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In the previous article we looked at the thorny issue of EAL learners with specific learning differences (SpLD). We discussed how identification of SpLD in EAL learners could be a long and frustrating process. We looked at some possible, non-language based assessments. At the end of the article we discussed the possibility of using a 'language profile' to help identify possible concerns at an early stage.

What is a language profile? A language profile is basically 'a picture' of a new student's language learning history. The profile can be used with all students (not just EAL students), and provides valuable information to inform good teaching practice.

The profile builds a picture of the student's:
* Home language learning
* Home language literacy
* Language learning strengths and possibly, their language learning needs

Crucially for EAL student's, it contradicts that notion that a student is arriving with 'no language'. This profile is an invaluable tool for teachers and TA's to determine where a student fits in a learning continuum and which teaching strategies to use.

There is a second use for a language profile. Increasingly data is being used to guide our teaching as well as to guide 'effective' resource allocation and interventions. The onus is on schools to set up data collection that is useful and insightful. Creating a 'School Language Profile' is one such activity that provides teachers with information to directly guide their teaching, but also provides statistical data for the school to monitor it's student body. The school where this approach was trialed was able to collect data on all of its students. This data was used to inform teaching and learning and it was also used to draw up statistical data to identify the need for additional EAL support in the school. Attached is an example of the data collected.

How does one set up a School Language Profile?
The following example was an effective 'rolling' programme to build up a language profile in a school.

(The attached 'Language Profile' template is an example that schools can use to build a more relevant profile for their individual situation.)

1. Agree the follow information you wish to collect in your school about a new arrival:

Spoken language development - in English and first language.

Literacy in reading and writing - in English and first language

SpLD indicators

Statistical data:

1. How many bilingual/multi-lingual students in the school

2. How many students in the school do not speak English at home

3. How many students go to additional language schools after the school day

It is crucial that these questions are phrased in such a way that they are 'unambiguous' questions with clear answers (particularly for use in data collection).

N.B. It was found to be more effective to collect this data after admission as sometimes it was creatively filled in prior to admission.

2. Draw up the questions on a sheet (no more than two sided) and trial them with parents to ensure that they are understood and unambiguous. It is preferable to get parents to fill in the sheet either in a group situation (with someone guiding them through and explaining such as at parents evening) or 1:1 with someone from school (and a translator if necessary).

3. Start a rolling programme of data collection in one or two year groups (starting from the lower end of the school). Also profile all the students on the EAL register.

4. There after, collect information on each new student as a rolling programme and any new students who arrive further up the school.

5. Store the profile in the student's file so that all teachers working with the student could access the information.

This is a Across Cultures article written by Jessica Tweedie, 2014. www.axcultures.com

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Do you create a School Language Profile? - Across Cultures

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In the previous article we looked at the thorny issue of EAL learners with specific learning differences (SpLD). We discussed how identification of SpLD in EAL learners could be a long and frustrating process. We looked at some possible, non-language based assessments.

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2nd Language Acquisition

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Sample Worksheet and Materials

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Language Development

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Sample Student Work and Worksheet

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April 2009 | Volume 66 | Number 7
Supporting English Language Learners Pages 32-37

Judith Rance-Roney

This confusion only complicates the challenges of schools striving to educate large and increasing populations of language-minority students. And one of the most complex challenges is how to meet the needs of adolescent English language learners.

A Challenging Population

Whether adolescent English language learners are citizens, residents, or undocumented individuals, Plyler v. Doe ensures their right to an education if they meet the age limits determined in state education codes. However, in many high schools across the United States, 16- to 20-year-old immigrants who seek to attend school are discouraged from enrolling and referred to adult literacy programs offering far fewer hours of schooling.

The lack of enthusiasm for serving these students is unfortunate, but understandable. Public schools may feel they have little to gain and much to lose by enrolling older adolescents who have little or no English. No Child Left Behind demands that after one year of enrollment, ELLs must take statewide assessments, and the results must be integrated into the school's accountability measures. Enrolling large numbers of adolescent ELLs can put the school at risk of failing to make adequate yearly progress.

In these times of increasingly meager resources in which schools are paring down to essential programs and making contingency plans to deal with statewide budget cuts and federal program funding reductions, adolescent ELLs are often viewed as an unwelcome presence in schools, a drain on the limited resources available. Increasing the challenge is the reality that many immigrant adolescents enter secondary schools with a triple whammy-little or no English, interrupted or limited formal schooling, and limited literacy in any language.

Who Are Adolescent ELLs?

There is no more diverse learning cohort than that grouped under the term adolescent English language learner. Although many of these students are newcomers (immigrants who arrived within the past five years), others have always called the United States home. We know, for example, that 57 percent of adolescent learners classified as limited English proficient were born within U.S. borders and thus are second- or third-generation residents (Batalova, Fix, & Murray, 2007). These students have often achieved oral proficiency but lag behind in their ability to use English for literacy and content learning for reasons that may be only partly related to second-language status-for example, mobility and switching between language programs (Short & Fitzsimmons, 2007).

The particular life circumstances of any adolescent ELL will predict the individual needs that his or her school must address. Immigration status, quality of education background, native language, cultural distance from U.S. culture, expectation of remaining in the United States or reentering the country of origin, and economic resources are just a few of the variables (Lucas, 1997).

