ESL INFORMATION FOR CONTENT TEACHERS
Helpful ESL Information
What is ESL? Or (ESOL – English to Speakers of Other Language) ESL is an acronym for English as a Second Language students. Our district has students from a variety of countries. Some of these students will be novices, speaking little or no English.
What are ELLs? English Language Learners
What is LEP? Limited English Proficient-Term used by DPI
What do I need to know about my students?
When communicating with the family you will need to use translated documents when possible (from TransAct). If you need a translator, contact the ESL department and an appointment will be set up with prior notification.
The Novice Student
1. Cultural Shock
• The novice students will be experiencing culture shock and be moving through several stages.
• Stage 1: This is the period of excitement and euphoria over the newness of the surrounds.
• Stage 2: The student seeks out the support of things familiar, like other students from his own culture/language background. The student might be so overwhelmed with cultural traumas that cause him/her to be defensive.
• Stage 3: This is a period of gradual, and at first tentative recovery. Some students may again to dislike their first culture and/ or language and not feel a part of one culture. General progress is made as the student begins to accept the differences in thinking and feeling that surround him.
• Stage 4: This stage represents acceptance of the new culture and self-confidence.
2. The Silent Period
During this Initial phase which can last from 6 months or more, the students will listen and perhaps respond with gestures. During this period, students need exposure to language that they can understand. Study should also be centered on topics that have meaning for the students. Do not force the student to talk. Be aware of the cognitive processes underlying the skill of listening. Listening is NOT a passive process; it is an active skill of interpreting the verbal and non-verbal output of the speaker in order to understand the message.
If students are to be expected to listen to long texts or lectures, it is usually desirable to activate their existing knowledge of the topic by asking questions and making connections with existing knowledge, discussing opinions, making predictions and sometimes by pre-teaching key words. It is also helpful if students are told what they will have to do after they have finished listening so they can focus on the forthcoming task.
3. Use Concrete Referents: In order to make language meaningful, develop activities so that what is described can be seen, heard, felt, and smelled. The use of visual aids and experiments are very effective activities.
4. Create a Positive Climate
• Student should not be embarrassed by errors,
• Be warm and welcoming with your body language – smile!
• Provide a nurturing environment for the ELLs. Be patient. Provide lots of opportunities for success.
• Label objects in the room.
• Assign English-speaking and /or similar language-speaking buddies and peer tutors.
• Encourage the student to share his language and culture with the class.
• Do not focus on student errors during communication. Try to respond to the content of students’ speech and not to error. Modeling the correct response is the best approach.
• Pronounce newcomer’s name correctly. Determine which part is the given name and which is the family name. Two-part first names are common in many cultures, and may appear to be a first name and a middle name. Ask. Use both parts of a two-part name. Hispanic family names may also be two-part. Saying the name right isn’t always easy, but it’s important.
• Learn a few words in the student’s language
• Learn as much as you can about the students’ culture
• Do not assume that all students have the same background knowledge or prior experience
5. Other Points to Consider
• Effective listening presupposes that students can hear what is being said and are not being distracted. The teacher can wait for silence before speaking and ensure that students listen to each other. Teacher repetition of a student’s question or comment is often necessary or helpful.
• Listening comprehension is easier if supported by visual material. As well as the obvious advantage of students being able to see pictures or diagram of what is being talked about, it is often helpful for them to have key words written on the board.
• Consider increasing “wait time” to give students a chance to process what they have heard and formulate answers in their mind. Simply repeating or rephrasing what you have said will give students extra time and help to process your message.
• It is often helpful to give a brief summary at beginning of lesson on what you’re going to cover in the lesson, and then to clearly signpost each section. For example: “Now we’ve talked about some of the effects of acid rain. I want to ask you what we can do to reduce the problem.”
