ACCESSING THE COMMON CORE STANDARDS WITH ACADEMIC LANGUAGE 2011 OELAS Conference December 6-9, 2011...

ACCESSING THE COMMON CORE STANDARDS WITH ACADEMIC

LANGUAGE

2011 OELAS Conference December 6-9, 2011

Toward a Higher Standard of Performance

Robin ScarcellaProgram in Academic English and ESL

University of California - Irvine rcscarce@uci.edu

A Letter from a University Student Requesting Exemption from UCI’s ESL Requirement

Dear Mrs. RobbinI really not need humanity 20 writing class

because since time I come to United State all my friend speak language. Until now everyone understand me and I dont ’ need study language. I don ’t know Vietnam language. I speak only English. I have no communication problem with my friend in dorm. My English teacher in high school key person to teach me. My teacher explain to me that how important the book was for the student and persuaded me read many book. I get A in English through out high school and I never take ESL. I gree that some student need class but you has not made a correct decision put me in English class. Please do not makes me lose the face. I have confident in English.

Letter from the Same University Student After Instruction

Hi Robin, I am apologize for having to send you this information at the last minute. I still need a letter. This letter should discuss my qualifications, skills and accomplishments. It should be written on letterhead and addressed “To Whom It May Concern” and submitted with a Recommendation Form (which I will give to you tomorrow). Please write a letter that addresses my academic achievement, seriousness of purpose, personal maturity, and whether or not I possess the skills necessary to adapt to a new environment. Also, please address my ability to think analytically, my aptitude, my overall maturity and my independence. Thank you so much Robin for doing this for me. I truly appreciate it. Let me know if you have any last minutes questions.

If you would like a copy of the PowerPoint slides or the handouts via e-mail, please request them at

this e-mail address:

Robin Scarcellarcscarce@uci.edu

Session Objectives

In this session, we will consider:

•The pivotal role of academic language in the instruction of English language learners

• Task-based language objectives in fostering students’ conceptual and language development

Session Objectives

• We will work together to understand academic language and to analyze and write useful language objectives.

The dilemmas remain the same:

• If students do not receive rigorous content instruction, they fail to acquire academic language.

• If they do not understand their content instruction or cannot participate in it, they fail to learn academic language.

• If they are not given challenging, academic language instruction, they fail to acquire high level literacy skills.

• If they do not acquire high level literacy skills, they fail to acquire academic language.

The solution is challenging:

• Teach students academic language.

The only way to give students a chance of reaching content standards is to teach them the academic language needed to access rigorous content instruction.

What’s the problem?

• Students are running out of time!

• Content AND language need to be taught together; If they aren’t, English language learners lag behind.

A Few Questions• Which students need to learn academic

language?• What is academic language?• What research-grounded instructional

approaches and strategies are effective in teaching it to English language learners?

• What challenges do we face in teaching students academic language?

• What do we know about academic language now that we did not know about academic language ten years ago?

Which students need to learn academic language?

Many Names• English learners• English language learners• LEP students• Non-native English speakers• ESL students• Recent arrivals• Long-term residents• Linguistic minority students (cover term, includes

LEP students)• Vernacular dialect speakers• Students who enter schools with languages other

than English

Many Acronyms

• English language learner (ELL)

• English language proficiency (ELP)

• Arizona English Language Learner Assessment (AZELLA)

• Structured English Immersion (SEI)

Many English learners have received much, if not all, of their education in the United States and they speak a language in addition to English at home. Sometimes they speak English ONLY.

Characteristics

• Many long-term immigrant students are often highly proficient in English.

• Many lack proficiency in academic language.

• Even native English speakers are in the process of learning academic language.

Characteristics

Many English language learners…• Have been schooled for many years in the United

States, many since kindergarten • Have had interrupted educational backgrounds• Do not appear to be making much progress learning

English—aspects of their English language development may have stabilized.

It is now mandatory to examine the progressof these students over time.

Students often hit a PLATEAU in the development of English when they

become functionally proficient.

Many Proficiency Levels

Caution: Many students who have learned English as a second or third language are proficient enough in English to access core content curricula and require no specially designed English language assistance in school.

