The CALLA model
Running Head: THE COGNITIVE ACADEMIC LANGUAGE LEARNING APPROACH MODEL (CALLA)Using the CALLA model to teach academic and language development with proper strategies and instruction.Beena RajaniTexas Women’s UniversityAbstractOne major challenge of that teachers face in the diverse classrooms of America is not only cultural diversity but language diversity. Communicating and teaching to students who do not comprehend the language is very tough. There are many methods and research that has been developed for teachers to teach ELL students so they can achieve language and academic success. The CALLA model or the cognitive academic language learning approach is an instructional model designed to increase the achievement of English Language Learners (ELL) students. This model is based on cognitive learning theory, and integrates content area instruction with language development activities. CALLA's principal objectives are to assist students in valuing their own prior knowledge and cultural experiences, and relating this knowledge to academic learning in a new language and culture. The model is used for learning the content knowledge and the language skills that are most important for their future academic success. When the CALLA model is used correctly and with proper instruction it will not only enhance learning and language development, but also confidence and self esteem.Teaching in the American SchoolsTo teach is to touch and inspire lives. It is to empower and educate young minds and all this done by the teacher in the classroom. Teaching is a powerful and amazing profession, but for a teacher inspiring and teaching has become more difficult to do in America, than ever before. As teachers you are not in a perfect classroom with perfect students and ideal circumstances. Teachers are faced with many circumstances and diversities that affect their effectiveness as a teacher. How well a teacher teaches has a direct correlation with how well a student is able to learn. There are many factors that hinder the students’ ability to learn and comprehend the lesson. The students’ physical and mental disabilities, their cultural background, their socioeconomic class, and the language they speak can all impact learning. These attributes and diversities in students create challenges for the teacher and an effective teacher can overcome these challenges and make student diversities strength rather than a weakness for the class. One of the toughest challenges of teacher is to teach to students that cannot understand the language. Teaching ESLBeing able to communicate and comprehend is fundamental to learning. When communication is a problem learning declines significantly. As a teacher in America facing cultural diversity in the classroom is inevitable and with cultural diversity comes language diversity. 10.6 million Students between the ages of 5 to 17 speak a language other than English and 3 million students speak English with difficulty (Morrison, 2009). So many students come into the school system that are bilingual or know only the foreign language. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) requires that all students including ELL students achieve high expectations in language arts and mathematics. To ensure this to happen all schools and teachers have certain goals for ELL learners. To help maintain these goals, teachers should reduce the cognitive load, evaluate teaching strategies, reduce the cultural load, and reduce the language load (Morrison, 2009).Language Acquisition in the ESL setting As teachers and educators there are a few things ESL students should be able to do to achieve academic success. The process of teaching the student is directly correlated to language acquisition. Through research we know that developing abilities to comprehend two or more languages provides a deeper understanding of language and how to use it. The level of development in the first language also indicates how well their do on the second development. The schools acceptance of ESL and language programs helps develop the first and second language. The first language is lost easily in the primary years (Cushner, McClelland, & Safford, 2009). Keeping the research in mind for language acquisition there are few programs that promote English learning, such as ESL programs, Transitional ELL program, developmental ELL programs, and dual language programs. ESL programs emphasize learning and using English in the classroom and preparing ELL to function in the mainstream classroom. Being in the mainstream classroom is when an ELL student is in a typical class most of the day. In this class the teachers main focus is to teach the objectives stated in the standard school curriculum. In the mainstream classroom the main teacher works closely with the ESL teacher ( Genesse, Met, & Snow, 1989). Transitional ELL programs use students native language in the classroom to help students learn academic content while they learn English. Developmental ELL program develop and maintain proficiency in students native language as well as English. Dual language programs mix ELLs and native English speaking students, teaching language and content in both English and the native language (Morrison, ). It is hard to measure which English learning program is the best approach to help students learn the language. As new research shows programs that promote immersion in the mainstream work the best. In Collier and Thomas’ study of school effectiveness for language