Indeed, the adolescent population of English learners is marked by its heterogeneity. The fact that the students share the label of limited English proficient (LEP) is vastly overshadowed by the variety of challenges and personal resources that they bring to schools.

Some immigrant students arrive in the United States with fully developed academic literacy in their native language and a strong record of academic achievement in their home countries. Filip, for example, entered U.S. schools in 9th grade after having attended a high-level academic school in the Czech Republic. Within two years, he had gained a command of academic English and was performing above grade level.

Contrast Filip with Ben, who emigrated from the Sudan at age 16 after experiencing the trauma of civil unrest and a severe interruption in formal schooling, which resulted in a limited foundation in literacy in any language. Rosaria, unlike either Filip or Ben, is a U.S.-born English language learner. Although her home language is Spanish, at 17, her social language outside the home is English. However, her writing exhibits many of the linguistic differences of an immigrant English learner, and she reads at the 5th grade level.

The common label adolescent English language learner, applied to all three of these students, may tempt us to assume that their academic needs are essentially the same. In reality, there is a patchwork quilt of English language learner profiles-a quilt rich with diverse life experiences, but loosely woven with common learning needs.

Promising Principles and Practices

It's time to move beyond the labels that confound and restrict the ways schools serve adolescent English language learners and to move these students out of the periphery of school reform efforts.

Adolescent ELLs benefit most from reforms that improve learning for all students, such as curriculum improvement, professional development, and school reorganization (Ruiz-de-Velasco & Fix, 2000). Such reforms must also take into account the particular context of each school-its demographic profile, existing program models, community culture, and so on. With this caveat in mind, a number of principles and practices support improved achievement for adolescent ELLs as well as for their native-English-speaking peers.

Schoolwide, Team-Based Support
Key question: Do educators in your school assume shared responsibility for the achievement of English language learners?
In many schools, the ELL specialist or ESL (English as a second language) teacher goes it alone. The ELL classroom is viewed as the one-stop shop for all the needs of English language learners-testing, translating, counseling, editing college applications, and even health care. Mainstream school personnel may abdicate responsibility for the needs of ELLs because they believe that the specialist understands these students better.

We need to give ELLs access to the full resources of the school. One way to accomplish this is by creating cross-disciplinary schoolwide teams that may include the ELL specialist, content-area teachers who teach English language learners, counselors who specialize in the needs of ELLs, key school administrators, and other staff. Such teams should have a common planning period and should meet regularly to align curriculum; plan integrated, cross-content projects; address student concerns; and monitor student progress. School support staff (the librarian, social worker, technology leader, and so on) should attend some meetings to ensure that ELLs have access to an array of learning resources and services.

A Dual Curriculum
Key question: Does your school provide a curriculum that promotes the language development of English language learners as well as their general academic needs?
Marzano (2003) identifies one of the key factors in fostering school achievement as "a guaranteed and viable curriculum" (p. 22). For English language learners, a viable curriculum must include a detailed developmental sequence for learning the English language in social and academic contexts; this is in contrast to a language arts curriculum for native speakers, which primarily seeks to add academic discourse to the native language that a student brings to school. However, in many states, the standards that guide the school or district curriculum for ELLs may simply copy the English language arts standards designed for native English speakers, with little careful attention to second-language development. A viable curriculum also must address the additional time it will take for these students to concurrently master academic literacy and content.

To create a language-development curriculum, a school district should consult a team of educators, including classroom ELL teachers, university linguistics specialists, ELL coaches, and English language arts and content-area teachers. Such a curriculum should address the full range of English language competencies (grammatical and structural, sociolinguistic, pragmatic, discursive, and semantic) while focusing on language for social integration and on language for academic achievement.

The language curriculum should include not only instruction in the specialized language of each academic subject area (for example, in math, hypotenuse, angle, and so on.), but also academic cohesion words and phrases (such as thus, therefore, as a result of) and specialized academic process words (such as explicate, enumerate, define). Finally, these students should have "safe-space" opportunities not just to read and write this language, but to practice the spoken language of academic conversations so they can participate confidently in teacher-to-student interactions and in collaborative learning groups.

Global Community Classrooms
Key question: Does your district integrate English language learners who are recent immigrants with the general school population, segregate them in self-contained classrooms or schools, or find a middle ground?
Recent immigrants may face even more challenges than other English language learners as they attempt to adjust to a new country and culture. One approach to easing that adjustment is the newcomer school, which may be a school within a school (Olsen, 1997) or, like New York City's award-winning International High School, a stand-alone school enrolling only recent immigrants. These schools provide immigrant students with intensive English-language instruction, content-area support in their native languages, and culturally responsive student and social services.

However, school districts may not have sufficient numbers of immigrants or enough community support to maintain this model. And some researchers express concern about extended linguistic segregation because of the lack of interaction with U.S.-born peers, potentially lower standards for academic achievement and opportunity, and lack of access to social networks that will serve these learners in the future (Gándara, Rumberger, Maxwell-Jolly, & Callahan, 2003).

A promising classroom structure sometimes called the ELL cluster model has emerged in some schools to integrate some of the benefits of newcomer programs while avoiding linguistic segregation from native-English-speaking peers (Rance-Roney, 2008). A special cohort of content-area teachers is trained in methods for teaching the English language and in theories of second-language acquisition. Within these globally focused classrooms, one-quarter to one-third of the students are English language learners and the remaining students are native English speakers. This classroom model uses elements of the sheltered instruction approach for ELLs, a class structure wherein content mastery and academic language skill are developed concurrently. Although the class is conducted in English, classroom aides who speak the ELLs' native languages may assist. The teacher creates an environment that legitimizes the students' appropriate use of the native language to support the learning of academic content.

