So Where Are We in Our Understanding of ELL needs?

Monday already.
And there was a lot to digest last week in terms of second language acquisition.
So just a quick review:

A Recap

ELLs bring...
- language that can be used as a bridge toward English
- culture and traditions that need to be acknowledged
- prior knowledge from previous schooling/ experiences that can be applied in the school context

ELLs flourish when...
- the affective filter is low
- multiple means of making input comprehensible are used
> graphic organizers
> realia
> real objects
> multi-media: videos, digital cameras, recordings, etc.
- time is set aside to be explicitly taught features of their language that can transfer
- time is set aside to be taught the forms and functions of the English Language
- time is set aside to practice these forms and develop their fluency

So where are we at?
- Different districts are in different places in their work on ELLs. Some are just starting to acknowledge that ELLs are part of their student population, others require ELD instruction and have implemented systematic, enforced ELL monitoring and compliance procedures and practices and others are somewhere in between

No matter where your district is in its understanding and implementation, it behooves us as educators responsible for these children to be able to develop their English proficiency and for us a society to stop failing them.

Okay. We'll leave it here for now...it's too early in the week- and late at night- to be climbing a soapbox.

- W

The Basics- Part 3

On instruction for ELLs

We have been learning of course that the previous research was only part of the picture, an important part though.

1. There is also a need to explicitly teach the ELL in the forms and functions of the language they are learning.

- For example, a student is taught the form "I have ____'s _____." in order to convey the function of possession.
- And no, for many, many years this has not been the case
- This is what makes up ELD- English Language Development in a nutshell. ELD is its own subject matter, essentially the teaching of the forms and functions of the English language

2. To complete the picture, ELLs need opportunities to apply their ELD learning, in order to improve their fluency in the language.
- This is what makes up the bulk of ELD class (no less than 50% of the alloted time!)

So, together, these 3 parts represent a synopsis-compilation of the "good parts" of what we have learned over the last four decades that will facilitate learning for our ELLs. Of course, I left out many parts and I may touch upon them later on, or feel free to bring them up in comments.

- W

The Basics of the Basics- Part 2

On what ELLs bring with them to help their own learning

1. ELLs learn best when the affective filter (their receptiveness to learning vis-a-vis the classroom climate, e.g. how the teacher encourages risk taking) is low. If the teacher discourages risk-taking by scolding the student for an "incorrect" response, the affective filter will be high and learning will be hindered.

2. ELLs learn best when their cultural backgrounds are used as much as possible.

3. ELLs (except for brand new students) have learned some things all ready. Even new students bring in some knowledge. The point is that we must use and build upon a students prior knowledge to connect to new concepts

Next...what research says about what we should be doing in the classroom instructionally to optimize learning the 2nd language

The Barest Basics of 2nd Language Learning- Part 1

The Basics to Acquiring a Second Language

1. It takes 1-3 years to absorb a new language and speak it at a level that will allow for every day communicative competence "playground English" also known as "BICS" but

2. It takes 5-7 years to learn a new language and be able to utilize it in an academic context and apply it in higher order thinking strategies. ("CALPS")

3. Since the 1970s we have learned from Stephen Krashen that the key to learning a second language is comprehensible input- ensuring that the concept being taught in the 2nd language is understandable to the student. This means providing visuals when explaining a difficult concept, bringing in real objects or even props that are representative of or illustrate the concept, using multi-media, or using graphic organizers to record and display information, among many others.

- I know, this sounds like common sense and many of you are probably even thinking, "Umm, isn't that what teachers should be doing anyway...?" Well, believe it or not, many teachers get fooled by the students apparent progress in speaking English and let their guard down, or sadly in some cases, use that as a justification for not doing any more of #3.

More on what research says about what ELLs bring to the table to help their own learning...

"Stuck"

Seems that word struck a cord in me.

It is the reality that many, many, MANY of our English Learners get stuck upon reaching the intermediate proficiency level- the Level 3 "ceiling."

Why do they "get stuck?"
Most teachers greet ELLs in the Beginning stage with a mixed sense of fear, excitement and dread. And yet, students at this stage, despite exhibiting an equal mix of these, also manage to follow the steps uncovered by research in second language acquisition. (I promise I'll address this more in future entries.) For now, ELLs go through a predicted "silent period," followed by a greater sense of comfort and initial absorption of simple English constructions. So students learn "playground English" and are chattering away with friends and seem to be progressing just fine...all the way to level 3.
But, the ELL is still on the second language learning journey. And it turns out- it's a long one. A 5-7 year one to be a little more exact.