• A summary at the end of the lesson by the students (based on the E.Q.)will help ELLs finally make sense of some of what they heard during the lesson
ADVANCED PREPARATION IS ESSENTIAL
Before a mainstream teacher stands in front of the classroom, advance preparation is essential in order to provide necessary adaptations in content area instruction and materials for second language learners. Teachers must consider what they should do to make the content information accessible to their English language learners. They need to determine the language level of instruction appropriate for the English language learner in their class. Teachers should:
o Evaluate your second language learners' listening comprehension skills. How much do they understand?
o Simplify the language of instruction, not the concept being taught.
o Work toward depth, not breadth of information, presenting materials in a clear, concise, comprehensible manner and eliminating all peripheral, nonessential information.
o Impart information through oral, visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning modalities.
o Use graphic organizers, such as webs, Venn diagrams, and charts, to make information more accessible to second language learners. Content materials present text, which is too dense for second language learners.
o Present content area vocabulary and concepts using realia, picture files, and hands-on activities.
o Examine your students' backgrounds and learn how their past experiences will affect learning. The impact of students' backgrounds on learning will depend on their previous schooling, home languages and cultures, and the concepts important to those cultures.
o Understand that ESL students may not have experience with all of the concepts being taught in American schools. For example, concepts such as freedom and democracy, perceptions of time, and right to privacy may be different or non-existent in many cultures.
o Build background knowledge before teaching a lesson.
What Can I do to Help ELLs?
• Paraphrasing- restating a student’s response in order to model correct English.
• Slow down your rate of speech, pause between phrases, and give students wait time to process all the information in a new language.
• “Think –alouds” point out to students when using a think-aloud and how it can be helpful.
• Avoid unclear pronoun referents – ex. The boy picked up the pencil. He put it here. Then it was time to leave. Point to what it is you are talking about whenever possible.
• Watch multiple meaning words – It was a fair test. The weather was fair. She has fair skin. It was a fair ball. He went to the state fair.
• Be careful with homophones – passed/past.
• Avoid or be ready explaining figurative language/culture referents/idiomatic expressions –Paul ran past at breakneck speed. He let the cat out of the bag.
Stages of Second Language Acquisition
|Silent Period/preproduction | |
|The student- |The students is able to- |
|Is verbally unresponsive |Listen draw |
|May often feel uncertain and confused |Point choose |
|May respond nonverbally |Move dramatize |
|Develops listening skills |Mime circle |
|Sound meaning associations |Match underline |
|Early Production | |
|The student- |The Student is able to- |
|Makes connections between sounds and the environment |Name list |
|Understands main ideas |Label categorize |
|Learns keywords and sight words |Group tell or say |
|Can use context clues |Respond answer |
|Can answer orally using one-,two-, or three-word responses |Use a dictionary |
|Speech Emergence | |
|The student- |The student is able to- |
|can produce words that have been heard and understood many times |Recall describe |
|may mispronounce words |Retell role play |
|may omit words in speaking or writing |Compare contrast |
|can produce words that are heard, such as nouns, verbs, and adjectives|Use phonics restate |
|Intermediate/Advanced Fluency | |
|The student- |The student is able to- |
|Makes more errors as speech becomes more complex |Analyze evaluate |
|Has not mastered grammar because focusing on grammar is not productive|Create justify |
|at this stage |Defend support |
|Displays extensive vocabulary development |Debate examine |
| |Complete describe |
| |Define summarize |
| |Explain use word analysis |
Sources; Colorado of Department of Education, 1997: Main Department of Education, 1991
Two Kinds of Reading Strategies for English Language Learners
|Unsuccessful Strategies |Successful Strategies |
|Thinking about something else while you are reading |Setting purpose for your reading |
|Skipping parts you do not understand and not coming back to make sense|Thinking about what you already know about the topic |
|of them later. | |
|Reading as rapidly as possible. |Thinking about what you do not know about the topic |
|Concentrating on figuring out what the words are. |Concentrating on getting the meaning |
|Making a list of every word you do not know. |Underlining important parts. |
|Looking up all of the words that you do not know in a dictionary |Asking questions about the parts you do not understand. |
|Repeating the main idea over and over again. |Using other information to figure out what you do not understand. |
| |Taking notes |
| |Picturing information in your head. |
| |Checking back through the text to see whether you remember it. |
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Sources: Vacca, Vacca, & Gove, 1987; Waxman & Padron, 1987, as cited in Padron, 1992.
Many Ways to Modify Instruction for English Language Learners
Instructional Modifications:
• break assignments into segments or shorter tasks
• relate information to student’s experiences. Activate prior knowledge
• reduce the number of concepts introduced at any one time
• monitor the level of language you use to communicate idea
• check for comprehension throughout the lesson by asking the students to retell, explain, describe
• provide outlines or study guides
• monitor the rate at which you present material
• use graphic organizers consistently
• use English/Native language dictionary for secondary level students
• avoid idiomatic language
• follow predictable routines
• have students sit near the front
• assign a buddy.
