Academic Literacy Community of PracticeWebinar 4:

Teaching Academic Language to English Language Learners

Hosted by the Center on Instruction May 11, 2010

The Center on Instruction is operated by RMC Research Corporation in partnership with the Florida Center for Reading Research at Florida State University;

Instructional Research Group; the Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics at the University of Houston; and The Meadows Center for

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2010

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COI Staff

• Angela Penfold, Director• Ruth Dober, Deputy Director of Communications• Andrea Reade, Research Associate• Mabel Rivera, Deputy Director (ELL Strand)• Debby Miller, Deputy Director (Reading Strand)• Christy Murray, Deputy Director (Special Ed Strand)• Erika Soucy, Technical Assistance

Academic Literacy Webinar Series Schedule of Events

Academic Literacy for ELLs in Science and Social Studies Classrooms

Tuesday, Feb. 9 David FrancisLeticia MartinezColleen Reutebuch

Academic Literacy in Social Studies Classrooms (non-ELL)

Thursday, March 11 Cynthia Shanahan

Adolescent Literacy Friday, April 30 Don Deshler

Academic Language and ELLs Tuesday, May 11 Robin Scarcella

Current and Ongoing Research on Secondary RTI

Thursday, June 10 Greg Roberts

Today’s Agenda

• Formal presentation• Question and answer session

with our featured speaker• Evaluation

Teaching Academic Language to English

Learners

Community of Practice: Robin Scarcella

rcscarce@uci.eduPresented at Webinar

May 11, 2010

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 a challenging one:• 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.

Agenda• 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• Vernacular dialect speakers• Students who enter schools with languages other

than English

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

• Beginning • Intermediate• Advanced

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 English required for them to access core content instruction and benefit from it.

• Continue to teach language 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 for ELLs. Curricula should accompany reading (and mathematics) instruction to support this goal.

• Scientific evidence base: Low (2007)

The Linguistic Dimension

DiscourseDiscourse

SociolinguisticsSociolinguistics

GrammarGrammar

VocabularyVocabulary

PhonologyPhonologyAcademic Language

Aspects of Academic Language

• Vocabulary Knowledge– Vocabulary of Instruction

• Words to teach & learn the lesson content (strategies, pre-writing, context clues)

– Vocabulary of Text• words related to Unit/Theme/Selection (habitats, camouflage,

voyagers)• 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

factor factor

addition add

division divide

Word Families

• 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. (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.

Converting Informal English Into Academic English

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. I also think that human life is worth more than giving shooters the right to go shooting on the weekend. 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.

Informal English#1

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 the guns for sport and recreation. It is further contended that the police are unable to stop violent crime and we need guns to protect ourselves. However, as Josephine Bluff states, guns increase the amount of violent crime in the community. Moreover, human life is worth more than giving shooters the right to go shooting on the weekend. In addition, many of the guns that are kept around the house are used in violent domestic disputes or teenage suicides.

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

Academic English#2

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 the guns for sport and recreation. It is further contended that the police are unable to stop violent crime and we need guns to protect ourselves. However, as Josephine Bluff states, guns increase the amount of violent crime in the community. Moreover, human life is worth more than giving shooters the right to go shooting on the weekend. In addition, many of the guns that are kept around the house are used in violent domestic disputes or teenage suicides.

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

Converting Informal English Into Academic English

Characteristics

Informal English Academic English

Uses hedges kind of, sort of

Does not use hedges

Uses I Avoids using I

Uses simple connectors Uses sophisticated transition words

Uses slang Uses academic words

Two types of written text:Narrative text tells a story and usually follows a familiar structure. Narrative text may be the invention of an author, the reporting of factual events, or the retelling of a tale from oral tradition. It is often written in informal, everyday English.Expository text provides an explanation of facts and concepts. Its main purpose is to inform, persuade, or explain. It is usually written in academic English.

Consider: Type of Text

1. InformalEnglish/Narrative

2. AcademicEnglish/Expository

Specific Recommendations• Teachers must understand that instruction with

ELLs 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 Algebrahttp://www.camsp.net/html/index.html • Access to the Corehttp://www.accesstothecore.com/html/index.html

A Reconsideration of Think-Pair-Share

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.

