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 Secondary: We Have a New Student! *Supporting Newcomers*

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Create Custom Speaking Assignments · Speakable

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I've previously shared research that suggests we tend to not be good judges of our pronunciation, which leads me to be an advocate for online tools that provide immediate and automatic feedback on pronunciation (see THE BEST SITES FOR ONLINE PRONUNCIATION FEEDBACK - DO YOU KNOW OTHERS? for that research and various sites that offer that feature).

I recently learned about what I think may be the best online tool out there for this kind of support, and it can also be used for reinforcing vocabulary and grammar lessons - Speakable.

And, importantly, though you can purchase its premium features, its basic ones are free!

This is a rough description of how it works: A teacher creates an assignment (you can copy and paste one from Quizlet or find one created by another teacher on the site - or create your own). For example, I found one on food that I assigned to my class (it has a Google Classroom integration). Students saw a word, like apple, along with an image of an apple. Next, they clicked on "listen" and heard a voice saying "apple." They then clicked record and said "apple." Artificial Intelligence would then show what it heard - "apple" or "abble" or "attle." The idea is that the student says the word correctly twice, and then moves to the next word.

From what I could tell, the feedback was exceptionally accurate.

Students liked it a lot.

As did I.

They plan on making a ton of improvements to the site in late May, including the ability to use video clips.

Though, for now at least, the free plan suits my purposes, here is how they describe the difference between the free and paid versions:
The free plan offers teachers the ability to create speaking assignments with instant feedback for students, while the paid plans unlock advanced features, such as gradebook access, in-depth student and assignment analytics, and our Google Classroom grade passback integration.
Speakable is going to be a big help to many of our students!

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I Suspect That "Speakable" Is Going To Become A VERY Popular Online Tool For ELLs - If It Isn't Already...

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I've previously shared research that suggests we tend to not be good judges of our pronunciation, which leads me to be an advocate for online tools that provide immediate and automatic feedback on pronunciation (see THE BEST SITES FOR ONLINE PRONUNCIATION FEEDBACK - DO YOU KNOW OTHERS?

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Linkit and Levels 1&2 - Where Do I Begin?

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Linkit and Levels 1&2 - Where Do I Begin?

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ELD PD Session 1: Language Acquisition Levels- Elementary - Google Slides - 21 September 2022

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I Have a New Multilingual Learner. What Do I Do? A Step-By-Step Guide

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by Valentina Gonzalez The quality and quantity of preservice instruction in teaching multilingual learners vary, leaving many teachers feeling inadequately prepared. And even those who did re…

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This is used to help students with a daily writing as newcomers.

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Transcript

The can-do philosophy permeates everything that we do at WIDA. Assessment, professional learning, standards. And bringing content and language together is always, always to build upon the assets that children have.

With anything that we do at WIDA, we're constantly thinking about how we can honor and not just celebrate. But really use the assets that children are bringing to the classroom.

Culturally, linguistic, cognitive, and academic. Kids come into our classrooms with many ways of knowing, many ways of learning. And many different experiences that can enrich what we're already doing.

Teachers bring to the classroom a lot of experiences also. And a lot of ways of knowing and doing things that also benefit the classroom.

Our can-do philosophy has many tools built around it. To help you understand and create language-rich, literacy-rich, and culturally appropriate classrooms. And it turns out those classrooms are good for all kids. They're engaging classrooms that work for every learner in your school. But they're particularly important for English language learners. Who need to learn English, but they also have to keep up with rigorous academic content.

We want to make sure that indeed, this can-do philosophy is very much a part of the educational fabric and is infused in everything we do. And you do.

Our can-do philosophy really exemplifies who we are as educators. And how our multilingual learners are indeed a tremendous resource. How their contributions, not only to teaching and learning, but to our educational communities. And to the world.

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Transcript The can-do philosophy permeates everything that we do at WIDA. Assessment, professional learning, standards. And bringing content and language together is always, always to build upon the assets that children have. With anything that we do at WIDA, we're constantly thinking about how we can honor and not just celebrate.

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Language Acquisition Levels - Elementary

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Language Acquisition Levels - Elementary

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ELD PD Session 1: Language Acquisition Levels- Elementary

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5 Lessons Ideas to Help Newcomers Thrive

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5 Lessons Ideas to Help Newcomers Thrive

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It's never easy being a newcomer, especially in the classroom. According to the U.S. Department of Education , newcomers include foreign-born students and their families who have recently arrived in the U.S. "Newcomer" is an umbrella term that covers immigrants, asylees, refugees, students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE), and more.

During my years in the classroom teaching English learners (ELs), newcomers were my favorite group! Carrying with them incredible resilience, heart-moving stories, and numerous admirable qualities, newcomers have easily won my heart and proven to be assets to the classroom.

Teachers play an important role in helping newcomers transition smoothly and integrate into American society. Here are 5 practical tips to support the newcomers in your classroom.

