More Than Just Talk: Everyday English Language Teaching (Excerpt)

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Everyday English Language Teaching

C E NT E R F O R A F T ER S CH O O L AN D EXPAN DED L EAR N I NG FO U N DAT I O N S , I N C .

Revised & Expanded

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Claudia Weisburd, PhD Jennifer Kobrin, MEd Tamara Sniad, PhD Center for Afterschool and Expanded Learning Foundations, Inc.

Dedication For the immigrants, refugees, migrants, multilingual families, and all the children and young people in the US who have overcome extraordinary hurdles, and for the teachers, principals, afterschool workers, and other educators we’ve met across the country who work tirelessly as their advocates, teachers, and supporters.

Acknowledgements

Copyright Š 2007, 2012 by Foundations, Inc., Center for Afterschool and Expanded Learning All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the Center for Afterschool and Expanded Learning, Foundations, Inc., except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

Published by the Center for Afterschool and Expanded Learning, Foundations, Inc., Mt. Laurel, NJ.

Designed by Tina Cobar, Foundations, Inc.

The authors wish to thank Theresa Daly, who contributed to the revised and expanded edition of this Guide. Her many years of experience as an ESOL teacher and her passion for working with English learners were invaluable. In addition, we thank all of our dedicated and talented colleagues at Foundations, Inc. who contributed to this work.

Introduction................................................................................ 1 Chapter Overview............................................................................................. 4 Icons...................................................................................................................... 6 Part I: English Language Learning................................................ 7 Chapter 1: Language and Learning................................................................. 9 Chapter 2: Know and Show the Learning..................................................35 PART II: Activities and Projects .................................................. 41 Chapter 3: Creating Activities for Language Learning.............................43 Chapter 4: Talking the Talk: Listening and Speaking................................51 Activities: Listening and Speaking.............................................63

Chapter 5: Literacy in Play: Reading and Writing.....................................91 Activities: Reading and Writing..............................................109 Chapter 6: Academic Language: The Vocabularies of Math, Science, Social Studies, and English Language Arts.................................................129 Activities: Academic Language................................................137 Chapter 7: Committees, Clubs, and Projects..........................................167 Project Starters..........................................................................175 Part III: Get Going, Keep Going................................................. 185 Chapter 8: Planning for Action...................................................................187 Chapter 9: Families as Partners for Learning...........................................207 Chapter 10: Resources.................................................................................213

How many different languages do you hear in a day?

If you’re in a school almost anywhere in the United States, the answer is likely at least two. But it could be up to 100, with a mix of Asian, Southeast Asian, African, and Slavic languages and more, along with the expected varieties of Spanish. The United States is becoming ever more diverse. As a result, a rich array of languages and cultures is part of our daily lives.

Over 5 million children in the US are classified as English learners (ELs) and they are the fastest-growing segment of the school-age population. Children are considered EL if English is not their native language, or if they live in a home environment where the main language is other than English. Classification is typically based on home language surveys of parents, assessments by language teachers, and language proficiency tests.

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If you are reading this, it’s likely that you are working with children, youth, and families whose first or native language is other than English.

They may be immigrants, refugees, or native-born in the US, with different levels of English and native language skills. Some may be able to speak English a little, or even well, but struggle with reading or writing. Parents may be highly educated in their home language, or not at all, and may have a range of feelings about school and education. Children may be excellent students in their native language, but find it difficult to keep up with classes all in English, or to transition into US schools.

Across the US, classification terms vary by state. In this text, we largely use EL (English learner). Other common terms include:

• ELL (English Language Learner, refers to student) • LEP (Limited English Proficient, refers to student) • ESL (English as a Second Language, refers to teacher or subject) • ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages, refers to teacher or subject)

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You may be a classroom teacher or work in an afterschool program.

You may be a parent, summer camp counselor, tutor, or volunteer.

Whatever your role, you recognize that you can help children learn the English they need to succeed in school, through graduation, and into college and the work world. More Than Just Talk was created to help you make the most of your efforts.

Children learn language everywhere in the course of everyday life: talking with friends, family, teachers, and community members, watching television, browsing the Internet, cheering at a sports event, listening to music, going shopping, playing games, being part of a team, or reading a magazine, instruction manual, or cookbook. They pick up new words and phrases, update their slang, and learn specialized vocabularies around new skills, technologies, and knowledge areas. Whether learning their home language or a new, additional one, language develops through listening, talking, reading, and doing, in school, at home and in their wider communities. As children use English in a variety of settings, for different purposes, and in different ways, they solidify their foundations and reach even further, honing their communication and literacy skills. When children talk, it’s more: it’s language learning.

Use More Than Just Talk to: • Create language-rich activities targeting English learning at all levels • Better understand the basis of language learning • Learn more about techniques to support literacy • Build a supportive learning environment • Help parents support children’s learning at home Go further with tools and tips to: • Demonstrate and monitor student progress • Lead trainings for staff • Find articles and additional resources • Use committees, clubs, and projects to practice language skills

More Than Just Talk provides information, techniques, and activities for helping English learners and native speakers both to use, practice, and expand their English, with a focus on creating opportunities for natural and purposeful communication.

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Overview Part I: English Language Learning Chapter 1

Chapter 2

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Language and Learning lays the groundwork for understanding what language is, how it is learned, stages of language acquisition and development, and research into best practices for supporting ELs.

Part II: Activities and Projects Chapter 3

Creating Activities for Language Learning offers ideas for selecting, expanding, adapting, and creating your own language-rich activities and projects.

Chapter 4

Talking the Talk: Listening and Speaking keeps the communication growing, with targeted listening and speaking activities, techniques, and ideas for ratcheting up and down for different ages, abilities, and language levels.

