Accelerated Second Language Literacy Development

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Accelerated Second Language Literacy Development

• Jim Cummins
• December presentation in Charlotte, N.C.
• Sponsored by SDR (Staff Development Resources)
• An overview created by Angie Bruhjell

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What is English Language Proficiency?Different
Ways of Looking at Proficiency in English

• CONVERSATIONAL FLUENCY
• The ability to carry on a conversation in
  familiar face-to face situations
• Already developed in native speakers by age 5
• Uses high frequency words and simple grammatical
  construction
• ESOL students generally require 1-2 years of
  instruction to reach this level of proficiency.

• DISCRETE LANGUAGE SKILLS
• The ability to follow the rule-governed aspects
  of the English language (spelling, grammar,
  punctuation, etc.)
• Developed through direct instruction and
  immersion in a literacy-rich home and school
  environment
• ESOL students learn these skills as they are
  developing basic vocabulary and conversational
  fluency, but this type of instruction does not
  typically increase vocabulary
• Demystifies the language for ESOL
• After gr. 1 discrete language instruction has
  diminishing returns- emphasis switches to
  comprehension skills.

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ACADEMIC LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY

• Includes knowledge of the less frequent
  vocabulary of English as well as the ability to
  interpret and produce increasingly difficult
  written language
• ESOL students typically require at least 5 years
  to attain grade level expectations in language
  and literacy
• ESOL students must make 15 months of gain for
  every 10 months of instruction in order to catch
  up to grade norms in 6 years
• Extensive reading is a crucial tool for ESOL
  students both inside and outside the
  instructional process
• Extensive writing is also a crucial tool for ESOL
  students, again, both within the instructional
  process and at home.
• By the fourth grade, the need for academic
  language proficiency becomes crucial in order for
  ESOL students to be able to master standards in
  social studies and science. If you take a look
  at the required vocabulary for both subjects, the
  words are all non-conversational.

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AN INTERESTING SIDE NOTE Spanish is a
language that has its origins in Latin. The
English language pulls its vocabulary from
Latin/Greek/Old French and Anglo-Saxon origins
(among others). The Anglo-Saxon words in the
English language are usually the shorter, more
high-frequency words that we think of as easy to
learn. The Latin words are usually the longer,
low-frequency words. Since they are also found in
the Spanish language, they are easier for
Spanish-speaking ESOL students to recognize and
transfer. For example In the following excerpt
from Edgar Allen Poes The Pit and the Pendulum
the italicized words are Latin-based and most of
the others are Anglo-Saxon. My outstretched
hands at length encountered some solid
obstruction. It was a wall, seemingly of stone
masonry very smooth, slimy, and cold. I
followed it up stepping with all the careful
distrust of which certain antique narratives had
inspired me.
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What do we know about learning?Based on research
by Bransford, Brown, and Cocking (2000) How
People Learn

• Engaging prior understandings
• It is helpful if ESOL students can access their
  prior knowledge about a concept in their first
  language and in the context of their own culture.
  If the student feels that only knowledge
  communicated in their second language will be
  counted it severely limits their success.
• Integrating factual knowledge with conceptual
  frameworks
• Conceptual frameworks are the deepest level of
  understanding. This level turns factual
  information into usable knowledge. According to
  Cummins, attainment of knowledge follows the
  following process
• memorize ? conceptualize
  ? internalize ? utilize.
• Using meta-cognitive strategies to take control
  over the learning process
• A meta-cognitive strategy is a self-monitored
  approach. Students take control of their own
  learning, recognize the strategies that work best
  for them, and use those strategies to help
  themselves. They set their own learning goals
  and assess their own progress.

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• ESOL students first language as a resource
  within the classroom
• Suggestions for teachers
• Allow students to complete dual-language
  assignments such as a bilingual advertisement,
  story, or concept web.
• Allow students to work with same language
  partners to discuss a problem and clarify
  information in their first language, then
  translate to English.
• Allow students to create multilingual displays
  or signs for the classrooms (for example, class
  rules, label cards, schedules, etc.
• Allow students to write first drafts, notes, and
  journal entries in their first language.
• Provide a same language, cross-grade mentor.

