Interactions of Life

Thinking about language learning . . .On your paper make three or four columns. At the top of each column, list a language with which youre only slightly familiar (one you havent studied).Jot down any words or phrases you knowgreetings, foods, musical terms, song titles, etc.Beside each word or phrase, write how or where you learned it.For example: blitzkrieg--elementary school Social Studies bookauf wiedersehen--Lawrence Welk showgnocchi--Italian restaurantTurn and talk with someone near you (or reflect and write) about any observations you have.

Whether youre thinking about acknowledging, respecting, and building on L1 from a funds of knowledge perspective or from an activating prior knowledge (background/experience) perspective,theres validity in being aware of a childs first language. All (or most) of their experiences up to the point of schooling are likely stored in L1. Their emergent literacy (awareness of environmental print, for example) often occurs in L1.

1Teaching LatinoEnglish Language LearnersUsing L1 to Develop L2

Amy Caindcaina@aol.comWhether youre thinking about acknowledging, respecting, and building on L1 from a funds of knowledge perspective or from an activating prior knowledge (background/experience) perspective,theres validity in being aware of a childs first language. All (or most) of their experiences up to the point of schooling are likely stored in L1. Their emergent literacy (awareness of environmental print, for example) often occurs in L1.

2Number your paper from 1 to 3.Youre about to see three words.Write each word.Beside each word put the part of speech, number of syllables, and definition.pareddamered1. pared2. dame3. red

part of speech, number of syllables, definitionIf you speak English, for pared, you probably put verb, 1, and peeled. If you speak Spanish, you put noun, 2, and wall.If you speak English, for dame, you probably put noun, 1, and lady. If you speak Spanish, you put verb (command), 2, and give me.If you speak English, for red, you probably put adjective, 1, and color. If you speak Spanish, you put noun, 1, and net.We SEE based our what we think (language and prior knowledge).7Well be talking more about vowel sounds later.In English words spelled the same can have different sounds (project, produce, polish, etc.)What other examples of homographs can you think of (in English)words that are spelled the same but pronounced differently?

All writing systems represent spoken languages, a universal with consequences for reading processes. . . reading universally requires the reader to make links to language at the phonological and morphemic levels.Writing systems encode spoken language; they do not directly encode meaning. Learning how to read involves learning how ones writing system encodes ones spoken language (Perfetti, 2003, p. 3).

Reading instruction is much more complex that many would imagine. Prater (2009) mentions five instructional variables that are potentially critical for effective instruction. One of those variables is strategic use of native language for support and clarification (p. 609). She also describes strategies good readers use. One of those strategies is to apply various forms of background knowledge including knowledge of language (English and their heritage language) (p. 609).

English language learners use cognates to their advantage, monitor their comprehension, use metacognitive strategies, apply background knowledge and schema to assist in understanding texts, and comprehend differently depending on the text structure (Prater, 2009, p. 608).

When assessing reading comprehension, is oral fluency (conversational ability in English) being assessed or are we actually measuring childrens reading abilities?

Before we think about English and Spanish specifically, lets consider a quote from a book called Learning Is a Verb (Reynolds).

We see with our mind . . . Part of what we see is determined by what we already think (p. 47).Transparent and Opaque LanguagesTransparent languages have a close grapheme to phoneme correspondence. Spanish is very transparenteach vowel has only one sound. English is quite opaque. Each vowel may have several sounds (or be silent).

