Structured and Accountable

Classroom Language Use Across the Curricula:

A Key to Strengthening Dual Language Programs

Dr. Kate KinsellaSan Francisco State University

katek@sfsu.edu (707) 473-9030

Central Valley Dual Language ConferenceOctober 10, 2009

In this session , we will consider:

The pivotal role of oral language proficiency in school success

The need for maximized verbal engagement across the grade levels

Elements of academic language that support literacy and learning

Reasons students elect to remain passive participants during lessons

Elements of “New School” English Language Development (ELD):

explicit, structured and accountable language development

In this session, we will observe:

Lessons for evidence checks of explicit, form-focused instruction and

engaged, accountable language use and learning

Sessions Objectives

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Long-Term English Learners Commonly Plateau at Intermediate Proficiency

Quick Vocabulary Review/Assessmentwith a Structured, Accountable Oral Task

Video 1 Gr. 8 Read 180 LBook

The Majority of Long-Term ELs… Have received most or all of their education in American schools -

many were born in the U.S. Live in linguistic enclaves and have limited needs or opportunities

to interact in English outside school Achieve oral fluency in everyday English Plateau in their English acquisition for school-based purposes at

intermediate proficiency Display “fossilized errors” in spoken and written English due to

repetition and ineffective instruction Lag in measures of school success and tasks requiring academic

language proficiency Do not receive targeted and systematic English language

instruction beyond the intermediate level

The Goal for Primary or Second Language Development:

Accurate Oral Fluency

Accurate Oral Fluency: ease of producing accurate target language forms (vocabulary, syntax, grammar) and ability to follow along and comprehend while listening to more sophisticated language

Oral Fluency: ease of target languageproduction and listening comprehension

A Long-Term English Learner’s Writing Displaying Profound Gaps in

Oral Language ProficiencyWell actually I study in my livingroom almost sometime. Because I don’t usually do my homeworks. Every timewhen I pick up my pen to work on my homeworks I gotdisturb from my little bros., and sister. They come intothe livingroom and chase each other aroun. I was like sitting in hell with a demon. In my living room I had adesk which it is about 6 ft. by 3, a lamp, dictionary,papers, pens and some books. I had a 27 inch TVin front of me.

Mao, 9th grade, 7 years in the U.S., ESL Level 3

Learning Journal Reflection by a Long-Term English Learner

“The class where I think I am a passive person is my English class because in English I can’t express whatI want. Yes, I do say a little bit, but not how I would like to.I don’t feel like participate because I am afraid to say something wrong or pronunciate a word badly. I don’t like to be wrong and I think it is better to be quiet than to bewrong. That’s why I think I am a passive learner inEnglish class, because I don’t want to be shamed.”

Consuelo (9th grade)Step to College ClassDr. Kinsella, Fall 2002

Persistent Engagement Issuesin Mixed-Ability Classrooms Serving

English Learners and Striving Readers

Negligible support and accountability for active participation

A few “professional participants” consistently contributing

Inaudible student responses (use of private vs. public voice)

Well-intended but co-dependent instruction (She is so shy; I don’t want to raise his affective filter by calling on him.)

Insufficient or no explicit instruction in academic language

Poorly set up tasks resulting in confusion and weak work

Inappropriate methods of checking for understanding

Lack of follow-up tasks for “fast finishers” resulting in idle or disruptive students

A Call from the National Literacy Panelfor Explicit Oral Language

Instruction within K-12 Literacy Programs

Sound reading instruction (decoding, fluency, etc.) must be combined with explicit efforts to increase the scope and sophistication of English Learners’ oral language proficiency;

Well-developed oral language proficiency in English is associated with improved reading comprehension, writing skills and test scores.

Source: August & Shanahan (2006):

Summary Report of the National Literacy Panel.

To Narrow the Verbal Achievement Gap

Lessons Must Include Academic Talk

Academic talk is “comprehensible verbal output” addressing focal lesson content, framed in complete sentences with appropriate register, vocabulary, syntax, and grammar.

Kinsella, 2006Swain & Lampkin, 1998

Evidence of the Dire Need forExplicit Language Instruction and

Structured Verbal Engagementin Linguistically Diverse Classrooms

Only 4% of English Learners’ school day is spent engaging in student talk.

Only 2% of English Learners’ day is spent discussing focal lesson content, rarely speaking in complete sentences or applying relevant academic language.

Arreaga-Mayer & Perdomo-Rivera (1996)

All students are AESL(Academic English as a Second Language)

Academic English is not a natural language that we acquire through extensive listening and social interaction.

Academic English, including vocabulary, syntax and grammar must be explicitly and systematically taught, not merely caught.

Critical Aspects of Academic Oral Language Development

Vocabulary: all the words that a person knows,

recognizes, uses or learns

Syntax: the way words are arranged in order to form

sentences or phrases

Grammar: the rules according to which the words of a

language change form and are combined into sentences

Register: the style of language use or degree of

formality reflected in word choice and grammar

Language Functions (Purposes) Within Academic Interaction

Expressing an opinion Asking for clarification Paraphrasing Soliciting a response Agreeing/Disagreeing Affirming Holding the floor

Acknowledging ideas Comparing ideas Justifying Predicting Summarizing Offering a suggestion Reporting/Citing

Language for Class Discussions:Pointing Out Similarities

Formal Spoken and Written English My idea is similar to __’s.

