ESL 1: Introduction to ESL

Field-Based Assessment 2/15/2014

Rebecca Milliken Keira

Dates of observations: 1/22/14, 1/23/14, 1/29/14, 1/30/14, 1/31/14, 2/6/14, 2/7/14, 2/12/14, 2/13/14, 2/20/14, 2/21/14

School Profile Chartiers-Houston Jr./Sr. High Chartiers-Houston School District Houston, PA Five hundred and fifty two students (grades 7-12) Four ELLs The ELLs are identified by a Home Language Survey, tested with the IPT (Idea Proficiency Test) amd the W-APT and then placed with an ESL teacher. The amount of instruction given depends on the levels of English Proficiency in Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking. The ELLs are taught individually or in a small group. The ESL teachers work closely with the families and are often the liaison between the home and the school. There are English classes for the parents, too offered by the Washington Literacy Council.

Classroom Profile School District Chartiers-Houston School District School Name-Chartiers-Houston High School Teacher Name(s)- Mrs. Musial, Mrs. McAdams Grade bands-9-12 (Musial), 6-8 (McAdams) Teaching schedule- Period 1 and 2 (Musial), Periods 8 and 9 (McAdams) The teachers travel to other schools throughout the day. This is the schedule for my school. Identification of curriculum used in classroom- Textbook, Workbook, Journal, IPad, Novels and worksheets Assessment types used Informal assessments and Performance Based assessments ELP levels of ELLs for Musial Developing in all areas- ELL from China ELP levels of ELLS for McAdams- Reading (Developing), Writing (Bridging), Listening (Bridging) and Speaking (Expanding) - ELL from Ghana

Teacher Interview

1. How many years have you taught ESL? 4 years in the public schools, 3 years volunteering for GPLC-Greater Pittsburgh Literacy Council (teaching adults) 2. What led you to become involved in ESL? Volunteering with GPLC 3. What do you like most about teaching ESL? one-on-one with the students 4. What is most challenging about being an ESL Teacher? scheduling 5. How have you involved parents in the learning process? calls and emails; meetings, having them volunteer in the classroom, coming to social events like bowling parties 6. How do you communicate with parents? calls, emails, conferences 7. How do you communicate with the classroom teachers? emails and direct contact 8. What problems do ESL teachers face with classroom teachers? resistance to my taking them out of the classroom for ESL instruction. They feel that the kids might miss too much. 9. How do you handle different proficiency levels in the ESL classroom? differential instruction 10. How do you prepare yourself for receiving a new ELL in your classroom? gather info from his test results, gather materials It takes awhile to assess the student and find the right materials 11. What kind of teaching strategies do you use? as many that I have in my long experience with being a teacher 12. What is your philosophy on discipline? be firm but fair 13. What kind of technology do you use in the classroom? Ipad and with the older students- their cell phones

14. What book resource do you think every ESL teacher should have? picture dictionary 15. What are some other resources available to an ESL teacher? a wealth of info online 16. How do you keep yourself culturally aware? reading, talking to the students and parents 17. What are the different cultures represented in your ESL classroom over the years? Russian, Cuban, Korean, Vietnamese, Mexican, Somali, Ghanese, Japanese, Ukraine, etc. 18. Describe the most interesting thing you learned about an ELLs culture. be very careful when telling jokes because they could be very offensive to someone and you don't even realize it 19. Do you speak a second language? If so, which one/ones? If not, do you think it is helpful for an ESL teacher to have studied or know a second language other than English? No I don't speak another language, but it would be helpful to speak Spanish which is the predominant second language that I encounter 20. If you could give me one piece of advice about becoming an ESL Teacher, what would it be? Be the child's advocate in all situations.

Classroom Observations

Three strategies utilized in the classroom for ELLs were consistent routines, model activities, and wait time. Consistent routines truly helped the ELL in the classroom I observed. She knew the routine when she came into class and exactly what was expected of her. Throughout my observations, it became very apparent that structure is one (of the many) keys to success for ELLs. Another strategy this specific teacher utilized was modeling activities. The teacher would demonstrate activities in front of the class to ensure the ELLs can see the procedures before engaging in the task at hand. Demonstrations all the ELLs to visualize what they are supposed to be doing and during my observations these were very important. The last strategy utilized was one that can be easily overlooked: wait time. The ELLs are trying to translate terms while formulating their answers. When the teacher allowed more wait time, it also allowed for the ELLs to actively participate.