• Teach those students who need it the academic English required for them to access core content instruction and benefit from it.

• Continue to teach academic English to students once they receive core content instruction.

Recommendation

Recommendation• Academic language is the “language of the

classroom . . . of academic disciplines . . . of texts and literature, and of extended, reasoned discourse.”

• The development of formal (academic) English should be a key instructional goal. Curricula should accompany instruction to support this goal.

• Scientific evidence base: Low in 2007, but the evidence is growing. It is now moderate.

The Linguistic Dimension

DiscourseDiscourse

SociolinguisticsSociolinguistics

GrammarGrammar

VocabularyVocabulary

PhonologyPhonology

Academic Language

Aspects of Academic English• Vocabulary Knowledge

– Vocabulary of Instruction• Words to teach & learn lesson content (strategies,

pre-writing, context clues)– Vocabulary of Text

• Basic, high frequency words• Academic words• Content specific words

Word Complexity– Multi-syllabic words with prefixes, suffixes,

Greek & Latin roots (informational, hopelessness, psychology)

Word Families

Noun Verb Adjective

dependence depend dependable

reliance rely reliable

enjoyment enjoy enjoyable

Noun Verb

subtraction subtract

addition add

division divide

Word Families: Math

• Complex Sentence Structures / Syntax–Sentences with passive voice, prepositional phrases, and conditionals

• Discourse–Units of language more than one sentence in length that can allow for the organization of speech and writing and convey meaning and coherence across sentences, etc. Example: We walked for charity, and in so doing we raised money for the Children’s Foundation. The charity walk raised money for the Children’s Foundation.

Aspects of Academic Language

Discourse: Learners need to know how to produce extended texts.

• Those two splendid old trains have been restored with great cost.

• The restoration has been costly.

Specific Recommendations• Teachers must understand that

instruction should include time and focus devoted to the development of academic English.

• Daily academic English should be integrated into the core curriculum.

• Conversational English does not need to be established prior to regular instruction in academic English.

Gersten et. al, 2007.

Greater Emphasis on the Development of Academic English in Oral Communication

• Well-structured activities designed to develop the student’s oral language (e.g., helping the student hear word endings and use them).

Gersten et. al, 2007.

Grouping Practices

Unstructured Cooperative Learning with NO Reading Material

Carefully Structured Cooperative Learning Tasks with Reading Material

Free Conversation Carefully Structured Pair Work

Ineffective Effective

Well Structured Conversations

Remember: We tend to acquire the language of those with whom we communicate.

The Importance of Using Texts In Structured

Conversations

Videos of academic conversations can be viewed at these websites:

• Preparing for Success in Algebra

http://www.camsp.net/html/index.html

• Access to the Corehttp://www.accesstothecore.com/html/index.html

Specific Recommendations

• Many features of academic English can not be identified easily. Therefore, the best way to teach academic English is through a curriculum with a defined scope and sequence. – However, there are few curriculum

materials that have solid evidence of effectiveness.

– Consequently, materials should be selected carefully and implementation should be planned thoughtfully.

The critics argue:Curricula with defined scope and sequence will not work. They are just one more instructional bandwagon…

…There is no scientific evidence to support them…

They won’t work, because they lead to “one size fits all” instruction. . .

They limit teachers’ freedom. . .

…too much scripted instruction. . .

They stop teachers from using their professional judgment…

They prevent students from developing language!

Common sense suggests:

When teachers lack expertise in teaching diverse groups of students,

When students need instructional routines. . .

When students frequently move from one school to the next . . .

they need a curriculum with a defined scope and sequence.

they need a curriculum with a defined scope and sequence.

they need a curriculum with a defined scope and sequence.

Common sense suggests:

When teachers need to teach something so difficult and so extraordinarily complex as academic language. . .

…they need a curriculum with a defined scope and sequence.

An Example of an Effective Instructional Program

Catherine Snow’s Word Generation Program

Website: http://www.wordgeneration.org

• Was designed to reduce the fragmentation of academic words in content areas• Was designed to engage adolescent learners• Was developed with the expectation of 15 minutes of instruction on academic words each day • Introduced controversial topics • Repeatedly exposed students to specific content words and provided instruction in these words• Also targeted words from the Academic Word List

What are academic words?