Native English speakers in cluster classrooms benefit from the diverse perspectives their multilingual students bring to class discussion. In addition, the use of such instructional techniques as increased use of visuals, deeper development of background information, and more activities that increase student-to-student interaction supports learning for every student. A crucial component of the cluster model is building intentional communities to foster interaction and respect among cultures. Further research is needed on the ELL cluster model, but at the very least, in these classrooms their teachers and classmates view ELLs as resources, not as liabilities.

Extended Time to Learn
Key question: Has your school explored ways to use all available time in English language learners' school day for effective instruction-including the idea of implementing flexible student pathways?
In Double the Work, Short and Fitzsimmons (2007) recommend adopting flexible student pathways that may entail an extended school year or day schedule, night and weekend classes, or simply a plan that enables late-entry adolescent ELLs to stay in high school for more than the expected four years. The authors describe several alternative high school programs, including the J. E. B. Stuart High School in Fairfax County, Virginia. This school's individualized education plans for late-entry ELLs may include summer sessions, after-school tutoring, block scheduling, and literacy intervention classes. A partnership with the local community college also enables students to begin their college programs while they finish an extended high school schedule.

Even schools that are unable to implement alternative pathways need to maximize adolescent ELLs' learning opportunities. For example, teachers of state-mandated ESL or ESOL courses should integrate subject-area content with language development and academic learning strategies. And although well-meaning school personnel might attempt to make the school day easier for these students by scheduling study halls and life-enrichment electives, such courses should be kept to a minimum. Adolescent ELLs have much to learn and little time to learn it.

Unfortunately, schools frequently assign even ELLs with high academic ability to remedial courses that will slow their progress toward graduation. Rumberger and Gándara (2004) describe

instances where secondary English learners, even those with college preparatory coursework in their countries of origin, were assigned to nonacademic and remedial courses, and shortened days in their high schools. (p. 2,046)

Schools should coach guidance counselors, assistant principals, and other staff who do student scheduling to ignore the label of limited English proficient, and instead to examine each individual's academic history and potential.

Individual Progress Records
Key question: Does your school maintain (and make easily available to teachers and other key personnel) records of individual English language learners' linguistic and academic history and ongoing progress?
What amazes me when I speak with many content-area teachers is that they often remain unaware until November or December of the existence of English language learners among the 120-150 students they meet each day. Why hasn't the ELL teacher shared information about these students? As Lucas, Villegas, and Freedson-Gonzalez (2008) write,

Mainstream teachers need to learn about the language and academic backgrounds of the ELLs in their classes, because without this knowledge, teachers cannot anticipate the aspects of learning that are likely to be too difficult for their ELLs to handle without instructional supports. (p. 366)

As part of the intake process, the school should always take an academic history that provides a year-by-year accounting of school experience. In a comprehensive interview (with a translator), the school should collect details of language background, family support, and personal goals and maintain these in an individual folder for each ELL.

To plan the optimum class schedule and to assess how easily the student is likely to master both English and content material, schools must consider this academic history. Filip, for example, should have a class schedule that reflects his strong academic background, which may be hidden by his current English limitations. Ben, on the other hand, will need a web of support services and a plan for extended years of school enrollment to give him the best chance of graduation. Rosaria, who is native-like in spoken English, may require intensive academic intervention support services concurrent with her academic program, with individual attention from a specialist cross-trained in ELL methods and literacy. Too often, schools label these students by their lack of English and not by their actual individual learning needs.

A second component of the student folder is an English language learning record. As students enter school, they bring varying levels of general English proficiency, but-even more challenging-they bring a variety of specific language skills. One high school student may sound like a native speaker but exhibit significant errors in written work; another student may write with relative accuracy and ease but have difficulty with oral expression. Such variations must guide the students' individual learning plan.

Teachers of ELLs should conduct ongoing classroom-based assessment (monthly or bimonthly) of each learner's progress toward English mastery and record the results in a learning record that follows the student from teacher to teacher and school to school. Some of the techniques of literacy assessment-such as running records, anecdotal evidence, competency checklists, and alternative assessment-are being adapted successfully for this population.

ELLs are more transient on average than native speakers. As families settle in the area, they may try out different housing options or move to build closer family connections. School district offices should monitor the flow of students within and across district borders and identify other schools and districts that may share the same ELL population. Working together to build both a coherent shared curriculum and parallel learning records will mean more cohesive services for adolescent ELLs.

Moving Beyond the Labels

I still dream of a kumbaya moment when ELL teachers from the east and the west and everywhere in between will gather together to agree on the terms that define our field, our learners, and our programs. If we look beyond the labels, however, there is surprising agreement in what constitutes best practice for adolescent English language learners. It is up to school leaders to implement the school reforms that work and to think outside the traditional boxes that have restricted the achievement of these students.

References

Batalova, J., Fix, M., & Murray, J. (2007). Measures of change: The demography and literacy of adolescent English learners. New York: Migration Policy Institute, Carnegie Corporation.

