Kamil Trzebiatowski (EAL Coordinator, Newland School for Girls, Kingston-upon-Hull)

October 4, 2014

From Talk to Writing: examples from a classroom

http://valuediversity-teacher.co.uk/

The Lesson Plan

Bernard Mohan• The Knowledge Framework - recognizes language used in

classroom discourse by mainstream teachers – six different categories

http://tslater.public.iastate.edu/kf/

• Language and Content to be taught at the same timeBackground knowledge (theoretical)

Action situation (Practical)

Bernard Mohan• Knowledge Structures –

Thinking Skills – Key visuals - Language

• All the six knowledge structures appear in subjects across the curriculum (texts, tasks, thinking skills to be developed)

• Explicit language and key visuals teaching is necessary for academic and cognitive development• Key visuals use improves:

• Improves English language learners’ language, • Improves academic language reading skills, • helps them organize their academic writing • improves their confidence as learner

Pauline Gibbons – The Mode Continuum

Context Text What this shows about language and context

Children talking about a Science experiment as they’re conducting it.

1. Look, it’s making them move. That’s not going.

Language is dependent on the immediate context – body language, gestures, materials used can be used for communication. If they didn’t see

the objects, we wouldn’t know what it referred to.

One of the children informing other children what he/she has learned.

Language only has to be used to explain what has happened.

2. We found out that pins stuck on the magnet… Then

we tried to… Next we,…

Language more explicit. The speaker now has to use the names of the objects (pins, magnet) and some

specific verbs (stuck)The same learner has now written

about what the group has found out. The text is at more distance from text 1

now – now he/she doesn’t see the audience, so cannot assume shared

understanding.

3. Our experiment was to find out… We have found

out…

Language becomes increasingly explicit. Context has to be explained

now. Our experiment was to find out…

Writing an article for an encyclopaedia. Now the text is about properties of

magnets. No mention of specific people.

4. A magnet is a piece of metal… It is able to

attract…

Written academic language: abstract and less personal.

Adapted from Gibbons, P. (2009) English Learners Academic Literacy and Thinking: Learning in the Challenge Zone. Heinemann: Portsmouth, NH.

Stage Activity Thinking structures

Language Key visuals / differentiation

Speaking only (BICS – fully contextualised)

Starter: Students fill out the basic information about themselves. (student file)1 - Students use their own information to tell others on their tables where they are from.

Labelling / describing

My name is…I come from…I live with…I was born in…

Writing frames provided

Communicating to others

Students exchange information using the Who are we? Sheets about themselves and record it on their sheets.

Students now tell the rest of the class about what they've learned. Students in groups now come together and create a poster of the class - a mind map

Explaining / labelling Labelling / grouping

She (or name) is from…Her name is…

Mind maps

Speaking frames for structured discussion

Writing about the activity

This mind map is now swapped between the two tables and students write about the other table (picking 4 other students), switching from I/you pronouns to he/she pronouns.

Describing Klaudia is from… / Klaudia comes from…She goes to school called…She is in class…She was born in… [when]She lives with her…

Writing frames to indicate the change in pronoun

Context free text production

In this portion of the lesson, students create a bar chart: how many students are from Europe and how many have pets and how many don't (2 bar charts) . Then they write about the whole class.

Interpreting data There are … with cats in the EAL class.There are… students from Europe in the EAL class.

Bar charts

Writing frame for talking about the bar chart

Resources usedI She

I am from / I come from… Klaudia is from… / Klaudia comes from…I go to school called… She goes to school called…I am in class… She is in class…I was born in… She was born in… [when]I was born in… She was born in… [where?]I live with my… She lives with her…I have / I don’t have… (cat, dog) She has / doesn’t have a dog / a cat / any pets.My hobbies are… Her hobbies are…

Hometown Class Date of birth

Place of birth

Family Pets Hobbies

First name and surname:

_______________

First name and surname:

_______________

First name and surname:

_______________