Averil Coxhead developed a list of 570 academic words that are used in a variety of academic disciplines.

Examples of Academic Words

Authority Assume Traditional Select Philosophy Access Ethnic Liberal

Minimum Release Survive Ideology Inevitably Coherent Persist

http://www.victoria.ac.nz/lals/resources/academicwordlist/

Word Generation: Materials

• 24 weeks, each week focused on a set of 5 words

• 4 strands/content-areas with 6 topics each

Topics

Science strand: stem cell research Math strand: athletes and multi-million dollar salaries Social Studies strand: Should English be the official language of the US? English Language Arts strand: affirmative action and -college admissions

Monday

Introduce the 5 words in a paragraph.

Tuesday - Thursday

Teach 5 words through content-area word activities.

Friday

Elicit 5 targeted words in writing.

Catherine Snow’s Word Generation Program

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Characteristics of Effective Strategies

• Language information is transparent and accessible.

• Language instruction is relevant and focused on improving the accuracy of student academic language.

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Three Instructional Strategies

1. Helping students distinguish the difference

between formal and informal registers

2. Teaching academic language

-- Vocabulary

-- Grammar

-- Discourse

3. Providing instructional feedback

Strategy #1: Helping students distinguish the

difference between formal and informal registers

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Consider the following examples of informal English.

The examples, compiled by Frodesen (2011), come from the PBS Digital Nation transcript.

• So it really hit me one night not that long ago… And I don’t know it just kind of snuck up on us.

• There’s always gains and losses.• But [these students] have done themselves

a disservice by drinking the Kool-Aid and believing that a multi-learning environment will best serve their purposes.

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Formal and Informal Registers

• Academic language is a formal register of English. It is the language of classrooms, of academic disciplines, of textbooks and literature, and of extended, reasoned discourse.

• The development of formal (academic) language is a key instructional goal for all students. Sustained academic language instruction should support this goal.

• A first step in providing this instruction is helping students identify the features of formal and informal registers.

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Your Turn!

Let’s discuss the language features of informal and academic texts.

Discussions: Instructors can lead students in discussions of the language features of informal and academic texts.

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Jack Springer thinks that the government should allow people the right to own a gun. But I don’t agree with him. People like him sort of think that the government limits our rights when it restricts gun stuff. They kind of think that most people who own guns are responsible guys who keep the guns for sport and recreation. They also think that the police are unable to stop violent crime and we need guns to protect ourselves. But I think he is wrong. I agree with Josephine Bluff who thinks that guns increase the amount of violent crime in the community. And I also think that many of the guns that are kept around the house would of ended up being used in violent domestic disputes or teenage suicides. I also think that human life is worth more than giving shooters the right to go shooting on the weekend.

#1What makes this passage informal?

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Jack Springer thinks that the government should allow people the right to own a gun. But I don’t agree with him. People like him sort of think that the government limits our rights when it restricts gun stuff. They kind of think that most people who own guns are responsible guys who keep the guns for sport and recreation. They also think that the police are unable to stop violent crime and we need guns to protect ourselves. But I think he is wrong. I agree with Josephine Bluff who thinks that guns increase the amount of violent crime in the community. And I also think that many of the guns that are kept around the house would of ended up being used in violent domestic disputes or teenage suicides. I also think that human life is worth more than giving shooters the right to go shooting on the weekend.

What makes this passage informal?

#1

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Jack Springer maintains that the government should allow people the right to own a gun. This position asserts that the government is infringing on our democratic rights when it restricts gun ownership. Most people who own guns, so the argument goes, are responsible citizens who keep guns for sport and recreation. It is further contended that because the police are unable to prevent violent crime, people need guns to protect themselves. However, as Josephine Bluff states, guns lead to increased violence. This is especially the case since many of the guns that individuals store in their homes are used in domestic disputes and teenage suicides. Lives are worth more than guns. Adapted from: Bill Daley, 1997 http://wwww.eslplanet.com/teachertools/argueweb/inform.html

#2What makes this passage more

academic?