Spelling (Encoding)(Onomatopoeia)

Dutch = Boe/MoeFinnish = AmmuuFrench = MeuhJapanese = Mau MauUrdu = Baeh http://www.womansday.com/Articles/Lifestyle/Family-Fun/13-Animal-Noises-Translated.html http://www.quack-project.com/table.cgi Arabic = Haw HawFrench = Ouah OuahSpanish = Gua GuaSwedish = Vov VovRussian = Gav Gav

Dutch = I-AFrench = HihanHebrew = Yi-AhIcelandic = E-Haw HawTurkish = A-Iiii A-IiiiDanish = Rap-RapFrench = Coin CoinGreek = Pa-Pa-PaRussian = Krya KryaSpanish = Ca Ca

Hungarian = Nyihaha NyihahaJapanese = Hi-HiinKorean = Hee-HingRussian = I-Go-GoSwedish = Iihahaha

Dutch = Oe HoeFinnish = HuhuuFrench = Hou HouRussian = Uh Uh UhTurkish = Uuu Uuu

Dutch = Knor KnorFrench = Groin GroinGerman = GrunzJapanese = Boo BooRussian = Hrgu Hrgu

Chinese = Go-Geh-Goh-GohDanish = KykylikyKorean = Coo-Koo-Ri-KooSpanish = Quiquiriqui or KikirikiTurkish = U Uru Uuu

German = ZichenHungarian = Sz-SzItalian = HshsNorwegian = HveseTurkish = Tiss

Belgium = Irka Kloek KloekFrench = Glou Glou Greek = Glou GlouSpanish = Clou Clou Turkish = Glu GluEnglish and Spanish

How are the alphabets alike?How are the alphabets different?

Think about what you know already.Recall what you teach (or what you were taught) about consonants and vowels.

What similarities do you anticipate?Spanish, like English, has five vowelsa, e, i, o, and u.

However, in Spanish each vowel has only one sound.

In Spanish there are not short and long vowel sounds as there are in English.

Think about Spanish words you know that include the letter a.mampapcasamanzanablancaWhat conclusions can you draw, or what can you infer?

In Spanish words, the a is always pronounced like the ah in father.

Practice saying the following words. taza mapa plaza vaca ranaThink about Spanish words you know that include the letter e.mesacabezaverdeterceraelefanteWhat conclusions can you draw, or what can you infer?

In Spanish words, the e is always pronounced like the short e sound in egg.

Practice saying the following words.escuelaestecoenchilada

Think about Spanish words you might know that include the letter i.iglesiaaqu

What conclusions can you draw, or what can you infer?In Spanish words, the i is always pronounced like the long e in sleep.

Practice saying the following words.bicicletaciclosiglosituacin

Think about Spanish words you know that include the letter o.ropatomatebocafrijoles

What conclusions can you draw, or what can you infer?In Spanish words, the o is always pronounced like the long o in hope.

Practice saying the following words.sopacocohombrobocaThink about Spanish words you know that include the letter u.frutajugo What conclusions can you draw, or what can you infer?

In Spanish words, the u is always pronounced like the oo in food.

Practice saying the following words. unidos tiles

Keep in mind that in Spanish there is no distinction between the vowels name and the sound it makes.

In English we may say that a long vowel says its name. Latino children may be confused by this concept.

Spanish Alphabeta hubiovcjpwchkqxdlryellrrz fms . gnt .

The Spanish alphabet has four letters that the English alphabet does not have.Those letters are:

ch(pronounced like the beginning of check)ll (pronounced like the letter y)(pronounced like ny)rr(pronounced with a trill rolling the r)

Now well look at several letters of the Spanish alphabet (in order) so that you can become familiar with nuances. Some of the patterns will be similar to what you would expect from English.

For example: c before a, o, and u makes the hard (k) sound; c before e or i makes the s sound (like celery or city).

cbefore a, o, or u has a hard (k) sound (like cat, coat, and cut)

cbefore e or ohas the s sound (like cent or city)

To make the hard (k) sound before e or i, the spelling is quequiIn Spanish the word que often means what.

Qu color prefieres?Qu te pasa?

The syllable qui appears in the word meaning hereaqu. Aqu est la mesa.The syllable qui also appears in the word meaning whoquien. Quin es tu amigo?

gbefore a, o, or u has a hard sound (like game, goat, or gum)

gbefore e or i is pronounced like an h

To make the hard g sound before e or i, the spelling is gueguiIn Spanish the syllable gue appears in the word guerra.

The name Guillermo is an example including the syllable gui.