So what happens?
Well, reality hits- for the student. Playground English takes the student only so far. Reality hits- for the teacher as well. The "good" teacher recognizes that Academic English needs to be taught. Unfortunately, in most places, until relatively recently, there has been little attention paid to curriculum that addresses the needs of these students so that they can access Academic English. The less aware teacher may think the student is actually progressing, and either: increase the load/complexity of English, losing the student or simply meet the student at the level he/she seems to be operating...and not exposing the student to a good model of Academic English at all.

The result?
The vast majority of our ELLs are stuck in an intermediate stage. They move up the grades without explicit instruction in the nuances, forms and functions of the language. And they stay stuck all the way through high school.

And then society attributes this "lack of wanting to learn" or "cultural disinclination for schooling" or what-have-you to these students, and not to what we've done to fail them. Or to put it a different way, what we have NOT done to pry them out of the Level 3 quicksand trap.

But before we go there, I think we need to understand a little about second language acquisition, English Language Development, and other fun things!
Stay tuned...

ELL Weekend

I didn't think I'd get to post anything new this weekend...so I am glad I just made it in.
And I want to reflect a bit on why I chose the topic of English Language Learners to begin with.

Me- the English Learner
First of all- I was an English Language Learner. I went through the (unfortunately) typical experience of having other students make fun of me as I stumbled through the various obstacles of English phonology...

"Teesher, Teesher!" would come out of my mouth, to which many of my fellow students would taunt me with "Ha, ha, ha, ha- he said T-shirt, he called the teacher a T-shirt." A representative example. There were many, many more. In fact, there was one kid in particular who had made it a hobby to torment me every day with original epithets like "Beaneater" and "wet-back." It reached a point that I could no longer handle it. I didn't know what those words meant, but I knew they hurt and that other kids got pleasure in having those words hurled at me.

So one day I did something that I've never been proud of but that had to happen. I kicked another 1st grader's butt. Mind you, he was a very mean 1st grader but I didn't feel like fighting again for a long time after that incident.

Oh yeah- and I got expelled from the school.

And yet, somehow, over time, at the new school, I figured things out, I even lost my accent and I earned a little "F" in front of my name. I still remember my 4th grade teacher showing me her roster and a little "-F" notation next to it. I didn't know then, that was my new designation as "Fully English Proficient."

But, as I got older and more mature, I noticed that not all kids were this "lucky." (I still didn't know why I would have absorbed English faster than other ELL peers). In fact, in high school, I met many kids who seemed to be "stuck" in "ESL" classes, whom I never really saw except at lunch. I did not have any classes with them, and in fact, they had no classes with any other kids but themselves. Quite segregated. I didn't understand, but it didn't sit right. Other kids taunting them with epithets, and making fun of the way they spoke.

And I wondered if that could have been me.

Me- the teacher, educator, advocate...
So years later, when I finally decided teaching really was for me, I decided that I would be the kind of teacher I never had as an ELL, but more importantly, the kind of teacher that would be cognizant of the needs of ELLs- while not forgetting that they are students like everyone else and should be held to the same high expectations and academic and content standards. And just as important, set up a classroom environment in which we are ALL learning Standard Academic English- a language onto itself!

Anyway, weekends are good for reflecting, and I reflect a lot through my writing. It's important for me every now and again to remind myself of what it is that motivates me to do what I do both in and out of the classroom around ELLs. It can be a draining, challenging job given the current political climate here in the U.S.

But onward...a new week approaches.

Thanks for reading (and bearing with) my humble blog and today's flavor of musings!

Levels of English Proficiency

As we discussed yesterday, there are 5 different recognized levels of English proficiency officially recognized and possible on the CELDT: Beginning, Early Intermediate, Intermediate, Early Advanced and Advanced.

Now, before explaining what we can expect from a student at each of these proficiency levels, remember, a student is given a proficiency level in EVERY domain, and they may be different. So for example, the student may be Early Intermediate in Reading but Early Advanced in Listening.

Also, as a shorthand, teachers tend to talk about their students' proficiency levels in terms of a number from 1 to 5, corresponding to 1- Beginning, 2-Early Intermediate, 3-Intermediate, 4-Early Advanced and 5-Advanced. But they usually are referring to their overall proficiency level, based on their overall CELDT score. Thus, teachers say, "I'm teaching the 1s and 2s, Ms. Fletcher is teaching the 3s..."

Okay, finally lets take a look. And to give credit where credit is due, these descriptions come straight from the horse's mouth- the California Department of Education. Enjoy the slides:

The 5 levels described...