Gándara, P., Rumberger, R., Maxwell-Jolly, J., & Callahan, R. (2003). English learners in California schools: Unequal resources, unequal outcomes. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 11(36) [Online journal]. Available: http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v11n36

Lucas, T. (1997). Influences on the educational experiences of immigrant students in U.S. schools. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED406825). Available: www.ncela.gwu.edu/pathways/immigration/influences.htm

Lucas, T., Villegas, A. M., & Freedson-Gonzalez, M. (2008). Linguistically responsive teacher education: Preparing classroom teachers to teach English language learners. Journal of Teacher Education, 59, 361-373.

Marzano, R. J. (2003). What works in schools: Translating research into action. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Olsen, L. (1997). Made in America: Immigrant students in our public schools. New York: New Press.

Rance-Roney, J. A. (2008). Creating intentional communities to support English language learners in the classroom. English Journal, 97(5), 17-22.

Ruiz-de-Velasco, J., & Fix, M. (2000). Overlooked and underserved: Immigrant students in U.S. secondary schools. Washington, DC: Urban Institute.

Rumberger, R. W., & Gándara, P. (2004). Seeking equity in the education of California's English learners. Teachers College Record, 106(10), 2,032-2,056.

Short, D. J., & Fitzsimmons, S. (2007). Double the work: Challenges and solutions to acquiring language and academic literacy for adolescent English language learners-A report to the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Washington, DC: Alliance for Excellent Education.

Judith Rance-Roney is Assistant Professor of Education at the State University of New York at New Paltz and Co-Chair of the English Language Learner Network Leadership Team of the National Writing Project; jranceroney@gmail.com.

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April 2009 | Volume 66 | Number 7 Supporting English Language Learners Pages 32-37 Judith Rance-Roney This confusion only complicates the challenges of schools striving to educate large and increasing populations of language-minority students. And one of the most complex challenges is how to meet the needs of adolescent English language learners.

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Reading Instruction and Assessment

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Teacher Resources

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Insights

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English language learners' experience with technology can vary greatly from one student to the next. Some kids may have never used a computer. Others may be doing all of the troubleshooting! This resource section provides ideas for using technology with ELLs, activities for using multimedia tools, and bilingual tips for managing media at school and at home.

Recommended Resource from Understood.org

For more great ideas, take a look at the bilingual resources on Assistive Technology from Understood.org, a free website focused on learning and attention issues.

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English language learners' experience with technology can vary greatly from one student to the next. Some kids may have never used a computer. Others may be doing all of the troubleshooting! This resource section provides ideas for using technology with ELLs, activities for using multimedia tools, and bilingual tips for managing media at school and at home.

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As K-12 districts aim to improve learning for a wide range of students facing unique challenges, education leaders need to be particularly mindful of the English language learning (ELL) student population.

Of all the students in public schools in the U.S., an estimated 9.3% were ELLs in the 2013-14 school year. Though ELL students have made strides in reading, leaping 22 points in average fourth-grade reading scores from 2000 to 2015, this group of students is consistently behind their non-ELL peers in this area.
Searching for resources to help ELL students reach the same level of language mastery as their peers, educators have often turned to technology to boost ELL instruction. In particular, technological tools have helped teachers implement speaking and listening activities that target the challenges that language learners face.
While educators continue to use tried-and-true methods of incorporating technology into ELL instruction, an expansion of available tools in the education market also invites educators to rethink how such innovations can serve ELL students and bring them even closer to the performance levels of non-ELL students. Teachers can exercise a number of strategies to benefit ELL students with both new and traditional technology, as outlined below.

Differentiation

Because ELL students come into the classroom with varying challenges and needs, differentiation can be an effective way to ensure that all learners' needs are fulfilled. Differentiation offers a number of options for students to learn the same key content or skills but in different ways.
Instruction can be differentiated through adapting the instructional content, the learning process, or the final product produced by the student. Laura Baecher (2011) suggests that differentiation for ELL students might consist of shortening a long text, adding visuals, offering options to work in a group or individually, or alternative assignments such as writing less or showing comprehension through a method other than writing.
With added technological capabilities in the classroom, teachers can differentiate even more. For example, ELL students might be able to type an assignment rather than handwriting it. These technological adaptations to the way students learn can help build student confidence. They also allow educators to keep the same learning goals across students with varying needs, including non-ELL students. With each lesson plan, teachers should question what differentiation plans might benefit ELL students while also taking advantage of the technology available in their classrooms.

Autonomy and Self-Directed Learning

When students are learning in a language other than their own native tongue, they can feel hopeless or like they have lost some control of their own learning. By promoting autonomous and self-directed learning, teachers can help ELL students gain a sense of confidence while also measuring themselves up to their own goals rather than comparing themselves to their non-ELL peers.
Although a completely self-directed learning program might not be possible in most K-12 schools, teachers can give students autonomy over their own learning in given activities or even for entire school days. Using technology such as gaming headsets, students can work individually and choose the listening and speaking activities they would like to complete on their own time.
Phil Benson and Peter Voller (2014) have explored autonomy in language learning extensively and note that computer software designed for language learners might claim to offer autonomous learning, but with a limited range of options on the software, this is not always the case. Rather than limiting ELL students to one program or one activity, giving them independence and flexibility with how they use technology to learn can promote engagement and allow them to work in their comfort zones.