In order to pronounce the syllable gwe, the spelling has to be ge (for example, vergenza).

The syllable gi is pronounced gwee.

The letter h in Spanish is always silent.

The letter j in Spanish is pronounced like an h. For example: Jos, Juan, jefe, jirafa

The letter ll in Spanish is pronounced like a y.

For example: llamar (means to call)Cmo te llamas? means What is your name? (Literal meaning is How do you call yourself?)Other words with ll include:amarillo (yellow)cuchillo (knife)calle (street)

Practice pronouncing each word.

The in Spanish is a separate letter of the alphabet. It is pronounced like ny.

For example:nio (child or boy)Nuezpequeo (small).

The q in Spanish appears only before u (not before a, e, i, or o).

An r at the beginning of a word is rolled.

The rr is a separate letter of the alphabet. It is rolled. For example, ferrocarril means train.Accent RulesHow do you know where to place the emphasison which syllable to place the accentwhen pronouncing words in Spanish?The rules are relatively simple (with no exceptions).If a word ends in a vowel, n, or s, the accent is on the next-to-the-last syllable.

Practice pronouncing several words that end with a vowel, n, or s. Remember to place the emphasis on the next-to-the-last syllable.

casahojasrojoblancosonidosgatosaguapueblo

If a word ends in a consonant other than n or s, the accent is on the last syllable.Practice pronouncing several words that end with a consonant other than n or s. Remember to place the emphasis on the last syllable.paredciudad estarcomer

If a word does not follow these two rules, the accent mark must be written.For example:lpiznacinguila albndigas

Practice pronouncing each of these words. Notice why each word has a written accent mark.(Where would the accent be if the accent mark did not appear?)PluralsPlurals in Spanish are similar to plurals in English.

If a word ends in a vowel,the plural is formed by adding s.

If a word ends in a consonant, the plural is formed by adding es.PluralsPractice making each of these Spanish nouns plural.casagatopjarooso

PluralsPractice making each of these Spanish nouns plural (remember to add es).ciudadpared funcin (Note: when you make funcin plural, it will no longer need the written accent markfunciones.)

ArticlesIn English we have only one definite articlethe. In Spanish there are four: el, la, los, and las (masculine and feminine, singular and plural).

ArticlesIn English we have two indefinite articlesa and an. In Spanish to avoid putting two vowels together (a similar construction to our using an), the masculine singular article is used (even though the word is feminine). For example: to avoid saying la agua, Latinos say el agua. To avoid saying la guila, they say el guila. This practice can help in explaining our use of an before a noun beginning with a vowel.)Nuances or Challenges to Keep in Mind1. What children do: Confuse Soundsb and vChildren have difficulty distinguishing between these two sounds. Why: In Spanish both b and v are pronounced the same. What to do: Children will need to look at your mouth as you emphasize the difference. They may benefit from looking in a mirror while they make the sounds.

b and vGuide children to put their lips together when pronouncing the b. Show children how to put their upper teeth on their lower lip to pronounce the v. These sounds are especially important for the months.

b and vIn Spanish many of the months are similar to the months in English; however, the pronunciation of the b and v will be challenging for some students. You may use songs, raps, or rhymesto practice.

January eneroFebruary febreroMarch marzoApril abrilMay mayoJune junioJuly julioAugust agostoSeptember septiembreOctober octubreNovember noviembreDecember - diciembreFor example, you can sing (in English and then in Spanishto the tune of Are You Sleeping?)

Children repeat each phrase after you:Today is Wednesday. (children repeat)February 8th, (children repeat)Two thousand twelve, (children repeat) Is the date. (children repeat)For example, you can sing (in English and then in Spanishto the tune of Are You Sleeping?)

