More than Good Teaching: Understanding Language Acquisition

for ELLs

Kathy Salmon

Where are you located?

Practice using Elluminate. Use a symbol to mark

where you are!

Session Overview

1. Myth or Fact?2. Cummin’s BICS and CALP3. Quadrants of BICS and CALP4. Common Underlying Proficiency5. Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development6. Krashen’s Comprehensible Input7. Roessingh’s Vocabulary Counts8. Oxford’s ESL Learner Strategies

Myth or Fact?

Read the following statements. Decide if they are myths or facts.

Place an A beside Myths and B beside Facts:

1.1. Children have acquired a second language as Children have acquired a second language as soon as they can speak it.soon as they can speak it.

2.2. Children learn second languages quickly and Children learn second languages quickly and easily.easily.

3.3. The younger the child the more skilled in The younger the child the more skilled in acquiring a second language.acquiring a second language.

4.4. The more time students spend in a second The more time students spend in a second language context, the quicker they learn the language context, the quicker they learn the language.language.

5.5. All children learn a second language in the same All children learn a second language in the same way.way.

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/resources/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=17

Myth 1

Children have acquired a second language as soon as they can speak it.

The iceberg metaphor

IcebergBICS (1-2 years)

Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills•Surface level – Here and Now•Familiar Content•Face to Face Conversation•High Frequency Vocabulary – 2000 words•Simple Sentence Structure•Low Pressure

CALP (5 or more years)

Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency•Experience and exposure to culture•Lectures, formal, written text, specialized terminology, humour, culture, idioms, textbook language, social appropriateness, non-verbal communications•Limited Interaction (textbook)•More Abstract •Less familiar content•Decontextualized•Low frequency Vocabulary•High Stakes (lots of pressure)

BICS or CALP?

Reading a textbook

Discussing the theme in a novel

Writing a journal response about personal experiences

Apply it tomorrow…

Think of an ELL in your class.

What is their level of BICS and CALP?

What is the level of teacher talk in the classroom?

What is the level of student response in the classroom

Sample student responses

One hundred fifty-two

..this hundred place?

For expanded notation you have to know place value.

Myth 2

2. Children learn second 2. Children learn second languages quickly and languages quickly and easilyeasily

The Dual Iceberg: Full Bilingual Proficiency

The “Dual Iceberg” Representation of Bilingual Proficiency (Cummins, 1980, 36; 1996, 111)

SURFACEFEATURE

SOF L2

SURFACEFEATURES

OF L1

COMMON UNDERLYING PROFICIENCY

Young Arrivals: Low Levels of L1 and L2 (balanced but inadequate bilingualism)

Underdeveloped potential that needs to be built in L2

SURFACE

FEATURES

OF L2

SURFACEFEATURES

OF L1

COMMONUNDERLYIN

GPROFICIENC

Y

Young Arrivals: Low L1, Better Developed L2

Underdeveloped potential

SURFACE

FEATURES

OF L2

SURFACEFEATURES

OF L1

COMMONUNDERLYIN

GPROFICIENC

Y

Junior High Arrivals: Uneven L1 and L2

Underdeveloped potential that may be developed in L1 and/or L2

SURFACE

FEATURES

OF L2

SURFACEFEATURE

SOF L1

COMMONUNDERLYIN

GPROFICIENC

Y

Older Arrivals: Full L1 Proficiency, Intermediate L2 Proficiency

Underdeveloped potential- Use L1 to help build this in L2

SURFACE

FEATURES

OF L2

SURFACEFEATURES

OF L1

COMMONUNDERLYIN

GPROFICIENC

Y

Interpersonal

Communication Basic

Skills

What’s your CUP? Create a dual iceberg to represent your

language proficiency in L1 and L2

If you do not have an L2, think of a student in your school or your own child and their dual iceberg.

Apply it tomorrow…

Is this a good strategy? Talking to a peer in L2 about a new concept

Using a translator or bilingual dictionary

Suggesting a family continue to talk in L1 at home

Supporting a families decision to send their children to a weekend language school

Myth 3

3. The younger the child 3. The younger the child the more skilled in the more skilled in acquiring a second acquiring a second languagelanguage

Words, words, words… What is the average vocabulary of a native

English speaking student entering grade 10?