• use collaborative groups
• increase amount of time allowed completing assignments and test or reducing the amount of work.
• avoid large amounts of written work, both in class and homework.
• provide visual explanation of concepts
• Total Physical Response
• provide “realia” or real life examples of things
• use rubric to preteach each and model expectations
• use visuals/”hands-on” manipulatives
• use gestures to convey meaning non-verbally
• build on the prior knowledge of students (make connections with students’ cultures, experiences, interests and skills)
• highlight/review/repeat key points and vocabulary frequently
• establish consistent classroom routines/list steps for completing assignments
• use yes/no, either/or, wh- questions and why/how
• create story and semantic maps
• use “Language Experience Approach”
• plan ways for ELLs to participate in class and in cooperative learning groups
• use audio tapes to reinforce learning
• use simplified books/texts that cover content-area concepts
• display Word Walls and charts (updated)
For literate ELLs (in their native language):
• encourage older ELLs to use bilingual dictionary as a learning tool
• have student write essays/journal entries in the native language
• instruct student to write what he or she has learned in the native language when they initially arrive
Teach Ells to ask the following:
• What do the title, special kinds of print, and illustrations tell me?
• What are the most important words?
• Why am I reading this? What do I need to achieve?
• Do I understand what I am reading?
• What reading strategies am I using, and how well am I using them?
Vocabulary Instruction
“Dependence on a single vocabulary instruction method will not result in optimal learning. Various methods were used effectively with an emphasis on multimedia aspects of learning, richness of context in which words are to be learned, and the number of exposures to words that learners receive”: (National Reading Panel, 2000, p.4)
• Vocabulary learning is effective when it entails active engagement in learning tasks.
• Maintaining word walls with words and their pictures on display
• Having students complete sentence stems that will show their mastery of the meaning (“The students were exuberant when their teachers told them…”)
• Students can keep track of vocabulary words in various ways, including vocabulary notebooks or on index cards that they hold together with ring clips.
Novice -Low Writers:
• allow the students to touch, point, show, draw, match, select, check circle, underline, list yes/no, circle, categorize, group (as opposed to writing a sophisticated response)
• allow the students to draw the sequence of events. Students can later write words under their drawings
• allow the student to label using words from word banks/pictionaries
• allow the student to write using single-words, simple phrases, simple sentences, simple paragraphs (as opposed to expecting sophisticated sentences, grammar, and/or spelling)
• provide a pattern or sentence frame
• use cloze sentences with a word bank
How to Develop Questioning Strategies:
• Let ELLs know which questions they will be responsible for answering in advance. Allow for think time and preparation of answers.
Hierarchy of Questions
• Ask newcomers to point to a picture or word to demonstrate basic knowledge “Point to the penguin.”
• Using visual cues, ask simple yes/no questions. “Is a penguin a fish?’
• Ask either/or questions in which the answer is embedded. “Is a penguin a mammal or a bird?”
• Break complex questions into several steps. “Look at the mammals. Find the bear, the dog and the cat. Why are these animals all mammals? How are they the same?”
• Ask simple “how” and “where” questions that can be answered with a phrase or a short sentence. “Where do penguins live?” “How do bats hear?”
• Do not expect your novice ELLs to answer broad open-ended questions. “How do fish breathe underwater?”
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|Checklist for Effective Practice |
|The following list is taken from the Checklist for Effective Practice with English Learners (Freeman & Freeman, 1999), with minor adaptations. |
|Is curriculum organized around "big" questions? |
|Are students involved in authentic reading and writing experiences? |
|Is there an attempt to draw on students' background knowledge and interests? Are students given choices? |
|Is the content meaningful? Does it serve a purpose for the learners? |
|Do students have opportunities to work collaboratively? |
|Do students read and write as well as speak and listen during their learning experiences? |
|Are students' primary languages and cultures valued, supported, and developed? |
|Are we reaching all students? Are students involved in activities that build their self-esteem and provide them with opportunities to succeed? |
|(TESOL Matters, December/January 1999) |
ESL Program Models
Guilford County School district provides an alternative program for its limited English proficient students, or English Language Learners. The program model is English as a Second Language model. In the ESL model, the language of instruction is English. The native language of the child is used only for clarification and not for instruction. Since there is a variety of languages represented in the district, this model is more appropriate than a bilingual model. However, the district always remains open to exploring other program models to serve its English Language Learners. Annual program review and evaluation provide an opportunity to revisit the present program model and its effectiveness and to make changes when needed.