Chapter 5

Literacy in Play: Reading and Writing shows how to use activities to develop, expand, and support literacy, along with group techniques to foster active, engaged reading and comprehension.

Know and Show the Learning provides a framework and tools for creating a Learning Portfolio. Use portfolios to help motivate learners, set goals, and demonstrate progress.

Part III: Get Going, Keep Going Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Academic Language: The Vocabularies of Math, Science, Social Studies, and English Language Arts offers activities, tips, and techniques for reinforcing and expanding academic vocabulary in the context of subjectmatter content.

Committees, Clubs, and Projects blends language skill, academic, and social development into longer-term, sustained projects, with tools and ideas for successful implementation.

Chapter 8

Planning for Action provides four detailed meeting plans to help staff put this Guide into action.

Chapter 9

Families as Partners for Learning presents strategies for strengthening relationships with parents, ideas for partnering with parents for children’s learning, and includes a detailed plan for a 60–90 minute parent meeting.

Chapter 10

Resources contains links to relevant articles, and references for useful books and websites.

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Go Further!

Customizable tools, checklists, and planners available on the CD

Family Involvement

Ideas to help parents support language learning at home

Language Twist

The funny side of English, from the thousands you can find on the web

Did You Know?

Best practices, research, and where to learn more

Literacy

Tips for reading and writing

Notes

Places to jot down ideas and reflections 6

Look!

On the CD Use the CD to

• Print starter materials for activities • Print directions for students to use on their own

• Create new materials customized to your learners • Customize tools, checklists, and planners

1 Language: Learned Communication Language is about communication—sharing by using words. It’s uniquely human, allowing us to express a huge range of feelings, ideas, thoughts, and questions. It helps us express the difference, for example, between feeling polite and being in love. It helps us explore, learn, and connect with others on increasingly complex levels. Learning is deepened through language as we acquire vocabularies for concepts and specializations, like Astronomy, Mathematics, Biology, Philosophy, Sociology, or Chemistry. It helps us express more complicated thoughts, getting beyond the “I want” level of basic needs. When people have multiple languages, they have even more ways to connect with the world. Even being able to say “hello” in different languages helps us come together as people.

Though we’re programmed for language in our genes, the use of language is learned within social and cultural contexts, bound up with experience, worldviews, beliefs, and values. When we use a language we know well, we choose our words precisely to get the effects we want. As listeners, we can usually discern the difference between a sincere invitation and one that is merely polite; we can pick up on verbal cues when someone is trying to end a conversation. But we don’t usually think about putting sounds together to make words, or the fundamental order.

You just know in English, it’s “she drank iced tea,” not “drank she tea iced.” Or you just know automatically that the “s” in “trees” sounds like “z.” But “just knows” and “automatically” come from learning. When and how does that learning happen?

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Answers: 1) More than 2,700 2) Mandarin, a type of Chinese. English is second. 3) Only about 1% 4) About 3,000 5) The mid 1500’s 6) Okay 7) Month, silver, purple, diamond 8) Screeched 9) Arabic, Chinese (Mandarin), English, French, Russian, Spanish 10) e = most, q = least

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Language Twist: What Do You Think?

1) How many languages are spoken in the world today?

2) What is the most widely spoken language?

3) English has more than one million words, more than any other language. What percent does the average English speaker actually use?

4) How many words do native English-speaking children know when entering kindergarten?

5) Around when do most scholars believe that modern English was first spoken?

6) What was the first word spoken on the moon?

7) No English word rhymes with orange. Can you think of four more words where this is also true?

8) What is the longest one-syllable word in the English language?

9) What are the official languages of the United Nations?

10) What are the most used and least used letters in the English language?

What is language?

Language is a code, or a system, for communication.

Speaking, listening, reading, and writing are ways we use the code to share meaning with others. When a group uses the same code, it becomes that group’s language. Spanish is a particular code; English is another.

Each language has rules about: • How sounds are put together to create words.

• How new words are made, such as “friend, friendly, unfriendly.”

• How words are put together to make sentences: “Peg walked to the new store,” not “to Peg walked store new the.”

• Social norms: when to use what kind of language with whom, for example, or understanding “between the lines.” If your guest said, “It’s cold in here,” you’d turn up the heat. If someone said that to you in line at the grocery store, you’d carry on with small talk.

Knowing a language means knowing the sounds, words, and sentence structures, and how to use it all socially, to communicate. Non-verbal communication, such as gestures and facial expressions, are not language, but form part of communication. As children, we pick up the rules through trial and error, repetition, and constant feedback, right along with learning to speak and navigate in the world.

That’s what makes it automatic, something we “just know” without being able to explain why we say things one way instead of another. We use the rules because we’ve learned that’s how we best make ourselves understood.

Children and adults learning a new, additional language, however, are often more aware of the rules than are native speakers. To learn, they listen for patterns with greater attention, so they can duplicate them. This is why the more of the new language a learner can hear, especially at levels they can begin to understand, the better—it helps them pick up the rules and make them automatic. It’s also why, for English learners, all that talking is much more than just talk.

Language and Literacy: Related, Not the Same Literacy is about reading and writing. You need language to be literate, but you don’t need to be literate to speak and understand a language.

Consider: • Children learn to talk in their first language before they learn to read and write.

• Languages exist around the world without writing systems.

• Many of us know English speaking children, young people, and adults who may struggle with reading, but are great at telling jokes and stories.

