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Syntax: “I eat grass” follows the rules of sentence formation of noun, verb and object

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Syntax refers to the rules that guide how words combine to form sentences and phrases (Magrath, 2017)

Why is it important?

Different languages have different syntax rules, and ELLs often incorrectly apply their L1 rules directly into their English production (Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education [DESE], 2022). Through syntax, we understand how sentences work and can make inferences about word functions and their meaning improving students’ language and reading comprehension (DESE, 2017).

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Semantics: literally... what do you mean?

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Semantics is the study of how sequences of language expresses literal meaning (Magrath, 2017; Alba-Juez, 2016).

Why is it important?

Semantics is important for language and academic learning because it is at the core of language comprehension: students need to know what words mean, and to make correct word choices. What makes semantics particularly important for ELLs is that English has many words (and phrases) that carry multiple meanings, creating ambiguity that is often difficult to overcome (Magrath, 2017), such as in the cartoon above. ELLs need to learn various aspects of different words, including potential meanings, connotation and usage, making sure that they do not fall into the trap of misapplying semantic knowledge from their L1 (Everly & Cai, 2021).

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Pragmatics: language and meaning are highly influenced by cultural and social contexts

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Pragmatics studies how real people in real cultural contexts negotiate meaning, how we say what me mean (Macmillan, 2019; Levine & Munsch, 2013; Paris et al., 2019).

Why is it important?

Pragmatics is crucial for ELLs, since it focuses on how language is appropriately used in social interaction and it is necessary to increase their capacity to reach their communication goals (Beltrán-Planques & Querol-Julián, 2018). Pragmatics deals with how individuals use language to interact with each other, it takes in the point of view of the users of language, including implied, non-literal meanings, and how cultural and social contexts influence it (Beltrán-Planques & Querol-Julián, 2018; Alba-Juez, 2016).

Because rules about interacting between people (such as greetings, eye contact and body language) are often different across cultures, it becomes important to explicitly teach pragmatic differences to ELLs (Victoria State Government Department of Education, 2020).

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Linguistics Cartoon Favorites - Happy New Year (Pragmatically Speaking)

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During Sentence Combining: students take short sentences and combine them to make new sentences that are longer and more interesting 

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Syntax Classroom Activity: Sentence Combining

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Syntax Classroom Activity: Sentence Combining

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Sentence Combining

ELLs and younger students tend to produce brief, simple sentences. Through Sentence Combining, students learn grammar and syntax rules in a meaningful way, while developing more complex, natural, and engaging pieces of writing that they can be proud of.

The teacher begins by reading several examples of brief and simple sentences, as well as more complex sentences that are produced by combining some of the original sentences. Next, the teacher engages the students in a discussion about what sounds better and more interesting. Afterwards, the teacher presents, explains and models using several connectors. Finally, the students are grouped in pairs or small groups, in which they work with a set of sentences and connectors to combine.

Differentiation:

Depending on the students’ English and reading proficiency levels, the vocabulary used and the choice of connectors should be adjusted. Also, learners of different reading strengths can be paired together so that more advanced readers can provide support.

ELLs at lower English proficiency levels should be given lines with everyday language and connectors that they are likely to have been exposed to. They can also work with texts that they have previously used.

More advanced ELLs may be given fresh/new texts that use new vocabulary within topics for which they already have background knowledge.

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During Sentence Scramble, students rearrange the words from a scrambled sentence

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Syntax Classroom Activity: Sentence Scramble

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Syntax Classroom Activity: Sentence Scramble

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Sentence Scramble

ELLs often struggle with English syntax rules that differ from those in their L1. Using Sentence Scramble, ELLs can practice proper sentence structure and word order rules with an activity that does not challenge them with spelling or the need to produce their own sentences.

The teacher writes a set of complete sentences that conveys an important idea in the topic they are studying and “scrambles” them. They can write the sentences in large letters and cut them into smaller pieces, or they can write one word per notecard.

Students are arranged in pairs or small groups and given a few sets of sentences to rearrange.

Differentiation:

Depending on the students’ English and reading proficiency levels, the vocabulary used and the complexity of the sentences should be adjusted. Also, learners of different reading strengths can be paired together so that more advanced readers can provide support.