My idea builds upon __’s.

I agree with __. I also think that __.

Casual Conversational English Mine’s the the same. Oh yeah. Right. Me too.

Language For Class Discussions:Reporting Someone Else’s Idea

Casual Conversational English__ said that …__ told me that …

Formal Spoken and Written English__ pointed out that … According to __, __ indicated that …__ observed that …__ emphasized that …

Structured Academic InteractionReporting a Partner’s Idea

Video 2 Gr. 6 Read 180 LBook

Questions/Tasks PromptingNon-Accountable Responses

Who knows what _ means? Can anyone tell me? What is the best solution to

this problem? Are there any questions? Is that clear? Share your answer with your

neighbor. Discuss these questions in

your group.

Impacts of Instruction Devoidof Accountable Responses

Think-Pair-Share

When a teacher calls on one volunteer at a time, struggling readers and English Learners often (verb: present tense) …

avoid eye contact with the teacher.

Word Bank: wait for … start to… rely on…

Partnering Directions

Partner #1 shares first using the starter.

Partner #2 shares next.

Keep sharing until I say: “1-2-3, eyes on me.” If you don’t have a second idea, share the

teacher’s idea or your partner’s idea.

Language for Class Discussions:Pointing Out Similarities

Formal Spoken and Written English My idea is similar to __’s.

My idea builds upon __’s.

I agree with __. I also think that __.

Casual Conversational English Mine’s the the same. Oh yeah. Right. Me too.

Calling primarily on volunteers routinely excludes:

students who require more wait time to ________________________________

students who are _______ to participate students unsure of the _____________ students who feel disconnected from

________________________________ the vast majority of students who are

________________________________

process the question and prepare a response

reticentthe answer

the curricula and the classroom culture

struggling readers and English Learners

Structured Physical & Verbal ResponsesVideo 3 Gr. 6 Reading & ELD

Verbal Choral Responses:

Everyone say hard.

Verbal Partner Responses: I know that one meaning of hard is… and twos you can go first.

Structured Accountable Responses: Lesson Observation, Gr. 6 Reading/ELD

Structured Accountable Responses:Lesson Observation, Gr. 6 Reading/ELD

Nonverbal / Physical Responses:

Point to the word hard.

Check to see if your partner found the word hard.

Point to #1 and see if your partner is in the right place.

Raise your hand if you and your partner talked

about this meaning of hard.

3-2-1 eyes up here.

Structured, Accountable Instruction Engages ALL Students

Nor Just the “Professional Participants”

Structured Accountable Responses

Nonverbal - Physical Responses:

Focusing visually: on board, text, teacher, handout

Marking: underlining, highlighting, circling, checking

Pointing at something, tracking

Hand signal: raised hand, hand rubric

Wrapping up an interaction or independent work at the teacher’s verbal signal: 1-2-3 Eyes on me.

Structured Accountable Responses

Verbal (Spoken) Responses:

Choral response (unified class)

Individual (calling on volunteers: raised hands)

Individual (calling randomly without hand-raising)

Responding with a provided sentence starter

Partner interaction

Small-group interaction

Structured Accountable Responses

Verbal (Written) Responses:

Copying from the board/screen

Filling in a blank with an answer

Structured note-taking

Completing a sentence starter

Filling in a visual organizer/thinking map

Writing on mini white boards

Using Sentence Starters to Scaffold Video 4 Academic Language Use

Using Sentence Starters to Scaffold Video 5 Academic Language Use

To make strides in their literacy, communicative competence and content knowledge for school success, ALL students need to log increased spoken and written classroom language miles!

A Linguistic Odometer

Evidence-Base for Explicit ELD August, D. & Shanahan, T., (Eds.). (2006). Developing Literacy in

Second-Language Learners: Report of the National Literacy Panel on Language-Minority Youth. Lawrence Erlbaum.

Goldenberg, C. (Summer 2008). Teaching English Learners: What the Research Does-and Does Not-Say. American Educator.

California Department of Education. (Fall 2009) Improving Education for English Learners: Research-Based Approaches.

Dutro, S. & Kinsella, K. (2009). English Language Development: Issues and Implementation in Grades 6-12. In CDE (Fall 2009).

Norris, J. & Ortega, L. (2006). Synthesizing Research on Language Learning and Teaching. John Benjamin.

Spada, N. & Lightbown, P. (2008). Form-Focused Instruction: Isolated or Integrated. TESOL Quarterly, 42(2).

Web Sources for Dr. Kinsella’s Resources

Scholastic Read 180 Community Web Site www.scholastic.com/read180/community

Consortium on Reading Excellence: 2009 Summit www.corelearn.com

Santa Clara County Office of Educationwww.sccoe.org/depts/ell/kinsella.asp

California Department of Education Office of Middle and High School Support

(4 webinars focusing on structured engagement) http://pubs.cde.ca.gov/TCSII