minority students’ long term academic achievement, research shows that dual language or bilingual immersion programs are the only programs that help students receive full potential in all subjects. When ELL initially starts as a segregated or remedial program the achievement gap when entering mainstream was significant and the gap widens in the later years (Collier & Thomas, 2002). Research shows that English language learner benefit the most from enrichment programs. The CALLA ModelAfter knowing that enrichment programs and putting ELL into the mainstream has better potential for academic achievement that segregation, teachers need to find approaches that help teach ESL in the mainstream of the classroom. CALLA model or the cognitive academic language learning approach is an instructional mode designed to increase the achievement of English language learners (Chamot & Malley, 1996). This model is based on the cognitive learning theory and integrates content area with language development activities. To better understand the CALLA model it is necessary to talk a little about the cognitive theory. Chomsky in 1965 came up with what is known as the cognitive model. In this theory, “language learning is not a matter of habit and conditioning, but a creative process-a rationalistic, and cognitive activity” (Carrasquillo, 1994, p. 8). Cognitive Theory The cognitive model stresses that language is a product of genetics and evolutions, and humans have an innate quality of acquiring language. He states that children acquire knowledge by making hypothesis about the form and grammar of the language. They base their new knowledge with the innate knowledge of language and grammar they have universally. The cognitive approach is directed towards dialogue and communication rather than memorization and drilling. The CALLA model is based on this theory of creative and cognitive learning to learn content and language. The CALLA model was developed in 1986 and has been in classrooms with ELL students in the United States and other countries like Canada and Spain. Three components of the CALLA modelThe CALLA model has three interrelated components: high-priority content topics, academic language development based on the content and explicit instruction in learning strategies that can help students understand and remember both the content and language (Chamot & O’Malley, 1996). Language is essential in order for academic success. To understand content in all subjects communication and language skills are vital for success. CALLA model’s first component emphasizes on the need for teachers to establish language and vocabulary structures that are needed for success in the required content subject. The second component is developing academic language skills for the student. It’s not only developing language skills for use in language arts but to develop a language that can help in all academic subjects. “Thus, language teachers should give ELL students a taste of how to use language functionally in other disciplines, and subjects-matter teachers should help their ELL students to develop academic language proficiency” (Chamot & O’Malley, 1996, p. 264). The third component of the CALLA model is an instructional technique that teaches second language learners strategies to apply to both language and content tasks. The first two components deal with academic language and how to use content are vocabulary, and the third component is creating strategies to be used simultaneously to learn academic and content vocabulary with language (Lawrence, 2007). The three learning strategiesThere are three main categories of learning strategies: metacognitive, cognitive, and social active learning strategy. The metacognitive learning strategy has three components, planning, monitoring, and evaluating. This is when learners plan for and set a goal for themselves, and decide on a task before embarking on it, than they regulate their performance, and later check their performance. These metacognitive strategies are beneficial to all students because it allows them to reflect on and think about the task on hand and the learning experience (Chamot & O’Malley, 1996). To build on to the megacognitive strategy is the cognitive strategies. These strategies are used for both language skills and content skills. Some strategies are manipulating the material to be learned, linking prior knowledge, and relating learning processes to language demands in the domains of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students can use the cognitive strategies for resourcing, summarizing, making inferences, grouping, and note-taking (slideshow). Lastly the student can use social and affective strategies to learn language and content material. This is done when the students interactive with others to assist in the learning, ask questions for clarification, cooperate with other classmates, and self talk to curb anxiety. In the CALLA model, learning strategies are closely tied to student motivation. The strategies help student realize that they have power over their learning. This gives them control over how well and how much they learn, the more effort they put into the learning the more successful they will be. The metacognitive strategies help them be in control of their learning and put them in charge instead of the teacher. The cognitive strategies help them achieve academic success and build their self confidence in learning. The use of social and affective strategies student value and learn