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• Cultural diversity as a resource within the
  classroom
• Cross Curricular Ideas
• Geography- Have students present information
  about their native country, for example, a
  climate graph of their native country, a bar
  graph comparing the numbers of people in both
  countries, or let them show their country on
  world maps and use the distance scale to show how
  far their country of origin is from the U.S.
• P.E.- Have students teach the class a game or
  activity that was popular in their country of
  origin and include key phrases from their
  language for other students to learn.
• ELA- Have students create a poem in their first
  language then translate into English. Have them
  describe the details of a painting in their first
  language then translate.
• All Subjects- Have students pair up with English
  speakers and create dual language posters on
  subject matter.

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The Centrality of Literacy Engagement

• Literacy Engagement (a students participation in
  his literacy development) is affected by three
  factors
• A LOT of reading and writing done at increasingly
  difficult levels,
• Use of a variety of effective strategies for deep
  understanding of the text (ex. Context,
  phonetics, prior knowledge activation, pictures,
  etc.)
• The student has to WANT to be there do not use
  punitive reading or writing, create an engaging
  environment, maintain a positive relationship
  that encourages risk taking, etc.
• Collect IDENTITY TEXTS (artifacts that students
  produce) and allow students to share with
  multiple audiences. These artifacts act as the
  students ambassador to showcase their
  abilities and improvements.

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The Development of Academic Expertise

• Academic Expertise is dependent on three
  interactive and cyclic components
• Teacher Student Interactions
• Focus on Meaning (making input comprehensible,
  developing critical literacy)
• Focus on Language (developing an awareness of
  language forms and uses and encouraging critical
  analysis of language forms and uses)
• Focus on Use (using language to generate new
  knowledge, create literature and art, and act on
  social realities)
• Maximum Identity Investments (student affirmation
  of his/her own needs, successes, and strengths
  encourages full engagement in the learning
  process)
• Maximum Cognitive Investments (total immersion in
  reading and writing in all aspects of the school
  day and at home)

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Strategies for Focus on Meaning, Language, and Use

• Focus on Meaning (Critical Literacy)
• Analyze Text Through Questions
• Why was this text written? What did the author
  have in mind? What response does the author hope
  readers will have to this text?
• How does the authors language help him/her
  influence the readers response?
• How are males and females portrayed in this text?
  Are there differences or inequalities?
• How are members of different cultural groups
  described in the text? Are there
  misrepresentations or inequalities in the roles
  these culture groups play in the text?
• Could people in the text have acted differently
  than they did? What alternative actions could
  they have taken?

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Strategies for Focus on Meaning, Language, and Use

• Focus on Language
• Learning of Word Pairs/Groups
• Verb Adjective Noun Preposition
• read interesting book about
• buy new book for
• write funny book with
• Teach underlying meaning of word
• Teach Word families
• observe, observing, observed, observation,
  observant
• Teach Word Parts
• prefixes, suffixes, roots
• Present idiomatic sequences of words together
  (lexical patterning)
• ex. burn the midnight oil over the moon
• In-depth exploration of simple words

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Strategies for Focus on Meaning, Language, and Use

• Focus on Use
• Students K-12 bring in words (L1 or L2) to
  explore with peers and teachers
• Students write creatively in L1 or L2
• New ESOL students or L1 dominant students write
  in L1 and work with peers to create bilingual
  identity texts
• Students create their own bilingual dictionaries
• Students create their own subject matter (Sci.
  and S.S.) tests by translating the L2 test into
  L1 as their study guide.
• Students create their own vocabulary quizzes.
  Divide students into teams and assign several
  words to each team. The team is responsible for
  exploring the words and designing multiple choice
  questions (with appropriate distracters)

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AND ANOTHER THING

• Interesting points made by Dr. Cummins
• ESOL is EVERYBODYS BUSINESS
• Find ways ESOL students can make powerful
  contributions to their class.
• Recognize and encourage natural transfers between
  L1 and L2 (strategies, chronological awareness,
  linguistic, and Latin-based transfers)
• Active, enthused students will be successful.
• Our own identities as educators are formed by the
  decisions and choices we make. The fewer choices
  we have and decisions we are allowed to make, the
  less we buy in to the final goal/product we aim
  for.