1. Respect their silent period

The "silent period," also known as the pre-production period, is the first stage observed in second-language acquisition during which the learner is not doing much talking yet. Though newcomers at this phase may not be actively producing, they are still actively processing the second language. Instead of forcing ELs to speak in class during this period, there are other ways to help them demonstrate learning:

Incorporate more partner work with those who speak the same language

Physically interact with the language by using movement (TPR: Total Physical Response)

Draw to show understanding

Provide manipulatives and hands-on activities

See on digital manipulatives based on SIOP® Feature 20, which highlights the importance of providing "hands-on materials and/or manipulatives for students to practice using new content knowledge."

Use hand signals for quick formative assessment.

This finger scale is a fun way to monitor progress and gauge levels of understanding.
Make a copy of this template.
2. Leverage their cultural assets and prior knowledge

The culture, home language, and prior knowledge of newcomers could act as a strong bridge to make new content in the classroom more meaningful and comprehensible. Teachers should make an effort to learn about their newcomer EL students' cultures and find opportunities for them to share their stories in class. According to SIOP® Feature 16, it is essential to "provide frequent opportunities for interaction and discussion between teacher/student and among students, which encourage elaborated responses."

This bilingual KWL template is a useful tool to help newcomers make connections between prior knowledge and new content, as well as to engage in meaningful interaction with their teachers and peers. KWL is an acronym for what students already K now, what they W ant to know, and then what they ultimately L earn.The key is allowing students to write in their home language and/or use drawings in order to engage with the content!
Make a copy of this template.
3. Focus on vocabulary

Vocabulary is the currency of any classroom but especially of the content classroom. It is vital for teachers to review key vocabulary explicitly and frequently so that students have ample opportunities to interact with the words to retain them. SIOP® Feature 27 underscores the importance of a comprehensive review of vocabulary. One helpful resource that incorporates this feature is my Word Detective's Notebook, which allows ELs to investigate, examine, and practice using new "detected" words. In just one activity, newcomers are able to connect with content vocabulary in at least four different ways.
Make a copy of this template.
4. Use images to draw out language

Images are a universal language and highly effective in the classroom. The Picture Word Inductive Model (PWIM), developed by Emily Calhoun in 1998, is a research-based method of vocabulary instruction using pictures containing familiar objects that help students draw out words. This model helps students add words to sight. Personally, PWIM is my favorite instructional technique for teaching newcomers. Here is how you can implement PWIM in the classroom:

Step 1: Start with an image with white space around it.

Step 2: Label the objects together. (The teacher can say the word, write the word, spell the word aloud, and repeat as many times as needed.)

Step 3: Categorize the generated words into groups such as parts of speech or beginning consonants.

Step 4: Use the words in complete sentences.

Step 5: Provide a cloze paragraph using the sentences.

Make a copy of an example PWIM template
5. Create an inclusive environment

A classroom with newcomers can benefit from activities that celebrate their differences. One such activity is "Where did your story begin?" which allows students to share the various places from which they have come. This activity allows students to not only visualize each other's journey but also empathize with one another, promoting both diversity and inclusion.
Make a copy of this template.
As teachers of multilingual students, we proudly stand at the forefront of supporting newcomer students and their families. Our classrooms serve as a welcome mat to a new educational system as newcomers adapt to U.S. schools, society, and culture.

Is your welcome mat ready for your newcomers?
About the author: Esther Park is a ENL/ELA teacher with 15 years of experience teaching high school English language learners. She now works as an instructional designer and learning experience developer in Northern Virginia creating innovative and engaging elearning activities and course content for K-12 and adult learners. Esther earned her B.A. from the University of California Irvine, and an M.A. in TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) from Biola University.

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5 Lesson Ideas to Help Newcomers Thrive - Fresh Ideas for Teaching

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It's never easy being a newcomer, especially in the classroom. According to the U.S. Department of Education, newcomers include foreign-born students and their families who have recently arrived in the U.S. "Newcomer" is an umbrella term that covers immigrants, asylees, refugees, students with limited or interrupted formal education (SLIFE), and more.

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Language Acquisition Levels Middle School

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Language Acquisition Levels Middle School

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ELD PD Session 1: Language Acquisition Levels- Middle Schools

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Online Beginning Vocabulary/Picture Dictionary 

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Online Beginning Vocabulary/Picture Dictionary 

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A web application for viewing English vocabulary items. Suitable for ESL learners or very young children. The app has 30 sets of content with images and audio.

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Using sentence starters and sentence frames is one strategy to support students in speaking, reading, and writing. A sentence starter is when you give students the beginning part of a sentence and they fill in the rest. A sentence frame is when there are blanks inside a sentence that students fill in. Here are some ways to use sentence stems and frames as a scaffold to support your multilingual learners (MLs).

Sentence stems are helpful for getting students started with speaking or writing about a topic. For intermediate and advanced language learners, encourage them to give longer responses. A beginner might only use one word to finish the sentence frame, and a newcomer might point to pictures instead of speaking.

Sentence frames are great for practicing parts of speech and modeling correct grammar.