Children repeat each phrase after you:Hoy es mircoles. (children repeat)El ocho de febrero, (children repeat)Dos mil doce, (children repeat)Es la fecha. (children repeat)Nuances or Challenges to Keep in MindWhat children do: Confuse Soundsb and pOne of my students confused bush/push, bet/pet, bull/pull, etc.What to do: To practice this distinction, hold a small strip of paper vertically in front of your mouth. When you are pronouncing a word beginning with p, air will make the paper move. b and pA child can hold the paper when saying the word. If the paper moves, p is needed. If the paper does not move, the consonant is a b.

(I had thought the student was flipping the letterthe way students do with magnetic letters. However, the issue was not the appearance of the letters themselves but distinguishing between the two sounds.)Nuances or Challenges to Keep in MindWhat children do: Confuse Soundsd and thWhy: In Spanish the d and th are almost interchangeable. What to do: You may need to overemphasize the pronunciation of each of these sounds. d and th When you show a child a particular word, such as think, suggest that the child take a picture of the word in his mind. Encourage children to remember what the word looks like in books they read.

d and th

Guide children to look at you while you pronounce a word beginning with d. A child may benefit from using a mirror to check the position of his mouth, lips, and tongue when producing the sound.

Guide the student to place his tongue between his upper and lower front teeth when making the th sound (as in think).

Nuances or Challenges to Keep in MindWhat children do: Confuse Soundsdr and jrWhen children are writing, they may begin dr words (such as drink, draw, dragon) with jr. Why: The production and sounds are quite similar. What to do: Guide children to watch your face when you pronounce dr words. (Emphasize the initial d.) dr and jrChildren enjoy word sorts. You can prepare games that include words beginning with br, dr, pr, and tr so that children can make the distinction visually and auditorially.(For example: break, brick, brown, and brush; drink, drop, dress, and dragon; pretty, project, print, and prance; trash, tree, trip, trout, and truck.)

Nuances or Challenges to Keep in Mind2.PronounsThere is no subjective pronoun equivalent for it in Spanish.To say, It is raining, is simply llueve or est lloviendo. There is no pronoun at the beginning of the sentence.

We may say, It was fun. It was a warm day. It was raining. It was difficult.

The Spanish equivalent would begin with the verb. Children need to be taught explicitly appropriate use of the subjective pronoun it.

When transferred, first-language metalinguistic insightsmorphological awareness, in particularserves as a filter through which second-language print input is analyzed and categorized . . .

Koda, Keiko. Impacts of prior literacy experience on second-language learning to read, Learning to read across languages, 2008.

Onset and Rime in Englishcapflapmapnaprapsapsnaptap

backblackpackracksackstacktacktrack

batcatfathatmatpatratsatIn English we place importance on word families. Children can decode many words when they are aware of onset and rime.71Slabas en espaolcadafamaparasataza

codolomonoposotovo

cedemeneperesetevecidifilinirisitivicudufugulunupurusutuAwareness of vowel sounds and open syllables makes it possible for Spanish-speaking children to form many common words easily (as youll see on the following slides).72Common Words in SpanishPalabras comunes en espaolcadacaracasadamafamamapamasaparapasasacatazavaca

mesatechotemacitadimefinolibroLimarisatiravida

comocopacosagomalocanotapocoposorosasopatocatomaResourcesFu, Danling (2009). Writing between languages: How English language learners make the transition to fluency. Heinemann, Portsmouth: NH. Gonzlez, N, Moll, L.C., & Amanti, C. (Eds.). (2005). Funds of knowledge: Theorizing practices in households, communities, and classrooms. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.Koda, Keiko. Impacts of prior literacy experience on second-language learning to read, Learning to read across languages, 2008.Perfetti, C. (2003). The universal grammar of reading. Scientific Studies of Reading, 7 (1), 3-24.Prater, Kathryn (2009) Reading comprehension and English language learners. In S.E. Israel and G.G. Duffy (Eds.), Handbook of research on reading comprehension (pp. 607-621). New York : Routledge. Reyes, M. and Halcn, J. (eds.) (2001). The best for our children: Critical perspectives on literacy for Latino students. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.Valenzuela, A. (1999). Subtractive schooling: U.S.-Mexican youth and the politics of caring. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.