Research-Based Best Practices

English language learners can succeed in their content areas if the best practices are being used to help and guide them. For language arts, it is important for students to be able to connect prior knowledge to new class materials. ELL students may have gaps in their prior knowledge for numerous reasons but it is important to address them and fill them in with the proper content. One way to accomplish this is through the use of graphic organizers. Another best-practice for ELLs is the use of technology. However, simply adding technology to language arts will not help the ELL unless it is being utilized correctly. Correct use of technology would include items such as interactive games, vocabulary slide shows, and even content related videos. The final best practice in relation to language arts to be discussed is modeling. Instead of the teacher giving ELL students directions, the teacher will model exactly what they expect from the students. The teacher will do this by showing the students how to complete the assignment while providing examples of the finished work.

Best-practices for math related content can also be the ones used for language arts. Specifically for math, directions given in steps help ELL students. While the directions are given in steps, the teacher models what is expected and repeats the key points. This strategy uses multiple techniques at once to overall help the student. The next strategy to help ELL students in the math content area is collaboration. This may seem like a simple strategy, yet it is a very effective one. Collaboration gives students the time to discuss the content they are learning and it overall allows them to adjust to a new language. The students can collaborate with their peers and even the teacher to help them

succeed. Math assignments work well with collaboration because it allows students to work through assignments step by step while either giving or receiving help from their peers. ELL students may be hesitant to ask multiple questions to the teacher and feel more confident discussing them with peers. Along with directions given in steps and collaboration, reviewing overall helps ELL students. Math is the one content area where continuous practice is very important. Practicing allows students to achieve proficiency in that specific area. By practicing students are actually reviewing the content they already went over. Reviewing content will overall help the students practice and understand the math content. Reviewing also combines multiple best-practices which overall helps the ELL students. Both language art skills and mathematics can be required to understand science content. Therefore science content is somewhat more challenging for ELL students. Best-practices for the science content area include visual representations such as t-charts, illustrations, and/or concept maps. This allows the ELL students to visualize the content, even when the vocabulary may be unclear. Since vocabulary tends to be the most problematic for the science content area, teachers can preteach the vocabulary. Preteaching the vocabulary is a great best-practice because it allows for a deeper understanding of content area. The final best-practice to be discussed in regards to the science content area is linguistic output. Allowing the ELL student to talk is an essential part of their development as an ESL. Students need a sufficient amount of opportunities to practice their new language while receiving feedback. Science is a content area that tends to need explanations and linguistic output allows ELLs to do so. Social studies/history teacher face the challenge of adjusting instruction for ELLs. One

research based best-practice to help overcome this challenge is actually teaching history in reverse. This reverse order approach involves connecting the past, present, and future while removing the perceived barriers that can delay learning. By removing the strict progression, students can decide on a time period that explains the chosen content. The next research based best-practice is making meaning of the content. Generally, content that is not linked to other areas of interests, ideas, or even experiences lack significant learning. Content knowledge and their meanings are important factors when making connections of prior knowledge to new content. Combing meaningful content and the reverse order approach helps students understand where the lesson is going and where they need to be. Creating a socially supportive classroom for ELL learners refers to the development of a learning space in which students can feel comfortable learning both English and social studies content, and can feel comfortable making mistakes in the learning of both. Research shows that recognition of students home language and home cultures can facilitate students feelings of connection to the content and sense of belonging. It is very important to ensure the ELLs feel like they belong and comfortable, it can completely change the learning environment. Overall, there are many research based best-practices for ELLs. Certain ones will work better for specific content areas while others can be interchanged. Using multiple best-practices in the classroom will only help the ELLs to succeed.