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Jack Springer maintains that the government should allow people the right to own a gun. This position asserts that the government is infringing on our democratic rights when it restricts gun ownership. Most people who own guns, so the argument goes, are responsible citizens who keep guns for sport and recreation. It is further contended that because the police are unable to prevent violent crime, people need guns to protect themselves. However, as Josephine Bluff states, guns lead to increased violence. This is especially the case since many of the guns that individuals store in their homes are used in domestic disputes and teenage suicides. Lives are worth more than guns.

Adapted from: Bill Daley, 1997 http://wwww.eslplanet.com/teachertools/argueweb/inform.html

What makes this passage more academic?

Teachers can give students graphic organizers to help them understand the difference between informal and academic language.

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Graphic Organizers

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Language Features/Characteristics

Informal English Academic English

Uses hedges like kind of and sort of

Does not use hedges.

Uses the word I.

Complete the graphic organizer below. Write four examples of the language features of informal English and four examples of the language characteristics of academic English. Find the examples from the two texts you have just discussed.

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Characteristics

Informal English Academic English

Uses hedges like kind of, sort of

Does not use these hedges

Uses I Avoids using I

Uses simple connectors Uses sophisticated transition words

Uses slang and everyday words

Uses academic words

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Another Useful Activity: Translating informal text into academic text

Instructors can give students informal texts related to a writing assignment that they have given and ask students to convert the informal texts into academic ones.

Converting Informal English Into Academic English

Using a text that contains informal language, students should… Delete unnecessary words (e.g., hedges like sort of); Replace informal words with more academic ones; Identify grammatical problems and correct them; Add transition words and other cohesive devices when

needed, replacing the words and, so, and but with more sophisticated ones when required;

Combine ideas and sentences, whenever appropriate, replacing simple sentence structures with more complex ones;

Reduce the length of the text.

Strategy #2: Teach academic language.

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Three Critical Components of Academic

Language

Component 1: Vocabulary KnowledgeComponent 2: Grammatical

KnowledgeComponent 3: Discourse Knowledge

Teaching Words

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Teaching Words

Teaching Words:What students need to ‘know’ about

a word

• Paul Nation’s list: collocations, derivatives/word forms, connotations, grammatical use/environment– Researchers are quite interested about the

relationship between socio-economic class and educational success.

– It is important to recognition this relationship. – For my interview project, I interrogated four students,

two US-born immigrants and two born abroad. – The high cost of tuition dwindled the student’s

savings. (Source: Wald, 2011)

Dictionaries• Dictionaries are useful, but direct instruction on how

to use dictionaries and words is imperative.These dictionaries are on-line:The Longman Contemporary English Dictionary-www.longman.com/dictionaries/international.html

The Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary-www.oup.com/elt/catalogue/teachersites/oald7/?cc=tr

The Macmillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners-www.macmillandictionaries.com

The Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary-http://dictionary.cambridge.org/

Many dictionaries have study skills pages, CD-ROMs and on-line resources.

Selecting the right words to Selecting the right words to teach is key.teach is key.

Guiding QuestionsGuiding Questions

• • Is the word unknown?Is the word unknown?

• • Will it improve students’ ability to understand Will it improve students’ ability to understand the texts students read for your class?the texts students read for your class?

• • Will students use the word in other writing Will students use the word in other writing assignments?assignments?

• • Will knowledge of the word lead to Will knowledge of the word lead to improvements in students’ knowledge of improvements in students’ knowledge of academic language?academic language?

Possible Steps for Teaching Academic Words

Step One: Getting the students ready and engaging their interest.

Step Two: Teaching the word.

Step Three: Providing practice.

Step Four: Providing formative

assessment.

Step One: Getting the students ready and engaging their interest

• Signal that vocabulary instruction will take place and explain why.

• Specify what the students will do.

• Prepare the students to take notes.

Step One

• Today we are learning new vocabulary. I will ask you to use this vocabulary when you do your peer work and make your oral presentations in front of the class. You will also find the word useful in your writing assignment. The first word you learn is an important one. You will use it in most your classes.

