BUILDING ACADEMIC VOCABULARY FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS
Introduction
Kristi Veitenheimer: ESL Coordinator / Teacher for Windthorst ISD (KN-12th)
Be sure to sign-in now / Initial sheet after lunch
Restrooms, coffee, tea
Objectives
Explore common vocabulary activities that don’t really work Demonstrate evidence-based explicit vocabulary instruction with structured speaking and writing tasks Explain guidelines for structuring effective application tasks Recommend appropriate dictionaries for ELLs Practical strategies for building Listening, Speaking, Reading, & Writing skills
Agenda
Introduction & Objectives Vocabulary Instruction Break around 10:00 Finish Vocabulary Instruction Lunch from 11:30 to 1:00 Listening and Speaking activities Break around 2:00 Reading and Writing activities Finish around 3:00
Vocabulary
“All I know is what I have words for.” unknown
Less Effective Vocabulary Strategies
Asking, “Does anybody know what ___ means?” Copying same word several times Having students “look it up” in a typical dictionary Copying meanings from dictionary or glossary Having students use the word in a sentence after looking it up in a dictionary Telling students to “use context clues” as a first or only strategy Asking students to guess the meaning of a word
Less Effective Strategies cont.
Activities that do not require deep processing, such as word searches, fill-in-the-blank, etc. Rote memorization without context Incidental teaching of words Passive reading as a primary strategy (SSR)
So…Let’s take a look at some strategies that work better and increase student understanding!
Longman Dictionary online
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
http://www.ldoceonline.com/
ac‧ cu‧ rate S2 W3 1 correct and true in every detail [≠ inaccurate]: The brochure tries to give a fair and accurate description of each hotel. fairly/reasonably accurate Police believe Derek gave a reasonably accurate account of what happened. not strictly/entirely/completely accurate The evidence she gave to the court was not strictly accurate (=not exactly accurate). 2 measured or calculated correctly [≠ inaccurate]: It is difficult to get accurate figures on population numbers.
Tips for Writing an Effective Oral Practice Task
Choose a familiar context that is different from the dictionary example sentence(s). Write a response frame that doesn’t require unnecessarily complex grammar. Write a response frame that can be completed in many ways using students’ knowledge and/or experiences. Prepare a model response that you anticipate students will not come up with on their own. Specify the grammar to complete the sentence.
Structured Writing Tasks
Design writing tasks that require providing: the
appropriate form of the word (example – plural, past tense, etc.) content that illustrates their conceptual grasp of the word. Angelina and Brad have ______ worldwide fame not only through their _____ but also their ______. I plan to double my reading fluency score this school year; I will ______ a score of ______ by reading _____. Our community has some ______ for the _______ holiday. For example, every year there is/are _________.
Other Vocabulary to Teach
Most common prefixes, suffixes, and root words (list on next slide) Synonyms and antonyms Homophones Sight words Fry’s list of 1000 most common words American idioms (example on a slide) English/Spanish cognates (examples on a slide)
Vocabulary Teaching Word Parts:
The most frequent affixes in printed English
(Texas Center for Reading and Language Arts (2002)
Rank Suffix The mostPrefix frequent affixes in printed English 1.
un- (not, reversal of)
-s, -es (more than one)
2.
re- (again, back, really)
-ed (past; quality/state)
3.
in-, im-, il-, ir-
-ing (when you do)
4.
dis- (away, apart, negative)
-ly (how something is)
5.
en-, em- (in; within; on)
-er, -or (one who)
6.
non- (not)
-ation, -ition, -sion (state)
7.
pre- (before)
-able, -ible (able to be)
8.
over- (above and beyond)
-al, -ial (related to)
9.
mis- (wrong)
-ness (state; quality of)
10.
sub- (under)
-ity, -ty (condition of; quality)
(not)
American Idioms Get off my back! -actually means: stop bothering me FUN activity: make an idiom book
English/Spanish Cognates
A cognate is a word in one language that has the same origin as a word in another language. EXAMPLES letter
-- letra map -- mapa emergency -- emergencia important -- importante
Be careful of FALSE cognates: Large
= grande, not largo (long) Finals = campionata, not finales (end)
Vocabulary
Podcast – www.justvocabulary.com
Grammar Girl – http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com
Vocabulary Minute – www.princetonreview.com
Vocabulary Help students use Precise Language: Instead of SAY Report Speak Tell Articulate Conclude Describe
Utter State Declare Pronounce Convey Verbalize
Vocabulary – Content Area Word Walls Farm Animals horse
duck pig
sheep
chicken
turkey
goat
cow
Vocabulary – Content Area Word Walls
evaporation heat gas water condensation precipitation
photosynthesis chlorophyll leaves
lava volcano magma eruption
Vocabulary – Practice Activities
Vocab. Warm-Up Need 1 pack of alphabet cards
Divide class in half, mix up cards, & write category on board (ex-present tense verbs).
Show students 1 card at a time.
Students must shout out a word that begins with that letter in the category.
