CEC STANDARD 6 // LANGUAGE - Weebly

CEC STANDARD 6 // LANGUAGE

Throughout LRC 516, "Introduction to Structured English Immersion," I learned a great deal about language acquisition theory. To demonstrate my understanding of language acquisition, I have attached a short quiz that I completed which discusses many aspects of language acquisition, including competing theories and teaching strategies related to each theory. I have also included a presentation from Dr. Combs, the course instructor, which was the basis for my learning.

Jennifer Stansel 16 March 2013

LRC 416/516: Foundations of Structured English Immersion (Fall2012)

Due on or before November 6, 2012

Name: Jennifer Stansel

Date: 11/6/12

Quiz #3 (1st & 2nd Language Acquisition)

Part One: First Language Acquisition [ ~pts.]

lp. the last few weeks, we have discussed a number of learning theories about how children acquire and develop their first language (for example, humanistic, developmental, social interactionist, cognitivist, and behavioral theories). We also talked briefly about how teachers can extract useful information from each theory in order to apply it to their own classroom practice. This quiz challenges you to think about what kind of instructional strategies most closely parallel each theory. For example, if a teacher followed a humanistic learning theory, he or she would probably organize a highly collaborative classroom in which students had multiple opportunities to interact in problem-solving activities that, at least in part, were designed to develop their self-esteem. A brief description of each learning theory is provided in a table on the next page.

In this part of the quiz, you have two tasks:

(1) Under each description, make a list of the instructional strategies that teachers could develop to match that particular theory of learning. Seriously - a list is fine, you don't have to write a long narrative. Please type out your lists inside the table columns.

(2) Provide two or three paragraphs that describe your own [future] classroom. In other words, select your preferred theory or theories (good teachers typically pull from more than one), describe what your classroom looks like (how you would arrange it to facilitate academic development), what kind of activities you would plan for your students, including English language learners, your teaching strategies and your overall philosophical/theoretical approach(es).

Note that chapter 2 in Echevarria and Graves (Sheltered Content Instruction) provides you with teaching ideas for each theory; which you are welcome to include in each list. However, I also want you to go beyond their suggestions and develop some of your own.

Please type (single or double-spaced is fine- your choice). Use this page as a cover sheet. Print out your quiz and bring it to class on or before November 6, 2012. You can also put it in my faculty mailbox anytime (located on the 5th floor of the College of Education, in the corridor outside of room 512 [west wing]).

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Humanistic

Developmental Social Interactionist

Cognitivist

Behavioral

This theory suggests that high self-esteem and a healthy identity promote language acquisition.

-Overcome inhibition to speak -Ability to laugh at one's own mistakes -Preparing for difficulties -Give feedback to avoid repeating mistakes -Reading things that are familiar -Reading texts at the beginner's level -Teacher is silent and allows students to learn cooperatively -Community language learning -Total physical response (TPR) -Positive reinforcement -Activities that allow students to succeed -Foster an engaging environment -Allow students to take a leadership role/model or demonstrate activities for their peers -Allows students to participate in activities they enjoy and in which they demonstrate proficiency

This particular theory argues that learning and language acquisition occur in naturally occurring stages. Students progress at their own pace and inborn factors account for their development over time.

-Using prior knowledge -Emphasize fluency over accuracy -Using circumlocutions -Diversified lessons -Discovery education -Increased wait time -Teach just beyond competency level -Allow ELL students to have their silent period -Support in Ll -One-on-one support in remedial activities

This is a sociocultural view of learning that recognizes the social side of learning and the unique roles that adults and older children ("more capable others") play in learning. In this view of language learning, the role of the environment is key and children are active participants in their own learning.

-Re-telling events -Describing activities -Giving personal opinions -Talking about experiences -Give context clues (facial expressions, body language, hand gestures, modeling or demonstrations, visual cues) -Group projects and activities -Class discussions -Practice -Experiments with new sounds -Listens carefully and tries to imitate -Repeats sentences until pronounced easily -Initiates conversation with fellow students -Spends time in language lab -Watches TV/listens to radio, etc. -Communicates whenever possible -Writes to pen pals -Role playing -Jigsaw grouping strategy -Allow ELL students to interact with native speakers

Cognitivists believe that language development is part of children's general cognitive development, and that stages of cognition parallel linguistic development. This theory emphasizes the importance of the cognitive process (how children process information) and how they develop their "metacognition" (the term literally means "conscious knowing about how to know").

-Comparing and contrasting -Listing, defining, classifying -Predicting, explaining, analyzing, justifying -Inferring, deducing -Integrating, evaluating -Arguing, persuading, defending -Clarification/ Verification -Guessing/inductive inferencing -Guessing meaning from key words -Deductive reasoning -Compares first language to target language -Using a dictionary when necessary -Think, Pair, Share

Adherents to behavioral theory believe that language learning is a skill like any other, learned through an elaborate system of stimulus, reinforcement, and response. Learners should be rewarded in some way, once language learning occurs.