Write down a number on the screen

Roessingh’s Vocabulary Trajectories

  Vocabulary

AgeNative

SpeakerElementary

with helpElementary

without helpJunior High

with helpSenior High

with help

1 0        

2 400        

3 1000        

7 8000        

10   0 0    

12   5000 5000    

13       2500  

15 40000 15,000 15000 10000 8,000

16   20,000   18000 16,000

17   25,000      

18 100000 30,000 18,000 26,000 24,000

http://apollo.ucalgary.ca/eslrw/node/3

What words do I teach?

Word Lists: Ogden’s Basic Words (850)

http://ogden.basic-english.org/words.html Comprehensive Vocabulary Word List (by topic):

http://www.manythings.org/vocabulary/lists/c/

Some Types of Vocabulary?

Subject specific - the words related to curriculum topics (These might also be in context defined.)

Context-defined - multiple meanings - transferable words across subjects i.e., “role”, noun clusters; i.e., ”global warming”

Academic Words – the language of thinking processes required to do academic tasks; i.e., “ compare”, “contrast”

Connectors – words and phrases used to show the relationship of ideas; i.e., ”whereas”, “the most important”

Figurative Language –Words or phrases that go beyond literal meaning and require contextual, social and/or cultural reference for understanding i.e., ”fork in the road”

Identify the type of Vocabulary

• Subject specific

• Context-defined

• Academic Words

• Connectors

• Figurative Language

Math Dictionary: CertainWe use the word certain

in probability to describe events that will definitely happen. July is certain to come after June. If a coin is tossed it is certain to land with either heads or tails face up.

Identify the type of Vocabulary

• Subject specific

• Context-defined

• Academic Words

• Connectors

• Figurative Language

CertainWe use the word

certain in probability to describe events that will definitely happen. July is certain to come after June. If a coin is tossed it is certain to land with either heads or tails face up.

Where to find different types of words?

Word Lists: Subject Specific Word list:

http://www.vocabulary.com/dir-wordlist-word_list Words with Multiple Meanings:

http://www.webenglishteacher.com/multmean.html# Academic Word List

http://www.victoria.ac.nz/lals/resources/academicwordlist/Publications/awlsublists.pdf

Connector Words - Common Transition Words: http://csd.mcmaster.ca/accesstomac/images/common.pdf

Figurative Language http://www.kidskonnect.com/subject-index/20-language-arts/343-figurative-language.html

What words for which age?

http://www.lextutor.ca

Kids list (http://www.lextutor.ca/vp/kids/kid_list_display/ )

Apply it tomorrow…

Put a sample of your spoken language in the vocabulary profiler on lextutor. http://www.lextutor.ca

Put a sample of some students spoken language in the vocabulary profiler

For your next lesson Look at the vocabulary required for your next

lesson? Recognize the vocabulary level of your students. Decide what vocabulary to teach

Myth 4

4. 4. The more time students spend in a second language context, the quicker they learn the language.

Quality and Quantity Time

ELLs benefit from:ELLs benefit from:

•Explicit language Explicit language instructioninstruction

•Appropriate resourcesAppropriate resources

•Language learning Language learning strategiesstrategies

……At the ‘just right level’At the ‘just right level’

Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development

• is the difference between what a child can do on their own and what they can do with assistance.

•It includes all things that a child can do only with the help of a more-knowledgeable other.

•It is a scaffolding process, where supports are provided by a parent, teacher, or peer who has already has mastery of the task.http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/constructivism.htm

Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development

Practice:1.Think of a learner in your class

2.Think of one thing they can do on their own

3.Think of one thing they can do with assistance now

Krashen’s Comprehensible Input

Comprehensible means to understandInput means “what goes in”

Learning takes place when the brain can connect new information to existing knowledge.

It is important to provide students information at their language level.

Language proficiency is increased by gradual steps always working from student’s present language level.

Use 1st language to help make connections in 2nd language

Comprehensible Input Hypothesis

The learner learn language he can understand by connecting it to known concepts and prior knowledge.