Literacy is not a requirement for learning and knowing a language; reading and writing are separate, additional skills. We want all the children and young people in our schools and programs to read and write in English so they’ll 11

do well in school and beyond. But to build reading and writing, children need to learn the language so they have a foundation to build upon. Strong evidence tells us that when learners can read and write in their native

language, English reading and writing can develop faster. But if children have limited reading skills in their native language, they typically need a solid working knowledge of English before they tackle literacy.

Language Twist: Opposites What’s the rule for making a word into its opposite? Don’t know? If English is your first language, you probably “just know” how.

Try it: Add either “in,” “il,” “im,” or “ir” to the following words to make them mean the opposite. For example, correct becomes incorrect, or perfect becomes imperfect. ___complete

___accurate

___moral

___regular

___legal

___valid

___perfect

___sincere

___patient

___responsible

___logical

___possible

Can you come up with a rule now?

Answer : “im” before m & p , “il” before l, “ir” before “r,” “in” before the rest.

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Learning Languages Learning a second (or third, or fourth) language has some similarities to learning one’s first, or native, language, but there are important differences, as well.

First language learning If you’ve been around a child learning to talk, you know it happens little by little. Babies hear and listen for months, and understand before they can speak. After about a year of listening, they start babbling, trying out sounds to imitate what they hear. Then single words start coming, starting with simple sound combinations, like mama and dada, then one-syllable words like dog. Then two words—“daddy up”— then a few at a time—“mommy cookie, doggie home.” By this time, frustrations can mount—children unable to make themselves understood, parents trying desperately to figure out what their child is crying about. A child’s comprehension is still well ahead of his or her ability to speak and use language to communicate effectively.

Did You Know: The Wug Test A famous study called “The Wug Test” demonstrated that children learn language by forming patterns based on what they hear, rather than just copying or mimicking. In the 1958 study, a child was shown a made-up creature, with the researcher saying, “This is a wug.” The researcher presented another similar creature, and said: “If I have two, I will have two...?” Children in first grade and younger were able to correctly answer the question: “Two wugs.”

Even though they had never seen a “wug” before, they applied the pattern of adding an “s” to make the plural noun. Some children completed more advanced patterns, as well, such as “a man who zibs is a zibman or a zibber.” The study also helped to prove that first languages are learned sequentially, with certain language forms learned before others.

The Wug Test was created by Jean Berko Gleason.

For more information, see: The Child’s Learning of English Morphology, Word, 1958.

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As full sentences and vocabularies emerge, communication gets easier. Children go to school, expanding all kinds of language skills, even adding words you may not know (or want them to use!). Through school, friends, TV, music, and varied communities, children and youth continue to build vocabularies and more complex forms of expression, from poetry and rap to school language, to their agegroup identity language, to the language of technology and the wider world from politics, to world cultures, to languages of spiritual traditions. Children differ in when and for how long they go through the stages of language development, but under most circumstances, they all follow the same path.

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A key point about first language learning is that the learning is social. It happens in families, through culture and mass communications, through institutions. It develops in phases in communication with others. It is learned in actual use and practice. This is why it is so important for parents to talk a lot to their babies, and to fill young children’s lives with language. Babytalk really does help babies learn. And those endless questions young children ask and repeat? They’re all building language skills.

Academic language Most language use occurs in informal settings—playing and hanging out with friends and family, mealtimes, watching TV or browsing the Web, and participating in events and activities. The talk tends to be about immediate actions, events, and feelings, and about people everyone knows.

When it’s face-to-face, gestures, body language, and facial expressions add to the communication; we use slang and abbreviations like LOL. This informal language still reflects gradations of formality. When children speak with adults with whom they have different relationships—such as family versus store clerks, or parents versus grandparents— they learn to use language with subtle differences, and that differs, in turn, from the words and phrasing they use with friends.

Informal, interpersonal communication differs from academic language in important ways. Though the core grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary are the same as conversational language, more complex and specialized vocabularies and grammar are needed to participate in classroom work, to read and discuss non-fiction work, textbooks, and diverse literature, and to understand and

express more abstract concepts. Skill and confidence with academic English are necessary for success in most US schools.

Consider, for example, processes such as “compare,” “summarize,” “explain,” “contrast,” “debate,” “justify,” or “argue.” While we do many of these things on a daily basis using informal, conversational language, we don’t usually name them explicitly, as “I will now summarize the movie plot, identify the main characters, and present the rationale for their actions.” Success with academic language requires mastery of terminology and expanded vocabularies related to particular concepts and ideas, along with nuanced grammar.

Students must master ranges of conversational English, and at the same time, build on that base to develop academic English. Too often, ELs miss this dimension of language learning, becoming proficient conversationally, but falling behind academically. They may function in English perfectly well for day-to-day life, but in school, their weakness in academic English results in remaining

designated as EL long-term. Adults or peers may also assume ELs are fully proficient in English because of their ease with conversation, not realizing they are still mastering academic language. In classrooms, afterschool programs, and at home, adults should make an effort to deliberately expand vocabulary and reinforce development of academic language skills.

Second language learning Like learning your first language, learning a second also happens in stages, regardless of the learner’s age, education, or language background. Beginners start with and need a lot of listening. When they start speaking, they often rely on what they know in their first language. It’s not uncommon to hear second language learners switch in words from their home language, or use the sentence structure or grammar of their first language. It happens less as learners become more fluent in the new language, but multi-lingual people often find some words, phrases, or ideas seem to simply “work better” in one language than another.

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Depending on how they’re learning (immersion and learning naturally in daily life, classes, books, on the web, etc.), second language learners also usually start with a word or two, then short phrases, then move to more complex structures and vocabularies. Listening, understanding, and speaking usually progress ahead of reading and writing, but phases and stages happen in

different areas of language differently. Someone can be more advanced in understanding their friends and casual conversation than they are in understanding classroom information. They may be able to speak to friends easily, but become tongue-tied talking in class. Some can read, but struggle understanding native-speed speech. Learners vary greatly in how long they need at each stage.