-Memorization -Using mnemonics -Writing items repeatedly -Uses rules to generate possibilities -Reading something every day -Making up charts to memorize vocabulary -Coaches fluent English speakers to reinforce cognates with ELLs

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As a special education teacher, I plan to utilize a variety of teaching strategies that will

appeal to students with high incidence disabilities, particularly Attention Deficit Disorder and

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. Because students with high incidence disabilities often

have low self-esteem and are unwilling to participate in activities that call attention to their

abilities and knowledge, I feel that activities that fall within the scope of the humanistic theories

will best fit this need. However, I also understand that students with ADD/ADHD have a need

for constant activity, and I feel that many strategies within the scope of the social interactionist

theory also fit this need.

Some humanistic strategies that I would use include allowing students to read texts that

are either familiar or at the beginner's level, in order to increase confidence. I would use humor,

teaching students to laugh at their mistakes and also teaching them to expect difficulties, and

utilize strategies that would help student cope with frustration. I would provide opportunities for

students to be leaders and for them to model and demonstrate activities for their peers. I would

also utilize total physical response, which I believe would especially engage students with

ADD/ADHD by allowing them an increased level of activity. But more than any other

humanistic strategy, I would give positive reinforcement and provide activities that allow the

students to succeed. In terms of social interactionist teaching strategies, I would provide ask

students to initiate conversations with other students during transition periods. This would keep

the students constantly engaged. To increase the benefits of this strategy, I would pair ELL

students with native speakers. I would also engage my students in discussions, asking them to

give their personal opinions, talk about prior experiences, and describe activities. Some other

strategies from other learning theories that I also believe would be useful are allowing students

extra time to answer questions, emphasizing fluency over accuracy, and teaching just beyond the

competency level (all developmental). Finally, I believe that the use of mnemonics (behavioral)

would also be helpful for students with ADD/ADHD, who often have memory problems.

In order to facilitate these strategies successfully, I would use circular desks that could

accommodate multiple students at a time. These desks would be arranged in a circle, so that the

whole class could sit around the outside of the desks, which would be useful during class

discussions.

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Part Two: Second Language Acquisition

Directions: Read the passage below and identify as many theories of second language acquisition as possible. Explain your choices.--- --...,___

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Alejandra Duefias-Taylor teaches a second grade SEI classroom at

Nopal Elementary School. Eighteen of her 24 students are Mexican

origin English language learners with varying proficiencies in

English. Ms. Duefias-Taylor teaches in English, but she supports her

students' learning with Spanish. She also has a native Spanish

speaking aide who often works one-on-one with students in remedial

activities. When students arrive in the morning and begin to do bell

work, Ms. Duefias-Taylor routinely has classical music pia ing softly

on her radio. When students need

s e o en plays a popular

music CD and leads the class in a brie Jazzercise or Zumba/Yc?ivi}:y.

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Ms. Duefias-Taylor habitually adapts the second grade curriculum

and\ lieLiflstruction to better facilitate the students' developing P\~ency in English. She enunciates her speech, speaks slowly but

aturally, increases her wait time, uses extensive visual clues, and

xaggerates her gestures and body language. Most of all, she tries to

each just beyond the English competency level of her students

ecause she wants them to "stretch cognitively" to meet her

mstructional demands and to develop their academic English. Ms.

Duefias-Taylor arranges heterogeneous grouping on a daily basis, so

that her ELLs can interact with English speakers. She encourages

ELLs to use the English they have and not to worry about speaking

perfectly ("it's about your ideas right now," she tells them, "not how

well you say those ideas"). She also has coached her fluent English

speakers to reinforce cognates with the ELLs (for example, in math:

addition, subtraction, multiplication, digit, whole number, equation,

etc.).

is particular week, she and her aide are working with three new English learners. Daisy has recently arrived from Mexico, and Omar and Mauro have transferred from another school in the district. Daisy has a "pre-productive" level of English proficiency; Omar and Mauro know "playground" English, but are still at a basic level of English ? roficiency. Daisy is quiet and seems reluctant to participate verbally in c ss activities. However, Ms. Duefias-Taylor believes that Daisy 1 isten? g carefully, and will be more willing to speak when she's re . mar reads and writes at grade level in Spanish and is eager to

ow off what he can do. He knows how to sound out words in

Theories Second Langua ~cquisition

-Support in L

-One-on-one support in remedial activities

-Listening to music, such as classical and pop

-Enunciates speech

-Speaks slowly but naturally

-Increased wait time

-Visual cues

-Exaggerated gestures and body language

-Teaches just beyond English competency

level

-Develop academic English

-Allows ELL students to interact with English

speakers

-Encourages fluency rather than accuracy

-Coaches fluent English speakers to reinforce

cognates with ELLs

-Allows ELL students to have their silent

period

-Practice sounding out English words

-Guided help

-Inferring and deducing based on context

clues

-Allows students to participate in activities

they enjoy and in which they demonstrate

proficiency

-Speaks to students in Ll

-Allows students opportunity to take

leadership role and model skills

-Provide opportunities to increase self-esteem

-Total Physical Response (Jazzercise or

Zumba activity)

-Groups students heterogeneously

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