Access to Diverse Language Content

One misconception of English language learning is that full immersion in the classroom is the best way for students to master language skills. If teachers relied only on classroom conversations to teach ELL students communication skills, they would lack understanding of essential areas such as academic language. Access to technology can diversify the listening, speaking, and writing activities that ELL students take part in.
A simple way for teachers to expose ELL students to different styles of English language usage is by having students listen to audiobooks. Students can listen to books ranging from To Kill a Mockingbird to The Hunger Games at a listening center for the purpose of completing a reading assignment or absorbing language skills. This practice can increase fluency and help students attach a pronunciation to a written word.
A language-rich classroom once might have been defined by the amount of print resources it held, but with growing access to computers and handheld devices, students have an infinite amount of resources to turn to for language experiences. Teachers can have students listen to and create podcasts or watch the latest TEDx Talk. Video editing and gaming software can also provide students new outlets to explore language outside of a conversational context.

Mobility

Teachers are becoming increasingly interested in making learning mobile. With the latest handheld gadgets and educational apps, students can access nearly any online resource while at home or on the go. As teachers continue to explore the concept of a mobile classroom, they should also consider how these capabilities could impact English language learning.
Some ELL students do not have access to English language resources when they are at home, due to living in a one-language household. With access to mobile technology, students can easily continue learning language skills outside of the classroom.
One study explored how the use of iPod Touches impacted ELL students' behavior inside and outside of the classroom. The researchers found that having access to such devices gave students sociocultural capital in a nonjudgmental way for learning. Significantly, the students also used the devices with their parents and siblings. In this way, the use of mobile technology with ELL students could encourage more parent and family participation in the language-learning process.
Along with mobile technology, educators might want to consider how they can leverage mainstream social networks such as Snapchat and Instagram in ELL instruction. In addition to increasing motivation and building confidence, as one study suggests, utilizing social media networks in ELL instruction can teach digital literacy to ELL students, a vital 21st-century skill.

Multimodal Learning

According to French researchers, the sense of touch supports sight and hearing to provide more effective multisensory learning. A Science Daily article titled "Touch Helps Make the Connection between Sight and Hearing" further validated the connection of the sense of touch with language learning.
Though the technology is not new, educators can use vocabulary card readers to take a multimodal approach to teaching students language skills. With this tactile strategy, students can see, touch, and hear as they learn. Teachers can alter the original vocabulary cards by including stickers or cutting silhouettes for students to touch and relate to the words they are learning.
Beyond connecting touch to language learning, teachers can also cater to students who learn best through visual, audio, or written content. A study conducted in 2008 had ELL students complete a digital storytelling project to promote "mode switching." Students had visual and verbal alternatives in content creation to communicate the concepts they were learning. For example, students might translate textbook materials into comic strips, utilizing multiple literacies in the project. These digital multimedia projects give students the opportunity to understand lesson content in a mode that makes sense to them.

Future ELL Instructional Innovations

As time goes on, the amount of technology available to educators only continues to grow. Teachers are just starting to explore the use of tools such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and wearable technology in the classroom. As ELL instructors look forward to all of the educational innovations that lie ahead, they must also consider the benefits of the tried-and-true technology that has supported ELL learning growth in years past.

Scott Evans is an audiovisual- and education-technology expert at Califone.

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New Directions for Technology Use in ELL Instruction - Language Magazine

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As K-12 districts aim to improve learning for a wide range of students facing unique challenges, education leaders need to be particularly mindful of the English language learning (ELL) student population. Of all the students in public schools in the U.S., an estimated 9.3% were ELLs in the 2013-14 school year.

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Listening

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Video

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Thought starters

1. How does Ms. Horwitz's use of the checklist help students focus on their speaking and listening goals?

2. How does Ms. Horwitz use the data from the checklist?

3. How could you adapt this checklist for use in your own classroom?

School Details

Acorn Woodland Elementary School
1025 81st Avenue
Oakland CA 94621

Data Provided By:

Teachers

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Listening & Speaking: Formative Assessment

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Sarah Horwitz explains how she uses a checklist to formatively assess listening and speaking skills during academic conversations. She uses the checklist to target specific goals, and says that her use of the checklist encourages the students to focus on those goals.

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Active Listening Rubric

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Document

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The Center for 
Advanced Research on Language Acquisition 

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The Center for 
Advanced Research on Language Acquisition 

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CARLA

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The Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA)

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CARLA is one of the U.S. Department of Education's Title VI National Language Resource Centers, whose role is to improve the nation's capacity to teach and learn foreign languages.

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Speaking

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Teacher Resources

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Oracy Development Ideas

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Strategies for developing confident speakers who can share their thoughts and learning.

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This site has been updated and relocated under a new name to International School Tutors.

If you are unable to find what you are looking for on the new site, send an email to the webmaster via the Contact page.

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This site has been updated and relocated under a new name to International School Tutors. If you are unable to find what you are looking for on the new site, send an email to the webmaster via the Contact page.

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Kirkland and Patterson suggests that "The development of oral language is crucial to a child's literacy development, encompassing listening, speaking, reading and writing." (Kirkland &...

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Oral Presentation Rubric

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In Listening and Speaking

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Reading and Vocabulary Acquisition

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Teacher resources

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Vocabulary Development

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In this lesson, students read a letter that Captain John Smith of the English Army wrote to Queen Anne in 1616.