ELLs at lower English proficiency levels should be given shorter, simpler sentences or they can work with sentences that they have previously used.

More advanced ELLs may be given longer sentences with slightly more complex structures.

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During Word Pairs, students use two key words that go together to produce an original sentence

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Word Pairs

This activity takes Sentence Scramble to the next level: using Word Pairs, ELLs can practice proper sentence structure and word order rules while producing their own sentences with content area vocabulary that they are familiar with.

The teacher makes several word pairs that refer to important ideas in the topics they are studying, including one noun and either a verb or an adjective. Students are arranged in pairs or small groups and write a complete sentence for each word pair.

Differentiation:

Depending on the students’ English and reading proficiency levels, the required sentence length and complexity should be adjusted. Also, learners of different English proficiency levels can be paired together so that more advanced student can provide support.

ELLs at lower English proficiency levels should be given word banks and/or sentence starters.

More advanced ELLs may be asked to produce longer or more number sentences per each word pair.

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During Sentence Elaboration, students learn build longer and more complex sentences

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Syntax Classroom Activity: Sentence Elaboration 

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Syntax Classroom Activity: Sentence Elaboration 

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Sentence Elaboration

ELLs often struggle to produce longer and more complex sentences. Through Sentence Elaboration, ELLs receive support in the use and manipulation of increasingly more number of words in their sentences. While they work on word order and sentence structure, they will also improve their sentence-level comprehension and writing skills.

Teachers use the six W-questions to guide this activity: who, what, where, why, when, how?

Teachers guide the exercise using the W-questions to prompt their students to produce ideas and expand on them.

For example:

Who?

The lion.

What was he like?

Big! Strong! --> The big and strong lion.

Where was he?

In the jungle! --> The big and strong lion was in the jungle.

What was he doing?

Hunting! --> The big and strong lion was hunting in the jungle.

And so on.

Differentiation:

Depending on the students’ English and reading proficiency levels, the required level of guidance and teacher involvement might differ.

ELLs at lower English proficiency levels might need to work as a whole group, while the teacher leads them in the questioning and sentence construction.

More advanced ELLs may be asked to work independently, in pairs, or in small groups.

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Semantic Maps help identify, understand, and remember the meaning of words 

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Semantics Classroom Activity: Semantic Maps

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Semantics Classroom Activity: Semantic Maps

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Semantic Maps

Semantic Maps help ELLs to identify, understand, and remember the meaning of words they read in the text.

ELLs need to acquire new vocabulary and learn the meaning of many new words. By creating and using Semantic Maps, ELLs can visualize the meaning-based connections between a word and a set of related words and ideas. This way, ELLs can better identify, understand, and internalize the meaning of related words that they encounter in a particular topic. By grouping words together and learning about their relationships, ELLs build strong cognitive schema that can boost their language development and vocabulary.

Students are taught to identify words they are not familiar with and place it in the center of the word map. Next, they read the text immediately around the word, looking for related words to add to the map. Using a dictionary or the internet, they look up the definition of the words. They add these definitions, including sentences that make sense with the meaning, continuing to add related words, definitions and sentences to the map.

Go back to reading the text, paying attention to how the word map and the meanings found make sense with the text.

Differentiation:

Depending on the students’ English and reading proficiency levels, the required level of guidance and teacher involvement might differ significantly.

ELLs at lower English proficiency levels might need to work as a whole class, while the teacher leads them in the creation of the shared semantic map, that may become a permanent display and resource for the whole class.

More advanced ELLs may be asked to work on their semantic maps independently, in pairs or small groups.

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Semantic Gradients list related words, gradually changing meaning from one word to its opposite

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Semantics Classroom Activity: Semantic Gradients

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Semantics Classroom Activity: Semantic Gradients

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Semantic Gradients

Semantic Gradients help ELLs learn families of words that are closely related and broadening their vocabulary and strengthening their understanding of words in general. Semantic Gradients help ELLs distinguish shades of meaning by presenting them with a continuum of closely related words that are listed from one extreme of meaning on one side, and gradually moving towards its opposite on the other side, such as in the above picture. With lists such as these, ELLs can not only increase their comprehension of synonyms and antonyms, but also become more precise in their own language production.

