Encouraging adult English learners to help children become bilingual

Encouraging adult English learners to help children

become bilingual

Marsha Chan and Julaine RosnerInstructors, Curriculum Developers, Authors1

Workshop outcomesv Gain familiarity with asset-based

perspectives of bilingualism

v Recognize ways to promote bilingualismv within ESL lessons

v Reading and writingv Listening and speakingv English for Child Care

v in everyday interactions with students

Marsha Chan and Julaine Rosner 2

Traditional emphasis on the L2 English

v Adults have already developed skills in their native language.

v Teachers typically encourage ESL students to use English and discourage them from using L1.

v As adult ESL students gain proficiency in English, they become bilingual.


Have you heard of…v apologies for native

language use?

v penalties for using L1 during ESL class?

v lack of proficiency in English as a deficit?


Impact of attitude on families

v How does a deficit-based attitude affect our students’ perspective on using L1 in their homes?

v What effect can an asset-based approach have?


L1: asset or deficit?Approached from a deficit perspective,

students who are English language learners (ELL) are often defined as fundamentally lacking. By contrast, an asset-based perspective builds on the home language of students and recognizes this as a fundamental strength.

-Martin Scanlan, An Asset-based Approach to Linguistic Diversity, 2007


Dual language learnersv Children who are Dual Language Learners (DLLs) acquire

two or more languages simultaneously, and learn a second language while continuing to develop their first language. The term "dual language learners" encompasses other terms frequently used, such as Limited English Proficient (LEP), bilingual, English language learners (ELL), and English learners.

v The term dual language learners has been adopted by the Office of Head Start and the United States Department of Education to highlight and promote the linguistic assets of young children and families who speak languages other than English.


How can ESL teachers…v let our students know that their L1 is an

asset?

v help our students show their children that L1 is a gift?

v foster an asset-based perspective among our adult learners of L2 English?


Encourage support for bilingualism

v Give adult ESL learners information about…v importance of home

languagev language development

v Give them opportunities to promote bilingualism – dual language acquisition among children.


Activity 1: Reading a quote about the home language

v Pre-readingv Vocabularyv Schema

v Read

v Discuss the quotation together

Marsha Chan and Julaine Rosner 10Brems, M., Chan, M. and Rosner, J. (in press). English for Child Development: Language Skills for Parents and Providers. Sunnyvale, CA: Sunburst Media.

Purposes of quote activity

v Inform students of the importance of the home language.

v Develop vocabulary.

v Give exposure to research by experts.


Vocabulary practice

1. ____ home language2. ____ to support3. ____ to maintain4. ____ to be connected

to people5. ____ advantages6. ____ to thrive

a. to feel close to family and friends

b. to help and to give what is needed

c. the language spoken by family at home

d. the good things about something

e. to be healthy and successful

f. to keep something in good condition


Pre-‐reading questions1. What is your home language? What was your

grandparents’ home language?

1. Do you know any children whose home language is not English? How are they learning English?

2. What does it mean to support a child’s home language? Who supports a child’s home language?


Quote from an ECE* expertAll children need English in order to thrive in their new country. They also need support in maintaining their home language in order to stay deeply connected to their families, as well as for the many advantages of being bilingual.

Derman-Sparks, Louise, and Julie Olsen Edwards. Anti-Bias Education for Young Children and Ourselves (2010): 63.

*ECE: Early Childhood Education


Discussion questions1. What does this quote mean? 2. How can adults help children to maintain

their home language?3. How does a language help children stay

connected with family?4. What are some advantages of being

bilingual?


Activity 2: Listening to a passage about language development

v Pre-listeningv Develop schema.

v Listen and fill in.v Check

comprehension.v Discuss the

research.


Purposes of listening cloze

v To give information about language development.

v To hone listening, vocabulary, and dictation skills.

v To expose students to research by experts.


Pre-‐listening questions1. What do parents and caregivers do to help

young children learn language? 2. What does ‘talkative’ mean? Do you know

someone who is talkative? What is a talkative environment?

3. Guess. What happens when children know few words when they start school? What happens when children know many words?


Listen and fill in the blanks.In talkative _______________ , children hear many words every day. They hear stories and_______________ and descriptions and advice. Some children _______________ as many as 20,000 and 30,000 _______________ a day. In other homes, however, there is a lot less ______________. Over time, there is a big difference in how many_______________ the children have heard. By age three , children from _______________ homes have heard 20 to 30 _______________ more words than children from non-talkative _______________ . This difference has a big _______________ on children’s ability to succeed in school and life.


Listening cloze, contd.

