THEORY & PRACTICE of Educating English Language Learners
Elizabeth Cahill, Nicole Bishop, & Francesca DeCeasar
Which method? Bilingual vs. English-only instruction
Politics plays role○ Influences research and funding
Research Either justifies or repudiates existing
research Focuses on “which method” question In first decade of Title VII (’68-’78),
$500m spent on bilingual programs, but 0.5% was spent on research
AIR AIR (American Institute for Research)
study8,200 children across country in 38 districts$1m spentNo difference found between two methods
(bilingual vs. English-only)○ no controlled environment=problem○ a little less than 6 months (short)
Standards of Success Saying there is no difference between
methods based on research is not trueShows that there is no major impact on
learning English even when using other language
Role of Theory When conducting research, most focus
on “what”, not “why” (evaluation research)
Basic research: compares factors (answers “why”)The results can be appliedSmall-scale, focused
Baker-de Kanter Report Both in Office of Planning and Budget
Also directed AIR study Asked: Is Transitional Bilingual Ed. effective?
Other alternatives?Again, does not go into “why”
○ No features discussed Looked at over 300 studies, all but 28 thrown out
Primarily cited one Again, the results were not consistent
Called for an all-English approach (to test it)
Critiquing the Critics Results got to the media, even though
government didn’t back it. Some saw that report was one-sided
Ann Willig used the “effect sizes technique”○ 28 children in one study vs. 2,000
In Baker report, they would both be thrown outShe saw that the latter study is more reliable
○ She found bilingual education was more beneficialGovernment said her report was invalid
Rossell and Baker Same Baker Results were mostly inconclusive,
Transitional Bilingual Education being effective 22% of time
Problemsmost articles used not peer-reviewedFocus on Canada (French ed.)Excluded relevant research
Greene Same results as Willig
Different research was examined Bilingual Ed. More effective as material
becomes more rigorous.
Approaches to Teaching a New Language
19th century: grammar-transition approachOral language not emphasized
Audiolingual method: focus on speech habitsRepetitionWhat we use today
Chomsky’s theory: language is creativeWe have a language acquisition device as
humans
Other theories Comprehensible input: message in
another language makes sense, but is slightly above the ability of the listenerConnected to Chomsky
Affective filter: factors that interrupt language acquisition
Connections between 1st and 2nd Languages
Common underlying proficiency: proficiency in one language helps one learn another
BICS/CALP Basic interpersonal & communication
skills“playground English”
Cognitive-academic language proficiency“classroom English”
Origins of French Immersion In the early 1960’s, many parents from St. Lambert,
Montreal began meeting to discuss their frustrations over the linguistic and cultural segregation of their community.
Although the country was bilingual most individuals were not.
French speakers were more likely to speak English than vice versa.
The Anglophone members of the community believed it was important for their children to become fluent in French, but the public schools were doing a poor job at cultivating bilingualism.
In 1965 the parents pressed the Protestant school board to try a new approach; the board agreed on an experiment in French immersion.
Goals were:To provide the participating children with functional
competence in both written and spoken aspects of FrenchTo promote and maintain normal levels of English
language developmentTo ensure achievement in academic subjects
commensurate with students academic ability and grade level
To instill in the students an understanding and appreciation of French Canadians, their language, and culture without detracting in any way from the student's identity with and appreciation for English- Canadian culture.
Early Total Immersion Model 26 English-speaking kindergarteners entered a school
program entirely in French. The program designers allowed students to use English to
ask questions in class until the end of first grade. To minimize anxiety instructors avoided over correcting. The curriculum placed an emphasis on teaching without
making the children conscious of their performance. By the end of elementary school children achieved native
like levels of receptive aspects of the language, listening skills and reading skills.
Speaking and writing skills were a little less. Academic success remained the same. By 2001 324,000 English background students were
enrolled in this program.
Immersion for Linguistic Minorities No English immersion programs in Canada
for French speaking students. The approach is only appropriate for
language majority children. To substitute immersion for bilingual
education is dangerous because it is not the most effective way to educate a child.
The St. Lambert curriculum was effective because it provided comprehensible second language input in a low anxiety environment.