• Are designed to provide a foundation for the development of academic English, increasing students’ knowledge of vocabulary, grammar and discourse • Teach reading to young children as well as struggling adolescent learners• Include the instruction of informational non-fiction• Provide background knowledge

An ExampleElfrieda (Freddy) Hiebert’s QuickReads1

Website: http://www.textproject.org

• Allow students to gain reading proficiency and experience in extracting information from the text they are reading• Repeatedly expose students to specific content words

An ExampleElfrieda (Freddy) Hiebert’s QuickReads1

An Example

Catherine Snow’s Word Generation Program2

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 Program2

Specifics• Adopt a policy clearly stating that English language

learners must have a daily block of time devoted to development of academic English

• Develop or purchase curricula that can be used to teach and develop academic English

• Teach academic English in the earliest grades

• Provide teachers with appropriate professional development to help them learn how to teach academic English

Specific Recommendation• There are frameworks that provide guidance for

instruction and list key topics. – However, these are not designed for regular classroom

use. – Teachers will need considerable support to use

curriculum materials effectively.• Instruction should begin as early as possible.

– For U.S. newcomers, the first year of instruction must also have a focus on informal, conversational language.

Gersten et. al, 2007.

Specific Recommendation

• Teachers need extensive professional development and support to teach academic English effectively. – Features of morphology, syntax, and discourse

should be addressed carefully and not overwhelm teachers.

Gersten et. al, 2007.

Ahn has 64 crayons. This number is 18 more crayons than Bill has. Which equation should be used to find b, the number of crayons Bill has?A. b = 64 − 18B. b = 64/18C. b = 64 + 18D. b = 64 x 18

A released question from the 5th grade CST in Mathematics.

Specific Recommendation:• All content teachers need to teach academic language. Scaffolding for student understanding is not enough.

Let’s look at an example of a professional development activity.

Professional development activities should include analyzing texts, determining features of language students should be taught to complete assignments, designing student friendly explanations, and designing ways to encouragestudents to use specific language features.

Specific Recommendation

The Fox and the GrapesOne hot summer's day a fox was strolling through an orchard till he came to a bunch of grapes on a vine which someone had trained to drape over a lofty branch. "Just the thing to quench my thirst," he exclaimed. Drawing back a pace or two, he took a run and a jump, and just missed the bunch. Turning around again with a one, two, three, he jumped up, but with no greater success. Again and again he tried after the tempting morsel, but at last had to give it up, and walked away with his nose in the air, saying:

"I am sure they are sour."It is easy to despise what you cannot get.

Student-Friendly Definition

Stroll - when a person walks slowly and takes time to look at things, as well as think about things that are pleasant

Examplesa. A slow walk on the beachb. Walking at a slow speed with no particular place to goc. How you might walk to school when you aren't late

Non-examplesa. A jog on the beachb. The speed you walk to the store when it's raining and

you have no umbrellac. How you walk to school when you are late

Examplesa. ______________________________________________b. ______________________________________________c. ______________________________________________

Non-examplesd. ______________________________________________e. ______________________________________________

Vocabulary: Exclaim

Student-Friendly Definition

Academic Language: WordsUsing the guiding questions below, determine which words you would choose to teach.

Questions

• Is the word unknown?

• Is it key in understanding the selection?

• Does it have multiple meanings?

• Is it often found in other literature or informational text?

Specific Recommendation• Time should be devoted to the instruction of

academic language.– The focus can be clearly on language. Students

should be assessed on the language that they have learned in school.

Two Frequently Used Instructional Strategies

• Questioning• Using Sentence Stems

Lessons Learned: Generic questions

Beginning Intermediate

Questions that elicit one word answers:What’s …?Yes/no questions: Is it tall or short?Either/or questions: Is it smaller or larger?

Why?How?What do you think about …?

Specific questions tied to specific instructional contexts and learning objectives usually work better than generic questions.

• Why is one inch larger than 1 centimeter? 1.Why do you use inches to measure your desk instead of centimeters?

• How do you know that 2 x 4 is the same as 2+ 2 + 2+ 2?