Beginning

•Students performing at this level of English language proficiency may demonstrate little or no receptive or productive English skills. They are beginning to understand a few concrete details during unmodified instruction. They may be able to respond to some communication and learning demands, but with many errors. Oral and written production is usually limited to disconnected words and memorized statements and questions. Frequent errors make communication difficult.

Early Intermediate

•Students performing at this level of English language proficiency continue to develop receptive and productive English skills. They are able to identify and understand more concrete details during unmodified instruction. They may be able to respond with increasing ease to more varied communication and learning demands with a reduced number of errors. Oral and written production is usually limited to phrases and memorized statements and questions. Frequent errors still reduce communication.

Intermediate

•Students performing at this level of English language proficiency begin to tailor the English language skills to meet communication and learning demands with increasing accuracy. They are able to identify and understand more concrete details and some major abstract concepts during unmodified instruction. They are able to respond with increasing ease to more varied communication and learning demands with a reduced number of errors. Oral and written production has usually expanded to sentences, paragraphs, and original statements and questions. Errors still complicate communication.

Early Advanced

•Students performing at this level of English language proficiency begin to combine the elements of the English language in complex, cognitively demanding situations and are able to use English as a means for learning in content areas. They are able to identify and summarize most concrete details and abstract concepts during unmodified instruction in most content areas. Oral and written production is characterized by more elaborate discourse and fully-developed paragraphs and compositions. Errors are less frequent and rarely complicate communication.

Advanced

•Students performing at this level of English language proficiency communicate effectively with various audiences on a wide range of familiar and new topics to meet social and learning demands. In order to attain the English proficiency level of their native English-speaking peers, further linguistic enhancement and refinement are still necessary. They are able to identify and summarize concrete details and abstract concepts during unmodified instruction in all content areas. Oral and written production reflects discourse appropriate for content areas. Errors are infrequent and do not reduce communication.

Until next time...

CELDT- Time for a Close-up...!

Ok, so self-identified non-English speaking children are given the CELDT...now what...

The 4 domains of Literacy

Quick note on these. Everyone knows them already- they just sound more "academic" when described this way. They are Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing. Coincidentally, each of these is assessed by the CELDT (although listening and speaking are combined).

The 4 Domains on the CELDT

So we have an exam broken up into sections by domain. Students are given a certain number of points when answers are correct. Raw scores are then tabulated, and then scaled. So they turn from a number that has less meaning to one that has more- one that compares the student to others based on a scale. While only the test publisher's score is official, many districts calculate the scale score because after all, we want to ensure this information will help teachers make informed decisions.

That's where the different levels come in.

The 5 Levels of English Proficiency

We start with the Beginner continue with Early Intermediate, then Intermediate. These three levels represent the "true" ELL. In California, it is expected that each student move one proficiency level per school year. So ideally, the kindergartner who starts as a beginner will be ready to leave ELL status behind by 3rd grade. Ideally. Beyond these three, we have Early Advanced, and Advanced.

And just to complicate things a bit, remember those scores? Well, these translate into a proficiency level in each domain. There is also an overall score that is calculated.

Next time: what does each proficiency level "look like?"

How do we know what the needs of ELLs are?

Welcome back educators and all...

Before even starting to be able to talk about how to get English Learners what they need, we need to identify the needs of these English learners in relation to some goal or benchmark they need to attain in order to fully access the core curriculum taught in a typical, mainstream classroom. Enter that vile word for some teachers, a misunderstood word for most others: assessment

The CELDT (California English Language Development Test)

In California, we have developed a holy grail of assessments- okay it's not really- but it has been improved recently and the newer edition will roll out this coming school year. But I digress...

Without boring anyone, the CELDT is an assessment that serves to identify which of our incoming students are English Learners. It is given once a year to students new to CA schools.
For a quick and easy primer on the CELDT here's a good place to visit:

http://www.sandi.net/testingunit/pdf/celdtptbroch07.pdf

That is a good starting point, and unfortunately, where we stop as well. After all, from an instructional point of view, it is even more useful to measure and continually monitor the English proficiency of an English learner. CELDT is a summative snapshot, a one time deal.

So how do we REALLY make CELDT work for us?

Well, since most districts do not have formative assessments to continually monitor the growth and development of an ELL's level of English proficiency, we also use the CELDT results as an attempt to take that "snapshot" of an ELL's proficiency in all four language domains: listening, speaking, reading and writing as a starting point. And that is how we start to identify different types of English learners- along a continuum of developing English proficiency.

We'll move along the continuum next time...

But a quick note on who takes the CELDT before we go...

