ESTABLISHING SHARED UNDERSTANDINGS Second Language Acquisition Early Learning Pedagogy & Full Day...

ESTABLISHING SHARED UNDERSTANDINGS

Second Language Acquisition

Early Learning Pedagogy &Full Day Kindergarten

Early Learning and Second Language Acquisition

Linguistic and cultural diversity is an asset, not a deficit, for young children.

National Association for the Education of Young Children, Many Languages,Many Cultures: Respecting and Responding to Diversity (Washington, DC: Author, 2005)

Who is an ELL / FLL Student? 4 key principles underpinning Second Language Acquisition and teaching

What is our mandate? Vocabulary Studies and Importance of Oral Language

How does Second Language Acquisition work?

Putting it all together . . .

Phases of early Second Language Acquisition

Who are we talking about?

Students…a. whose primary home language is not English.b. Whose primary home language is English but

considered a non-standard English dialectc. Who are learning French via early French

Immersion. In Delta, these are generally native-English language speakers.






Our MandateFocus on teaching English and providing an orientation to the cultures of British Columbia

(FDK Guide)

Assist students to become proficient in English, to develop both intellectually and as citizens, and to achieve the expected learning outcomes of the provincial curriculum. These services should be provided in BC school communities that value diversity, bridge cultures, and work to eliminate racism.

French Immersion = A Bilingual Mandate: Substitute FRENCH and ENGLISH above.






How does second language acquisition work?


Does the student understand? Is this in

their ZPD?

Comprehensible Input…

• There are several reasons why ELLs may struggle to respond appropriately to teachers' prompts and questions. Certainly, not all teacher questions are clearly understood by students, and, if such is the case, teachers should rephrase or clarify queries in order to facilitate student comprehension. Teachers may also not wait long enough for students to consider a question and formulate a response (Nystrand, Gamoran, Kachure, & Prendergast, 1997; Rowe, 1974).


What can we do to increase active engagement?

Affective Filter

• Krashen was ahead of his time / a product of his time with his recognition of ‘affect’ in effecting learning.

• Emotional state matters – as does motivation, engagement. (We often talk of this now from perspectives of Brain Based and SEL research. In the early 80’s, similar insights were framed via social comparison theory and self esteem).


I took this idea from 1st language theory. Thanks Noam!

Humans seem to have an innate ability to learn and use language . . .

Language Acquisition Device?

Theories of a LAD or Universal Grammar – major blow to behaviorism of 60s

•

Key Teaching ImplicationsConcerns with output?

ZPD?

Social / emotional? Strategy

Use?

Key Teaching ImplicationsConcerns with output?

ZPD?

Social / emotional? Strategy

Use?






Stages of additional language acquisition in young children

Beginning Stage

Uses home language at schoolShifts to silent period

Emerging Stage One to two word responses to questionsFormulaic expressions – “wanna play with me”

Developing Stage

“Children gradually move from memorized sentences to original, productive and spontaneous English conversation.

Typical Developmental Characteristics

Pronunciation Child may pronounce words using L1 structures / conventions

Developmental Errors Small vocabulary = incorrect use of languageInterference Child may apply an L1 structure to L2.

i.e.: “Me home go.” Code Switching Child may change languages within or over

phrases or sentences.

i.e.: “Meh want that”

General Phases for Newcomers . . . Honeymoon Stage

It’s all new and exciting.

Hostility After about 4-6 months, reality sets in. Humour Gradually, the newcomers work toward

resolution of their feelings, and their sense of being torn between the new and the old. They begin to accept their new home.

Home Finally, the newcomers become “native” in the sense that where they live is their home and they accept that they are here tostay.

Implications of phases

• Students with differing levels of language proficiency often work through different stages of language development and general adjustment and acculturation . . .






4 Main Principles underpinning Second Language Teaching and Learning

1. Social and Academic Language Proficiency are different.

2. First Language proficiency is an asset

3. Culture matters. Students, first language and subsequent languages are all embedded in particular ways of knowing and being.

4. Language is holistically developed in meaningful contexts

Principle 1: Social and Academic Language are different

Social Language = BICS(Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills)

Academic Language = CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency)

Language of conversations; the playground; the store, etc.

Language of subjects and disciplines; language of school

Largely Context embedded Largely removed from context


“Students require both social and academic language competence in order to participate fully in educational programs. Academic language competence is more difficult to acquire and takes more time to master than social language.”

BC – Ministry of Education: ELL Guidelines


Social Language = BICS(Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills)

Academic Language = CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency)

Language of conversations; the playground; the store, etc.

Language of subjects and disciplines; language of school

Largely Context embedded Largely removed from context

Often referred to using an Iceberg

Metaphor…

Usually requires deliberate instruction

Largely picked up through immersion in L2 environment.