Abedi, J., & Dietel, R. (2004).Challenges in the No Child Left Behind Act for English Language Learners. (CRESST Policy Brief No. 7). Los Angeles, CA: National Center for Research in Evaluation, Standards, and Student Testing. Retrieved February 22, 2014, from http://www.cse.ucla.edu/products/policy/cresst_policy7.pdf Castaneda, M., & Misco, T. (2009). "Now, What Should I Do for English Language Learners?" Reconceptualizing Social Studies Curriculum Design for ELLs. Educational Horizons, 87, 1-8. Retrieved February 18, 2014, from the ERIC database. Harris, B., Plucker, J., Rapp, K., & Martnez, R. (2009). Identifying Gifted and Talented English Language Learners: A Case Study. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 32, 1-26. Retrieved February 22, 2014, from the ERIC database. Johnson, M., & Chang, D. (2012). Balancing Act: Addressing Culture and Gender in ESL Classrooms. Journal of Adult Education, 41, 1-8. Retrieved February 20, 2014, from the ERIC database. Li, G., & Edwards, P. A. (2010). Best Practices in ELL Instruction. New York: Guilford Press. Shim, J. (2013). Involving the Parents of English Language Learners in a Rural Area: Focus on the Dynamics of Teacher - Parent Interactions. Rural Educator, 34, 1-9. Retrieved February 24, 2014, from the ERIC database. Sousa, D. A. (2011). How the ELL Brain Learns. Thousand Oaks : Calif.: Corwin Press.

Student Profile

Gender of student: Female English language proficiency level: Listening-Reaching; Speaking-Reaching; ReadingDeveloping; Writing-Expanding.

Number of years in this school district: 3 years Any special learning needs: i.e., special education or gifted education: N/A

Parent Interview (The ESL teachers informed me, I was not allowed to complete this assignment due to school policies. However, I was able to ask the ESL teachers directly these specific questions.) Cultural background of the family: Ghana/Language-Akan and English How long they have been in the U.S. -4 years Prior school experiences:

What schools did the ELL attend and how long? VA-1 year; C-H3 years

Experiences in those schools.VA?

Experiences at current school I have had this student for 3 years. She has progressed, but her comprehension in reading and her writing have prohibited her from exiting the program. We have worked extensively in building her academic vocabulary as well as her knowledge base in social studies and science. We have also spent a lot of class time on different types of writing assignments. Hopefully, she will be able to exit this year if she does well on the test I will give her at the end of the month-ACCESS test.

Development of activity for ELLs Requirements Content

Title of activity

How the World Eats: Chinese Culture

Grade level

9-12

Subject/content area

Family and Consumer Sciences/Food Prep

PA academic standards

PA FCS Standard 11.3.3.G National FCS 14.1.2

English-language proficiency standards

Level 2 in Listening Level 3 in Speaking Level 2 in Reading Level 4 in Writing

Can-Do descriptors

Match or classify oral descriptions to real-life experiences or visually represented, content related examples. Suggest ways to resolve issues or pose solutions. Classify or organize information presented in visuals or graphs. Compose narrative and expository text for a variety of purposes.

Common core

SAS 11.3.9.F

Procedures for Activity

Through a taste testing activity students will categorize how the human senses combine to create how we describe the flavor of food. Students will dissect the Chinese culture and cuisine. Students will also interpret how Chinese flavors and style of cooking make this particular cuisine so unique.

Communicative activities

Students will work on conflict resolution by asking questions that may be considered personal in the Chinese culture. Students will also work on communicative skills by role playing the differences between how Americans eat and those of the Chinese background.

Support for ELLs communication

ELLs will be given vocabulary lists with corresponding pictures. ELLs will be explained the lesson individually before starting and guided through out it.

Strategies that recognize the L1

After exploring the Chinese culture, the ELLs will present a food dish from their own culture(s).

Family involvement

Families will be asked to help prepare a dish native of their culture.

