Kappa Delta Pi, International Honor Society in Educationwww.kdp.org
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Do you recognize this man?This is Jim Cummins. He is a professor at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education in Toronto. He informed much of what we will be studying next.
2. When looking at language broadly, any language, Cummins describes language as divided into two categories (now his research has expanded on this notion, but here is the original concept in a simple form). They are BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills) and CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency). Some educators think about BICS as equivalent to “playground language” and CALP as “classroom language” or the language of textbooks, content areas, and standardized tests. You can think about it as “informal” and “formal” language, also.
3. This is helpful for us as educators to think about when we approach how ELLs will learn English and also what type of language is required for various tasks.
4. Language can also be deceptive. Often students who have learned BICS and are very proficient in BICS may appear to have mastered English. But this is only one domain or area of language. Students typically learn BICS quickly and they learn to fit in with their English-speaking peers in social settings. But when it comes to
academic language or CALP, they struggle. So when assessing ELLs we must take into account both BICS and CALP. We shouldn’t be fooled by a student’s command of social English.
1. This visual helps us to see how ELLs catch up quickly to their English dominant peers in BICS but take longer in CALP. Our BICS or social language doesn’t change as drastically over our lifetimes. Our academic language does.
2. Some reasons for the gap or difficulty in acquiring CALP include: all students are learning difficult and abstract academic language and concepts, so ELLs are trying to catch up to a moving target. CALP is also used less frequently, so the lack of repetition makes learning the academic vocabulary more difficult at times.
1. Have participants turn to p. 17 of their participant’s manual. There is an activity called “BICS and the language of the content areas.” Go over the first one together.
2. Talk about how ELLs will typically learn “small” before they learn “microscopic” -- but microscopic could be a word that approximates “small” and used in a science context. Other words for small that are used in science include: micro, atom, atomic; in math: fraction, less than; in social studies: minority, sparse; in language arts: diminutive, petite, tiny, short (as in “short story).
3. The differences in language or discourse used in classrooms is even more pronounced at the secondary level, where teachers are trained differently and have stronger identities in the content areas. Often in elementary school, ELLs are with the same teacher throughout the day, so that teacher is able to make more concrete connections between words and concepts across content areas. In secondary school, this happens less, making the disconnect between the social and academic vocabulary in various content areas even more pronounced.
5. Ask participants to imagine that they are an ELL and they are going from class to class—in one class the teacher uses the word “microscopic” to mean small, in another class they use “diminutive” and so forth. Stress how confusing that can be for ELLs and how we, as educators, can scaffold for our ELLs. Even though the academic terms are not EXACTLY the same as the BICS word and our students need to understand nuanced differences, helping them understand the connection back to the BICS word does help our students with overall understanding, then nuances are explained in further detail.
6. Encourage participants to go through the table with a partner or in table groups, filling out as many as they can. Then share aloud the different terms. Have a discussion about how BICS and CALP are evident in classrooms, the various ways we can scaffold for our students so that they understand the CALP more quickly, and any additional strategies they come up with.
Concept Map or Web: This is one example of how you can make the connection between BICS and CALP more explicit with your students.
1. This slide is a recap and lets participants know that there is much more to language than just BICS and CALP but this is a starting place for thinking about the wide variety of vocabulary and language understanding and usage that is required of a language learner.
1. This is a culminating activity – a scaffolded way for participants to reflect on their learning in this section.
1. Metacognition Frames are intended to help participants in this workshop and also are a helpful strategies to use with your students for the same purposes. Debrief the activity as a group. Why is this strategy good for ELLs?
This is the end of section 3. Dismiss participants for lunch, reminding them of the start time for the next section of the workshop.
Part 3: What are some important considerations for programs and pedagogy for ELLs? Approx 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 pm (60 Minutes)
1. It often surprises educators (especially those who are familiar with Special Education policies and mandates) that for ELLs there is no set program or approach for supporting ELLs at the federal level. There is federal legislation that states must decide how to support their ELLs but ultimately the type of support and programs is up to the state education agency.