Whoever shouts out 1st with correct answer wins the card for their team.
Warm-Up game (cont.) Whichever team has the most cards at the end, wins the round. ď Ź
Ideas for categories: animals, fruits & vegetables, household goods, past tense verbs, things found in a grocery store, adjectives, things found in a kitchen, etc. ď Ź
I Have … Who Has Words/Definitions Statements/Questions Number Facts Antonyms/Synonyms Beginning Sounds Content Review Questions & Answers (The list is endless…)
tri – means “three” trisect trilogy
tricycle (a bike with 3 wheels)
trio
tri
triplets
trillion
triple
( 3 babies)
trident
Listening & Speaking
“To expand a student’s vocabulary is to teach that student to think.” unknown
Listening & Speaking Activities
Repeat After Us http://www.repeatafterus.com/title.php?i=9739 Listen a Minute - http://www.listenaminute.com/c/cyberbullying.html Books Should Be Free http://www.booksshouldbefree.com/book/fairy-talesby-the-brothers-grimm TPR Exercises http://www.digischool.nl/oefenen/hennyjellema/engels /tpr/voorbladtpr.htm
ELL Strategies for Listening & Speaking Student Response Ideas: (non-oral)
Index cards Same
or Different Same or Different (symbols): OO or OA Initial Sounds Yes/No True/False Agree/Disagree
ELL Strategies cont. Student Response Ideas: (cont.) Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down Whiteboards Stand Up/Sit Down Go to your Corner
ELL Strategies cont. TIPS Hole punch various response cards & keep on rings. Have students keep answers close to chest until time to reveal. Use consistent prompt to signal time to show response. (Example: “Ready, Set, Show) Use spontaneously – have students fold sheet of paper in half & write response on each side.
ELL Strategies cont. Benefits of Student Response Ideas: Non-oral, so appropriate for all language levels Every student is involved Great way to increase wait time Immediate feedback for teacher
ELL Strategies for Speaking & Writing
Use Sentence Starters (frames, stems, etc.) Supports/builds both oral and written language Can be written/assigned according to students’ language level. Can give several frames to choose from.
ELL Strategies for Speaking & Writing
Examples of Sentence Frames: I believe/imagine/predict _____. I conclude/deduce/suspect/speculate ____. As ____ already pointed out, I think that _____. ____ told me/shared/explained that ____. I found out/learned/discovered/heard ______. I was surprised that/when _____. I now realize _____. In my opinion _____. I agree with ___ that _____.
ELL Strategies for Speaking Example of Sentence Frame Sorting Activity:
Need: Envelopes Cut
up categories on green cards/paper and cut up headings on brown cards/paper Prepared sentence frame that focuses on content
Form groups of 2-4 students
Tell students how many matches per category.
ELL Strategies cont. Sorting Activity (cont.) Headings: Solid, Liquid, Gas Categories: milk, no color, water, chair, oxygen, television, can be poured, has a certain size or shape, no definite shape or volume Sentence Frame: We categorized _____ under _____ because _____________.
Summarization & Retelling
To get students using academic language, try summarization: Read
a short passage aloud to students. Have students read the passage to themselves and then summarize verbally to a friend. Give students the opportunity to repeat the exercise with several partners. Through this exercise, students begin to acquire the author’s language, and will get more and more fluent with the language each round.
More Ideas for Listening & Speaking Think-Pair-Share Role playing, dramatizations, & content interviews Debates Book talks Completing webs & graphic organizers Dictation exercises Cloze passages
Reading
“All words are pegs to hang ideas on.” Henry Ward Beecher
2 Great Reading Resources 
Teaching Phonics & Word Study in the Intermediate Grades by Wiley Blevens
And…
Building Fluency: Lessons and Strategies for Reading Success by Wiley Blevens
Reading Types of Questions (On color-coded cards)
Right There questions Can be answered by looking in text. Answers are located in one place in the story. Can be found word-for-word in the text. Questions can be answered in one sentence.
Reading Types of Questions (On color-coded cards)
Putting It Together questions Can be answered by looking in the text. Answers are found in multiple places in the text & then put together. Answers require one or more sentences.
Reading Comprehension Types of Questions (On color-coded cards)
Making Connections questions Can’t be answered by looking in the text. Have to think about the information in the text. Have to think about what is already known. Put these together to answer the question.
Reading Comprehension Types of Questions for Lower Elementary Students Use
2 cards of the cards with pictures:
Right Me
Here
and the Text
Reading Confusing Words KLUNK cards: Color code the cards. 1. Put your finger on the word. Reread the sentence without the word. Think about what would make sense. Ask yourself, “Does this make sense?” 2. Read the sentence before and after looking for clues and remind yourself what the text is about. Think about a meaning that would make sense. Ask yourself, “Does this make sense?” 3. Divide the unknown word into meaningful parts. Think about what each part means OR think of other words that contain that part. Combine the meanings of the word. Try the possible meaning in the sentence. Ask yourself, “Does this make sense?” 4. Reread the sentences. Look for key words. Ask yourself, “Does this make sense?”