Description of Services
The ESL classes for grades K-12 are organized into five possible language proficiency levels: Level I (Entering), Level II (Beginning), Level III (Developing), Level IV (Expanding), Level V (Bridging), Level VI (Reaching). By organizing ESL classes in this way the curriculum in ESL classes addresses the particular language needs for students at each level of language proficiency.
Elementary Pull -Out Program
In grades kindergarten through fifth, students are pulled from regular classes for ESL instruction. ELLs are pulled into ESL classes by their English language proficiency level. When it is necessary to combine grade levels, students from lower grade levels are grouped together. Similarly, ELLs in higher grade levels are grouped together for ESL instruction. The length of time for ESL instruction is dependent on the English language proficiency level of the student. Students who are more proficient may need less time in ESL class.
ESL Class Period
It is generally used in middle and high school settings. Students receive ESL instruction during a regular class period and usually receive an elective course credit. They may be grouped for instructing according to their level of English proficiency.
SIOP Sheltered Instructional Protocol
This model groups language minority students from different language background together in classes where teachers use English as the medium for providing content area instruction, adapting their language to the proficiency level of the students. They may also use gestures and visual aids to help students understand. Content through language is the goal of this model.
Language Development Stages
Classroom Modifications
Student Name_____________________
ESL Teacher Name_____________
Classroom Teacher Name_______________ Scores___________________
Grade Level______________ Years in ESL__________________
|Stages |Sample Student Behaviors |Sample Teacher Behaviors |Questioning Techniques |
|Pre-Production |- Points to or provides other |- Gestures |- Point to . . . |
|ESL I –Level 1- Students are totally |nonverbal responses |- Language focuses on conveying |- Find the . . . |
|new to English |- Actively listens |meanings and vocabulary |- Put the . . . next to |
|- Generally lasts 1-3 months |- Responds to commands |- Repetition |- Do you have the . . . |
| |- May be reluctant to speak |- Does not force student to speak |- Is this a . . .? |
| |-Understands more than can produce | |- Who has the . . . ? |
| | | |- Who wants the . . . ? |
|Early production |- One or two word utterances |- Asks questions that can b answered |- Yes/No (Is the trouble light on?) |
|ESL I –Level 2 |- Short phrases |by yes/no and either/or responses |- Either/Or (Is this a screwdriver or |
|- Students are “low” | |- Models correct responses |a hammer?) |
|- “Beginners” Generally lasts several| |- Ensures a supportive, low anxiety |-One word response (what utensil am I |
|weeks | |environment |holding in my hand?) |
| | |- Does not overtly call attention to |- General questions which encourage |
| | |grammar errors |lists of words (what do you see on the|
| | |- Asks short answer WH-questions |board?) |
| | | |-Two-word response (Where did he go? |
| | | |To work.) |
|Speech Emergence |- Participate in small group |- Focuses on content on key concepts |- Why? |
|ESL II –level 3 |activities |- provides frequent comprehension |- How? |
|- Students are “beginners” |- Demonstrates comprehension in a |checks |- How is this like that? |
|- May last several weeks or months |variety of ways |- Uses performance-based assessment |- Tell me about . . . |
| |- Speaks in short phrases and |- Uses expanded vocabulary |- Think about . . . |
| |sentences |- Asks open-ended questions that |- Describe |
| |- Begins to use language more freely |stimulate language production |- How would you change this part? |
|Intermediate Fluency |- participate in reading and writing |- Fosters conceptual development and |- What would you recommend/suggest? |
|ESL III Level 4 |activities to acquire new information |expanded literacy through content |How do you think this story will end? |
|- Students are “high beginners, |- may experience difficulties in |- Continues to make lessons |- What is the story mainly about? |
|intermediate or advanced” |abstract, cognitively demanding |comprehensible and interactive |- What is your opinion on this matter?|
|- May require several years to |subjects at schools, especially when a|- Continues to be alert to individual|- Describe/compare |
|achieve native-like fluency in |high degree of literacy is required |differences |- How are these similar, different? |
|academic settings | | |- What would happen if . . . ? |
| | | |- Which do you prefer? Why? |
Check Appropriate Box:
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English Language Proficiency Levels
Student’s Name_________________________
Student’s Proficiency level_____________________
__Level 1- Entering: Students at this proficiency have virtually no functional ability in listening, speaking, reading, and writing English. They are often new arrivals.