School Name: Poughkeepsie High School, Poughkeepsie, NY

In this lesson based on a letter that Captain John Smith wrote to Queen Anne in 1616 about the Algonquin Indians of Virginia, students will preview, learn, and ...

Standards

Grade 7: Language Arts Standards

Reading Standards for Literature 6-12

Standard: Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text; provide an objective summary of the text. (RL.7.2)

Speaking & Listening Standards 6-12

Standard: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 7 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly. (SL.7.1)

Language Standards 6-12

Standard: Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases. (L.7.6)

Lesson Summary

In this lesson, students will read a letter that Captain John Smith of the English Army wrote to Queen Anne in 1616. He wrote this letter about his encounters with the Algonquin Indians of Virginia. The featured activity focuses on academic vocabulary from the second paragraph, highlighted in the attached student glossary.
Things to watch for:

Identification of academic vocabulary

Distinctions between Tier 1, 2, and 3 words

A variety of vocabulary instruction techniques

Encouragement of students to demonstrate mastery of new words

The use of cognates

Comprehension checks of vocabulary through discussion, examples, and student sentences

A combination of pair work and whole class discussion

Note: Based on the language and literacy levels of her high school ELLs, the teacher decided to align this lesson to 7th-grade English language arts standards.

Alignment to Common Core Standards

Lesson Plan/Materials

Related ELL Strategies

Teacher's Reflection

In this lesson based on a letter that Captain John Smith wrote to Queen Anne in 1616 about the Algonquin Indians of Virginia, students will preview, learn, and ...

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Instruction of Key Academic Vocabulary with High School ELLs

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In this lesson, students read a letter that Captain John Smith of the English Army wrote to Queen Anne in 1616. School Name: Poughkeepsie High School, Poughkeepsie, NY In this lesson based on a letter that Captain John Smith wrote to Queen Anne in 1616 about the Algonquin Indians of Virginia, students will preview, learn, and ...

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limited english proficient; english (second language); national origin discrimination; bilingual education; civil rights; legal responsibility;

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Developing ELL Programs: Table of Contents

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Table of Contents for Developing Programs for English Language Learners.

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In this section, you will find a number of recommended professional titles for educators of English language learners (ELLs) organized by topics such as reading and content instruction, support for special populations, strategies targeted to specific ages, and ideas for building partnerships with families and community organizations.

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In this section, you will find a number of recommended professional titles for educators of English language learners (ELLs) organized by topics such as reading and content instruction, support for special populations, strategies targeted to specific ages, and ideas for building partnerships with families and community organizations.

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Leadership Project: ELD Program - CX Workspaces

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In September, the implementations of the ALAS program began with an academic vocabulary component. At the time of my initial leadership project planning, I had understood the district ALAS program to only include this academic vocabulary component. Providing research based, high quality, culturally relevant instruction solely in the context of a single component concerned me.

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You Are Already a Leader: Identifying Your Leadership Skills on Behalf of ELLs

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At this point in the school year, it’s a good time to hit the pause button and reflect upon how the academic year has been going. It’s also a point at which you can decide which goals you can set for the remainder of your work in the classroom this year to support your ELLs.In previous blog posts, I…

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English learners require instructional approaches that change as students develop greater proficiency and become independent learners. To properly implement selected practices, teachers, coaches and site administrators should be provided with adequate professional development, establish inter-rater reliability and a developed rubric for each practice.

The factor that most impacts student achievement is teacher preparation and effectiveness (Darling-Hammond, 2000.) However, school leaders have come to terms with the fact that more and more professional development does not necessarily translate into teacher effectiveness. There are other factors at play. As various education researchers indicate, English learners (EL) require instructional approaches that change as the students develop greater English proficiency and become more independent learners.

Thus, effective instruction for English learners starts with an effective program design. The program, in this context, encompasses the pedagogy, instructional practices, and expected outcomes for ELs during the entire school day. That is to say that the design incorporates a coherent and consistent pedagogical approach to core content instruction, English language development, and intervention services. Since EL's are not a monolithic group and have a variety of linguistic and academic needs, one-sizefits-all programs are not effective. EL's must first be grouped by linguistic and academic proficiency in order to receive and participate in effective instruction (Snow, & Katz, 2010). Each program design, then, addresses a separate set of developmentally-appropriate linguistic and academic needs (Dolson & BurnhamMassey, 2011).

For example, ELs in Kindergarten should be placed in a program that includes the following:

Designated English language development (ELD) instruction (30 to 45 minutes daily) (Saunders & Goldenberg, 2010)

English language arts (ELA) scaffolded through integrated ELD (California English Language Arts / English Language Development Framework, 2010)

Social science aligned to ELA instruction with integrated ELD (Snow, & Katz, 2010; Echevarria & Short, 2010)

Math and science through problem-based, collaborative learning (Walqui, 2000; Echevarria & Short, 2010)

The same scaffolding techniques and language routines used throughout the core

Since EL's are not a monolithic group and have a variety of linguistic and academic needs, one-sizefits-all programs are not effective. EL's must first be grouped by linguistic and academic proficiency in order to receive and participate in effective instruction.