The teacher will select a descriptive word that is important for the current topic, and will prepare a list of semantically close words, diverging in both directions (stressing or diminishing the quality descripted by the chosen word). Students will work to sort the list of words in order and display them in a manner that makes the gradient evident.

Differentiation:

ELLs at lower English proficiency might feel overwhelmed with the large number of new words. The teacher might need to work leading the whole class in the creation of the semantic gradient, which may become a permanent display and resource for the whole class.

More advanced ELLs may be asked to work on their semantic gradients independently, in pairs or small groups.

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List-Group-Label helps learn vocabulary and organize ideas

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List-Group-Label

List-Group-Label is a learning strategy that helps students recognize relationships between words and ideas while using what they already know about a particular topic. Because of this, it not only helps build their vocabulary, but also improve their understanding by providing them with a stronger organization structure that highlights word relationships.

The teacher begins by introducing the topic they will be working on, and priming students’ prior knowledge by asking them to list all of the words related to the topic that they can think of. All words should be accepted and displayed for later grouping and labeling.

In small groups, students will work to group all the words in categories. Students should provide reasons why they are choosing those categories and why the specific words belong in those categories.

Next, students choose a label that describes the different groups of words that they chose. Finally, the groups share and discuss how they chose to group their words and why.

Differentiation:

ELLs at lower English proficiency might need more support and guidance. They might benefit from pre-made labels or categories.

More advanced ELLs may be asked to debate which lists make the most sense and why, and might collaborate as a whole class to produce a final labeling and grouping, which may become a permanent display and resource for the whole class.

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Possible Sentences activates students’ prior knowledge about a topic vocabulary and ideas before engaging with the text

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Semantics Classroom Activity: Possible Sentences

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Semantics Classroom Activity: Possible Sentences

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Possible Sentences

During Possible Sentences, students’ prior knowledge about the content is activated through a short list of vocabulary words selected from the text they are about to read. Because it activates their prior knowledge, it improves ELLs’ comprehension.

Based on these words and what they know about the topic, students are asked to guess what they will be reading about and write a sentence for each of the vocabulary words. Because they are engaged in guessing and creating original ideas and sentences, Possible Sentences sparks students’ curiosity.

Next, they read the text and discover how accurate their “possible sentences” were and whether they need to be revised. Finally, they share their sentences with the whole class.

Differentiation:

ELLs at lower English proficiency might need more support and guidance. They might benefit bilingual sets of words, in both English and their L1.

More advanced ELLs may work in pairs or small groups, and may also be asked to debate which sentences make the most sense and why.

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During Think Pair Share, students take turns sharing their ideas about an assigned topic or question

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Pragmatics Classroom Activity: Think Pair Share

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Pragmatics Classroom Activity: Think Pair Share

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Think Pair Share

Think Pair Share is a cooperative learning strategy that encourages group interaction, builds trust among students, and more importantly, fosters appropriate use of language.

This strategy has students work together to answer a question or solve a particular problem. Students first think individually about a particular topic or question. Next, students are paired (this can be done with different degrees of movement, according to the group’s needs and dynamics) and take turns to share what they came up with.

Teachers should model what type of interactions are expected from students, including a greeting, turn-taking, and some form of response that shows appreciation for what the other student said.

Differentiation:

ELLs at lower English proficiency might struggle to speak, particularly when faced with a native student that they do not know well. They might benefit from working with proficient bilingual students who can help with their L1 and be good models of language and expected pragmatics.

More advanced ELLs will benefit from exposure to native users of language.

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In Drama Play, students pretend to be someone in a particular situation

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Pragmatics Classroom Activity: Drama Play

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Pragmatics Classroom Activity: Drama Play

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Drama Play

During Drama Play, ELLs can development their pragmatics by participating in realistic rich and complex language exchanges in which they can gradually internalize the appropriate patterns. Through drama play, ELLs will act as if they were a real person facing a particular situation.

By pretending to be a doctor and a patient, they will do their best to use language and manners that match and are appropriate for the roles they are acting. In this manner, they can incorporate different sentence structures and practice non-verbal communication.