“Say Something” activity
Helps students understand what they’re reading by asking them to predict, question, connect, clarify, or comment Basic directions: Pairs or threesomes take turns reading a brief passage aloud. They pause and say something about what was read. Partners respond. Keep reading and repeat procedure.
“Say Something” cont. Partner should respond to what was said before going on. Provide sentence starters to help dependent readers. Begin with very short texts at first (a short poem or a couple of paragraphs). Model strategy more than one time.
“Say Something” cont. Rules for Say Something 1. With your partner, decide who will say something first. 2. When you say something, do one or more of these: make a prediction
ask a question
clarify something make a connection
make a comment
3. If you can’t do one of those five things, reread.
Make a Prediction
I predict that… I think that… Since _____ happened, then I predict the next thing that is going to happen is… Reading this part makes me think that ___ is about to happen. I wonder if…
Ask a Question
Why did… What’s this part about… How is ___ like … What would happen if… Why… Who is… What does ____ mean? Do you think that… I don’t understand…
Clarify Something
Make a Comment
Oh, I get… Now I understand… This _____ makes sense now. No, I think it means… I agree with you. This means… At first I thought ____, but now I think… This part is really saying…
This is good because… This is hard because… This is confusing because… I like the part when… I don’t like this part because… My favorite part so far is… I think that…
Make a Connection
This reminds me of… This part is like… This character ____ is like ____ because… This is similar to… The differences are… I also (name something in the text that has also happened to you)… This character makes me think of… This setting reminds me of…
2 Summarizing Ideas Summarizing Strategy - Get the Gist Who or what is the paragraph mostly about?
What is the most important thing about the “who” or “what”?
Put together the answers and tell the main idea in 10 words or less.
And…
Somebody Wanted But So Way
to summarize text quickly
Somebody (characters) … Wanted (plot, motivation) … But (conflict) … So (resolution) …
Helps
identify main idea and details, recognize causeeffect relationships, make generalizations, identify character differences, and consider point of view.
Somebody Wanted But So
for
Cinderella Somebody Cinderella
Wanted wanted to go to the ball
But
So______
but her evil so her stepmother fairy godruined her mother plan helped to get her to the ball.
Reading Word Order faults more kkkkk
show
if
virtues
loved wish
“___ you _______ to be _______, ________ _________ of your ___________ than your ________.�
Reading Sentence Scramble new
children
the The
will
to school go
Writing Strategies
“The desire to write grows with writing.� Desiderius Erasmus
Writing Resources Writer’s Notebook http://www.citrus.k12.fl.us/staffdev/writersnotebook/ Writing with Writers on Scholastic.com – http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/index.htm The Five Sentence Paragraph – http://www2.asd.wednet.edu/Pioneer/barnard/wri/para graph/index.htm Writing Extended Responses http://blogs.scholastic.com/classroom_solutions/2011/03 /state-assessments-extended-response.html
ESL Strategies
“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.� Confucius
ESL Strategies Characteristics of High Quality Instruction Is explicit and systematic M
– students echo sound M – show the letter Thumbs Up when students hear m sound: Mary is marvelous. Mary is going to the movies on Monday.
Gives multiple practice opportunities See
it, hear it, say it, write it, act it out, review
ELL Strategies Characteristics of High Quality Instruction Increases time on task and time with text Use
partners when time doesn’t allow for individual practice. Less teacher talk; more student talk.
Establishes routines Lesson objectives are clear
Objectives
written on board Objectives referenced at beginning of lesson Objectives revisited at end of lesson
ELL Strategies Characteristics of High Quality Instruction Uses flexible grouping Whole
Maximizes student engagement Think
group, small group, partners, individual
– Pair – Share
Models skills and strategies Model
entire process/all steps Guided practice with teacher Independent practice
“I Do” “We Do” “You Do”
ELL Strategies Do your students truly understand prepositions? Sara came over ___ play ___ Lucy’s house. She was coming over ___ see Lucy’s new kittens. When she arrived, they quickly ran up ___ Lucy’s room. There, ___ her closet, were five white kittens, all ___ a cardboard box. After a few minutes, they heard knocking ___ the door. It was Lucy’s grandmother ___ a tray ___ milk and cookies ___ the girls. Sara and Lucy played and talked ___ the kittens all day.
Last, but not least … ESL Teacher Resources My ESL Wiki - http://eslwithmrsv.wikispaces.com/ My Teaching Blog - http://mrsvesl.blogspot.com/ My Video Resources - http://mrsv.posterous.com/ My Protopage Site of ESL Resource Websites – http://www.protopage.com/mrsvesl#Untitled/Mrs._V.
Questions?
Evaluations
for Attending!
Much of today’s presentation was adapted from workshops presented by Kate Kinsella, Ed.D., Maria Elena Arguelles, Ph.D., and Paula Tilker.
Questions? Kristi
Veitenheimer
Windthorst ISD 423-6679 kristi.veitenheimer@esc9.net