__ Level 2 -Beginning: Students at this proficiency are beginning to understand language and use it in a limited capacity. Typically, they memorize words and phrases and can comprehend and utilize language that they have been taught.
__Level 3- Developing: Students at this proficiency are able to understand most oral language pertaining to familiar topics but have difficulty comprehending and using academic vocabulary. Their speech and writing are basic and contain frequent errors.
__Level 4 -Expanding: Students at this proficiency are able to function well in most everyday situations but still have difficulty with academic language. They may have difficulty understanding text beyond the literal level. They often make errors in structure and idiomatic language.
__Level 5 -Bridging: Students at this level of proficiency can handle most personal, social, and academic language though they still may make occasional errors in idiom and structure. They may have difficulty with complicated literary and academic texts and may still need to use a dictionary when the language and context are unfamiliar.
__Level 6 -Reaching: Students at this level are no longer limited English proficient and in most cases function like a native speaker. However, they may still have interference from their first language and may have difficulty understanding nuance and tailoring writing to a variety of audiences
Recommended Modifications
Student Name_______________________
Classroom Teacher __________________
ESL Teacher _______________________
Date ____________
How to Adapt Instruction
Graphic Organizer: These visual displays of information and vocabulary help students recognize key concepts and their relationships.
• Used before reading, they help students build the necessary background information to read the text.
• Used during reading, they can help students take notes, see relationships among ideas, and recognize how the text is organized.
• Used after reading, they can be used by students to note what they understand and their own responses to the meaning (Buehl, 2001; Macon, Buehl, & Vogt, 1991, cited in Echevarria, Vogt, &Short, 2004).
Examples graphic organizers include story maps, Venn Diagrams, timelines, semantic webs, and charts. (See Crandall, Jaramilo, Olsen, & Peyton, 2001.)
Study Guides: Teacher-prepared study guides are designed with students’ needs in mind.
• Used before reading, they can give students a brief summary of the text and provide a guide for the reading task.
• Used during reading, they can provide needed information so students can understand new vocabulary and concepts.
• Used after reading, they can offer challenges and opportunities for students to deepen their understanding.
Outlines: Teacher-prepared outlines are designed with the students’ needs and the main points of the content in mind.
• Used before reading, they provide a guide for what students will read.
• Used during reading, they help students take notes.
• Used after reading, they can serve as a review of the information.
Outlines that have some of the information on them serve as scaffolding to which students can attach additional information.
Highlighted Text: Teachers preview the material to be read and highlight key terms, concepts, and summaries or other important information.
• Used before reading, only the highlighted text is read. This reduces the amount of reading students are required to do.
• Used during reading, the highlighted text provides reminders of what is important.
• Used after reading, the text provides a review of the key information.
Scaffolding Technique: Scaffolding occurs when teachers assist students in learning new concepts. This assistance, used before, during, or after instruction, may be delivered through the use of paraphrasing, modeling of “think-alouds,” and carefully framed explanations that enable students to make connections with the new concept.
Scaffolding may also be provided through the use of a variety of grouping strategies. This may include whole-group instruction in which the teacher teaches, models, and structures student practice with others and then has students use the procedure independently. Or, it may refer to small-group or one-on-one instruction. In these latter instances, students practice applying the new strategy with another, more experienced student (Echevarria, Vogt, & Short, 2004, pp. 26-29).
Jigsaw Reading: This cooperative learning activity helps students by reducing the amount of text that must be read. It also limits the amount of information students must understand.
• Used before reading, jigsaw reading can provide students with an overview of the text.
• Used during reading, it helps make the reading task more manageable for them, because they do not need to attend to all of the information in the text.
• Used after reading, it can provide a review of the information.
(Echevarria, Vogt, & Short, 2004). The adaptations, listed below, may be used before, during, and after reading.
Regular teachers are required by law to make classroom modifications to ensure that their instruction and evaluation is comprehensible to ELLs. Every teacher must have knowledge of the language proficiency of the ESL student in his or her class in order to modify instruction and assessments. The ESL teacher will provide classroom teachers with each student’s proficiency level. Testing accommodations will be provided on ALL assessments, both in the classroom as well as benchmarks and standardized state tests.