Language that is not understood is just “L2 noise”

http://www.sk.com.br/sk-krash.html http://www.languageimpact.com/articles/rw/krashenbk.htm

Comprehensible Input + 1 (CI +1)

Input must be comprehensible and also needs to be one level of linguistic complexity beyond the learner’s level to develop L2 proficiency.

CI + 1

CI + 10

Apply it tomorrow…

Think about what is being taught.

Think about the Comprehensible Input Level of the student

Are any adjustments required?

Myth 5 All children learn a second language in the All children learn a second language in the

same way.same way.

Learner Profiles On the screen write the different aspects of On the screen write the different aspects of

the learner profile (preferences, modalities, the learner profile (preferences, modalities, affect, attributes etc.)affect, attributes etc.)

More Krashen: Affective Hypothesis

Motivation, self-esteem, and interpersonal acceptance can limit or enhance the speed and amount of L2 learned.

Affective Filter Hypothesis

A filter or mental block can prevent L2 from getting in if a learner is anxious, afraid to take risks and in a stressful learning environment.

Relaxation, confidence to take risks, and a pleasant learning environment help to lower the filter.

Aptitude Hypothesis

Learners do have “innate” (natural abilities) aptitude to learn L2.

More impactful than aptitude is the learner’s attitude, which can enhance or impede the natural abilities to learn L2.

The Learner’s Affective Traits Self-Concept

The way I see my self The way I interact with others My disposition towards learning tasks The way I deal with problem solving and challenges

Skills (related to literacy, numeracy, relationships and problem solving etc.)

Strategies; cognitive, meta-cognitive, linguistic, socio-affective etc.

Cognitive Potential Motivation (Intrinsic, Extrinsic)

Rebecca Oxford’s ESL Learner Strategies Avoidance/reduction strategies

Message replacement (try to simplify) Topic Avoidance (change the subject) Message abandonment (give up!)

Achievement/Compensatory Strategies Circumlocution (talk around– describing when word is

unknown) Approximation (word that is close to intended word: Restructuring (re-stating in a different way) Literal Translation (from L1 to L2 or L2 to L1, occasional

errors)

http://www.cal.org/resources/digest/oxford01.html

Stalling or time-gaining strategies Fillers, hesitation (um, like, ahh, you know) Self and other repetition (echoing and copying)

Self Monitoring Strategies Self-initiated repair (recognize own errors and ask for

correction) Self-rephrasing (re-state independently and self correct)

Interactional Strategies Appeals for help

Direct – “What do you call..?” Indirect – “I don’t know the word in English”

Meaning Negotiation Strategies Clarification requests – “What does this mean?” Confirmation requests – “Does this mean _______ or ______?”

Rebecca Oxford’s ESL Learner Strategies

Think of language of assessments and language level of student

Learning Styles Self Assessment: http://www.ldpride.net/learning-style-test.html

Student self assessment of language http://www3.telus.net/linguisticsissues/selfassess2.html

Student self assessment of language http://www.acceleratedlearning.com/method/test_launch.html

ESL K-12 Proficiency Benchmarks http://education.alberta.ca/media/1111060/esl_benchmark1.pdf

Learner Profiles

What things do you currently know about your students?

What other additional information would you like to find out?

Think about it…

Where we’ve been…

1. Myth or Fact?2. Cummin’s BICS and CALP3. Quadrants of BICS and CALP4. Common Underlying Proficiency5. Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development6. Krashen’s Comprehensible Input7. Roessingh’s Vocabulary Counts8. Oxford’s ESL Learner Strategies

ATA Webinar and Print series: Understanding ESL Learners

Distinguishing between BICS and CALP:

ATA doc.

Meeting needs in the classroom:

ATA doc.

Assessment: ATA doc.

Differentiating Instruction:

ATA doc.

Teaching in the content areas:

ATA doc.

E.L.L.STUDENT E.L.L. STUDENT

http://www.teachers.ab.ca/Professional%20Development/Specialist%20Councils/Special%20Projects/Pages/Index.aspx

Graphic by Ray Campbell

Wiki - Entry

http://erlcdpl.wikispaces.com/message/list/Getting+Started+in+ESL+-+Intake+Strategies

Type in one “aha” or question

Thank You!

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Join us for a session on Differentiation for ELLs by Carla Fisher on March 2, 2010