_______________ children need to hear a lot of words to help them develop their language_______________ . Parents and teachers can use _______________ conversational strategies to increase the _______________ of words that children hear. _______________ main strategies are: tune in, talk more, and take turns.


Check comprehension.Read the statements below. Mark them as T for true or F for false based on the information above. If a sentence is false, change it to make it true.

____ A child may hear 10,000 words a day in a talkative environment.

____ Talkative environments include descriptions, stories, and advice.

____ By age 3, children from non-talkative homes have heard 20 to 30 million more words than children from talkative homes.


Discuss the questions.1. What happens when a child knows a lot of

words? What happens when a child doesn’t?

2. Are you surprised by the information above?

3. What do you think adults can do to help children hear lots of words?


Fast facts


v In a study of 42 parents and their babies, Betty Hart and Todd Risley discovered vast differences between families.v Babies from professional families heard an

average of 2,100 words per hour.v Babies from working class families heard an

average of 1,200 words per hour.v Babies with parents on public assistance

heard an average of 600 words per hour.

Activity 3: Expanding language

v Develop a strategy for talking more

v Develop ability to repeat and expand a child’s wordsv in English v in home language


Purposes of speaking taskv To provide students

with a specific strategy for using more words

v To practice the strategy in both languages

v To develop grammatical competence


RationaleOne important way to help children

hear more language is by responding to a child’s sounds and words. It is helpful for caregivers to repeat a child’s words and expand on them. They say the child’s words in full sentences and add other ideas, too. In this way, the child learns more about her environment while learning language. Here are some examples of repeating and expanding:


Repetition and expansionv Child: “Doggie eat.”

v Child: “Truck broken.”

v Child: “More milk.”

v Adult: “Yes, the doggie is eating.”

v Adult: “Yes, I see the truck is broken. We can try to fix it.”

v Adult: “Oh, I see. You finished your milk. You want more.”


Practice repeating -‐ expandingRead the child’s words below. These are 2-3 word phrases. Repeat and expand these phrases. Say your answer aloud to a partner. Listen as your partner repeats and expands the phrase. Choose the answer you like best and write it down.

Example:v Child: Car gone.v Partner A: Here’s my answer: “The car is gone. Aunt Mary

drove home.”v Partner B: Good one. Here’s what I say: “That’s right. Aunt

Mary drove the car home so the car is gone.”v Partner A: You used more words. It’s good for children to hear

more words, so I’m writing down your answer.v Partner B: Well, I like your answer, so I’m writing yours.


Expand 2-‐3 word utteranceswith a partner

1. Cat outside!2. Mommy hungry.3. No school.4. Ball right here5. Have it! 6. Daddy home.7. No more juice.8. Go store.9. Toys away.10.Grandma come.


Activate home languageChildren benefit from hearing lots of words, in any language! They benefit from hearing many words in their home language as well as English.

Choose five of the sentences above and translate them into your home language. Then repeat and expand on the words in your own language.Example:Cat outside. -àGato afuera.El gato está afuera. ¿A ver? ¿Quiere entrar?


Activity 4: Bilingual booklet

v Talk with children aged 3-15.

v Take dictation of what younger children say.

v Help older children complete the sentences.

v Create a book with sentences and pictures.

v Share their books.

Ésta es mi historia.

Đây là câu chuyệncủa tôi.

这是我的故事。

This is my story.

31Brems, M., Chan, M. and Rosner, J. (in press). English for Child Development: Language Skills for Parents and Providers. Sunnyvale, CA: Sunburst Media.

Purposes of booklet activityv To demonstrate the value of

home languagev To provide the opportunity

to publishv To encourage creativityv To foster connection

between home and school cultures


Brems, M., Chan, M. and Rosner, J. (in press). English for Child Development: Language Skills for Parents and Providers. Sunnyvale, CA: Sunburst Media.

33

34


35


36


37


Marsha Chan and Julaine Rosner

38


39


41


42

Follow-‐up activity for studentsv Read their own books

aloud to their classmates.

v Listen and enjoy classmates’ books.

v Share experiences about dual language learning.

v Learn about other cultures.


Summaryv Encourage bilingualism by taking an asset-

based perspective.v Use activities that foster bilingualism.

v quotation readingv listening clozev repeating and expanding in English and L1v bilingual book project

v Find everyday ways to encourage adults to help their children become bilingual.


www.sunburstmedia.com

45

http://www.sunburstmedia.com

Q&A Thank you for your attention!

For information about our books,go to Sunburst Media:


Julaine [email protected]

Marsha [email protected]

46


Encouraging adult English learners to help children become bilingual

Education

Transcript of Encouraging adult English learners to help children become bilingual