 2. Me: Weeks 1-7 & Unit 6. Family & Friends. Weeks 1,2,5,7 & 8
6 & 7
4. Days/Months/Seasons – the Calendar
Vocabulary related to unit. See introduction to Unit 12 in Beginning ESL. Attempt conversing with the child on the topic. Use lots of scaffolding and illustrations.
As above. As above. Start introducing 100 Most Commonly Used Words as sight words.
(Maybe 2 at a time, initially.) Incorporate in writing.
NA & ESL Timesavers Book 2.Calendar, Weather & Seasons! p 1-72. Select appropriate pages Beginning ESL Unit 12: Weather & Seasons. Weeks 1-9
8 & 9
5. Time Vocabulary related to unit. See introduction to Unit 11 in Beginning ESL.
Discuss the child‟s day – at school and at home.
As above. As above. Continue with 100 words. Jointly construct writing about the child‟s day.
NA & ESL Timesavers Booklet 8. Time: p 71-79 Beginning ESL Unit 11 Time: Weeks 1-11
10 & 11
6. School Vocabulary related to unit. See introduction to Unit 1 in Beginning ESL. Discuss schools here and in child‟s country of origin (if relevant).
As above. As above. Continue with 100 words.
Jointly construct writing about the child‟s school day.
NA & ESL Timesavers Booklet 2. School: p 21-23 Beginning ESL Unit 1: School. Weeks 9,10,13-15 &17
A Guide for working with Newly Arrived Children who do not speak English
Developed by Heather Chatfield for Northern Sydney Region, Equity Programs 13 | P a g e
12. Maths Language Vocabulary related to unit. Use a translated Maths dictionary alongside class Maths text (if used) to look up words.
As above. As above. Continue with 100 words.
Have the child write about the topic. Continue to journal life‟s events. As child‟s ability develops, discuss features of recount genre.
NA & ESL Timesavers Booklet 7. Maths Concepts. p. 61-69 Booklet 6. Positional Language & Opposites: p. 48-60. Select as appropriate. Download Maths Dictionary from NSR regional Equity website.
23 & 24
13. Food Vocabulary related to unit. See introduction to Unit 8 in Beginning ESL.
As above. As above. Continue with 100 words.
Have the child write about the topic. Continue to journal life‟s events.
NA & ESL Timesavers Booklet 4. Fruit: p 28-37 Beginning ESL. Unit 8. Weeks 1-15. Select as appropriate. Use collected advertising pamphlets.
A Guide for working with Newly Arrived Children who do not speak English
Developed by Heather Chatfield for Northern Sydney Region, Equity Programs 15 | P a g e
Part 4: Program for New Arrivals – Explanation of Sections
Section 1: Survival Language / Skills At this beginning stage, keep the child active and engaged by
moving around the classroom and the school.
Walk around the school /classroom and identify items and places.
Draw a map of the school identifying relevant places.
Make signs for the school (or your diagram) using the child‟s first language. (Access Google Translator.)
Some worksheets can be copied onto card and used to create a memory game.
Classify items as inside or outside. Add to the lists.
Find the words.
PART A: ME & SURVIVAL PHRASES
NA and ESL Timesavers Booklet 1: About Me: pp. 2-4
This is me. My name is…pp.2 & 4
Girl / Boy. pp.3 & 4 Beginning ESL Unit 1: School
Words and phrases (for teacher to model and child to practice). Week 1
Action verbs eg. cut, write, glue. Copy onto card or laminate for child to have on his/her desk. Teacher or other children can point to required action.
PART B: ME AND MY SCHOOL
NA andESL Timesavers .Booklet 2.School: pp. 14-20
School name, child‟s grade and age. p.14
Teacher‟s name. p.15
Classroom items. pp. 18 – 20
Basic items of uniform. p. 17 Beginning ESL Unit 1: School