1. Some states have adopted the Common Core; others have not. See page 20 your participant’s manual.
1. Go over the 3Ws strategy (p. 19 of the Participant’s manual). Let them know that this is a strategy that helps students with reading comprehension by chunking large parts of text into smaller sections, stopping and thinking about what you read, then sharing with a partner and negotiating understanding. Stress that students (and they) should stop at certain headings or subheadings, and then discuss with their partner.
2. Hand out the article by Honigsfeld on different programs for ELLs. Give participants some time to practice the strategy with the first portion of the article (5 minutes) and let them know they should read the intro and then stop at the heading “Program Models” on p. 167 to fill out the 3 W’s for the first time. After filling out the first two columns, they need to discuss with their partner and jot down notes in the third column (What my partner said). 3. Debrief and then give them time to finish the rest of the article, giving them instructions on where to stop and discuss. Then they continue reading the next section until Structured English Immersion (p. 168). Stop and fill out 3 W’s. Then read until English as a Second Language (p. 168). Stop and fill out 3 W’s. Then on to Bilingual Education (p. 169), stop and discuss, read on to to Dual Language Programs (p. 170) Stop and fill out the 3 W’s. Finally, finish the article to the end and fill out the 3 W’s. This means you should have 6 different 3 W’s filled out, and you should have stopped and discussed after each one (6 times).
4. You may have them simply fold a piece of paper in thirds to use for the strategy or to use notebook paper and draw three columns.
5. Debrief overall. Why is this strategy good for ELLs?
2. Now we are going to talk briefly about standards and our specific contexts. Each state has slightly different ways of serving ELLs (as discussed earlier). 2. For more info on Common Core: http://www.tesol.org/docs/advocacy/overview-of-common-core-state-standards-initiatives-for-ells-a-tesol-issue-brief-march-2013.pdf?sfvrsn=6
1. For this section we are going to ask participants to understand their own contexts by reading a policy brief that is relevant to your area. Facilitators: Feel free to add specific state policies, mandates, etc. here. It would be a great idea to talk to participants about what program options you have in your state (i.e. some states have adopted bilingual education, others have abolished it).
2. Policy Brief Options:
If you are in a Common Core state: http://www.tesol.org/docs/advocacy/overview-of-common-core-state-standards-initiatives-for-ells-a-tesol-issue-brief-march-2013.pdf?sfvrsn=6
Otherwise, you could have participants read this brief: http://www.ncte.org/library/NCTEFiles/Resources/PolicyResearch/ELLResearchBrief.pdf
Part 4: How can I become a more effective teacher of ELLs? Approx 2:45 p.m. to 4:00 pm (75 minutes)
1. Ask participants to give examples of each category. This is also on p. 21 of their Participant Manual.
1. This is found on page 21 of the Participant Manual.
2. If the hyperlink doesn’t work, here is the URL: https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/modeling-strategy-getty Watch the video together (approximately 5 minutes)
Affective: Teacher uses humor; Teacher uses a photo of herself as an example (relating to students, sharing who she is with them, sense of humor about self); Provides clear instructions, both oral and written (lowers anxiety because students know what is expected of them, teacher is clear in her expectations, there is no guesswork)
Linguistic: Teacher models language in her think aloud; Teacher is aware of her rate of speech, articulation (speaks slowly)
Cognitive: Teacher provides an example of the finished product, of a goal, expectation; Teacher models how to fill out the graphic organizer, step by step; Teacher models her own thinking (metacognition)
