Making Content Accessible

Making Content Accessible EDESL 771 PreK-12 ESL Curriculum and Materials through the Content Areas

Hunter College MA in TESOL, Laura Baecher 1

2

• 1964 - Civil Rights Act, Title VI • 1974 - Lau vs. Nichols • 1981 - Castañeda vs. Pickard • 1982 - Plyler vs. Doe

All school districts and therefore all teachers have a dual obligation in the law to serve English learners by:

Developing students’ English proficiency • English Language Development (ELD)

Providing meaningful access to academic content instruction

• Sheltered Instruction

Legal Precedent for Sheltered Instruction and ELD

Sheltering Content and English Language Development


Sheltered Content

Focus on Content Objec3ve

Making Content Comprehensible

Recognizing Linguis3c Demands of Texts

Ac3va3ng Prior Knowledge

English Language Development Focus on Language Objec3ve

Modeling Target Language Language Development Ac3vi3es Feedback on

Form

Both Involve: Opportuni3es for

Interac3on Purposeful and Flexible

Grouping

Hands-‐on Ac3vi3es

What is Sheltered Instruction?


Sheltered Language Instruction is:

• Usually delivered by the core content teacher

• Making core content standards accessible to all learners

• Clear grade level, content and language objectives

• Active student engagement • Building background knowledge • Uses visuals, manipulative, gestures,

paraphrasing, etc. • Multiple strategies (including those

used in programs such as, SIOP, CALLA, CLIL and SDAIE)

• Thinking, “How do I make my academic content accessible to this student?”

Sheltered Language Instruction is not:

• Only the responsibility of the ESL teacher

• Lecture only style teaching • Faulting students’ lack of English

proficiency as the barrier to their access to content learning

• Just one strategy (i.e. word wall) • An extra adult in the classroom/

Teacher Assistant • Academic Support • Study Hall • Independent Study • Necessarily a class just of ELLs

What is English Language Development?


ELD is:

• A separate, graded class in systematic English Language Development

• A state mandated program based on state ELP (English Language Proficiency) standards

• A class in which students are grouped by language proficiency levels

• Explicitly reflected in the school’s master schedule

• Assessed using the statewide ELPA (English Language Proficiency Assessment)

• A scope and sequence of vocabulary, language functions and grammatical forms

• Meeting minimum minutes mandated by state and beyond

ELD is not:

• Reading instruction, “Reading Recovery”, “Double Dose” reading, A literacy class

• An extra adult to help in the classroom/Teacher Assistant

• Sheltered content instruction • Tutoring time, Academic Support, • Special help with classroom projects/

Independent Study • Just vocabulary • SIOP, SDAIE (although some of these

strategies can be used in an ELD class)

• Just a software program (can be used to supplement live instruction)

The Need for Content to be Made Accessible


Persistent gap in academic achievement for those from culturally and linguistically diverse groups: " Many teachers are underprepared to make content

comprehensible for ELLs. " Few teachers trained to teach initial literacy or

content-area literacy to secondary ELLs. " ELLs are tested in all subject areas well before they

reach proficiency in English " ELLs take 6-8 years to develop academic English

and during that time cannot lose years of content-area learning

Being a CBI (CLIL) Teacher is Double the Work


• CLIL is complex • There is no single model for

CLIL – the context is to be taken into account

• Who is to teach CLIL (language or subject teachers), and how to combine both?

• New concepts are always difficult to accept

• Insufficient understanding of content through the medium of foreign language

• CLIL methodology and assessment are not clear – teachers have to be supported

• Teacher overload, shortage of materials

CLIL= Content and Language

Integrated Learning

CLIL Involves the “Four C’s”


• Content - Progression in knowledge, skills and understanding related to specific elements of a defined curriculum.

• Communication – Using language to learn and learning to use language. Language does not necessarily follow the grammatical progression found in language-learning settings

• Cognition-Developing thinking skills which link concept formation (abstract and concrete), understanding and language

• Culture- understanding of otherness and self, deepened feelings of community and global citizenship

CLIL Considers Language FOR and THROUGH Content Learning


• L of learning – content obligatory language related to the subject theme or topic

• L for learning – language needed to operate in foreign language environment (for pair/ group work, asking questions, debating, etc.)

