English Learners

CSU Transitional Kindergarten Pre-Service Preparation Project Supported by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation

California State University, Fullerton September 23, 2013

Module Outcomes As a result of participating in this module, you will be able to: Understand the stages of language acquisition. Examine the core beliefs and principles for supporting

language acquisition. Explore teaching strategies to support English Learners in

the TK classroom. Analyze lessons appropriate for young English Learners Explain why a child should learn his/her own primary

language alongside acquiring English language and literacy.

2

Module Activities In this module, you will: Read key ideas about English language acquisition and

strategies to support English Learners in the TK classroom. Examine California’s ELD standards for kindergarten. Explore videos of classroom instruction, and analyze

language use. View videos of classroom instruction, and analyze

instruction.

3

SUPPORTING EMERGING BILINGUALISM AND BILITERACY:

KEY IDEAS

4

The young (preschool/TK) English Learner is… 1. a child whose first language is other than English and as a result is learning English as a second language; or 2. a child who is developing two or more languages, one of which may be English.

The young bilingual child speaks two languages, and a biliterate child engages in reading and writing in the home language and in a second language.

Other descriptors for English Learners include the following: Dual Language Learners, Second Language Learners, English Language Learners.

http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/documents/psenglearnersed2.pdf

Three proficiency levels: Emerging, Expanding, and Bridging Descriptions of what ELs can do as they enter, progress through, and exit each proficiency level

Early and Exit descriptions for language modes (collaborative, interpretive, productive) included Standards for the same grade levels as the CA Common Core Standards (CCSS) : English Language Arts

Alignment with CCSS strands integrated and explicitly noted http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/el/er/eldstandards.asp

CA English Language Development Standards and Resources

Learning Foundations for children 3-5 years old; aligned with the CCSS

Alignment of Foundations with key Early Education resources

Expectations of what children can know and be able to do: K-12

Research and tools to support young English Learners

• Children are first introduced to language and literacy in the

home language and these experiences provide an important foundation for success in learning literacy in English.

• Being exposed to more than one language during childhood can facilitate the transition from speaking and using the home (native) language, to acquiring a new language. This is called cross language transfer. Proficiency in the home language is an asset to learning English.

http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/el/er/documents/sbeoverviewpld.pdf

Paths to Bilingualism:

Simultaneous bilingualism is the process of learning two (or more) languages within the same span of time, starting before age three. Children develop equally, or nearly equally, in both languages through exposure and opportunities to use both languages.

Successive bilingualism is the process of learning a second language after having reached at least basic mastery in the first language. They have prior knowledge of language and its uses and do not need to discover what language is, but rather discover what this language is. Successive bilingualism can be undertaken at any age. Most young TK ELs are developing English as successive bilinguals.

In TK, children who are emergent bilingual speakers – that is, beginning English learning and continuing primary language learning – move through four stages of second language acquisition.

As a teacher, understanding these stages of second language acquisition can help you make effective decisions to support emergent bilingual youth at their stage of learning.

http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/documents/psenglearnersed2.pdf

1-Home Language Stage 2-Observational / Listening Stage

3-Telegraphic / Formulaic Speech Stage 4-Fluid Language Use Stage

English Learners thrive when teaching strategies:

focus on English Language Development, and

center on providing comprehensible input, based

on prior knowledge and through active, experiential

learning opportunities.

The gradual and ongoing process of learning to understand and use language begins at birth and continues through the early childhood years.

During this period, children first learn to

use oral forms of language-listening and speaking, and then begin to explore and make sense of written forms-reading and writing.

The TK year focuses on these areas (above) of learning and development.

Koralek, D. & Collins, R. (1997). On the road to reading: A guide for community partners. Vienna, VA: The Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center, p.10.

SDAIE – Structurally Designed Academics in English SDAIE is the teaching of content knowledge, skills and language in a way that ELs can understand and work with the content (comprehensible input).

English Language Development Strategies ELD strategies focus on the teaching of English (language ability and knowledge) to speakers of another language(s).

The TK teacher… plays a crucial role in providing opportunities for English Learners to develop their language and literacy skills and skills in other content areas. The TK teacher… is asset based, honoring home languages and cultures of students and valuing connections with families, viewing them as key to the bilingual learning process. The TK teacher… is knowledgeable, intentionally prepared, and concerned for the English Language Learner.

Resources Annenberg Learner. (2003). Supporting the English Language Learner Video. Brokers of Expertise, State of CA Department of Education. Using ELD and SDAIE in the Classroom . California Department of Education. (2012). The Alignment of the California Preschool Learning Foundations with Key Early Education Resources. California Department of Education. (2009). Preschool English Learners: Principles and Practices to Promote Language, Literacy, and Learning. Magruder, E. S., Hayslip, W. W., Espinosa, L.M., & Matera, C. (2013). Many languages, one teacher: Supporting language and literacy development for preschool dual language learners. Young Children, 2(3), 8-15. Nickolaisen, D. Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English. http://people.ucsc.edu/~ktellez/sdaie-easy.pdf

Tabors, Patton O. (2008).One child, two languages: A guide for early childhood education of children learning English as a second language. Vol. I. Understanding Language: Language, Literacy, and Learning in the Content Areas – a national initiative to develop resources and increase awareness of the role of language in the Common Core State Standards and Next Generation Science Standards (Stanford University, http://ell.stanford.edu/)

15

For additional information please visit http://teachingcommons.cdl.edu/tk/ or contact Dr. Kim Norman, CSU TK Project Director, at knorman@fullerton.edu.