Strategies that Lead to Transference

Lynne KoenigWoodburn School District

Woodburn, Oregon

Woodburn School District

4 Elementary, 2 Middle, 5 High schools

Washington Elementary School

Pop. 587Free &Red 82%ELL 76%

Who’s Here?

Teachers Administrator

s New to dual 50/50 or

90/10 Self

Contained Partnership Bilingual

Knowledge/conce

pts unique to L1

Knowledge/concepts unique to L2

Surface features of L1 Surface features of L2

Language Transfer and Discrete Language Skills

Interdependence ModelLinguistic (Adapted from Cummins, J. 1987)

Everything is about language

Know your students 

Must be explicitly modeled.

For Transference To Occur…

Strategies

Así se dice-Literacy Squared

Interactive Cognate Word Wall

Probable Passage- Kylene Beers

Interactive writing-Literacy Squared

Other favorites!

Así se dice Literacy Squared-Kathy Escamilla

Purpose:Explicit translation practice helps language learners navigate between languages and experience the subtleties of language as well as get the “gist” of meaning. Language is not directly transferable. This activity also gives power to both languages as each child gets to be the “expert”.

Can be used as early as late kinder with appropriate scaffolding (whole class, based on theme).

Moves to partner work with students as “experts” as early as second grade.

Can use curricular theme or selected poetry.

Así se dice Whole class-

Choose topic- Example: Halloween vocabulary from books read.

Teacher records words/phrases on chart in target language (L1 or L2)

Teacher leads discussion of how you would “say it” in the opposite language.

This should include partner talk thinking around the best way to say it.

Teacher support is essential here as they can draw out other ideas or ways the students could say it and explicit teaching of getting the gist.

Teacher again records words/phrases that reflect the ideas from the original language.

Así se dice Partners- Choose poem, shared/creative writing etc. Partners take a phrase/sentence at a time and

discuss how they could say it. Students record directly on same page Teacher support to draw out other ideas or

ways the students could say it and explicit teaching of getting the gist.

Share with other partners.

Let’s Try It!

Interactive Cognate Word Wall

Purpose:Students don’t automatically use cognates to help them communicate in L2. Explicitly teaching students that cognates exist adds to the tools they have available to them to grow in their ability to communicate.

Always about language So many cognates in Latin based languages Math/Science, visually, phonologically false Student run/centered/owned Accessible

Probable Passage

adapted from Kylene Beers

Purpose:

This is a prereading strategy that previews key language for students. It sets students up for success in reading in L2 and builds language and vocabulary through student dialogue in groups.

How it works:

Can be used as early as reading level I Teacher chooses 12-16 key words from the story based on characters,

setting, problem(s) and solution. Students work in teams to discuss which category the words belong

in. Students do not need to agree! Students write their prediction or gist of how they think the story will

go. They read the story, class discussion or partner discussion should

follow to debrief the realign thinking and record what they know now.

Probable Passage Word Selection arroyos riverbed Reba Jo well horned toad ranch house Flash 3 small favors kiss caballero Padre prairie hitched prince

Let’s Try It!

Interactive Writing

Literacy Squared

Purpose:

Students build bridges between languages by reading in one language and writing about a familiar or known story or text in their other language.

This writing activity is based on a known story that is generally read in L1.

How it works: Day one: Picture book read aloud in L1 Day Two: Post pictures from the story- class discussion of most

important words from that page- sticky note the pages-students record in story booklets

Day Three- students use words from previous day to create sentences. Day Four- students use phrases to begin final written retell in final

booklet.

Day 2- Labeling The Most Important Words

Day 3- Taking Words To Sentences

Day 4- Final Written Retell

Other Strategies That Lead To Transfer

Language Rich Environment

Chants

Word study- Cognitive Content Dictionary- G.L.A.D.

Input charts

Shared reading

Newsbook

Cognitive Content Dictionary

Including:• Chants• Input charts

Language Rich Environment

Take Aways…….