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Don Bouchard Maine Department of EducationESL Professional DevelopmentThursday, April 2, 2009
1. To become familiar with aspects of academic language for delivering comprehensible content instruction to English Language Learners (ELLs).
2. To understand some of the complexities of English print regarding academic use.
3. To learn some of the ways to scaffold academic language.
ASPECTS OF
ACADEMIC LANGUAGE
A man walks into the doctor’s office and says “Doc, I have a pain in
my shoulder.”
The doctor examines him and says, “You have
acute inflammation of the anterior bursa and have developed severe
bursitis.
Patient: “Oh, what does that mean?”
Doctor: “You have a pain in your shoulder!”
. Хората имат два крака. Кучетата и котките имат четири крака,
а насекомите имат шест. Но насекомите имат различни видове
крака. Някои крака са за скачане. Други са за катерене,
хващане, тичане, или плуване.
1. Колко крака имат хората?
2. Колко крака имат насекомите?
3. Как използват краката си насекомите?
Tib neeg muaj ob txhais ceg. Aub thiab miv muaj plaub txhais ceg--kab
thaib yoov muaj rau txhais ceg. Tiamsis, kab thaib yoov co ceg tsis zoo
tibyam. Ib co ceg zoo rau txoj kev dhia. Ib co ceg zoo heev rau txoj
kev, nce ntoo, vuag khoom, khiav, los yog ua luam dej.
1. Tib neeg muaj pestsawg txhais ceg?
2. Kab thaib yoov muaj pestsawg txhai ceg?
3. Kab thaib yoov siv lawv co ceg ua dabtsi?
Tib neeg muaj ob txhais ceg. Aub thiab miv muaj plaub txhais ceg--kab
thaib yoov muaj rau txhais ceg. Tiamsis, kab thaib yoov co ceg tsis zoo
tibyam. Ib co ceg zoo rau txoj kev dhia. Ib co ceg zoo heev rau txoj
kev, nce ntoo, vuag khoom, khiav, los yog ua luam dej.
1. Tib neeg muaj pestsawg txhais ceg?
2. Kab thaib yoov muaj pestsawg txhai ceg?
3. Kab thaib yoov siv lawv co ceg ua dabtsi?
People have two legs. Dogs and cats have four legs—and insects have
six. But not all insect legs are the same. Some legs are good for
jumping. Others are perfect for climbing, grabbing, running or
swimming.
1. How many legs do people have?
2. How many legs do insects have?
3. How do insects use their legs?
“Learning in school is done primarily through language. Yet the language of school is seldom explicitly discussed
or taught in schools.”-Schleppegrell, 2004
Academic language is the language of school used to require new/deeper understanding of content subjects.
Academic language involves a variety of aspects:
-word level: vocabulary-sentence level: grammar-extended level: discourse
Word level: Vocabulary
Non-specialized: pain
General academic: inflammation
Content specific academic: bursitis
Sentence level: Grammar
Language patterns and grammatical structures specific to the content areas.
“You have acute inflammation of the anterior bursa.”
Complex textbook sentences
“Bursitis is the inflammation of one or more bursae of the
synovial fluid of the body. The bursae rest at the points where internal functionaries, such as
muscles and tendons, slide across bone and become
inflamed.”(source: Wikipedia)
More Spoken Like More Written Like-conversation
-Texting a friend-Academic Discussion
-Academic Lecture-Newspaper article
-Academic Journal
Article
Conversational
Anglo-Saxon based words
Concrete, situated in here & now
More immediate, current
AcademicRecorded, in the
pastLatin-Greek based words
Detached style
More abstract, not tied to specific settings
A genre is a type of text used in schools. 1. Personal genres – personal
experiencesrecounts, accounts, narratives
2. Factual genres – factsprocedures, recounts, reports
3. Analytical genres – analyze events or argue for certain interpretations
accounts, explanations, expositions
RECOUNT“What I did on my vacation”
ACCOUNT‘Why I got into trouble at school”
NARRATIVE“Why I didn’t know about the quiz
after lunch”
PROCEDURES“How to dissect a frog”
RECOUNT“Steps to take to obtain a driver’s
license”HISTORICAL
“Major events in War War II”
ACCOUNTS“The events leading up to the Iraq
war“EXPLANATIONS
“How to find the area of a cylinder”EXPOSITIONS
“The South deserved to become independent”
Personal genres are typically used at the elementary level; ELLs must quickly adjust to
factual and analytical genres to learn the complex,
cognitively demanding uses of academic language in the
various content areas.
Print is the basis of academic language; however, oral
communication in the form of:Discussion
Question posing/responseLecture
is also important to cultivate along with reading and writing.
