Case Study English Language Learners

and Reading

Taína Bonilla, Cindy A. Nieves Lugo, Vicente Cruz, Virginia C. Cardona, Elizabeth Navedo Arbeláez

Contrastive Analysis of English and SpanishENGL 360

Professor: Dr. Evelyn Lugo Morales

To Achieve your Dreams Remember your ABC’s Avoid negative sources, people, places, things and habits

Believe in yourself.

Consider things from every angle.

Do not give up and do not give in.

Enjoy life today, yesterday is gone, and tomorrow may never come.

Family and friends are hidden treasures, seek them an enjoy their riches

Give more than you planned to.

Hang on to your dreams.

Ignore those who try to discourage you.

Just do it.

Keep trying, no matter how hard it seems it will get easier.

Love yourself first and most.

Make it happen.

Never lie, cheat or steal, always strike a fair deal.

Open your eyes and see things as they really are.

Practice makes perfect.

Quitters never win and winners never quit.

Read, study and learn about everything important in your life.

Stop procrastinating.

Take control of your own destiny.

Understand yourself in order to better understand others.

Visualize it.

Want it more than anything.

Xcellerate your efforts.

You are unique of all God’s creations, nothing can replace YOU!

Zero in on your target and go for it.

According to (Haynes, 2009) many English Language

Learners face numerous problems when reading a specific text assigned to them by the teacher. They also may not understand the content of the text assigned. Lots of them can not comprehend the abundance and usage of idioms and figurative language in many texts. Most are unfamiliar with the connotative and denotative meanings of words. Many do not know how to use the homonyms and synonyms that are found in almost all writings. Several ELL’s may also find the imagery and symbolism in different texts a difficult task to understand.

Obstacles when reading

If the teacher has not activated prior knowledge or built

background information, knowing the vocabulary will not

solve the problem. ELLs may be able to read the words

but it doesn't mean they will understand the text. They are

not aware of information that the author left unsaid; the

information that ‘everyone knows’” (Haynes, 2009).

Idioms and Figurative Language.

The problem of not understanding the majority of the figurative language and/or idioms has to do with the student not being familiar with the language and not knowing when the language is being sarcastic, ironic, is mocking something, or is being derisive

Activity: Students will identify the idioms by figurative language and understand the metaphorical interpretation of the phrase.

Specific Problem

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/idioms/

“Eye on idioms”

Homonyms (homophones, homographs) and Synonyms

English Language Learners have a difficult time trying to understand the how synonyms and homonyms work. They get the meanings confused, and consequently, misinterpret the message of the content in the text. Activity: Have the students find the synonym of the word underlined in a sentence. Write two homonyms and have the students look for their definition. Have them explain if it is a homophone (words that sound the

same, are spelled differently and have different meaning) or a homograph (words that sound the same and are spelled the same, but have a different meaning.)

Specific Problem

Connotative and Denotative

English Language Learners will get confused when reading because they do not know and/or understand either the dictionary definition or the colloquial meaning of a word, or for that matter, both of the meanings of the words.

Activity: Write a word on a flash card to obtain the students connotative interpretation and in the back of the flash card have the denotative meaning.

Specific Problem

Imagery and Symbolism

English Language Learners might not understand the imagery in most texts. This has to do with them not having experienced what is being described. Consequently, they will have trouble imagining the scenario in the text. With symbolism ELLs have a hard time understanding what it means because they do not know the history behind it.

Activity: Create a story using pictures or photographs.

Specific Problem

Picture Stories

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interacti

ves/idioms/ (Henry, L. A. Ph.D. Lexington KY, International Reading Association.)

http://www.cal.org/caela/esl_resources/Health/healthindex.html#Do (Picture Stories for Adult ESL Health Literacy, Singleton, K. Fairfax County, VA. Public Schools.)

References