Did You Know: Pronunciation Carryovers Pronunciation, which relies on the ease of using particular muscles to make certain sounds, is part of learning a language. Languages do not all have the same basic sounds. When learning a second language, learners draw on their patterns of muscle use and reservoir of native language sounds.

Spanish speakers often have trouble telling the difference between certain vowel sounds. Because “i” is pronounced “ee” in Spanish, for example, native Spanish speakers can have a hard time with the difference between the “e” in “sheet” and the “i” in “bit.”

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Pronouncing “l” and “th” can be difficult for native speakers of languages that don’t use these sounds. Japanese native speakers tend to switch the “l” for an “r” (“quickry” instead of “quickly”); French speakers replace “th” with “z” (“fahzer” instead of “father”).

Always model correct pronunciation for ELs. But remember how hard it is to create new muscle patterns and how foolish you can feel as you struggle! It can be helpful sometimes to point out specifically where the tongue goes or how the lips are shaped to get the sound.

For convenience and convention we refer to “second language” learning, while recognizing that people acquire third, fourth, or more languages. Here, “second language,” while not always accurate, is meant to refer to “a new language,” and more specifically, learning English as an additional language needed for daily life.

Remember, stages of second language development have nothing to do with the age of the learner. It can be challenging to match the language level with the age and interests of learners. You can’t give baby books in English to a high school student, for example, even if he or she is a beginner in English—unless it’s to read it to a child.

language learners want to learn faster than they learned their first language! See “Stages and Supports” (pages 18–21) to see what to expect and how to support and extend at different points. It’s also helpful to think about your own language learning, whether it’s in one language, two, or several.

Go Further!

Use the Language Portrait to think about your own language skills and language development

Like first languages, second language learning takes time and the support of others. As an educator, it’s important to have a sense of what to expect at each stage so you can help build learners’ confidence, skills, and progress. Second

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Stages and Supports What’s going on

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Pre-production

Early production

Speech emergence

Intermediate fluency

Advanced fluency

Before speaking, learners listen a lot. Eventually they will speak. Though they’re not yet speaking (it’s sometimes called the “silent period”) learners are building awareness of sounds and patterns, and increasing comprehension.

Learners understand more than they can say, and speak with a couple of words and short phrases. Support and encouragement are critical at this phase, as learners learn through trial and error and lots of mistakes.

Repeat back, respond, and expand rather than overcorrect.

Comprehension and vocabulary are building.

Learners use sentences, and string phrases and sentences together.

Introduce increasing amounts of academic vocabulary, keep expanding vocabulary with variations and synonyms, continue modeling, and correct only minimally.

Learners understand and speak well enough to meet daily communication needs, functions, and expression, and to carry on conversations. Academic English is developing, but learners still need support to participate fully and successfully in subject-area classes. They may still rely on their native language to learn English and subjectmatter content.

Students are comfortable communicating in a variety of informal and academic settings, fluency approaches that of native speakers, and grammar skills may exceed those of native speakers. Pronunciation, some academic vocabulary, idiomatic expressions, and culturally-bound terms or concepts may still be stumbling blocks.

Teacher/ peer support

Pre-production

Early production

Speech emergence

Intermediate fluency

Advanced fluency

• LOTS of teacher and peer talk • Use lots of images and objects (good for all levels!)

• Ask “yes/no,” “who,” and “where is/are” questions • Give simple instructions that only require one step, like “close door” • Play games like Simon Says or Hide the Fly

• Teachers, staff, and peers should do MOST of the talking • Model, speak slowly, and be patient and encouraging (give “wait time” at all levels) • Use simple sentences learners can fill in, such as “I feel __today.”

• Ask two-word questions: “what is”, “how many” and “what color” • Play games and activities like What Is It? Bingo! or Memory Match

• Start to expect more, and talk only about HALF the time • Preteach key words and phrases with lots of vocabulary stretching • Ask questions to trigger more complex responses, such as “how” and “why” and asking for explanations • Provide bilingual dictionaries • Use activities like Where Do We Meet? Twins Out There, and Slides.

• Hold back; encourage • Learners should do most learners to do most of of the talking the talking • Introduce as much • Explain idioms, adages, academic vocabulary and social norms as possible • Begin to correct more • Use activities such as nuanced language Popcorn Reviews, It’s a forms that may not Dilemma, Jigsaw Stories directly affect basic comprehension, such as verb tenses • Use activities like Round Robin Story, Picture Pass, Mix and Match Ups • Form groups to carry out longer-term projects or assignments

Go Further!

Use the modifiable version of the Stages and Supports chart to adapt this resource based on your school or district’s designations for the stages of language acquisition.

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Stages and Supports (continued) Learners Pre-production can: Speaking • Show comprehension

by responding to simple questions with pointing, gestures, nodding yes or indicating no • Repeat short words after a speaker

Listening • Understand simple who/

where questions • Listen to key vocabulary words and point to corresponding objects or photos • Follow simple directions

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Early production

Speech emergence

Intermediate fluency

Advanced fluency

• Respond to and ask questions using one or two words • Provide words to complete simple statements or sentence starters (“I am ____ (happy/sad/mad) today”) • Sing, participate in word chants, rhymes, or poems in a group

• Use several sentences to answer questions • Communicate for everyday needs, and begin to explain events, express thoughts, and offer opinions and ideas simply, in ways that will be understood, despite mistakes • Repeat a dialogue • Interview friends • Describe experiences