Lau vs. Nichols: Equity of Educational Opportunity is not achieved by merely providing all students with “the same facilities, textbooks, teachers and curriculum; (because) students who do not understand English are effectively foreclosed from any meaningful education”. All English Language Learners (ELLs) are entitled to equal access to the core curriculum and the curriculum must be made comprehensible to ELLs. 1983 Office of Civil Rights “It is our policy to find a violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 if Limited English Proficient (LEP) students are retained in grade for failure to demonstrate basic skills in English.”
Specific Classroom Assessment Techniques for ELLs
o Evaluation can be done through observation.
o A checklist can be used to record behaviors and responses.
o If paper and pencil tests are given, multiple choice or fill-in-the blank questions (with a word-bank) can be used.
o Effective evaluations can be done through interviews and questionnaires.
o Total Physical Response (TPR) can be used for testing. Ask students to touch, circle, pick up, point to, nod, or respond in some physical way to cues/commands/directions.
o Ask students to demonstrate their understanding of procedures.
o Ask students to put a “strip story” into proper sequence.
o Ask students to reproduce the steps in an experiment or a sequence.
o Require students to keep a reading log.
o Evaluate comprehension as students contribute to “Language Experiences”.
o Ask students to choose characters to focus on and deep diaries of their character as the unit unfolds.
o Ask students to dramatize or role-play specific situations.
o Ask students to complete a graphic organizer to demonstrate proficiency on a topic.
o Observe students as they participate in games and learning activities.
o Ask students to MATCH pictures with words and/or phrases.
o Ask students to complete sentences or give short answers. Provide a word-bank when possible.
o Ask students to draw or illustrate their comprehension.
o Ask students to respond orally—rather than in writing.
o Give students paragraphs/articles. Ask them to write headlines.
o Ask pairs or small groups of students to prepare bulletin boards or displays on a given topic.
o Have students do group projects such as report writing or dioramas.
o Give open book tests.
o Have students write essays, to demonstrate understanding, not grammatical competence.
o Allow students to write a summary in their native language, if they are literate in their first language.
o Have student point to the picture of a correct answer (limit choices)
o Have student circle a correct answer (limit choices)
o Ask a student to retell/restate orally and in writing
o Numbered Heads or Think-Pair-Share or other cooperative group work
Examples of Test Modifications
o reduce the number of responses
o make an alternative test with simplified language
o assess on key or main ideas
o simplify test directions
o read questions aloud
o supply word banks for tests
o use matching activities
o provide extended time for test completion
o use portfolios to assess student progress
Guide for Grading
• ESL students should not receive grades of D or F unless their lack of performance on modified instruction warrants such grades, for example…not completing modified assignments/homework, not turning in modified assignments/homework, not making satisfactory progress on modified work.
• ESL students will receive report card grades based on their work (modified as necessary in the regular classroom). These grades will be given by the classroom teacher and will not necessarily reflect grade-level expectations. Classroom teachers should modify instruction, assignments, and tests based on students’ English language proficiencies. Report card grades should reflect these modifications. The use of instructional accommodations and modifications does not indicate that a student cannot receive the highest grade in the content area.
• LEP students may receive language accommodations in the classroom while being instructed with the NCSCOS on grade level. These students have the ability to receive the highest grade attainable in the content area with use of language accommodations based on the student’s proficiency level.
• Level 1 Novice Low ELLs who have been in the United States less than six months often do not have enough English proficiency to be fairly graded, even on modified work. For these students, it is acceptable for the classroom teacher not to give grades in the content areas for the first grading period. Use the S, N, U scale instead of traditional letter grades.
• ESL teachers are expected to maintain open communication with classroom teachers regarding appropriate expectations and assessment of English language learners.
• Grading scales are available for parents in Spanish, Vietnamese, Arabic, and Urdu. Translated report cards and progress reports for elementary level are on the ESL Web site. Progress reports for middle and high school ELLs are also located on the GCS/ESL Web site.
• Regular teachers are required by law to make classroom modifications to ensure that their instruction and evaluation is comprehensible to the English language learner. Every teacher must have knowledge of the language proficiency of the ELLs in his or her class in order to modify instruction and assessments.
• The ESL teacher will provide classroom teachers with a student’s proficiency level to determine eligibility for accommodations based on each English language learner. Testing accommodations will be provided on ALL assessments (if eligible), both in the classroom as well as benchmarks and standardized state tests. (Includes extended time, separate room, multiple sessions, read aloud, reads to self and word-to-word dictionary).