***Scroll to the bottom of the post to get this information as a FREE handout to share with other teachers in your school.***

Support Newcomers & Emergent Readers

Simple sentence starters allow students to read or say a basic sentence and then fill in their own information. You can use them as a way for students to practice new vocabulary. They use the same sentence starter and fill in new information each time they read the sentence.
I like _______. Go to the ______.
Word banks and Pictures

Word banks, and word banks with pictures are additional scaffolds that support vocabulary development. A newcomer may point to the pictures to complete a sentence stem or sentence frame. A beginner might remember the English word for a picture but not yet be able to read it. An intermediate student might need support with spelling content vocabulary words.

Teach Grammatical Structure

Use sentence frames to model grammar structure and practice parts of speech. Include which part of speech a student should use as part of the sentence frame for intermediate students. For newcomers and beginners, show words and pictures that are the correct part of speech for them to choose from.

You can also set up sentence starters to model the correct grammatical structure that you want students to practice. The verb is an important part of the sentence starter.
(past) Yesterday I went ________. (present) Now I am ___________. (future) Tomorrow I will _________.
Teach Academic Language

Sentence starters or sentence frames can support all students in learning academic language. You can include academic language terms that you want students to practice in a sentence stem as a way for students to practice using the new term.

The main idea is ________.

The most important fact is ________.

The most important facts are ________.

A _______ is the same as _______.

A _______ is different than _______.

I can compare a ______ with a _____. They are both the same because _______.

Teach Content Information

Use sentence stems and frames to help students show their knowledge about content information. Include pictures and word banks to support MLs.

Can Have Are Charts

Use a can/have/are chart to help students organize important information about a topic. You can also have students fill out the chart as part of a unit assessment.

The grasslands are ______.

Beavers can _____.

Dinosaurs were ______.

Resources with Sentence Frames

Here are premade resources that have built in sentence frames or sentence stems and pictures.

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Sentence Starters and Frames for MLs - A World of Language Learners

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Learn about using sentence starters and sentence frames as a scaffold to support English Language Learners. You can use sentence...

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Amazing flashcard-based program that is collectively curated by teachers around the world. Simply search a topic (even curriculum) for awesome vocab lists. Students can interact with vocabulary in a variety of different ways. You can also easily create vocab quizzes and picture dictionaries. Search ClancyESL for lists that I have already added (needs to be updated btw.) If youd like to use my credentials instead of creating a your own account (free), just ask!

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Great for independent work for Level 1s and 2s.

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Sentence Building Games and Activities | ESL Sentence Structure

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Check out the top 20 Sentences Structure games and activities for your ESL classes if you want to help your students with building sentences.

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Language Acquisition or Learning Disability?

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Language Acquisition or Learning Disability?

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Help your students recognize how powerful and wonderful their words are! When I was a third grade teacher, we created a classroom space that they were completely in charge of. We called it our Inspiration Wall. Anytime we were reading a book or an article, or listened to great music, or heard a quote from a video- the students were able to call out "WOW! Those words moved me. Let's put it on our Inspiration Wall!" It was so cool to have them become aware of words that carry power for them and make them feel a certain way.

I realized after a few weeks that their words were missing from our Inspiration Wall. While it's great to be moved by others (authors, celebrities, athletes, civil rights leaders, etc.), I wanted them to see that their words were just as powerful and just as valuable as the words of their heroes!

I started to listen more intentionally for their great "quotables" throughout the day. I would say "WOW! What you said was so cool! Let's add that to our Inspiration Wall!" and after a few days, the kids would call each other out for their power statements. Sometimes it was just a funny joke, sometimes it was a deeper thought or reflection, or sometimes it was something that reflected a really cool moment.

We'd pause, I'd pull up Canva, and I'd throw their words and first names into a graphic. When I first started to do this, I'd just print out one copy. One day a student asked if I could print an additional copy to take home. That night I received a text message from a mother who was so overjoyed to have their child's words published into a graphic. She told me she was going to buy a frame for it! So from them on, I'd print TWO copies each time (one for us, one for their family). Kids would be so proud to see their work published.

The cool thing is it only took 20 seconds total. Canva has tons of free templates. You might even ask the kids for their input on color and design. Try it out and keep me posted! Check out a few samples below!

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Empower Students By Publishing their Words (in 20 Seconds or Less)!

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Help your students recognize how powerful and wonderful their words are! When I was a third grade teacher, we created a classroom space that they were completely in charge of. We called it our Inspiration Wall.

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Teaching Newcomer English Learners: Four Powerful Vocabulary Practices (REL Northwest)

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Teaching Newcomer English Learners: Four Powerful Vocabulary Practices (REL Northwest)

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Language Acquisition Levels - High School

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Language Acquisition Levels - High School

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ELD PD Session 1: Language Acquisition Levels- BHS

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English Language Development: Our Obligation to English Learners

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Classroom Environments that Support English Learners

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Readers, for those of you that aren't familiar with me, my name is Valentina Gonzalez. I serve as a professional development specialist for teachers of English learners in a district outside of Houston, Texas. Through my work as an ESL co-teacher, professional development specialist, and consultant, I have had the privilege of visiting hundreds of...

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Reflections on Teaching Multilingual Learners

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Writing language objectives can be hard! Teachers are generally comfortable writing content objectives because those are based on content standards that teachers are familiar with and are sometimes…