• Summarize stories verbally • Make oral presentations independently and as part of a team • Express opinions, thoughts, and explain abstract concepts such as “irony” • Use complex sentences and more advanced vocabulary • Explain and define terms, present conclusions, make predictions

• Use most idiomatic expressions and verb phrases • Negotiate varied social and academic settings • Conduct research • Debate and make persuasive arguments about abstract concepts

• Listen to a short sequence of events, then sort pictures of the events accordingly • Point to a picture and say the word • Group by similarities and differences • Guess the meaning of a word or phrase with cues and help

• Understand full sentences • Understand more complex • Follow complex, multiand directions sentences, extended talk step instructions • Understand explanations and short lectures with • Understand academic or and definitions of academic context, slang, idioms, technical language vocabulary and other new and figurative expressions words • Guess at meaning and • Guess the meaning of words make meaning from or phrases from context context • Listen, then fill in the • Understand different blanks to a sentence or accents and pronunciation story

Learners can: Reading

Writing

Pre-production

Early production

Speech emergence

Intermediate fluency

• Hear a word and point to it in written form • Complete simple “fill in the blank” exercises when given a word and a corresponding picture (such as simple “emotion” words and pictures of happy, sad, cry, etc.)

• Underline key words or phrases • Sort words into categories • Group written words by similarities and differences

• Match words to • Read complete stories • Read full-length passages definitions or academic texts with and books with very • Read short stories and some support, such limited or no support academic texts with as discussion, graphic • Analyze written text support or preteaching organizers, concept maps, of new vocabulary and K-W-L charts • Understand passages of • Find, read, and explain longer texts, and use material on the Internet text features and graphic organizers to help comprehension

• Copy words or sentences • Understand basic writing mechanics

• List words in categories • Complete short “fill in the blank” exercises

• Respond to questions with written sentences and paragraphs • Conduct interviews and write responses • Write responses to questions about texts • List ideas following a pre-writing or brainstorming activity • Complete “fill-in” activities • Take notes while listening • Write or copy assignments, directions, or instructions

• Write a basic academic essay, paragraphs, and more extended pieces • Summarize, present conclusions, write short explanations • Answer more complex questions in writing • Write for different purposes, using different styles

Advanced fluency

• Write full length academic texts, though grammatical errors may still appear

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Language and Learning: Coming Together Now that you have a sense of what language is and how it’s learned, you can see more readily how to create and maintain positive, learning-rich environments and opportunities for ELs—and for all children and youth.

Language can be learned in all contexts and supported by everyone. Why? Because everyone can create the conditions that help learning happen.

Language is learned best…

What do you see and hear in a language-rich space?

Whether it’s a formal instructional setting in school, or in an informal learning setting such as an afterschool or summer program, the sights and sounds of language-inuse are there: Children playing word or language games, talking with friends and adults, working on team projects, learning new skills, connecting with their communities, and participating in music, sports, arts, dance or other activities.

Good language learning environments are active, learnercentered, full of reasons to talk and share information, and full of motivation to use English. They are also child- and youth-oriented, supporting positive development with caring adults helping children build the thinking, social, and emotional skills and habits of mind that will help them succeed throughout life.

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…in a relaxed, warm, and encouraging place where learners can safely take risks trying out new language—this trial and error, self correction, and practice is essential for learning and improvement. …in a place where the project, activity, talent area, show, exhibit, and children’s work are center stage, not the language learning itself, but through avenues like these where there are real, interesting, and motivating reasons to use English. …when settings are full of varied, natural communication opportunities with peers and adults in different roles, where learners use English in meaningful ways for different purposes, sharing thoughts, discussing ideas, and problem-solving. …in an environment where being multilingual is a strength, not a disadvantage, and where intercultural learning and communication can flourish.

Make it real: create a language learning environment Creating a learning-rich environment for ELs and all children and youth calls for: • Knowing your language learners and the challenges and opportunities they face • Understanding the policies, assessments, and supports that are in place for language learners in school, afterschool, and beyond • Being deliberate in creating a supportive learning culture and environment • Staying informed with the latest research and best practices

Go Further!

Use the Language Learning Environment Checklist and Planner to review, reinforce, and build strategies

Each of these is discussed in more detail, on the following pages.

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Listening and Speaking Learners need to talk and listen as much as they can, in a variety of different situations. Don’t push, but DO encourage. The more you can just plain talk with your EL young people—and encourage them to talk with you and each other—the better. Learners need to hear language in use to gain a deep sense of sounds and pronunciation, and to figure out meanings, which in turn supports vocabulary expansion. They need to have low-risk opportunities to try out what they know, and test what they are learning, in meaningful conversations.

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language-rich projects and activities also helps them build relationships with native-speaking peers and adults, leading to even more ongoing exposure to the language.

Set up real-life tasks, projects and activities, ask lots of questions, trigger lots of questions from the learner to you, and get into discussions. Language learners can be afraid to make mistakes, especially in front of the teacher, so it’s important to create an environment where kids feel comfortable to speak out. Choose small groups over individual presentations or share-outs, especially at first.

Research shows that when children and young people are encouraged to listen and speak in a supportive setting, they are more likely to experiment with increasingly complex forms of English. Giving language learners time, space, and 51

Get and Keep Them Communicating When kids are involved in an activity or conversation they enjoy, they’re motivated by what’s going on, so they readily talk, listen carefully, and try new language. To keep communication flowing: Focus on meaning. Use gestures, facial expressions, and different ways of saying things to get your meaning across and to show that you understand what is being said to you.

Give learners time to finish what they’re saying.

Language learners need to think through what they want to say. Filling in words for them can make them feel rushed and nervous about speaking. Let learners know you’re interested, and that you care enough to wait!