• You will listen and repeat the word and use the word orally and in writing.

• You will take notes as I explain the word.

Cornell NotesTopic-Vocabulary

Recall Notes

What does the word infer mean?

How can I use this word in my writing?

Step Two: Teaching the word explicitly

• Introduce the new word.

• Pronounce the new word clearly a few times.

• Ask your students to pronounce the word after you. Break up polysyllabic words.

Step Two: Teaching the word explicitly

• The new word is the word infer.

• Listen to me pronounce the word. INFER

• Please repeat the word after me.

• Write the word on the board or overhead and point to it. Tell students to read and write it.

infer

Step Two: Teaching the word explicitly

• Teach the meaning of the word by giving the students a student-friendly definition.

• You can sometimes find useful definitions in the Longman’s on-line dictionary, http://www.ldoceonline.com/.

Step Two: Teaching the word explicitly

Infer

• To form an opinion that something is probably true because of information that you have.

• Provide student-friendly examples and, when possible, appropriate non-examples. Tell students to write them.

Step Two: Teaching the word explicitly

To infer

• To conclude something by reasoning, in other words, by thinking about it and being able to give reasons for it

Infer

Words that Mean about the SameNear Synonyms

A Word that Almost Has An Opposite MeaningA Near Antonym

Words students might know:

Suppose, Understand, Reason, Judge, Imply, Suggest (for a reason)

Words that some students will not know:

Surmise, Conjecture

Guess (with little if any evidence)

The key to understanding infer is knowing the word evidence.

• Facts, data, support

• Facts or signs that show clearly that something exists or is true

• Evidence of X -- At present we have no evidence of life on other planets.

What can you infer?

If I get an A on my chemistry test, I might infer that I studied enough and now know the material.

For ideas for constructing sentences, see http://sentence.yourdictionary.com/

Step Two: Teaching the word explicitly

• Give students additional information about the word so that they can use it. You could explain its related word forms, the words it is used with, and/or the particular way it is used.

• Guide the students in reading a sentence containing the word two or three times.

Infer = a verb

Inference = a noun

Inferential = an adjective

Inferentially = an adverb

Parts of Speech

Verb Noun Adjective Adverb

infer

What words are used with infer?

infer something from something

• A lot can be inferred from these statistics/the evidence.

infer that

• From the evidence, we can infer that the victim knew the thief.

The word infer is a transitive verb. That means it requires an object.

A Sentence

If everyone in the sample of 200 students likes Ana, I might infer that Ana is popular.

Step Three: Providing Practice

• Additional opportunities for students to hear and/or read the target word (input) and use the word in speech and writing (output).

• In this step, you need to use a familiar instructional strategy to engage students in an activity.

Pair Work

• Find a partner.

• Interact for three minutes.

• Use sentence frames that I give you to practice using the word infer in complete sentences.

Example

Sentence Frame

If I see a pink line on the left side of a sheet of paper, I might infer …

1. If everyone refused to complete a questionnaire, I might infer that …

2. If a sample is not a random one, I might infer that …

3. If only 30% of the 50 students interviewed gave the correct response, I might infer that…

4. If a sample provides a good match for a population, I might infer that …

Take turns completing these sentences.

Step Four: Providing formative assessment.

• Hold each student accountable for using the word. Provide feedback, as appropriate. For example, ask each student to use the word to complete a task in which they write a complete sentence using the word.

Task: Write two complete sentences using the word infer.

StepsStep One: Getting the students ready and

engaging their interest.

Step Two: Teaching the word explicitly.

Step Three: Providing independent practice.

Step Four: Providing formative assessment.

Teaching Grammar

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Teaching Specific Grammatical Features

• Text Analysis- Identify how writers use a specific verb tense and verb shift markers in a given text or pronouns in a text

• Use various texts (journals, newspapers, essays, students’ own writing)

Texts can allow students to experience rich, academic language

• Follow up with additional tasks to reinforce the grammatical feature taught

In the darkness of night, the pufflings leave their burrows for the first

flight. It’s a short, wing-flapping trip from the high cliffs. Most of the

birds splash-land safely in the sea below. But some get confused by the

village lights—perhaps they think the lights are moonbeams reflecting on

the water. Hundreds of the pufflings crash-land in the village every

night. Unable to take off from flat ground, they run around and try to hide.