4. What else?
Now we will watch another video of a strategy – this one is using Sentence Frames and is on p. 22 of the Participant’s Manual. Here is the url if the hyperlink doesn’t work: https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/jumpstart-student-writing
Affective: students are sitting on the floor, in a circle, teacher is at same level as students; Teacher gives students choices (to use sentence frames or not)
Linguistic: the sentence frames provide a linguistic structure for answering the questions
Cognitive: Students using the sentence frames don’t have to write as much and/or don’t have to come up with grammatical structures so they can concentrate on the content
1. This slide has some important concepts for deeper discussion with your participants. Discuss how in the past in ELL we used to focus on listening first, then we moved to speaking, then to reading and finally to writing. We thought this was the natural progression of language. Now we understand that students learn at different rates and have different strengths and weaknesses. We believe students should be exposed to listening, speaking, reading, and writing from day 1 and that we should integrate the four areas of language into each and every lesson if at all possible. Next week, you will receive an e-mail from KDP headquarters inviting you to complete a reflection about today. Attached to the survey is a PDF with ideas for incorporating these into the classroom.
2. Not only should we address the linguistic, affective, and cognitive needs of students, but we also must take into account the differences in our students. (The last bullet speaks to this) Discuss how ELLs that come from different backgrounds may be more proficient in some areas than others. For example, if a student was in a bilingual school and therefore was exposed to English, he or she may be more proficient at writing and less proficient in speaking.
3. Invite participants to ask questions, share experiences, etc.
4. Also, let them know that we will be watching one more video. In this final video, we will look for how the teacher meets the Affective, Linguistic, and Cognitive needs of her ELLs but we will also pay attention to the four areas of language and how the teacher incorporates all four areas into her lesson.
This would be a place where the facilitator could say that in a follow-up email participants will get four handouts on ways to incorporate each of these areas of language learning. It is interesting to note that some of the methods are repeated in another handout because they may be good for both listening and reading or reading and writing.
ELL Facilitator’s Manual
1. And now we will watch another video of an additional strategy. This one is the 3 step interview strategy and is on p. 22 of your Participant’s Manual. In case the link does not work, here is the URL: https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/activating-prior-knowledge
1. Debrief: Affective, Linguistic, Cognitive
Affective: students are working with each other; small groups help students feel comfortable; students are talking about themselves
Linguistic: teacher defines words to help scaffold (memorable); students are required to pose questions and also make statements (different grammatical structures)
Cognitive: persuade others; defend your position; craft argument; provide rationale behind argument
2. Debrief: Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing
Listening: students listen to interviewee
Speaking: students ask interview questions, answer questions, report to group
Reading: students read interview questions
Writing: students write interview questions and answers
2. What else? Invite participants to share any additional observations.
1. Pass out the strategy cards to each table group. Encourage them to sort the strategies into whatever categories they choose (this is called an open sort).
2. Let participants know that they will be asked to explain what categories they chose and why.
3. Go over the strategies, and answer any questions participants may have.
4. Give participants about 15 minutes to sort the strategies while you walk around and observe, discuss, monitor the participants’ activities.
5. Signal the participants to finish their sort and ask participants to walk around and look at the various sorts. Ask them to think about similarities and differences in the sorts.
6. Ask each group to share. First, they can share their categories and then the rationale for putting each strategy in the category.
7. Finish the discussion by answering any questions about the various strategies and debrief as to why an open sort like this is beneficial for learners.
2. Participants will turn to page 23 of their Participant’s Manual.
3. Ask them to reflect on the most significant learning for them today. Prompt them with some ideas and/or asking them if they want to commit to using a strategy with students or what they want to remember.
4. Have participants share with their table mates.
5. Ask for representatives to share from each table. This can be the “ticket out the door” or a way to give door prizes, etc.
Additional optional closing activity:
1. If you have enough time, close the workshop by reading the book, The Upside Down Boy by current U.S. Poet Laureate and award winning children’s book author Juan Felipe Herrera.
This book is an excellent window into what an ELL may experience in school. It provides a wonderful opportunity for participants to discuss further many of the concepts covered in this workshop, including how a teacher can meet the affective, cognitive, and linguistic needs of ELLs.