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Probe for more information. Ask follow-up questions if you get one- or two-word responses and you think the student can do more. For example “How was school today?” can be followed up with, “What was the best thing that happened?”, “What did you have for lunch?” or “What did you do in science class?”

Choose engaging, language-level appropriate activities. Choose activities that match students’ ages and language level. Even though a teen may be a beginner in English, he or she still needs material relevant to adolescents.

Set up groupings to stimulate talking and listening. Working on activities and projects in mixed groups encourages children to verbalize their thinking, give explanations and reasons, and listen to the reasoning of others, while simultaneously building language, critical thinking, and teamwork skills.

Remember: • Know that comprehension is sometimes “faked” to be cooperative and pleasant or to avoid embarrassment.

Simple follow-up questions, for example, “can you explain the directions in your own words?” can be useful to check comprehension.

• Speak clearly and in a normal tone of voice. Louder is not clearer!

Did You Know: Oral Language and Literacy Skills Encouraging language learners to listen and speak builds communication skills, and develops a strong base for literacy. The more you can promote talking and expand academic English oral skills, the better. As learners say, use, and hear words more, across speakers and settings, the more readily they recognize and can use words in written form, leading to better reading comprehension and better writing.

Notes:______________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________ _________________________________

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Spotlight on Speaking Skills In day-to-day life and conversation, children and young people are talking because they have something to say, and a desire to be 100% accurate is secondary. Language learners should be given some time and space to speak freely, without being corrected. On the other hand, sometimes conversation and speaking is about deliberate teaching and learning, and the right kind of correction can be welcome and helpful. Be aware of the situation, context, and your communication style with learners. Realize that your attitude, responses, and body language can all help send the message of “Yes, I care about you, please keep talking.”

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Expect mistakes. Even native speakers make them! Try hard to understand what the young person is trying to say, and give time for learners to find the words and phrases. Encourage more talking for the purpose of better understanding. During “pull-out” sessions or in English classes, correction can focus on particular skills at different times. In content area classes, correction can be used sparingly, in targeted ways. Especially with beginners, you might choose one or two things to correct, and let the

rest go. In group activities, if several students are making the same mistake, take the opportunity for a general, rather than individual, correction. See Communication and Correction on page 55 for ideas.

Remember: the more learners feel safe to use and practice English, the faster their skills will develop.

Goals of speaking include being able to: • Share and request information • Ask for and provide clarification • Offer and respond to greetings, compliments, invitations, introductions, and farewells • Express opinions, feelings, and ideas • Defend and argue a position • Give appropriate feedback and make recommendations • Make a spoken presentation to a group • Persuade, predict, negotiate, evaluate, and justify • Identify and use formal and informal speech

Communication and Correction When correcting students, use techniques that encourage communication, focus on the specific error, and minimize embarrassment, such as the techniques below. When giving corrections, it’s helpful to pause and slowly stress what’s being corrected, as in the italicized words and phrases.

Say again with correct form

Ask for clarification

Direct correction with explanation

What you do

Slowly repeat the sentence or phrase, replacing the error with the correct form. Avoid repeating back the entire sentence if it’s long, instead isolating the part with the error.

In some cases, more than one correction may be possible. Ask the student to clarify, offering suggestions where appropriate. For example, “Did you mean X or Y…?”

Repeat the student’s exact sentence or phrase, then substitute the correct form. Make sure to have the student repeat the correct form back to you.

Examples

Young Person: I went to class but today the teacher was no here.

Young Person: He see movie Saturday.

Young Person: I go to store yesterday.

Adult: Do you mean he saw a movie last Saturday or he is going to see a movie next Saturday?

Adult: It’s not, I go to store yesterday. It’s I went to the store yesterday. Now you try.

Young Person: He is going to see a movie Saturday.

Adult: Great. What did you buy?

Adult: I see...Today the teacher was not here.

Why was the teacher not here?

OR Young Person: Yesterday my mom bought three shirts red.

Young Person: I went to store yesterday.

Adult: Sounds like fun. What movie is he Adult: Yesterday mom bought three red shirts. going to see?

Where did mom buy the three red shirts?

When to use

Great for when you are working with many students at the same time and want to avoid embarrassment. Modeling with rephrasing or rewording is a subtle form of correction, and should be part of everyone’s daily repertoire.

Ideal for when you genuinely do not understand what the student is trying to say.

Make sure the student replies with the correct form, instead of moving on to another topic or ignoring the question.

If a learner continues to make the same mistake after repeated modeling, and it seems appropriate or important, you may wish to take the student aside, or address the entire group to avoid singling anyone out.

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Spotlight on Listening Skills There’s a lot of guessing in learning a new language. A learner hears a few key words, then guesses the likely meaning. Pointing, miming, facial expressions, the setting, pictures, objects, examples—these context cues all help learners guess meanings and keep up with understanding what’s being said. Especially for beginners, listening to a new language is tiring! Give breaks. In addition, be aware of the level of vocabulary you are using. Slang is especially difficult for beginners, as are idioms.

Help with listening skills involves the material—what is being listened to—and creating a context so the learner has a general idea of what is going on. Along with material and context, think ahead about how to help make the material understandable. Sometimes it helps to clarify the target purpose so the learner knows what to listen for. For example, you might say “You’re going to hear a story about a busy little monkey who gets into trouble. Listen for how the monkey feels.” A more advanced learner can be told to write each feeling he or she hears mentioned in the story.

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Listen hard to understand what your learners are saying, just as learners are listening hard to understand you.

Remember the goal is NOT “no accent;” it’s to use English effectively for substantial and varied communication.