Dangers await. Even if the cats and dogs don’t get them, the pufflings

might get run over by cars or trucks.

Source: Night of the Pufflings by Bruce McMillan.Discussed by Mary Schleppegrell (2009).

Linguistic Markers of Cohesion

Like __________, _____________ also has _________.

A significant similarity between the two is ____________.

Sentence Frames

Teachers can also give students sentence frames to use when practicing comparison constructions in their writing.

Source: Marsha Zandi, UCSDTeacher Professional Development

Sentence Frames

• Although they share many similarities, ____________ differs from ____________ because ________________.

• Unlike _______, _______ (is/has) _________________.

• One important difference between the two is __________.

• Perhaps, the most significant difference is _______________ because __________________.

Source: Marsha Zandi, UCSDTeacher Professional Development

Teaching Discourse

Sample Activity: Dictocomp

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Dictocomp: Listening, Reconstructing Text, Meaning and Form

• This listening activity capitalizes on students’ oral fluency.

• The activity allows students to pay attention to language in order to express ideas and learn conventions of academic discourse. (These conventions are language features too!)

• Students listen to a text read to them two or three times and take notes on key words that they hear. They then work in small groups to reconstruct the text and reconstruct their own text based on the notes. (Wajnryb, 1990)

Strategy #3: Providing Instructional Feedback

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Instructional Feedback

• Helps students develop an understanding of formal and informal registers.

• Develops academic vocabulary, grammar, and rhetorical skills.

• Fosters self-editing skills.

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Correction Symbols

A Challenge: There is a lot to teach, especially in the upper grades!

English LanguageLearners

1

23

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E L A

Helpful Necessary

• Include language objectives

• Provide language instruction

• Provide language exposure

• Provide sufficient practice

• Provide feedback

• Engage students

To Teach Academic English…

Evidence: Low but growing!

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Success

Our success is not for administrators, not for instructors, not for you, and not for me.

It is for students, many of whom we may never see.

It is for students who graduate career and/or college ready.

It is for students whose educations help them achieve their dreams.

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With all of us working together to teach

academic English,

Our students’ dreams can come true.

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Resources

Program in Academic English/ESL http://www.humanities.uci.edu/esl/

You can use tools like The compleat lexical tutor, http://www.lextutor.ca/, to analyze the vocabulary in texts.

Go to Vocabulary Profiler and click on Classic View to analyze the text.

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Online resources: Corpus of Contemporary English

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COCA: Concordance string

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References Academic Literacy: A Statement of Competencies - Academic

Senate. www.universityofcalifornia.edu/senate/reports/acadlit.pdf .

Ferris, D. (2009). Teaching College Writing to Diverse Student Populations. Ann Arbor: U Michigan ELT.

Frodesen, J. (2011) Developing Academic Skills for Writing across the Curriculum. [PowerPoint Slides]. English Language Learner/Basic Skills Colloquium. May 06, Santa Monica College.

Frodesen, J. (2010) Addressing Needs of Multilingual Writers in California Higher Education. [PowerPoint Slides]. CATESOL Regional Conference.

Goen-Salter, S., Porter, P., & van Dommelen, D., (2009) Working with Generation 1.5 Pedagogical Principles and Practices. Generation 1.5 in college composition: Teaching Academic Writing to U.S. educated learners. New York: Routledge.

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References (cont.)

Holten,C. (2009) Creating an inter-departmental course for Generation 1.5 ESL writers: Challenges faced, lessons learned. In M. Roberge, M.Siegel & L. Harklau (Eds.) Generation 1.5 in college composition: Teaching Academic Writing to U.S. educated learners. New York: Routledge

Lane,J. & Lange.E. (1999) Writing clearly: An Editing Guide. Boston, MA: Heinle & Heinle.

