An Awareness Workshop for Classroom Teachers

with limited experience in working with EAL students

Dr. Judy CormierDr. Judy Cormier

Joyce B. VandallJoyce B. Vandall

Research-based instructional strategiesSystematic and explicit instruction

Differentiated instruction

Homogeneous groups or individual instruction/interventionResearch-based instruction targeting specific skill/contentIncreasing instructional time and intensity

Instruction designed to uniquelearner needs

Narrowed instructionalfocus

Increasedtime

Response to Intervention Model

The Acronym EALThe Acronym EAL

English as an Additional Language

Burning Issues

One per person (recorded on one side of flip chart paper)

One per group (recorded on the other side)

Immigration the 3rd wave is NOT an aberration

Immigration is not temporary; it is our new Canada changing the faces of our schools and communities across the nation.

Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Annual flow of immigrants to Canada, 1901 to 2006

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

1901

1906

1911

1916

1921

1926

1931

1936

1941

1946

1951

1956

1961

1966

1971

1976

1981

1986

1991

1996

2001

2006

Thousands

Opening and Settlement of the West

World War I1914-1918

The Great Depression and World

War II1939 to1945

Post-war economic boom and the acceptance of "Displaced Persons" from European countries after World

War II

Slow economy of the early

1980s

1978: Immigration Act became law

Canada has welcomed over 1 million immigrants during the first five years of the millennium.

2002: Immigration and Refugee Protection Act

One in five were foreign-born.(Since 1931, this is the highest proportion in

the population in 75 years.)

Number and Proportion of foreign-born in Canada, by census year

0

1,000,000

2,000,000

3,000,000

4,000,000

5,000,000

6,000,000

7,000,000

1901 1911 1921 1931 1941 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2006

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

Number

%

Sources: Statistics Canada, censuses of population, 1901 to 2006.

Dispelling Myths and Celebrating Best Practices

First Language Use Second Language Acquisition English Language Literacy Placement

First Language Use

It’s okay. It’s good. It won’t hurt. In fact, it will help.

EAL is English as an Additional Language– These students are language rich.

Second Language Acquisition

Learning a language is a process. It doesn’t matter what language, it is still a process!

Younger children are not more effective language learners than older children.

A concentrated effort in teaching English will not result in improvement in all academic areas.

English Language Literacy

EAL students require inclusion in content area classes with scaffolding and specific teaching strategies.

EAL students do not need to have a good grasp of oral skills before learning to read and write in English.

Being assisted in content area classes with support is necessary for academic success.

Placement

EAL students need support throughout their school years.

EAL students need to be placed with their age appropriate peers.

Teachers need not adjust their academic expectations for EAL students.

Important Notice

There is NO typical EAL student, just like there is no “normal” student…

WE ARE ALL DIFFERENT!

Learning Language Lottery

What’s Easy and What’s Not? Put activities/skills in order of

Easy to More Difficult If time permits, organize into a hierarchy of 4

groups.– easy– less easy– not so easy– not very easy at all

How will the results of the learning language lotto affect your teaching strategies?

Discuss at your tables.

What strategies are used?

Language Learning

Language Learning Lotto

BICS CALP

Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency

Cognitively Undemanding ActivitiesNon-Academic

Cognitively DemandingAcademic

Easy Difficult

Context Embedded Context Reduced Context Embedded Context Reduced

Developing survival vocabulary Engaging in predictable telephone conversations

Developing academic language Understanding academic presentations without visuals or demonstrations

Playing Simple Games Developing initial reading skills: decoding and literal comprehension

Understanding academic presentations accompanied by visuals, demonstrations of a process, etc.

Making formal oral presentations.

Participating in art, music, physical education Reading and writing for personal purposes: notes, lists, recipes, etc.