Common challenges relating to BICS and CALP

• In practice, proficiency with BICS is often confused with CALP – i.e.: “___ speaks so well so English isn’t the issue … but she’s not demonstrating a strong understanding of ___ in her work…”

• Almost incidental development of BICS might reduce awareness of need to actively address language acquisition in class.

• CALP takes longer to develop.

How can we accelerate language acquisition and close the gap? Responsive language scaffolding all day long.

Principle 2: Language 1 is an Asset

• A learner's first language is the foundation for second language learning, an important tool for learning, and an important component of personal and cultural identity.~ Elizabeth Coelho


70’s = Much debate as to how 2nd language learning worked.

One approach was later summarized as the Separate Underlying Proficiency approach.


70’s = Much debate as to how 2nd language learning worked.

One approach was later summarized as the Separate Underlying Proficiency approach.

SUP?


Two languages are too much – running out of space here. If you want me to really learn English, I need it everywhere, all the time.

SUP?


SUP was largely discredited by early 80s. Bilingualism is, in fact, a very achievable reality. This is because speakers of multiple languages draw on a COMMON UNDERLYING PROFICIENCY (CUP).


SUP was largely discredited. Bilingualism is, in fact, a very achievable reality. This is because, speakers of multiple languages draw on a COMMON UNDERLYING PROFICIENCY (CUP).

I was born to learn language. As long as you scaffold my growth – I can learn more and more and more!

Consolidating BICS, CALP and CUP

BICS

CALP

CUP

Complications with the CUP model: subtractive vs additive bilingualism

Complications with the CUP model: subtractive vs additive bilingualismBut, I was told that

I couldn’t have my cake and eat it too…

Complications with the CUP model: subtractive vs additive bilingualismBut, I was told that

I couldn’t have my cake and eat it too…

Of course you can – just get some help, double the recipe and pace yourself!

Children’s first languages are closely tied to their identity, and encouraging ongoing development of first language eases the social and emotional transition that occurs when children begin school. At the same time, students who have a strong foundation in their first language are likely to learn new languages more quickly and achieve greater success at school.

Fred Genesee, ed., Educating Second Language Children: The Whole Child, The Whole

Curriculum, 1994

If new learning builds on previous learning in the child's first language, what are the implications for our practice?

For teaching language?For teaching other concepts ie. patterning or sorting?

Principle 3: Culturally Responsive Education

• “Respect for and valuing an individual’s first language(s) and culture is important in order for English Language Learners to succeed”

• “Students benefit from seeing their own history, literature, and culture reflected in their school experiences.”

Ministry of Education

Basic Culturally Responsive Practices

• Acknowledge celebrations


• Acknowledge celebrations• Don’t change anyone’s name. Families can

make their own decisions without our help.



• Don’t change anyone’s name. Families can make their own decisions without our help.

• Learn / use basic vocabulary to scaffold student learning and make all feel welcome.



• Don’t change anyone’s name. Families can make their own decisions without our help.

• Learn / use basic vocabulary to scaffold student learning and make all feel welcome.

• Help students make active connections – home life /background knowledge to school.

Principle 4: Language is holistically developed in meaningful contexts

• Second Language learning was, for a long time, framed in a “readiness” model. Specific skills (vocab, grammar, conversation skills) were taught in isolation from classroom as ‘prerequisites’.

• By the mid-late 90’s, second language acquisition field shifted to embedding language instruction in content instruction

Ministry ELL Standards (1999)

• If ELL students are to “keep up” or “catch up” with their English-speaking peers, their cognitive and academic growth should continue while the second language is developing.

• Integrating language teaching with the teaching of curricular con-tent in thematic units simultaneously develops students’ language, subject-area knowledge, and thinking skills.

Ministry ELL Standards (1999)

• ELL students learn English better when there is a meaningful and purposeful context for communication, and a holistic approach to instruction is used. Research and experience have shown that studying language in “bits and pieces” is not a very effective way of learning it.

French Immersion recognized as embodying this shift

• Children learn a second language in much the same way they learned their first language, by interacting with their environment to satisfy communication needs. At the beginning, this interaction involves approximations, risk-taking and negotiating meaning in a secure environment. Language is learned globally. Listening, speaking, reading and writing are interwoven and not acquired in a linear sequential fashion.

A well established model

• French immersion integrates language instruction and content area instruction. Students learn the French language, they learn about the French language and they learn through the French language.

…..

Submersion vs Immersion

“There’s a big difference, after all, between simply teaching in English and actually teaching English.”

• Emphasis on teaching language through content has led to closer examination of what immersion instruction looks like.