Quindlen, A. (2007) Blessed Is the Full Plate. Newsweek, 1(2) Retrieved from

Roberge, M., M. Siegal & L. Harklau(Eds.) (2009). Generation 1.5 in College Composition. Teaching Academic Writing to U.S.-Educated Learners of ESL. London: Routledge.

Scarcella, R. (2003). Accelerating Academic English http://exstream.ucsd.edu/UCPDI/webtool/html/publications/ell_book_all.pdf

Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. (September 3, 2007). The Academic Word List. Retrieved March 18, 2011 from http://www.victoria.ac.nz/lals/staff/Averil-Coxhead/awl/links.html

References

White, C. & Kim, J. (2009). Putting the Pieces of the Puzzle Together: How systematic vocabulary instruction and extended learning can address the literacy gap. Center for American Progress. Retrieved from www.americanprogress.org/issues/2009/05/pdf/elt_may09.pdf.

Additional References

–August, D. & Shanahan, T. (2007). Developing literacy in second-language learners. Mahway, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

–August, D. & Shanahan, T. (2008). Developing reading and writing in second-language learners. Routledge, IRA, and CAL.

–Moughamian, A. C., Rivera, M. O., & Francis, D. J. (2009). Instructional models and strategies for teaching English language learners. Portsmouth, NH: RMC Research Corporation, Center on Instruction.

–Rivera, M. O., Francis, D. J., Fernandez, M., Moughamian, A. C., Lesaux, N. K., & Jergensen, J. (2010). Effective practices for English language learners. Principals from five states speak.Portsmouth. NH: RMC Research Corporation, Center on Instruction.

–Short, Deborah J. & Fitzsimmons, Shannon (2007). Double the Work: Challenges and solutions to acquiring language and academic literacy for adolescent English language Learners. Carnegie Report.

Additional References

Questions?

Task-Based Language Objectives for Developing

Academic English

• Identify what students should know about English and do with it in a particular school task.

• Support the students’ development of academic English.

Characteristics

• Language objectives help students learn academic language that supports their learning in the classes as well as in other contexts.

• Language objectives include a verb (or verb phrase) that names the function and/or purpose of language use.

Characteristics

• Language objectives are developed from an analysis of the language demands of a task.

• Language objectives specify the language students need to learn to complete tasks.

Characteristics

• Lesson objectives emphasize the development of expressive and receptive language skills.

• Language objectives are obtainable.

• Language objectives are measurable.

Many advocate starting with a topic or theme and

then focusing on a content standard and only later

the language objectives.

Topic - Content – Task - Language

• Decide on the topic: the causes of the Mexican-American War

• Identify the content standard: the California U.S. History Standard 8.8 asks students to analyze the divergent paths of the American people in the West from 1800 to the mid-1800s and describe the Mexican-American War.

Targeting Content and English Language Objectives. In Teaching History.org. http://teachinghistory.org/teaching-materials/english-language-learners/24439

Targeting Content and English Language Objectives. In Teaching History.org. http://teachinghistory.org/teaching-materials/english-language-learners/24439

• Identify the language demands of the task: Students will need to be able to identify and understand the cause-effect relationships in each text. They will need to be able to compare the causes of the Mexican-American War, using expressions of comparison and subordinate clauses with because in small-group discussion.

Topic - Content - Task - Language

Adapted from Targeting Content and English Language Objectives. In Teaching History.org. http://teachinghistory.org/teaching-materials/english-language-learners/24439

Adapted from Targeting Content and English Language Objectives. In Teaching History.org. http://teachinghistory.org/teaching-materials/english-language-learners/24439

• Create ELL objectives linked to Arizona’s ELP Standards that students should meet: Students will read both texts and identify, orally and in writing, the war's causes in each. Students will be able to use their graphic organizers to compare and contrast texts.

Targeting Content and English Language Objectives. In Teaching History.org. http://teachinghistory.org/teaching-materials/english-language-learners/24439

Targeting Content and English Language Objectives. In Teaching History.org. http://teachinghistory.org/teaching-materials/english-language-learners/24439

Topic - Content - Task - Language

Sample Task-Based Language Objectives

• Students will report a group consensus, using past tense citation verbs such as determined, concluded, explained, …

 • Students will defend a position, using present

tense persuasive verbs (like maintain, contend, argue).