Time on Task Practice makes perfect The more English students hear, the
more they will learn. English is best learned by using it a lot
throughout the school day.
Ramirez Report Released in 1991. Compares early- exit bilingual education, immersion
strategies and late-exit bilingual education. Conducted in English with the students’ native
languages used on an informal basis. Study showed that students in bilingual classrooms
were out preforming their peers in immersion classrooms.
Results: showed minor differences in achievement for students in immersions and early exit education, and students in late exit education excelled.
De Facto Bilingual Education Says that children who get a good start
in school before immigrating have already begun to develop both literacy skills and subject matter knowledge through their first language.
Students in bilingual education are slower to acquire English than those who receive only ESL.
Students with higher SES scored higher
Thomas- Collier Study Worked in close collaboration with school
district staff to evaluate programs already in place.
Found that English language learners who receive two way or developmental bilingual education in elementary school surpassed the 50th percentile in English reading by the 11th grade.
Students who received ESL pullout or immersion fell between the 11th and 32nd percentile by grade 11.
Case Studies in Bilingual Education The project was designed to bridge the gap between
educational research and program practices. A new curriculum was developed and new teachers
were trained. They chose 5 schools with large concentrations of LEP
students whose native language was Spanish. The students all new limited English, lived in poverty
and had chronic underachievement. The test scores were among the lowest in California. After 5 years of this study, the median scores of the
3,500 students were well above district norms in English reading, writing and mathematics.
Gradual Exit Model From kindergarten to grade 4 students
receive instruction in ESL while other subjects are taught in their native language.
Teachers are trained to resist the societal pressures of completely transitioning students; to all English instruction.
Curriculum Design Students were grouped not by grade but by language
proficiency in both English and Spanish. Progress was determined by an oral examination. Phase 1- Lasted 2 years. It began with Spanish language
instruction with doses of English provided through ESL. Phase 2- Grades 2 and 3. Spanish continues is language
arts and social studies but now students receive sheltered English classes in math and science.
Phase 3- Grades 3 and 4. students receive some instruction in English language arts and social studies becomes an English subject.
Phase 4- The transition to English instruction is complete.
Outcomes By the end of the Case Studies 3rd year, the
funding was terminated. By that time 60% of the students in grades 2-6
who entered the program in kindergarten were scoring at or above California norms in math.
52% of 2nd graders, 72% of 3rd graders, and 91% of 4th graders had achieved oral; English proficiency
All the schools that were involved scores climb well above average.
Today at least 21 schools are known to be using this program.
Indian Language Education There are about 175 indigenous languages spoken in
the U.S. Fewer than one-quarter of them are being learned by
children. Many of the languages are becoming moribund, or
destined to die in the near future. Although many children are not learning the language,
they do not have much exposure to standard English. They usually learn a nonstandard dialect or American
Indian English.
Due to their lack of exposure, many of them face the same problems as other LEP students, they are just less obvious.
One problem with Native Americans and other minorities is that they fail to develop literacy in English or their native language.
In 1990 Congress passed the Native American Languages Act, which stressed the governments responsibility to work with Native Americans to ensure the survival of their languages.
In 1994 Congress amended the Bilingual Education Act to make programs seeking to conserve Native American languages.
Three approaches have been introduced to help preserve endangered languages.
The first is a foreign language model, which is teaching Native American languages to students who have no exposure to them.
The second is two-way bilingual education, where English-speaking students learn a second language, while LEP students learn English.
The third is early immersion, where children have to be exposed to the endangered language early and sheltered from the dominant one.
Two-way bilingualism
Many Americans only speak English. In most other countries people know at least 2
languages, usually English as one. Two-way bilingualism is taught in English and
another language throughout the day. This is for ELLs and English proficient students. A 2003 directory identified 271 two-way bilingual
immersion programs in 24 states. In 94% of them they used English and Spanish.
Two-way bilingualism involves:Integration- Language- minority and language- majority
students are integrated for at least 50% of instructional time.Instruction- Content and literacy instruction in both languages
is provided to all students.Population- Within the program, there is a balance of
language- majority and language- minority students.
• Another approach is two-way partial immersion, where the languages of instruction are equally balanced from the outset.
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