Limits of simple immersion

• Submersion = sink or swim; everyone is treated the same

• Immersion = some measure of responsive teaching; formative assessment is an ongoing norm; language development is actively scaffolded all day long – by teacher, by peers, by activities

Developing Language in Context

Class routine and environmentCurricular/theme/inquiry areasELLs often show greater progress in their English-language development as a result of engaging in tasks in another area of learning (e.g. solving a math problem, taking part in a science inquiry, participating in a physical activity, or creating a collage). (Ontario ell)

Supporting Natural Language development all day long

When responding to a child:• affirm the child’s attempt to communicate• label children’s actions and extend language

When speaking and teaching:• use gestures to support language• use movement and language together• use visual representations as much as possible (Concrete objects, Pictures,

diagrams, graphic organizers, videos etc.)

Look for opportunities to• introduce new or specialized vocabulary (e.g., That is your shadow);• model rich language, phrases, etc.• think aloud

When planning aim to include:• Songs music, chants, and poems• Flexible sized groupings, individual, partner, small and whole group

Reflecting on the 4 Key Principles

• Discuss the above principles. Do they make sense? Can you identify some examples of promising practices that address these? Concerns / Complications / Provisos?

Social and Academic Language are different

First language is an asset

Culturally responsive / inclusive education helps

Language is holistically developed in meaningful contexts

Who is an ELL Student? 4 key principles underpinning Second Language Acquisition and teaching





Oral Language Development and Vocabulary

• For beginning second language learners and especially for young children – oral /aural language development is key

• Communicative function• Familiarity with language structures• Basic vocabulary

A focus on VocabularyVocabulary sets the limits on our listening and

reading comprehension

Key finding: Children’s receptive and expressive vocabulary is linked to the amount and type of language they hear and engage with. (Hart and Risley 1995)

Hart and Risley (1995) found differences in the types of language children heard at home…

Which language promotes more speaking?

These are generalizations

Age 3

Linking Vocabulary SES findings to ELL

• Vocabulary gap is significant at the start of school and it is generally a result of different experiences students have at home. SES is a predictor (overall vocabulary). Home language effects are additional to this.

• The concern here is that students with a head start

on vocabulary will continue to build on it. Implication for educators = opportunities to listening to and speaking with L2 are key

Decreasing teacher talk and increasing student talk

• Edwards and Mercer (1987) documented that teachers perform 76% of classroom talk. Ramirez, Yuen, Ramey, and Merino (1986) categorized teacher talk as consisting of explanations, questions, commands, modeling, and feedback. Other studies of teacher discourse in primary grades indicated that teacher talk is often managerial rather than conversational in nature (e.g., Cummins, 1994).

• In one study of effective primary teachers of literacy, Mohr (1998) tallied the number of questions asked by the teachers in the study at almost 100 per hour. Therefore, the preponderance of teacher talk and the teacher's use of questions continue as factors in how much classroom talk time is shared with students; both the quantity and quality of such interactions deserve scrutiny.

Hint: Engage your ELL students

• ELLs are often less engaged and less vocal in class, posing a challenge for teachers, especially less experienced ones (Laosa, 1977; Penfield, 1987; Schinke-Llano, 1983). Novice teachers often ask low-level questions to quickly get to a simple, right answer. However, more effort on the part of the teacher to challenge students with open-ended and exploratory questions can yield richer instructional communications.

Hint: Use Wait Time

When asked a question, ELL students typically translate it into their first language, formulate an answer in their first language, and translate an approximation of the answer into English, before giving their response. They accordingly need more time to respond than do students whose first language is English.

Hint: repeat sentences and give wait time before rephrasing

Short, affirmative sentences (no negatives) are easiest for new learners of English to understand.

• Explanations can be useful, but it is often a good idea

to repeat verbatim difficult sentences containing important information and ideas. This gives students a second chance to process the same structure — something they don’t get if they are presented too quickly with a rephrased version that may be just as challenging as the original sentence.

• "Success for students in culturally diverse classrooms depends on the degree to which there are strategies that encourage all students to talk and work together" (DeVillar & Faltis, 1991).

Who is an ELL Student? 4 key principles underpinning Second Language Acquisition and teaching





Pulling it all together

Social and Academic Language are different

First language is an asset

Culturally responsive / inclusive education helps

Language is holistically developed in meaningful contexts

Comprehensible Input + affect matter

Vocabulary – picked up mainly through speaking and listening. Students start school with discrepancies in overall vocabulary as well as L2 vocabulary

Hint: create a classroom where students work together

• Wong Fillmore's (1991) model of second-language learning identified three motivational components that contribute to student progress: interest from the learners, proficient speakers who support and interact with the learners, and an environment that supports relationships between learners and proficient speakers.

Hint: create a classroom where students work together

• Wong Fillmore's (1991) model of second-language learning identified three motivational components that contribute to student progress: interest from the learners, proficient speakers who support and interact with the learners, and an environment that supports relationships between learners and proficient speakers.

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