Welcome to the Fall 2016 Language Support Mentorship Workshops!
Workshop Agenda ● Ice Breaker ○ Find someone who / ball toss
● Sharing of LS “best practices” ○ Modeling of strategies
● Sharing of Language Support resources ● Group discussion
LS Terminology EFL: English as a Foreign Language ELL: English Language Learner ESL: English as a Second Language L1: an individual’s first language/mother tongue L2: an individual’s second language LS: “Language Support;” Parsons’ term for courses that specifically help cultivate students’ English language abilities Metalanguage: the terms we use to talk about language NNES: Non-Native English Speaker TESOL: Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
Evolution of a Parsons Instructor My Teaching Before TESOL Training
My Teaching After TESOL Training
Had never taken an education course before; based my teaching on how I was taught
Studied pedagogy and began to adapt my teaching to match my students’ learning styles and needs
Had some conflicting information on teaching international students
Gained exposure to best practices for teaching international students
Unsure how to get students to talk in class (the mystery of the universe with international students)
Learned to break up the lesson into activities that encourage student participation in more natural ways; learned to not take silence personally
Tried to answer all questions at one time
Began to leave “gaps� for students to fill in their own understanding and felt more comfortable with silence
Thought I was the best teacher in the world :)
Recognized there is always room for pedagogical growth and development; began to build my teaching toolkit with a wide array of skills
Language Support at Parsons 42% international students at Parsons
Cultural Considerations Key Questions: ○ Where are my students coming from? ○ In what ways can I work to increase my own knowledge and sensitivity of cultural issues? ○ What barriers to participation exist for my students? ○ How can I tweak my teaching practice to minimize barriers?
Cultivating a Positive Learning Environment ● Varying activities to re-energize participation ○ Ice breakers, pair/group work, flexibility
● Encouraging student agency ● Allowing time for student self-discovery ● Valuing students’ communication styles and acknowledging how these relate to their culture ○ Pacing & silences
Content Delivery ● Conduct a needs analysis first ● Scaffolding ○ Multi-modal delivery ○ Step-by-step instructions ○ Modeling (instructor first, then student-led)
● Re-casting and spiraling information ● Info-gap group activities ● “You be me” - student assumes the role of the instructor, either in a demo or critique
Multi-Modal Delivery: Use the Board
Engage students in multi-modal learning.
ESA Teaching Model ENGAGE: gain students’ attention and involve them emotionally STUDY: the focus is on the specific language/skill point and how it functions ACTIVATE: the use and practice of the specific language/skill point
ESA Teaching and the FOUR Communicative Skills READING WRITING SPEAKING LISTENING Each lesson should incorporate all four language focuses, asking students to engage these in a variety of informal and formal learning moments.
Vocabulary Development ● Recycle key terms throughout the lesson, unit, and semester ● Create opportunities for students to utilize vocab in writing and speaking events ○ Pronunciation practice ○ Canvas/Learning Portfolio posts ○ Follow-up with informal/formal assessment
● Class-generated vocab lists ○ Elicit connotations and definitions from students ○ Faculty’s hand-held whiteboard for discussions
Engaging a University Level Text/Skill ● ● ● ● ●
Provide specific pre-reading/making tasks Anticipate unknown vocabulary and cultural challenges Discuss the purpose of the text/skill Showing exemplar papers/projects Smaller tasks and check-ins for understanding
Leading a Full Class Discussion ● Free-write on specific questions first ● Activate students’ schema with an image ○ Elicit students’ interest/understanding/questions ● Offer guiding questions or have students write these ● Pair/group work preceding the discussion ○ Assign specific roles for each group member ○ Timed tasks to accomplish specific goals
Example Discussion Groups Josh, Rachel, + Christina
Group Roles:
Jeff, Claudia, + Somyee
● ● ● ● ● ●
Jerry, Patricia, + Leanne
Quote reader Idea Connector Interrogator Notetaker Summarizer Time keeper
Assessing Student Progress and Outcomes ● Sharing rubrics in advance ○ As a class determine the criteria and weight of importance ○ Maintain flexibility in assessments ○ Make sure the learning objective is clear ● Have students self-assess and articulate desired goals
Grading Rubric
Workshop Group Discussion ● This semester, what have been some of the most positive contributions your non-native English speakers have made to your class? ● What challenges have you had teaching classes with non-native speakers? ● Where do you feel you need more support?
The following slides contain additional
Language Support Resources
New School LS Resources CTE Program (upcoming info session November 10) New School Tuition Waiver Plan Jeanne Lambert's “Helping Students Develop Their Academic Voice" Presentation Jamie Kruse's Open Source LS Materials The New School's University Learning Center ● See the ULC’s resource pages for faculty and students The Provost’s Office Teaching & Learning Fall 16 Workshops
LS Book Resources Ben Goldstein’s Working with Images Jesse Day’s Line Color Form: The Language of Art and Design Luci Gutiérrez’s English is Not Easy: A Visual Guide to the Language Jeremy Harmer’s How to Teach English Jim Scrivener’s Classroom Management Techniques Taking College Seriously: Pedagogy Matters! Writing Analytically
LS Articles “What I Learned From My International Students” “Power of Words: Deficit Discourse and ELLs” “How to Encourage Foreign Students to Speak Up”