Making models, maps, charts and graphs in social studies

Using higher level reading comprehension skills: inferential and critical reading

Language Learning

Language Learning Lotto

BICS CALP

Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency

Cognitively Undemanding ActivitiesNon-Academic

Cognitively DemandingAcademic

Easy Difficult

Context Embedded Context Reduced Context Embedded Context Reduced

Engaging in face -to -face Interactions Writing answers to lower level questions

Understanding written texts through discussion, illustrations and visuals

Reading for information in content subjects

Practicing oral language exercises and communicative language functions

Writing simple science and social studies reports with format provided

Writing compositions, essays and research reports in content subjects

Answering lower level questions Answering higher level questions

Solving math problems without illustrations

Following demonstrated directions Writing answers to higher level questions e.g. comment on …

Taking standardized achievement tests

BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communications Skills)• 2-3 years• Cognitively undemanding• Everyday language• Basic language structure• Context embeded (e.g., face to face gestures, concrete)

CALPS (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency)• Cognitively demanding • Academic language • Abstract concepts, specialized vocabulary, complex language structure• Context reduced• Analysis• Synthesis• Evaluation• Semantic meaning• Functional meaning

Basic Understandings

Timing

It takes most learners from 5-7 years. Language learning is through language

acquisition, and not through language learning.– Language learning

Rules Awareness of rules Ability to talk about rules

Factors in the Timing

Age of acquisition Motivation Learning language strategies Gender and gender expectations Integration Length of exposure to target language Academic experience (school experience) Exposure to English (e.g., core English) Difficulty in transference of language due to difference in

alphabet Past traumatic issues of war Involuntary departure from homeland (refugee) Sheltered period

Integration

The Four Stages (Also known as culture shock) The honeymoon stage The cultural shock or crisis stage The adjustment and gradual recovery stage The integration stage

Strategies for the community, school, and classroom

“The entire school is responsible for the learning and interactional needs of EAL

students.”Jim Cummins (1994)

Strategies for the community, school, and classroom

Try to be as visual and concrete as possible.

Place the EAL student (if possible) beside another EAL student who can guide him/her away from auditory distractions.

Actively engage the EAL student in the school and class.

Strategies

Evaluate using straightforward questioning.– Remember…they will always nod and say yes

even if they don’t understand.

Encourage their contributions, but don’t push EAL students to participate in class. – EAL students can be a resource for content

covered in class.

Strategies

Find some area in which the EAL student can succeed in the presence of classmates.

In order to assist with the overall comprehension of a storyline, encourage EAL students to:– watch visual productions of novels covered; or,– listen to audio recordings of novels covered.

Use your public and regional libraries.

Strategies

Use graphic novels for students so they understand the overall storyline of the content being studied.

Allow EAL students extra time for some assignments, especially if a lot of reading or writing is required.

Be specific in expectations (e.g. due date, format, etc.)

– Instructions written on the board or in a handout are better than oral instructions.

Strategies

For written exams, allow extra time as needed and the use of first language dictionaries. However, monitor the use of dictionaries so a dependency on them does not occur.

As a learning tool, allow students re-writes for out of class assignments.

Strategies

Provide EAL students with a list of (and actual copies of) required reading material.– e.g. Provide a list of novels at the beginning of the

semester so that students can prepare reading selections if desired.

If possible, print directions on the board for assignments and handouts. – Many EAL students do not read cursive writing.

Strategies

Scaffold content in subject area. – Break down assignments into shorter tasks– Model– Highlight important concepts

Increase print size when photocopying. Provide an extra textbook for home. Give the EAL student a copy of notes.

Strategies

Celebrate March 21 – International Day For The Elimination International Day For The Elimination

of Racial Discriminationof Racial Discrimination

Respect a student’s silent period– This silent period may last for several months.

Strategies

Have reading materials and magazines available.– Children’s books contain 50% more rare words

than adult prime-time television or conversations with university graduates.

– Popular magazines have 3 times as many rare words as television and informal conversation.

Corson, D. (1997). The learning and use of academic English words. Language Learning, 47(4), p 677.