from teamwork and foster off the social setting. The use of these learning strategies helps with not only learning but self esteem. “Thus, strategies instruction can not only help students achieve cognitive learning goals but can also increase their motivation and self-confidence” (Chamot & O’Malley, 1996, p. 266). Instructional use of the CALLA modelThe CALLA model is an instructional approach that shows instruction on strategies and components to help ELL students learn language with content. Knowing just the components is not enough; using it in the class correctly and with the right instruction is what makes the CALLA model successful. “The specification of language-learning objectives must be undertaken with deliberate, systematic planning and coordination of the language and content curricula” (Genesee, Met, & Snow, 1989, p. 204). The CALLA model is a student centered approach. The student centered approach invite students to participate actively in their own learning (effective teaching book). This is the hands on type of learning, and puts the child responsible for the learning. The role of the teacher in this model is of a guide that helps them recognize and, help use of their prior knowledge. The teacher is responsible for providing meaningful practice opportunities that help develop their learning and linguistical strategies. The goal of the CALLA model is for teachers to teach depth not breadth. Teachers are supposed to provide language activities in all subjects to help them develop academic language proficiency in all subjects. The activities should promote listening, speaking, reading, and writing in academics while learning language. In the beginning the teacher is more involved in the learning, and learning is more teacher centered, like lectures but later the learning becomes more student centered and let students take charge of their own learning (Chamot & O’Malley, 1996). 5-Stage cycle of instructionInorder to follow the CALLA model and instruction properly there is a 5-stage cycle that should be followed when teaching. The first of the cycle is preparation, which is used to enable students to become aware and familiar with what they are learning. At this cycle students can use prior knowledge and strategies they already know to apply to the task. The second part of the cycle is presentation. This part is used to convey new information and topics to the students. In this cycle the teacher can use media and visual aid to present the topic and also model reading and writing techniques CITATION Rob10 \l 1033 (Roblyer & Doering, 2010) . The next stage is practice where the student gets to use their learning and language strategies in the classroom. In this stage the student get the opportunity to work in groups and learn from each other CITATION Kra85 \l 1033 (Krashen, 1985) . The last stage is evaluation where students can use this stage to evaluate their success (Chamot & O’Malley, 1996). ConclusionSince the CALLA model is fairly new so there is no evidence to support it, but the CALLA model and its bases make sense, and when followed in the right instruction, help not only in ELL students, but all academic levels of learning. “Although all students can benefit from instruction that promotes the use of language and learning processes that led to greater academic success in school, students who do not speak English as their native language, low-income students, and all other at-risk students are at critical need of such instruction” (Chamot & O’Malley, 1996, p. 270). With the use of metcognitive, cognitive, and social affective learning strategies, learners can easily grasp the concept and learn the task at hand successfully. Using the five cycle of instruction; preparation, presentation, practice, evaluation, and expansion the CALLA model is a guarantee success. The model not only promotes learning but also fosters a healthy self esteem, and through motivation and team work students learn with their own experiences and learning and build confidence that will last for a lifelong learning.References BIBLIOGRAPHY \l 1033 Carrasquillo, A. (1994). Linquistic foundations for teaching english as a second language. Teaching English as a Second Language , 3-31.Chamot, A., & O'malley, J. (1996). The cognitive academic language learning approach: A model for linguistically diverse classrooms. Elementary School Journal , 259-271.Cushner, K., McClelland, A., & Philip, S. (2009). Human Diversity in Education. Boston: McGraw-Hill.Krashen, S. (1985). The Input Hypothesis; Issues and Implication. London: Longman.Lawrence, L. J. (Dec. 2007). Cognitive and metacognitive reading strategies revisited: implications for instruction. Reading Matrix: An International Online Journal , 55-71.Moore, K. D. (2009). Effective Instructional Strategies. London: Sage Publications, inc.Morrison, G. S. (2009). Teaching in America. Jefferson City: Pearson Education Inc.Roblyer, M., & Doering, A. H. (2010). Educational Technology into Teaching. Boston: Allyn & Bacon.Snow, M. A., Met, M., & Genesse, F. (1989). A conceptual framework for the integration of language and content in second/foreign language instruction. Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. (TESOL) , 201-217.Thomas, W. P., & Collier, V. P. (2002). A national study of school effectiveness for language minority students long-term academic acheivement. Washington DC: Office of Educational Research and Improvement. ................
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