Translated Documents
We are legally obligated to provide parents with translated information whenever possible. You will find many translated forms on the GCS/ESL Web site. In addition, the GCS Web site is now in Vietnamese and Spanish. If you need help with translating, please contact our interpreters: Lily Cendoya and Milly Barreto at 370-8982.
It is advisable to print English on the front; translated document on the reverse so parents may choose which language to complete.
Translated materials are available at and at
This is a resource paid for by Guilford County Schools.
Important Web Sites
• GCS/ESL Web page
• GCS /ESL Program Description
• Translated report cards
Other Recourses:
• Help! They Don’t Speak English Starter Kit/ The Center for Applied Linguistics
• Help Online Web site for teachers and parents of ELLs
Colorin Colorado info@
¡Colorín Colorado! Reaching out to Hispanic students and families.docx
• Fast Math Tutorial Program for ELLs developed by ESL teachers
• Challenging Common Myths About Young English Language Learners
• Useful information for content classroom teachers
wida.us
The WIDA Consortium is a non-profit cooperative of sixteen states working together to meet the requirements of No Child Left Behind (NCLB) for English Language Learners (ELLs) with innovative standards and assessments. It is housed at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research in Madison, Wisconsin. WIDA was founded in 2003 when it received a federal enhanced assessment grant. Those funds have been used to develop:
A) The WIDA English Language Proficiency (ELP) Standards that were recently adopted by Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), the national ESL organization, to form the basis of the next national NCLB-compliant model standards for ELP proficiency. These standards are aligned to the academic standards of all WIDA member states.
C) The ACCESS for ELLs® English language proficiency test based on the five WIDA standards and aligned to the academic standards of member states. ACCESS for ELLs® was developed by Dr. Margo Gottlieb, The University of Illinois, and the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL), and meets all requirements of NCLB for testing and reporting of English proficiency. WIDA revises its operational form of ACCESS for ELLs® annually with a complete item turn over every three years (33% change per year). ACCESS for ELLs® comes in five grade clusters (K, 1-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12) and three tiers (A, B, C). Tiering the test allows students to avoid responding to questions that are inappropriately difficult or easy. WIDA followed State of Wisconsin procurement regulations in seeking a commercial vendor to print, distribute, score and report the ACCESS for ELLs®. The award was granted to MetriTech, Inc. in Urbana, Illinois.
D) A screener test known as the WIDA ACCESS Placement Test (W-APT)™ which is based upon the ACCESS for ELLs® and is used to identify students in need of ESL program support and place them in tiers for the ACCESS for ELLs® assessment.
Glossary of ESL Terms
The world of second language acquisition has many acronyms. Several of these are included below. In addition, a number of key events and educational terms and that are used with ESL/LEP students and their academic development is important for you to know.
ESL = English as a Second Language; English learned in an environment where English is the predominant language of communication.
EFL = English as a Foreign Language; English learned in an environment where a language other than English is the predominant language of communication.
SLA = Second Language Acquisition; the study of how second and subsequent languages are learned.
L1 = First Language, mother tongue; language used first and most often by a speaker.
L2 = Second Language; any language learned after the mother tongue; could become dominant language.
LEP = Limited English Proficient; term used denote English language learners where English is the L2 LEP: Limited English Proficient, A student who is not fully English proficient, speaks a language other than English at home, and does not demonstrate English language skills of comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing at a level that would place him/her in a mainstream, English only class setting.
FEP = Fluent English Proficient; educational/governmental term used to designate those English language learners that have reached a specific proficiency in the L2.
Bilingual Education (BE): An educational program in which two languages are used during instruction in order to 1) continue primary language (Ll) development, 2) provide instruction in content in both Ll and L2, and 3) English acquisition.
BICS: Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills: Skills necessary for functioning in everyday life, face-to-face interactions. These skills usually take about two years to develop in most second language learners.
CALP: Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency: The aspects of language linked to literacy and academic achievement. These skills usually take five to seven years to fully develop in second language learners.
Comprehensible Input (CI): Language that is understood by the learner. Focuses on meaning first and uses simplified speech.
Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) The basis for educating students with disabilities in classrooms comes from the concept of least restrictive environment (LRE), a provision in the federal laws that have governed special education since 1975 with the passage of PL 94-142. LRE is a student's right to be educated in the setting most like the educational setting for nondisabled peers in which the student can be successful, with appropriate supports provided. Mainstreaming and Inclusion are interpretations of LRE.