Goals of listening include being able to: • Understand the pronunciation of native and non-native English speakers • Understand the main ideas of what is being said, then understand more detail • Understand native speech at normal speed • Hear and understand grammar structures, such as past, present, and future • Understand and follow spoken directions • Use context clues to get meaning • Understand slang and idiomatic expressions and usages • Recognize irony, sarcasm, and humor in a variety of contexts

Language Twist: Pronunciation Think about the many different accents of English, even among native speakers within the US. Globally, there’s even greater variation in English pronunciation, which American English speakers often find “charming.” What do you see as the difference between “accent” and “mispronunciation?”

Speaking—pronouncing—involves muscles. Anyone who’s tried new exercises at the gym knows that training muscles takes time, and some muscles just refuse to learn new moves! Be sensitive to your learner’s goal around pronunciation. It takes real courage to risk making a fool of yourself by struggling to use new muscles and make what feels like funny faces. Be realistic, and reassuring.

Go Further!

Use Listening and Speaking Strategies to reflect on what you are already doing to keep communication flowing, and think about what else might help.

Notes:_______________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________________ 57

Listening and Speaking Beginner activities call for simple short responses.

• Simon Says…More! .............................................. 65 • Hide the Fly ..........................................................67 • What Is It? .............................................................69 • Describe and Draw ................................................ 72 • Brainstorm Bingo ...................................................74

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Go Further Use the CD to

• Fill in Plan and Review forms for each activity to record: • Language learning goals • Notes of what you did • Participant responses • Adaptations tried or to try

More advanced activities demand longer, more complex responses and vocabulary.

• Where Do We Meet? ..............................................76 • Breaking the Ice ....................................................78 • Popcorn Reviews ....................................................81 • It’s a Dilemma ...................................................... 84 • Twins Out There ................................................... 87 All activities include suggestions to ratchet it down or up to adapt to different levels and ages.

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Beginner

Describe and Draw

You talk, I draw…I talk, you draw…and see what we get

Great for…

• pre-production • early production • speech emergence • intermediate fluency Practices English…

• comprehension • using and understanding location and descriptive vocabulary • using context to guess meaning

and also...

• the challenges of clear communication • pair and group work • cooperative efforts • self-correction

Players take turns describing a picture while the others draw it. At the end, describer and artists compare, showing their descriptive language and listening.

Prep Some, making simple pictures, or players can pick pictures from books, magazines, or newspapers (see CD)

Time 10–20 minutes

What you need • Pre-selected pictures, simple stick figure or geometric drawings, pictures. or drawings from magazines, newspapers, or books, or copies of books or magazines with pictures for students to select.

• If using a pre-selected collection of pictures, a large envelope to hold them without players seeing them.

• Paper and pencils, or markers.

On the CD: Directions card, starter drawings 72

Players Pairs, small groups, or multiple small groups

What you do

Take-offs

1. Put out the envelope with the pictures, or the books and magazines, along with the markers and paper.

Ratchet it down Pre-draw simple shapes or combinations of shapes and stick figures (see CD).

Use pictures related to new vocabulary.

2. Tell the group they’re going to see if they can describe a picture in words, and if they can, draw pictures from what they hear.

3. Explain directions: • Describer reaches into the envelope and without looking, pulls out a picture. Or, Describer can select a picture from a book, magazine, or newspaper, without letting the others see it.

• The other players take paper and markers to be the Artists.

• Describer describes the picture so Artists can draw it.

Artists cannot ask questions.

• When the Describer is done, he or she puts down the picture so all can see and compare what they drew to the original.

• Players take turns selecting pictures to describe to the others.

Ratchet it up Use world, country, state, or local maps.

Put out books with pictures related to what kids are learning in school.

Use famous artwork and different types of art.

Use pictures with specialized vocabulary or themes, such as food, weather, clothes, music, animals.

Allow Artists to question the Describer.

Have Describer write a description or draw an imaginary character, then describe it to Artists, such as, “I saw a wild creature. It had a huge hairy body, six legs, and four long, green arms…”

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More Advanced

Where Do We Meet?

Meet up at the right place

Great for…

• early production • speech emergence • intermediate fluency Practices English…

• direction vocabulary • asking questions • listening • self-monitoring, self-correction

76

and also...

• pair work • independent activity

Players give each other directions to follow on a map to reach a meeting place.

Prep Some, finding or making and copying maps; players can make their own (see CD)

Time 10–20 minutes

What you need • Set(s) of matching maps (real or made-up/drawn).

On the CD: Directions card, starter map

Players 2

What you do

Take-offs

1. Put out maps and set the challenge of getting to the meeting place.

Ratchet it down Use a simple, drawn map, or a map of the neighborhood.

Use Variation 2, with one player directing the other and the listener tracing the route with his or her finger.

Limit questions to yes/no.

2. Help set up pairs for the activity.

3. Explain directions.

• Players 1 and 2 take a copy of the same map and together choose a starting point.

• Player 1 marks a meeting place on his or her map, without showing Player 2, and says, “Meet me in three minutes.”

• Variation 1: Player 2 asks questions to get to the meeting place in the fewest moves, for example, “Are we meeting north or south of the starting point?” “Should I turn on ___ street?” or “Do I go right or left at the end of the street?”

• Variation 2: Player 1 directs Player 2 to the meeting place.

• Players take turns picking the meeting place.

Ratchet it up Use real road maps and maps with increasing complexity.

Challenge learners to come up with different routes, such as the fastest, most scenic, best stopping points, modes of transportation, etc., and explain the differences.