1. When delivering instruction, think in terms of:
I do - you watch; I do – you help; You do – I help; You do – I watch.
Focused Lesson Instruction-builds vocabulary-provides practice in fluency-models rhythm, stress,
intonation-uses standard grammar-focuses on targeted language
structures
Guided Instruction
-responsibility is shared-focus on challenging aspects of
language, such as grammar, mechanics, ideas, comprehension
Collaborative Learning
-independent, small group focus-linked to the purpose of the lesson-highly organized-varied: partnering, conference
focused, interactive
Independent Learning
-practice and application-employs use of strategies-involves reading and writing
2. Use the language of the written register, i.e. model the use of complete sentences &
vocabulary with explicit referents.
Example: “Put the marker on the shelf.”
Not: “Put it over there.”
Minimize the use of abbreviations, short forms of words, two-word verbs, and idiomatic expressions.
3. Minimize teacher talk time; allow for more student talk opportunities through open response questions and elaborated answers.
4. Use think - alouds to read aloud content texts. This helps ELLs comprehend text by:
-increasing comprehension-inferring -monitoring-summarizing -synthesizing-questioning -connecting
5. Display, define, and review the language objective along with the content objective.
Content objective: “Four ways geography affects climate.”
Language objective: “Read chapter __ on how deserts, mountains, plains, and
oceans affect climate.”
CONTENT OBJECTIVE LANGUAGE OBJECTIVE(academic achievement) (academic language)
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN: HOW YOU WILL USE:
-Math -Listening-Science -Speaking-Social Studies -Reading-Language Arts -Writing
. . .in your learning
6. Use content-related sentence starters for academic writing
-openings/introductions -generalization-thesis/topic statements-secondary purpose -closings-organization statements-assertion-comparison/contrast
7. Frontload texts by anticipating and teaching
to potentially problematical language structures.
Vocabulary*Pronouns*Connectors*Clauses*Verb Tenses
In order for students to demonstrate academic
achievement, they must master academic
language.
All teachers are language teachers. A teacher who
does not know about language is analogous to
a doctor who does not know about anatomy.
ASPECTSOF
ACADEMIC LITERACY
Academic literacy is the ability to recognize and use print language in
cognitively demanding ways with increasing
complexity.
With ELLs, “learning to read” is continuous
throughout “reading to learn”, especially for
older learners with low L1 and prior education.
General Characteristics(adapted from Fillmore & Snow, 2005)
-summarize texts-analyze texts-extract meaning from texts-evaluate evidence and arguments present in texts-recognize and analyze textual conventions-recognize ungrammatical language-condense language into coherently and cohesively-compose and write extended prose-extract precise information from a written text to
solve a problem
Functions & Features(adapted from Zweirs, 2008)
-to describe complexity, higher order thinking & abstraction
-figurative expressions-explicitness for distant audiences-detachment-conveying nuances with modals-changing the message with qualifiers-using prosody for emphasis
Using Print in Language Arts to. . .-Connect events or characters of narrative
to students’ lives-Uncover author’s messages-Recognize literary devices-Analyze author’s craft-Interpret-Persuade-Explain cause & effect
Using Print in Social Studies to. . .
-Explain cause & effect-Persuade-Take a perspective
Using Print in Science to. . .
-Inquire -Explain cause & effect-Interpret-Compare
Using Print in Math to . . .
-Interpret
-Problem solve
- English print is OPAQUE, i.e., one symbol = many possible sounds.
- English has a very complex vowel system.Example: “a”
at (52%) any (22%) angel (8%)all (5%) are (4%) vary (1%)
There was once a beautiful bear who sat on a seat near to breaking and read by the hearth about how the earth
was created. She smiles beatifically, full of ideas for
the realm of her winter dreams.
Wolf, Proust and the Squid, p. 128
There was once a beautiful bear who sat on a seat near to breaking and read by the hearth about how the earth
was created. She smiled beatifically, full of ideas for
the realm of her winter dreams.
- An ELL’s accent will not affect their understanding of words when they read; however, they must be able to aurally discriminate these sounds when they hear them.
- ELLs have an inherent “skill” that native users of English do not have: they consistently (consciously or not) compare & contrast English with their home language.
- For ELLs, words are difficult to acquire if they are:
a) acoustically similarb) longerc) difficult to pronounced) not nouns
- Engagement with a text is threatened by unknown words; pursuing a definition threatens this engagement.
1. When teaching content, give attention to print English works.Pay special attention to “minefields”:
-pronouns and pronoun referents;
-sentence connectors-polysemous words-sentence complexity
1. Dictations – word, sentence, discourse level after the lesson has been delivered and practiced.
2. Journaling3. ‘Mortar’ sentence building
2. Read aloud to your students (regardless of content or
grade). This is one of the few occasions that ELLs have the
opportunity to experience grade level (or above) use of
content language.