Mainstreaming: Mainstreaming is the term for placing students with disabilities or special needs in general education setting only when they can meet traditional academic expectations with minimal assistance, or when those expectations are not relevant, for example, participation in school assemblies, art, music, health, and physical education in order to have social interactions with the other students. There is no separation of students based on need or ability. All students are placed in classrooms designed for native English speakers that function at the perceived "normal" level. Inclusion: Inclusion represents the belief that students with disabilities should be integrated into general education classrooms, community activities and resources, and home settings as students who do not have disabilities. Within classrooms, students work toward their IEP goals. The term inclusion has been broadened in order to create what is known as inclusive learning communities where all children belong, those with and without disabilities and those with linguistic, ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic differences, such as ELL/LEP students. Code Switching: The alternate use of two languages. Speaking one language and using words from another, their native language. Pull Out: Classes in which students are withdrawn from the mainstream regular subject classes for one or more periods a week, for English language instruction classes in smaller groups. Silent Period: A time, during which ESL students observe, gather and absorb information without speaking while developing listening comprehension skills and sorting out structures in the language such as the sound system (phonetics) and vocabulary. Students also take in aspects of deep culture that are not taught such as the "common sense" aspects of everyday functioning. This period varies in length depending on the student. Affective Filter: The psychological barrier that allows input to be filtered through to a language processing mechanism. A high filter is full of anxiety and stress while a low filter has little anxiety increasing comprehension and attention. Lau vs. Nichols: (1974) The United States Supreme Court decision which found the San Francisco Board of Education failing in the duty of providing equal access to education of Chinese speaking students who were enrolled in mainstream, English only classes. Providing ESL students with the same materials as native speakers does not satisfy the requirement of equal access to education. Sheltered English: Also referred to as transition or bridge classes, students cover the same content areas as mainstream, English only classes but they do so in a manner that adapts the language components of the classes to meet the needs of the language minority students' English proficiency levels. Adaptations include simplified speech, contextualization, task-function orientation, and interactional activities. ESP: English for Special Purposes, Classes are designed to give students instruction in specific content areas. TESOL: Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. This is a national and professional association.
TESOL Matters (April, 1999)
Thanks to: R. Saenz & J. Kimsey
Resource Handbook from BER
-----------------------
INFORMATION FOR CONTENT TEACHERS
ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE
120 Franklin Blvd.
370-8982
Guilford County Schools
2008-2009
Table of Contents
| | |
| | |
|Table of Contents |Page number(s) |
|Subject | |
|Helpful Information00 |3-4 |
|What Can I do to help my ELL |5 |
|Stages of Second Language Acquisition |6 |
|Reading Strategies |7 |
|Many Ways to Modify Instruction for ESL Students |8-9 |
|Checklist for Effective Practice |10 |
|ESL Program Models |11 |
|Language Development Stages |12-13 |
|Instructional Accommodations for ELLs |14 |
|English Language Proficiency Levels |15 |
|Form –Recommended Modifications |16 |
|How to Adapt Instruction |17-18 |
|Specific Classroom Assessment Techniques for ELLs |19-20 |
|Guide for Grading ELLs |21 |
|Translated Documents | 22 |
|Important Web sites |23 |
|WIDA ELP Standards |24 |
|Glossary |25-26 |
o EOG Reading w/accommodations
o EOG Math w/accommodations
o Reading NCCLAS
o Math NCCLAS
o Writing NCCLAS
o EOC Algebra I
o EOC Algebra II
o EOC Geometry
o EOC Chemistry
o EOC Biology
o EOC Physical Science
o EOC Physics
o EOC U.S. History
o EOC English
Appropriate for Level 1 and 11 ELLs
o Take-home tests
o Open book tests in alternative locations
o Reduced or extended time on homework
o Extended time
o Oral assessment
o Reteach
o Review key concepts and vocabulary
o Comprehensive Review of Key Content concepts using outcome concepts
o Thumbs up/thumbs down
o Response boards
Strategies for All Levels
o Use of visuals
o Demonstrations
o Simplified written language
o Cooperative Learning
o Role Playing
o Graphic organizers
o Thinking maps
o Manipulatives
o Think-pair-share
o
Strategies for Level I
o Teacher uses language objective in lesson planning
o Teacher modifies speech
o Use of helper for note-taking/classroom buddy
o Elimination of questions[pic][?]23:VW]uvƒöÿp q Ô òáоº³£“£„}k\M\A5h§\-CJOJQJaJh6) CJOJQJaJhÄ
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