Snow, M.A., and Katz, A., 2010

Secondary EL Educational Programs in CA

* SEI: Structured English Immersion

**SDAIE: Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English

An EL in upper elementary grades with intermediate English proficiency should be placed in a qualitatively different program. Language scaffolding should be less frequent and allow for greater independence but should still address the missing ELD standards (language skills) that ELs have not yet mastered. There should be frequent use of structured student interactions with a focus on targeted academic language (frames, functional academic terms, content specific jargon, etc).

An EL at the secondary level should be placed in a set of courses with a coherent instructional approach that is specifically designed to address the linguistic needs of the student throughout all core content areas. However, all students should be expected to perform at grade level. This requires a significant amount of scaffolding content for linguistic access (Echevarria & Short, 2010). In an ideal classroom,

The teacher would differentiate for academic and linguistic needs.

All students would regularly participate in structured interactions.

Learning would be studentcentered, engaging, challenging, and meaningful.

- (Walqui, A., 2000)

In such a classroom, ELs at intermediate English proficiency would thrive by being placed in heterogeneous classes with native English speakers and fluent former ELs in order to develop greater proficiency and automaticity in using rigorous, grade-level academic language (Dolson & Burnham-Massey, 2011.) However, most ELs are not placed in ideal classrooms; instruction is not appropriately scaffolded or differentiated. Thus, it is often necessary to place ELs homogeneously in order to ensure that their needs will be met. This placement must be based on multiple objective criteria in order to ensure accurate targeting of linguistic and instructional needs. Based upon the program's pedagogical needs, teachers need to receive appropriate professional development, support, and instructional coaching in the use of effective strategies.

English language development (ELD, ESL, ENL, etc.)
Assessments
ELs must acquire English as quickly and effectively as possible. Title III accountability requires that states annually assess English proficiency gains. Because scores are usually received postmortem, schools must implement on-going ELD assessments to monitor growth and adjust instruction and interventions as needed.

These assessments must provide quantifiable information on proficiency gains in each of the four domains of language. Core content teachers should be aware of the level of proficiency of each of their ELs in each domain. It is only thus that core content instruction can be accurately targeted to address the linguistic needs of ELs.

ELD assessment scores should be correlated to the annual state assessment in order to establish and meet interim ELD growth targets that ensure the school and school district will meet accountability targets. At the secondary level, these scores should be analyzed for placement patterns, establish rigorous placement criteria, and enable program evaluation.
Instruction
Newcomer ELs must receive a separate period of ELD-only instruction which focuses on the language skills that native English speakers already posses and which are not explicitly taught in mainstream ELA instruction. Because this period of instruction must provide for ELs opportunities for safe and frequent language interactions, CA does not normally allow non-EL students to participate in ELD instruction. Thus, these other students are placed in other classrooms for enrichment, instructional centers, or with aides to work on noncore activities.
Standards
ELD standards should be based on a developmental approach to English acquisition. In other words, students grow through clearly defined levels of proficiency in each domain of language (Snow & Katz, 2010; Dutro & Kinsella, 2010.) Skills are clearly articulated and provide classroom teachers with an understanding of the nuances of language skills students posses and those they still need to develop. These standards should be based entirely around language and not activities within a core content classroom.

Core content teachers should be able to use information regarding an EL's level of proficiency in each domain and reference the ELD standards to ascertain which linguistics skills need to be explicitly taught and scaffolded. At the same time, teachers should follow the same process to identify those linguistic skills that students have mastered and should be used as leverage to provide access to new information. Both of these approaches should be interwoven within a variety of instructional and learning activities according to the linguistic demands of the lesson (e.g. reading complex text, critical questioning, summary writing, presentation, etc.)

Structured English Immersion (SEI)

For well-educated newcomer and longterm ELs, the instructional program should present the core content as closely as possible to the grade-level performance expected for native English speakers using the same textbooks and summative assessments (Dolson & Burnham-Massey, 2011.) Effective instruction then meets the students where they are linguistically-providing scaffolding and language frames as needed to allow students to access and comprehend concepts and information as well as to participate meaningfully in learning activities. See Attachment A for an example of an appropriate pedagogical approach.

Formative assessments should be based on rubrics which are aligned to the ELD standards. That is to say, they should allow for different levels of response aligned to the linguistic ability of each student (Snow & Katz, 2010; Dutro & Kinsella, 2010.) Results of summative assessments should be considered in light of this same linguistic lens. However, academic gains of ELs should be frequently monitored in comparison to native English speakers to ensure that academic gaps are fully addressed within a reasonable period of time according to the program design and other factors (level of English proficiency at U.S. school entry, time in U.S. schools, level of primary language literacy, etc.) (Dolson & Burnham-Massey, 2011).

Mainstream instruction

The linguistic patterns of long-term English learners, struggling students, African-American students, and many low-income students are very similar. Namely, their discourse pattern calcifies around social language (MontañoHarmon, 1993.) To avoid and/or remedy this, a school should adopt a schoolwide approach to implement effective instructional practices in all classrooms. These practices can be culled from existing research on effective instruction (Marzano1 , Fisher2 , Walqui3 , Dagget4 , etc).

In particular, selected practices should focus on academic language development, frequent student interactions, checks for comprehension, and engaging, real-world issues and problem-solving.

To systematize the use of these practices, a common instruction protocol (see Attachment B) should be developed that allows an observer to note degree of implementation of the practice and provide timely feedback to the teacher (Fink & Markholt, 2011.) Conducted in an online format, such observations can be archived in a database for analysis: frequency of use of strategies, subject area observed, EL program type, period, etc. This information can provide insight into existing practices and identify areas of need, allowing administrators and other school leaders to provide professional development and support with precision.