Differentiation:

ELLs at lower English proficiency will benefit from greater structure: providing with either a full script or sentence stems might be necessary.

More advanced ELLs should enjoy this activity!

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ELLs can struggle to complain properly if not given proper guidance

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Practicing Complaints

ELLs can struggle to complain properly if not given proper guidance

ELLs are likely to get into uncomfortable situations if they are not explicitly taught how to effectively and respectfully complain in English. Typically, a complaint includes an introduction/explanation of the purpose of the conversation; the actual complaint; a justification or reason of why the complaint is valid; and a request for a particular action. Unfortunately, unaware ELLs who engage in complaining without proper training often come across as aggressive.

Teachers can engage students in different practices of complaints, revising the dialogues and explicitly commenting on how and when they are appropriate and polite, when they are not, and how to improve them.

Differentiation:

ELLs at lower English proficiency will struggle with this activity: ideally, a bilingual teacher who is also familiar with the students’ culture will tackle this strategy.

More advanced ELLs should enjoy this activity!

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ELLs might also struggle to produce appropriate requests

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Practicing Requests

ELLs might also struggle to produce appropriate requests

Similar to what happens with complaints, ELLs are likely to fail to get what they need unless they are taught how to properly present and word a request. Unfortunately, unaware ELLs who engage in requests without proper training often come across as demanding or callous.

Teachers can engage students in different practices of requests, revising the dialogues and explicitly commenting on how and when they are appropriate and polite, when they are not, and how to improve them.

Teachers should explicitly teach the need to modify speech when speaking with an adult or authority, how to soften a request: for example, “could you lend me a pencil, please?”

Differentiation:

ELLs at lower English proficiency will struggle with this activity: ideally, a bilingual teacher who is also familiar with the students’ culture will tackle this strategy.

More advanced ELLs should enjoy this activity!

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Syntax, Semantics and Pragmatics at Home

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Syntax, Semantics and Pragmatics at Home

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Syntax Activity: Mad Libs!

Mad Libs is a fun way to practice the different parts or speech (such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs) with your child. This practice not only reinforces learning what the different parts of speech are and what order they have in a sentence, but also helps build vocabulary and crack up a few laughs.

This website has several Mad Libs exercises, including a useful list of word suggestions: https://en.islcollective.com/english-esl-worksheets/search/mad+libs

Semantics Activity: Wide Reading

Extensive or wide-reading is the cornerstone to mastering the semantics of a new language. Help your child grow their vocabulary and build their grasp of semantics through direct exposure to books. Investing one hour per day over three years, ELLs can grow their vocabulary from elementary to a very high level.

Discover the importance of reading for your child’s development: https://www.readingrockets.org/literacy-home/reading-101-guide-parents/reading-basics

Pragmatics Activity: Role Playing

Through Role Playing, you can engage your child to practice language use and communication skills that are appropriate for the many different situations they will face in life.

Read about benefits of using play time to build your child’s pragmatic language skills: https://everydayspeech.com/sel-implementation/building-pragmatic-skills-through-play-fun-games-for-all-ages/

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Opportunities to deepen your knowledge regarding English language structures and how to best serve your ELLs

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These resources should provide opportunities for teachers to deepen their knowledge regarding English language structures and how to best serve our ELLs.

Everly, P., Cai, S. (2021). From wrong word to right word: Equipping ELLs to make correct semantic choices independently. TESOL Journal 12, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1002/tesj.574

False, K. S. (2008). Six vocabulary activities for the English language classroom. English Teaching Forum, 46(3), 12-21. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1096288.pdf

Hilliard, A. (2017). Twelve activities for teaching the pragmatics of complaining to L2 learners. English Teaching Forum, 55(1), 2-13. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1137786

Macmillan Education ELT. (2019, March 12). Teaching discourse and pragmatics a.k.a. What on Earth did he mean? [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GAGQfpzHhNY

Schoonmaker, A., & Purmensky, K. L. (2019). The case for grammar: What preservice teachers need to know about metalinguistic awareness. Journal of English Learner Education, 9(1), 1-17. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/jele/vol9/iss1/