• L through learning- new language that cannot be planned. This emerging language needs to be captured, recycled and developed so that it becomes a part of a learner’s repertoire

Analysis of Content Objectives


Content Area Objectives Read the objectives below and determine: -the content area -whether the desired “understanding” is clearly expressed -whether it’s feasible in a 40 minute lesson -whether you will be able to assess students’ understanding at the end of the period -whether it’s worded as an assessment instead of a learning objective -whether it’s worded as an activity instead of a learning objective A. Content Objective: Students will develop basic understanding of the concept of Nomadic people. B. Content Objective: Students will be able to recognize the 6 basic nutrients and identify the foods these are found in. C. Content Objective: Students will use product design elements to create their own chocolate bars.

D. Content Objective: Students are able to identify and demonstrate an understanding of the five senses used by humans by exploring bags filled with items related to the senses including a lemon (taste), a nail file (touch and hearing), a cotton ball (touch), soap, vanilla beans (smell and taste)



Content Area Objectives Read the objectives below and determine:

-the content area -whether the desired “understanding” is clearly expressed

-whether it’s feasible in a 40 minute lesson -whether you will be able to assess students’ understanding at the end of the period

-whether it’s worded as an assessment instead of a learning objective -whether it’s worded as an activity instead of a learning objective

Original: Students will develop basic understanding of the concept of Nomadic people.

Revised: Students will understand that Nomadic people are those who have no permanent home, but move from place to place based on factors such as seasons and work.







Original: Students will be able to recognize the 6 basic nutrients and identify the foods these are found in. Revised: Students will understand that our bodies require six basic nutrients (Carbohydrates, Protein, Fat, Water and Minerals) to survive.







Original: Students will use product design elements to create their own chocolate bars.

Revised: Students will understand that design elements such as color, lettering, and position of text can make a product appear more appealing.







Original: Students are able to identify and demonstrate an understanding of the five senses used by humans by exploring bags filled with items related to the senses including a lemon (taste), a nail file (touch and hearing), a cotton ball (touch), soap, vanilla beans (smell and taste)

Revised: Students will understand that we use all of our five human senses (sight, smell, touch, hearing, taste) when encountering objects.

Plan the Content Objective


Ques%ons to ask yourself Considera%ons

What is the big idea you are working towards and the final performance piece?

Check on state and na3onal standards documents.

What understanding can you “bite off and chew” in one class session?

Know the proficiency and developmental levels of your learners.

How will students be able to show you their level of this understanding at the end of the class?

Keep all students of all proficiency levels working towards the same understandings.

Planning for Content-Based ESL


Discourse Adapta3ons Cultural Responsiveness

Text Modifica3ons Vocabulary Focus

Par3cipa3on Structures English Language Development

Need for Background Knowledge


Sejong is a well known Daewang in Korea. Every

Korean school child knows about him.

Build Background Knowledge



What do my students already know about this topic? Do they have cultural knowledge or experiences that can bridge this content?

Look into and learn cultural references that can bridge your students’ learning.

What visual, graphic, video, music, map, drawing, etc. can convey important background informa3on without words?

Always have visuals!

Sejong is a well known Daewang in Korea. Every Korean school child

knows about him.

Henry the VIII is a well known Daewang in England. Every British school child knows about him.

Rather than assume prior knowledge, provide background information.

Modify your Speech



What will I do when I speak to make my speech more easily understood and meaningful for my learners?

Modify your speech through text support, visual aids, gestures, expressions, body language, slower rate, repe33on, re-‐phrasing, and word choice.

How will I know my input is comprehensible? Assessment checks such as circulating, thumbs up/down, pencils up, response boards.

Bring in Hands-on Learning Activities



How can students gain access to the ideas behind the content without a language barrier?

Bringing in realia, manipula3ves, concrete objects and visuals, rather than referring to distant and abstract concepts only through language.

How can the learning be structured to provide students with opportuni3es to construct or arrive at their own understandings?

Provide induc3ve rather than deduc3ve presenta3ons, with plenty of opportunity for discovery (construc3vist) learning.

Tell me, I’ll forget, Show me, I’ll remember, Involve me, I’ll understand.

Sheltering and Language Teaching


Sheltering opens the door for ELLs to content learning.

Language teaching gets students through the door and beyond.

Sheltering Involves: • Content objectives • Knowledge of the linguistic demands of the content • Discourse adaptations • Text modifications • Purposeful grouping

Language Teaching involves: • Language objectives • Knowledge of the linguistic demands of the required student activity • Instruction in grammar, vocabulary, pragmatics, L-S-R-W

Implications for Lesson Planning in Content-Based ESL


Ask yourself…

Am I sheltering content or teaching language?

What student language learning need am I responding to by designing this language objective?

Am I clearly focusing on teaching and applying ONE skill?

Am I cycling through content material using the different language skills?

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Documents

Making Content Accessible