A common instruction protocol can be used by:

Classroom teachers to plan instruction and/or conduct peer observations as part of lesson study

Instructional coaches

Resource teachers

Site administrators, etc.

To properly implement the selected practices, teachers, coaches, and site administrators should be provided with adequate professional development, establish inter rater reliability, and develop a rubric for each practice.

Conclusion: Effective EL Instruction

A defined, research-based program of instruction for English learners includes a related pedagogical approach for core content instruction. It is important to articulate this program and its pedagogy through a collaborative process that involves ELD and core content teachers, school administrators, and other site leaders. Clearly, the program's pedagogy must be consistently implemented across ELD and the core (Genesee & Riches, 2006) and needs to include a variety of instructional strategies designed for English learners across the curriculum as well as explicitly teach linguistic skills as a means of providing access and participation in the core academic standards (Lindholm-Leary & Borsato, 2006).

Implications of the Common Core Standards

The demands of the Common Core Standards (CCS) necessitate changes in instructional practice-moving away from teacher-centered instruction towards student-centered learning. Of course, for teachers there are added pressures beyond implementing CCS to appropriately and effectively serve English learners. Fortunately, a variety of research studies shed light on instructional practices and strategies that address the CCS, linguistic, and academic needs of ELs (Heritage et al, 2015.) However, the complexity of this work renders it necessary for teachers to receive quality professional development as well as on-going instructional coaching and support in the implementation of English learner pedagogy and use of instructional strategies (Echevarria & Short, 2010; Heritage et al, 2015).

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English learners require instructional approaches that change as students develop greater proficiency and become independent learners. To properly implement selected practices, teachers, coaches and site administrators should be provided with adequate professional development, establish inter-rater reliability and a developed rubric for each practice.

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Program Description

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Los Angeles Leadership Academy English Learner Plan 2018-19 Program Dimensions Each categorical program is reviewed using the following interrelated seven dimensions: ...

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Research on ELL Cohesion strategies

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http://esl.fis.edu/teachers/support/cohesion.htm

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This collection of grade-level writing samples provides teachers of English Language Learners with examples of student writing at each proficiency level. Teachers can use these interactive examples to build their understanding of the different writing competencies and levels within the Benchmarks.
Select a writing sample below.

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This collection of grade-level writing samples provides teachers of English Language Learners with examples of student writing at each proficiency level. Teachers can use these interactive examples to build their understanding of the different writing competencies and levels within the Benchmarks. Select a writing sample below.

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Academic Language in Science

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Supporting Writing

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This website is structured at the intersection of many fields of study. It is designed for the use of teachers at the beginning of their studies, those launched into their careers as well as teacher educators.

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Writers often want to know, for instance, if and when it is possible to use personal pronouns such as I, we, and you? This is a good question and unfortunately, it does not hold a simple answer. According to Björk, Knight and Wikborg (1992), the use of I, we, you is generally the informal choice. However, some disciplines may accept the use of these pronouns or recommend that they only be used in the introduction and conclusion of the text. To avoid any misunderstandings, it would be advisable to check for style guidelines before starting any writing process. Within the university, it is important to check the departmental guidelines for instructions and/or read widely to gain an impression of the choices discipline specific scholars make. The following is a chart that supplies the standard DOs and DON'Ts of academic writing at university. Some of these points may vary depending on the writing style and the departmental guidelines. Always check for style guides before starting the writing process to ensure that there are no additional style requirements or variations in preference.

Do not use shortened verb forms (contractions), such as they're, isn't, can't.

Use the full verb form instead, e.g. they are, is not, cannot

Make more formal vocabulary choices, e.g. , a great deal , attractive/ advantageous,the other issue/problem/notion/idea/topic etc..

Do not use conversational opening phrases, such as Well, you see, Yes..., Let's move on.

Leave out conversational phrases. Use appropriate connectors and introductory phrases.

Do not write I think - especially not at the beginning of a sentence, i.e. do not write, for example, I think James (2008) believes that global warming will...

Leave out I think, e.g. James (2008) believes that global warming will...

Do not use personal pronouns e.g. I, you, we (unless specifically required), i.e. do not write We think that you should be able to compete.

Do not plagiarize (see the AWELU section on'Academic Integrity').

Provide references whenever you say something that is not your own (see the AWELU sections 'Academic Integrity' and 'Sources and Referencing').

Do not take for granted that the spell check on your computer is accurate or will spot all spelling mistakes, since for example, your spell check will not pick up on whether vs weather.

Check spelling, grammar and punctuation etcetera.

Proofread and use a dictionary.

Ask somebody to proofread your text for you.

Do not pose (direct) questions in the running text, that is, do not write, for instance Can carbon emissions be reduced?

Convert questions into statements, for example, The possibility of carbon emissions being reduced is questionable.

Some of the information in the table above is from Björk, Knight, & Wikborg (1992).

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Writers often want to know, for instance, if and when it is possible to use personal pronouns such as I, we, and you? This is a good question and unfortunately, it does not hold a simple answer. According to Björk, Knight and Wikborg (1992), the use of I, we, you is generally the informal choice.

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Tech Resource Guide