• Is 450/100 the same as 45/10? Why?

Lessons Learned

Language Function

Explanation Sentence Stems

To instruct Giving directions "The first step is É "

"Next É"

"The last part is É"

To test Deciding if something makes sense

"I still have a question about É "

"What I learned is É "

To compare and contrast

Showing how two things are alike and different

"X and Y are similar becauseÉ"

"X and Y are different from each other because É"

To explain Giving examples "This is an example of É"

"This is important because É"

To ana lyze Discussing the parts of a larger idea

"The parts of this include É"

Adapted from: Content-Area Conversations by Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey and Carol Rothenberg. LAS Links: http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/108035/chapters/Procedures_for_Classroom_Talk.aspx; See also: Zwiers, J. (2008). Building academic language: Essential practices for content classrooms. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Lessons Learned: Sentence Stems

Specific Sentence Stems Often Work Best

When comparing two shapes…

Partner A: Ask your partner to make comparisons.

1. How are _______________ and _______________ alike?

2. What other similarities do _______________ and _______________

have?

3. What is the most significant similarity between _______________ and

_______________?

4. Is there anything else that makes _______________ and

_______________ similar?

Partner B: Answer your partnerÕs questions, using the sentence stems below.

1. Both _______________ and _______________ are alike because

_______________ .

2. Like _______________, _______________ has _______________.

3. The most significant similarity between _______________ and

_______________ is _______________.

1. _______________ and _______________ are/have _______________.

Specific Sentence Stems Often Work Best

Challenges to Teaching Academic Language

Teacher Talk• How problem ask you add?• How you find perimeter of triangle without no formula?• Why is a value difference between Fahrenheit

temperature scale and Celsius temperature scales?• When equation has more one operation, how you

know first?

Challenge: Language

Challenge: Langage

Identification of Language Objectives• It is not always obvious to teachers,

administrators and others what language students need to learn to access and benefit from instruction.

Challenge: Language Objectives

Challenge: Second Language Development

The instruction students require to participate in lessons and benefit from them are not always obvious.

The factors affecting the development of language are not always obvious. Minimally, these factors should be considered: exposure to language, opportunities to use language (with other more proficient speakers of math language), instruction (and scaffolding), feedback and critical learner variables (such as prior knowledge and motivation)

A Challenge: Placement IssuesEnsuring students receive the appropriate instructional supports, e.g., that they are not given remedial coursework that they do not need, that they receive appropriate services for the gifted, and that they receive appropriate English instructional services and support.

We need to be concerned about English language supportservices and content instruction.

A Challenge: Assessment Issues

• An absence of clear language objectives tied to content that is taught and assessed in class.

A Challenge: Equity Issues

A Hypothesis: Each year, English language learners are tested on what they have not been taught in school. They are held accountable for knowing academic language that no one has ever taught them.

A Challenge: Motivation

Building Bridges Across Grades and Content Areas

A Challenge: Helping Content Teachers Teach Academic

Language

Yesenia Medrano, Southeast Middle School

A Challenge: Teacher Professional Development

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

LanguageLearners

12

34 5

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!

“Mastery of academic language is arguably the most important

determinant of academic success for individual students.” 3

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 english. Until now everyone understand me and I dont ’ need study english. 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.

References

1Hiebert, E.H. (2010). Understanding the word-level features of texts for students who depend on schools to become literate. In M.G. McKeown and L. Kucan (Eds.) Bringing Reading Research to Life, (pp. 207-231). The Guilford Press: New York, NY.

2White, 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.

3Francis, David F., et al. (2006). Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners: Research-Based Recommendations for Instruction and Academic Interventions. Under cooperative agreement grant S283B050034 for U.S. Department of Education). Portsmouth, NH: RMC Research Corporation, Center on Instruction (COI), 2006. (Book 1 of 3).

References

3Francis, David F., et al. (2006). Practical Guidelines for the Education of English Language Learners: Research-Based Recommendations for Instruction and Academic Interventions. Under cooperative agreement grant S283B050034 for U.S. Department of Education). Portsmouth, NH: RMC Research Corporation, Center on Instruction (COI), 2006. (Book 1 of 3).

References

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?