3. Teach vocabulary from the Academic Word List as these grade-appropriate content-related words appear in the content. These words must
be learned for academic language achievement.
4. Teach affixations, derivations, and collocations.
Affixations: prefixes and suffixesDerivations: word forms (noun,
verb, adjective, adverb)Collocations: word partnerships
5. When teaching vocabulary, focus on
‘24/48/7/14’
(Review after one day; after two days; after one week; after 2
weeks)
6. Make students responsible for their own
vocabulary learning
-Convince them!-Require vocabulary log
-Recognition & use in ‘flash reading’ and ‘flash writing’
7. Always connect print language with oral
language.
Read – write - discuss
1. Selected reading: have students read the first paragraph.
2. Have students underline the first sentence of following paragraphs.
3. Have students read the last paragraph.4. Individually or in groups student(s)
write a one-sentence interpretation of underlined sentences.
5. Students discuss interpretations.6. Students read entire selection.
8. To help students read a text:(Hinkel, 2009)
-Have them read sentence by sentence (skipping unknown
words) until they can’t understand
-Go back one sentence-Begin looking up words
9. Remember that literacy is culturally influenced and
practiced. ELLs literate in their L1 may know only how to engage with print through
recitation and memorization; therefore, reading for meaning
will be a struggle.
10. Encourage wide reading“The man who does not read . .
. has no advantage over someone who can’t read. . . .
“-Mark Twain
1. Provide attractive reading materials2. Provide time for reading in class.3. Read interesting material to students4. Find out what students like to read and
why.5. Provide incentives6. Allow for take-home reading7. Talk about what you read8. Have students share and recommend
SCAFFOLDINGACADEMIC LANGUAGE
SCAFFOLDING IS THE SUPPORT NECESSARY TO ASSIST ELLS ACCORDING
TO THEIR LEVEL OF PROFICIENCY.
1. SLOW DOWN the exchanges with specific
gambits:Can you say that again?
Tell me a little more.Etc.
2. Re: oral language-increase wait time-allow more turns
before recasting what the learner has said;
-respond to the meaning
Re: ReadingEngage students in ‘flash
reading’, i.e, alternate paired oral reading of a familiar passage for 30-second intervals three
times (Grabe & Stoeller, 2009)
4. Re: WritingEncourage journaling
through question prompts;
Engage learners in Flash Writing.
5. Use graphic organizers:webs flow charts high-outlines diagramslighted text
charts maps tablesequations timelines symbolscalendars pictures etc.
Strategic scaffolding designed to meet individual
ELL proficiency levels in listening, speaking, reading, and writing is accomplished by aligning them with the WIDA English Language
Proficiency Standards. . .
. . .and using a variety of support modalities:-visuals (graphic
organizers)-aural/oral (peer groupings)-tactile-kinesthetic (objects
and/or body movement)
Time alone, i.e., simply being exposed to English
at school, does not ensure academic English
learning. ELLs need explicit support.
“ELLs in a school. . . Can also be
. . . A catalyst for the kind of [academic] language
focused curriculum that will be of benefit to all children.”
-Gibbons (2002), p. 11.
“Children. . . Learn language in the process of
using it. They learn through language when they use it to construct
knowledge across all areas of the curriculum. . . .
“. . . and they learn about language when
there is a focus on language.”-Gibbons, p. 138
“CERTAINTY LEADS
TO CREATIVITY”- Hinkel 2009
Academic Word List: http://language.massey.ac.nz/staff/awl/Birch, B. (2006). English L2 Reading: Getting to the Bottom.
Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Publishers, 2nd edition.Dutro, S. & Moran, C. (2003). Rethinking English Language
Instruction. In Garcia (ed.), English learners: Reaching the highest level of English literacy (pp.227-258). Newark, NJ.: International Reading Association.
Echevarria, J., Vogt, M. & Short, D. (2008). Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners. Boston: Pearson Allyn & Bacon, 3rd Edition.
_______ (2008). 99 Ideas and Activities for Teaching English Language Learners. Boston: Pearson, Allyn & Bacon.
Freeman, D. & Freeman, Y. (2009). Academic Language for English Language Learners and Struggling Readers. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Gibbons, P. (2002). Scaffolding Language, Scaffolding Learning. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Scarcella, R. (2003). Accelerating Academic English: Focusing on the English Language Learner. Irvine, CA: University of California, Irvine.
Wilhelm, J. (2001). Improving Comprehension with Think-Aloud Strategies. New York: Scholastic.
Zweirs, J. (2008). Building Academic Language. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.