Well the short answer of course is English Learners. But these are determined through completion of a "Home Language Survey," which ideally is done at the time of registration. Different districts handle these in different ways but generally, families are asked to identify the language(s) spoken at home. If a non-English language is spoken, that student is required to have his/her language proficiency assessed- via the CELDT of course.

For an example of how one district goes through this process (and then some) watch this video:



Till next time!

Who are our English Language Learners?

Where are ELLs from?

Our English Language Learners come from so many places around the world! They represent dozens of countries, some more well known than others, but for the most part, most have made their way to the United States with their families seeking a better life- and the right to good public education that goes with it.
Ahem, at least that is still the case here in California.

Without a doubt, the vast majority of English Learners in California are Latino- most from Mexico, but a Central American population has made its presence known in more recent decades. Obviously, their primary language is Spanish, and represents the major language that English learners must negotiate as they learn English. This is why there are so many "bilingual" programs that are in Spanish and English.
Hmm, another good topic for another day...

Next in line, depending on where in the state you are, whether you are in an urban locale or a rural one, the specific city (or even within the same city), you will find a variety of other English Language Learners. Vietnamese, Tagalog, Cantonese, Hmong and Korean speakers are among the next most numerous groups.

Trust me, we have many others.

My second year of teaching I had 12 countries represented and 11 languages spoken! If I remember correctly- hey, bear with me, it was 8 years ago- they were Portuguese (hailing from Brazil), Japanese, Mandarin, Hebrew, Spanish (from Guatemala, and Mexico), German, Vietnamese, Punjabi, Korean, Thai, and Somali (from Eritrea). Yeah! Needless to say, we all learned a few phrases from each other that year.
I wish I had digital pictures from that year to post!

Here's the stats on CA: http://dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/LEPbyLang1.asp?cChoice=LepbyLang1&cYear=2006-07&cLevel=State&cTopic=LC&myTimeFrame=S&submit1=Submit

Why should we care?

These children bring a vast wealth of cultural knowledge and traditions that may or may not dovetail with the "cultural responsiveness" of the U.S. educational system and so need even more time to adjust on that front. The fact that these students are expected to operate at a level of a native speaker, in the same timeline, AND be expected to be proficient in all content areas should be a cause to pause.

Don't forget...they are also learning English! And whose charge is it to teach it to them...? Ours! We'll get to the HOW of that, soon enough!

What is an ELL?

The short answer is- an English Language Learner.

The contextual disclaimer: Here in California, English Language Learners are defined by their level of language proficiency. Students determined to be operating at a level of "Beginning" or "Early/Intermediate" are officially designated as English Language Learners.

How is this determined?
For the typical student entering our schools for the first time in CA- say in kindergarten, this is when they are administered an assessment of English proficiency. California law states that this examination (more on this topic at a later date) needs to be administered within the first 30 days of school. All students new to CA schools, who are deemed requiring such an evaluation, are also required to be tested.

ELLs are found in most CA classrooms. Most of the country's ELLs are in our state!

More on the exam (and ELLs) next time...

Bursting upon the Cyberscape

Here I go. It feels scarier than I thought.

I am staring at the new medium before my eyes. Feeling my hands in a strange position. Where is my writing implement? From sticks in the mud, to marks on clay tablets and stone, script on papyrus, quill to parchment, pencil/ pen to paper, people have always had something to intermediate the negotiation between thought and the written word.

And now: keyboard to monitor, stylus to screen and digital paper. My right hand feels lonely, a desolate land of dry channels hands suddenly naked in this strange new world. Suddenly, my left hand, once deprived of participating, finds itself giddy and awkward.

But then, what did I expect? After all, my right hand had a long, fruitful love affair with my writing implement. Caressing it carefully between thumb and forefinger, sliding up and down its sleek, smooth body as it transformed a once parched and empty writing landscape, every stroke bringing a steady flow of ink to an otherwise parched land, producing much needed lakes of thoughts and rivers of mind.

So I feel that I am betraying my writing companion as I venture forth into this vastly strange and rather indelible landscape. Each keystroke, drag and mouse click executes my wishes flawlessly and yet, I don't "feel" that which is my marking; it feels strangely empty, without emotion or a sense of legacy- unlike the persistence of the etching on the stone cave or the belief that if I race to finish my thoughts before the ink has dried, someone will find them compelling enough to take as their own, and take my essence with them, in a different direction.

But, we must all "adapt" as Seven-of-Nine would be fond of saying on Star Trek: Voyager. And so I am.

I am bursting upon the cyberscape.

But I will bear offerings to all cyber-beings and hopefully some sound advice to any educators who have managed to permeate the membrane between the cyber and physical world.

- W