Post on 24-Feb-2016
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English Language Learners
What Is ELL?English Language Learners
1.) Students who are new to the English language.
2.) Students whose native language is other than English.
3.) Students who speak a language other than English at home (or whose parents do).
Other Terms For ELL…
Limited English Proficiency (LEP)
Students for whom English is a Second Language (ESL)
English as a Foreign Language (EFL)
1.5 Generation
HistoryIn past 30 years, number of foreign-born population has tripled.
14 million people immigrants in the 1990’s
Estimated 14 million from 2000-2010
Who are ELL students?
Highly heterogeneous
Complex group of students
Highly diverse:TalentsEducational needsBackgroundsLanguagesGoals
The Many Faces of ELL’s
Are the fastest growing segment of student population
Do not fit easily into simple categories, are very diverse
Increasing present in all U.S. states
ELL’s sometimes struggle academically
ELL Facts & Stats2010 over 30%
In New York City there are more than 100 languages
Spanish #1- 75%Vietnamese, Hmong, Chinese, Korean, Haitian, Creole, and Navajo
6 year path to fluency
Recent Policy History1968-Bilingual Education Act (Title VII)
2002-English Language Acquisition, Language Enhancement, and Academic Achievement Act
Myth: Many ELLs have disabilities,which is why they are often
overrepresentedin special education.
While ELL students are represented in special education, placement rates vary with size of ELL population.
Current assessments that do not differentiate between disabilities and linguistic differences can lead to misdiagnosis.
Myth: Children learn a second language quickly and easily
A variety of socio-cultural factors can affect language learning.
ELL students may face additional challenges like acclimating to new culture.
Educators need to integrate listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills into instruction.
Myth: When ELL student is able to speak English fluently, he or she has
mastered it.
Some teachers assume that students who have good oral English need no further support to succeed academically.
However everyday oral language uses different rhetoric, structure, and vocabulary.
Research indicates that oral language should be systematically assessed
Myth: All ELL students learn English in the same way.
ELL’s prior schooling, soci-economic position, content knowledge, and immigration status creates variety in their learning processes.
Myth: Providing accommodations for ELL students only benefits those
students.
Research suggests that making mainstream classrooms more ELL-responsive will also make them more responsive to under-served learners generally.
Myth: Teaching ELL’s means only focusing on vocabulary
Students need to learn forms and structures of academic language, they need to understand the relationship between forms and meaning in written language, and they need opportunities to express complex meanings.
Tips for TeachersPresent ELL’s with challenging curricular content
Set high expectations for ELL’s
Use technology effectively
Recognize soci-cultural factos
Tips cont.Position native languages and home environment as resources
Teach ELL’s in grades K-89 the basics of academic literacy
Teach ELLs in secondary school, like K-8 peers, to simultaneously develop their skill with academic English and learn content in a variety of disciplines
Recognize the difference between ELL’s and under-prepared students in high education
General Instruction for ELL
Establish routine
Slow down
Volume
Do not force students to speak
Use appropriate expressions
Model correct response
Allow “think” time
Take interest
Parent Support for ELL
Establish relationship“Family Night”Conferences
Background workCountry of originPrior educational experienceSocial interactionsLanguage used in home
Tutoring ELL Students: One-on-one Instruction Time
Introductions
Proper Name
Breaks
Do not ask to many Questions
Do not force eye-contact
Body language
Tone
Positive reinforcement
Patience
Dramatic facial expression
Positive feedback
Specific ActivitiesAccompany words with pictures; gestures of movements
Alphabet books
Graphic organizers
GamesGo fish
Picture book read aloudVocabulary firstEnglish terms do not exist in every languageVerbalization of predications may be difficult
Tips for Schools and Policy Makers
Delineate explicit expectations for ELL’s
Provide research-based professional development for teachers of ELL’s
Attend to processes and consequences of assessment of ELL’s
Avoid testing in English exclusively
Use multiple assessments for varying purposes
Adhere to ethical principles of testing
Websites for ELL Activities
Activities for ESL students: http://a4esl.org/
Annenberg Media Learner; Teacher Resources and Teacher Professional Development Programming Across the Curriculum: http://www.learner.org/
International Children’s Library: A Library for the World’s Children: http://en.childrenslibrary.org/
Oral and Written Language Considerations
Hand-in-hand
Write and read name
Label everyday objects
SourcesNational Council of Teachers of English. (2008). English Language Learners. Urbana, Illinois: National Council of Teachers of English.