Reflection

Language: I have personally learned that ELLs face challenges learning a new language. They do receive help from TESOLs but only for a period or two a day. This would be similar to a high school student learning Spanish by taking a Spanish course. Every day they will learn new content but one hour a day is not enough. Helping ELLs succeed requires the help of families and their other teachers. Culture: I have found out that culture is extremely important to ELLs however they do begin to adapt to a new one. When they first arrive, they wear clothing that they would in their home culture. As time goes, they start to wear clothing similar to that of their peers. ELLs normally are raised differently. Some may avoid eye contact when talking with a teacher. Our cultures are very different at times but a strong support system truly helps. Observing, Planning, Implementing, and Managing Instruction: Similar to teaching mainstream students, lessons needed to be adapted to fit the needs of the ELLs. All of the ELLs teachers, not just the TESOLs, need to plan and adapt lessons that match the proficiency standards. TESOLs are great resources for managing instruction for ELLs. Core teachers and TESOLs can work together to achieve a common goal of helping the ELLs succeed. Assessment: The progress of ELLs may be less tangible without the proper help. ELLs may be grasping a concept but simply cannot communicate their understanding correctly. Assessments for ELLs need to be adapted to show proper true progress. Professionalism: Professionalism is one of the most important things to remember as a TESOL. It can be a very challenging job at times but as always it is important to remember the privacy of ELLs. TESOLs like other teachers need to reflect on what is considered inappropriate actions and avoid them at all costs. How would you go about designing instruction for the ELL based on current and previous school experiences?

I would personally add vocabulary reviews with the English language definitions and those of their background. Being able to visually see the similarities between the two languages will help the ELL. I would also set goals for the ELL to work towards. Once the ELL reached her goal I would provide a reward to encourage good behavior. I

would also make sure to introduce myself to the other teachers and offer resources for the ELL. This would be a result of previous school experiences of miscommunication between the TESOL and teachers. What strategies would work best with the ELL in each content area (i.e., language arts, math, science, and social studies/history)?

In language arts, the best strategy for the ELL I have been specifically working with is modeling. She understands content especially language arts better when the teacher models the assignment first. For math, it would be collaboration. The student works great with other students and finds it easier to ask them questions. For science, it would be preteaching. Science is honestly this students most challenging content area. However, preteaching truly helps the lesson. For social studies/history it would be the reversed order approach because it is easier for her to understand what currently happens in our world.

What supports or resources would you recommend for this ELL?

The student currently has a handheld translator that she uses without her TESOL around. It seems to help her but slows down her work progress by taking the time to translate the assignments. I would personally recommend for her to only use the translator when necessary so she does not become dependent on it.

How would you go about supporting the ELLs communication in social and academic settings?

I would ask for the parents and/or guardians of the ELLs to encourage their children to speak English at home. I would also encourage the ELL to reach out to her peers and communicate in English for practice.

If this were your classroom, what supports or resources would you expect for the ELLs?

I would ask for the entire staff support of the ELL to start off with. I would then ask for a copy of each textbook the student is working with so I could be prepared with the content myself. Along with the textbooks, I would ask for answer keys. Having the textbook and answer keys will allow for me to plan according when I am with the ELL. I would also request for some type of technology. The technology would come into play for numerous ESL games online and even flashcards.

If this were your classroom, how would you involve families in the learning process?

I would personally involve parents from day one by sending a letter home and calling parents introducing myself. I would let parents/guardians know they can communicate with me at any time, by phone, email, or face to face. I would also update families on students work.

If this were your classroom, how would you involve the community in the learning process?

Involving the community overall helps the ELLs feel more comfortable. I would involve the community by setting up a cultural day where the ELL could display her background and expose her roots to others.

If this were your classroom, what do you know about the cultures represented and what would you want/need to know about the cultures to assist you in becoming an effective teacher?

I honestly know the general information about different cultures. I believe it is extremely important to know your students background so you can help them better. When working with ELLs, you need to know what offends them and how our cultures are different. I would not want to accidentally do something to offend a student.

If this were your classroom, how would you go about establishing a pro-social classroom learning environment?

I would begin by encouraging my ELLs to ask questions when they are confused. I would also create lessons that require ELLs to work with their peers.

If this were your classroom, how would you ensure consistent home and school communication?

I would discuss this with parents and the ELLs immediately. Parents are normally the chain between students and their success at school. Therefore keeping parents involved will overall help the ELLs to succeed. I would also inform the parents of English language classes offered and encourage them to attend with their children.