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9 Connecting with families is always important, and reaching out to EL families calls for particular attention. It can also be a challenge. Parents may have limited English skills themselves, and adults are even more hesitant than children to use a new language (and to make embarrassing mistakes in front of a person of authority). Families may have limited schooling in their home country, and feel uncomfortable in a school setting. They may be welleducated, but unfamiliar with US education systems, norms, and expectations. Parents who are new to the school will be concerned for their children, knowing they are being placed in a challenging, English- and US culturedominant environment for seven or more hours each day.

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Make the extra effort to meet, talk with, and continue communications with parents and families. Use the strategies below to build and strengthen your relationships with parents who are immigrants or non-native speakers of English.

• Send a welcome letter in the home language. If possible, also visit families at home. It’s easier to communicate in person—even across languages. It overcomes any literacy issues, it gives a face to the school or program, and it makes you, who may be seen as a distant authority figure, into a human being.

• Find reliable, adult translators for face-to-face or phone conversations. Use translators to help you and the parents get to know each other informally. Include children and young people in conversations between teachers or staff and parents, as possible. Seeing that all of these caring adults share a commitment to his or her well-being and success is a powerful experience for the student.

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• Translate information to send home. Develop a translated file of permission slips, student supply lists, appointment notices, or other standard forms. Ask other staff and teachers if they have any to share.

• Where translation is unavailable or not possible, be sure students understand messages sent home, especially if they call for signatures, require money, or request permissions. Tap the bilingual skills of other students whenever possible.

• If siblings attend different classes or are in different grades, check in with the other teachers about connecting with and involving parents.

• Use parents as resources, when possible, being sensitive to time and work constraints. Parents from other countries may have interesting information, stories, activities, or talents they would be willing to share, such as games, dances, music, food, current news, histories, careers, etc. Some may be happy to teach their native language or serve as a conversation partner.

Partnering with Parents In addition to establishing relationships and ongoing communication with parents, actively enlist them as partners in their children’s learning. Provide parents with activities and games children can do at home—either in English or in their home language. Discuss expectations about homework, attendance, and meetings. Talk about obstacles to steady, on-time attendance, such as transportation, work schedules, child care, or other issues that might cause difficulties, and see how they could be resolved. Ask where they see their child excel, and what areas may need extra help. Make sure parents know about afterschool programs, tutoring, summer programs, or other supports for their children.

Partnering with Parents: Group Meeting Consider holding a group parent meeting early in the school year. Engage translators for the meeting, if necessary.

Use and adapt the outline (pages 210–212) to create your own meeting agenda.

Go Further!

Use Getting To Know You as a guide for getting student information from parents.

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Partnering with Parents Materials: Time 60–90 minutes (depending on number of people)

Prep Print handouts; put out pens and paper; have chart paper ready

Meeting Goals for Parents: • Meet other parents who are new to the United States, the community, or the school.

• Understand they can support their child’s learning even if their English is limited.

• Learn techniques for supporting learning at home.

• Offer ideas for future meeting topics.

Handout: Who Am I?, Parent Interest Survey Handout: More Info Please Copies of Scenario Cards, one for each group of 2­–3 participants • small box or bag • small prizes like post-it notes, pens, sheets of stickers • pens and paper for parents to use • copies of store circulars from a supermarket, home improvement store, and pharmacy chain (one for each group of 2–3 participants) • chart paper or white/black board and markers/chalk

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Meeting Agenda Introduction (10 minutes) Use Who Am I as a vehicle for introductions without forcing pubic speaking. As people come in, invite them to complete Who Am I. Collect the slips, and put them in a box or bag.

Read each one aloud, and see if other participants can guess who wrote it. If no one guesses correctly, the writer identifies him or herself, and gets a prize. If someone guesses correctly, writer and guesser shake hands.

Recognizing Skills and Strengths (10–20 minutes) Welcome and thank everyone for coming. Explain the objectives for the meeting; distribute the Parent Interest Survey. Give participants about 5–7 minutes to complete it. Discuss different items on the survey. Emphasize the point that children learn everywhere, all the time, from everyone, and everyone has valuable knowledge, skills, beliefs, and values to share.

Real Life Learning (20–30 minutes) Group participants into 2’s or 3’s; provide pens and paper.

Ask each group to choose a Scenario Card. Give them a store circular to use to complete the task (check the bottom of the card for type). Allow about 10 minutes for participants to create a plan. As participants work, circulate, offer prompts, and ask guiding questions to stimulate group discussion.

Ask participants to share their plans. Some will have relied solely on the circular or menu you provided, others will have different ideas. Let it roll! Take one example from each of the scenarios, and chart what “school skills” could be reinforced if the student were included in the decision-making process. Brainstorm and show measurement tools and other skills useful for decision-making.

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Connecting to School Learning (5–10 minutes) Use chart paper or the black/white board and parent input to expand on the “school skills” or standards that can be easily reinforced at home. Brainstorm matching school subjects or subject-area content to tasks, for example: • Math: Using money involves basic math operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division).

• Science: Discussing food involves vocabularies of nutrition (including Math and Chemistry), food groups, environment, and agriculture.

• Social Studies: Selections involve geography, transportation, impacts of advertising and retailing.

• English Language Arts: Shopping and decisionmaking entails reading, varied vocabularies, speaking and listening.

Reinforce the connection between school skills and everyday life skills, and make the point that skills cross languages. That is, it is helpful for parents to reinforce and teach these skills with their children in the home language.

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Questions and Comments (5–10 minutes) Give parents an opportunity to ask questions or comments. Remind parents you will be available during the year if there are more questions.

Suggestion Box (10 minutes) Ask participants to offer ideas for additional meeting topics, and have them complete the More Info Please survey. Ask for suggestions on meeting format, length of time, and scheduling.

Be sure to thank everyone for attending and for their time!