Sample Language Objective

• Students will revise a paragraph, using present tense verbs and subject-verb agreement.

Sentence Frames

① Students will _(function: verb phrase)_ using _(function: target language)_. 

② Students will use _(target language_) to _(function: verb phrase)_.

Note

• Note: Language objectives often contain verb phrases:

• Students will point out similarities and differences between triangles and rectangles using the words similar to and different from.

Examples of Verbs/Verb Phrases

Objectives can be written for all four modalities or

domains:

Key Points

• Language objectives are communicated to students clearly, both in speech and writing.

• They can be posted in the classroom.

• They can be referred to before, during, and after a task.

Developing Language Objectives

• Let’s look at some sample language objectives.

Verbs Often Used

• Knowledge: define, describe, identify, know, label, list, match, name, outline, recall, recognize, reproduce, select, state 

• Comprehension: comprehend, convert, defend, distinguish, estimate, explain, extend, generalize, give examples, infer, interpret, paraphrase, predict, rewrite summarize

• Application: apply, change, compute, construct, demonstrate, modify, predict, prepare, produce, use

Verbs Often Used

• Analysis: analyze, break down, compare, contrast, deconstruct, differentiate, discriminate, distinguish, identify, illustrate, infer, outline

Verbs Often Used

• Synthesis: categorize, combine, compile, compose, create, design, explain, generate, modify, organize, plan, rearrange, reconstruct, reorganize, revise, rewrite, summarize, tell, write

Verbs Often Used

• Evaluation: appraise, compare, conclude, contrast, criticize, critique, defend, describe, discriminate, evaluate, explain, interpret, justify, summarize, support

Verbs Often Used

Sentence Frames

TIP: You can use sentence frames to figure out what language you want to teach –

Expressions of agreeing and disagreeing

Expressions of comparing

Expressions of predicting

Expressions of summarizing

Expressions – Language Functions

• Expressing an opinion

• Asking for clarification

• Paraphrasing

• Eliciting a response

• Agreeing and disagreeing

Acknowledging ideas

Comparing ideasJustifyingPredictingHolding and giving

up the floor

Acknowledging ideas

Comparing ideasJustifyingPredictingHolding and giving

up the floor

Expressions for Forming Interpretations

• What this means is…

• I think this means…

• The idea I have is…

• My idea is…

• My interpretation of the problem is…

Expressions for Predicting

• I predict that. . .

• My prediction is …

• I think that . . .

• I suggest that . . .

• I hypothesize

• My hypothesis is. . .

• I can infer from X that . . .

Hedges Used When Predicting

• Perhaps

• Maybe

• Possibly

• Probably

Modal Auxiliaries Used When Predicting

• Can/Could – suggests possibility

• May/Might – suggests possibility

• Should— suggests possibility

• Must— suggests strong probability

Your turn to write a task-based language objective.

• Think about what you want English language learners to be able to do with language and the amount of instructional time it will take to teach these aspects of English.

Let’s consider the strengths and

weaknesses of the approach for developing

academic English.

Whatever language objectives classroom

teachers use, they should support the Common Core

Standards.

Mission Statement: The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy.

Mission Statement: The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college and careers. With American students fully prepared for the future, our communities will be best positioned to compete successfully in the global economy.

That’s NOT My Job!

This is a story about four people named EVERYBODY, SOMEBODY, ANYBODY, and NOBODY

There was an important job to be done and EVERYBODY was sure that SOMEBODY would do it. NOBODY did it.

SOMEBODY got angry about that because it was EVERYBODY’S job! EVERYBODY thought ANYBODY could do it, but NOBODY realized EVERYBODY wouldn’t do it.

It ended up that EVERYBODY blamed SOMEBODY when NOBODY did what ANYBODY should have.

author: Unknown

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Success

Our success is not for administrators, not for instructors, not for you, and not for me.

It is for students, many of whom we may never see.

It is for students who graduate career and/or college ready.

It is for students whose educations help them achieve their dreams.

With all of us working together

150

With academic language objectives

We can help students’ dreams come true.