Zurich is Teaching Multilingual Children-Evidence-Based Teaching

7/29/2019 Zurich is Teaching Multilingual Children-Evidence-Based Teaching

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If a doctor, lawyer, or dentist had 40 people in hisoffice at one time, all of whom had differentneeds, and some of whom didn't want to be there

and were causing trouble, and the doctor, lawyer,or dentist, without assistance, had to treat themall with professional excellence for nine months,then he might have some conception of the

classroom teachers job.Donald Quinn


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Teaching multilingual students:Methods and activities based on evidence

From the Classroom to the Lab and Back:

Visible Learning +Mind, Brain, and EducationMeet Multilingualism

Tracey Tokuhama-Espinosa, Ph.D.Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador

Zurich International School

September 2013


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BackgroundBA and BS from Boston University in International Relations

and Mass Communication (magna cum laude). Mastersfrom Harvard University in International Education and

Development and doctorate (Ph.D.) from Capella University

(cross-disciplinary approach comparing findings in

neuroscience, psychology, pedagogy, cultural anthropology

and linguistics).

Director of the Institute for Research and Educational

Development, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador.

Author ofRaising Multilingual Children (2001), TheMultilingual Mind(2003), and Living Languages (2008). Newbook on neuroscience and language 2014.

Teacher (pre-kindergarten through university) with 24 years

of comparative research based on family case studies

(Japan, Ecuador, USA, Canada, France, Switzerland,

Germany) and work in 24 different countries.

Three children (raised in English, Spanish, German and

French).


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Today:

1. Part I: Framework: Backward Designand context

2. Part II: From the classroom to the lab

and back: Visible Learning (Hattie, 2009, 2012, 2013)

+

Mind, Brain, and Education science

Part III: The Teacher

Teaching: Evidence-based activities

School design


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Premise: Do no harm

1. The first rule in

education is to Do noharm

2. The greatest goal in

education:

Form critical thinkers Form life-long learners


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Video:A Hole in the Wall

What is the role of schools in todaysworld?

1. Ian Jukes: Why Do I Need a TeacherWhen Ive got Google

2. Can the brain notlearn? How does it learn best?

Under what conditions does it learn best? What levels of learning require a teacher

to be successful?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_CkyPbigFU&feature=youtu.be


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Do you need teachers if you have

access to a computer with Internet?

1. Objective: If your

objective is contentknowledge, no.

2. Objective: If you

desire is to form

critical thinkers, yes.


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Rip van Winkle


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Transportation


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Banks


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Government


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Supermarkets


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Schools.


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Education has to catch up with other

aspects of society! But how?

Baby steps Bold measures

Teacher Education and 21st Century Skills http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0eGHAuV5yLo


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FRAMEWORK


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Think of your favorite teacher


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Characteristics of a good teacher

In groups: Put the characteristic in order of importance:

Caring

Knowledgeable

Experienced

Intelligent

Planner

Organized

Just

Happy

Dedicated

Balanced

Good values

Creative

Professional

Concerned

Reflective

Respectful

Active

Sure

Didactic

Dynamic


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There are lots of ways to be a

great teacher! There is nosingle recipe, but there are

learnable traits in teaching.


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Three steps to ensuring understanding

(backward design)

Adopted from Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe (1998), Understanding by Design.


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PART I: VISIBLE LEARNING

(HATTIE, 2009; 2012)


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Visible Learning (Hattie, 2009;

2012) is a meta analysis of 900+meta-analyses on what influences

student learning outcomes.


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Source: Based

on John Hattie(2009; 2012)


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Source: Based



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Source: Based



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Almost Everything Works:

Of 150 influences, 145 have apositive influence on student

learning

While goodactivities abound,however, greatactivities arefar and few between.


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General guide (50 Best Classroom

Practices:

1. Plan Activities Grab Attention

2. Plan Activities That Stimulate Memory

3. Plan to Use Spaced Versus Massed Learning Moments

4. Plan to Incorporate Repetition

5. Take Advantage of Variation and Transdisciplinarity

6. Plan Authentic Lessons

7. Implement Formative Evaluation

8. Use Product, Process, and Progress Evaluations

9. Test to Improve Learning

10. Develop Shared, Explicit Learning Objectives


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General guide:

11. Strive for Clarity and Immediacy12. Provide Feedback for Mastery Learning

13. Nurture Teacher-Student Relationships

14. Believe in the Role of Plasticity and in Your Students

15. Foster Metacognition and Mindfulness16. Employ Zemelman and Colleagues Best Practice Filter

When Selecting Activities

17. Develop Students Ability to Identify Similarities andDifferences

18. Develop Students Summarizing and Note Taking Ability

19. Reinforce Effort and Provide Recognition

20. Provide Purposeful Homework and Practice


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General guide:

21. Prepare Students to Set Personal Objectives and GiveThemselves Feedback

22. Teach Students to Generate and Test Hypotheses

23. Use Cues

24. Use the Socratic Method

25. Cultivate the Art of Questioning

26. Incorporate Problem-Based Learning

27. Incorporate Cooperative Learning

28. Incorporate Reciprocal Teaching

29. Incorporate Case Studies

30. Harness the Power of Analogies


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General guide:

31. Implement the 5Es: Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate,Evaluate

32. Improve Student Self-Efficacy

33. Maintain High Expectations

34. See Learning as Fluid

35. Appreciate the Role of Affect in Learning

36. Take the Lead in Social Contagion

37. Award Perseverance and Celebrate Error

38. Motivate

39. Never Work Harder Than Your Students

40. Be Passionate!


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General guide:

41. Design Engaging Classrooms42. Manage

43. Use Thinking Routines

44. Keep Abreast of Technology and Flip the Classroom

45. Pay Attention to Ages and Stages

46. Improve Nutrition

47. Get Students Out of Rows

48. Begin Year-Round Schooling

49. Change The School Day

50. Stop Using Multiple-choice Tests as Indicators of Higher

Thinking


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Mind, Brain, and

Education scientist: In some instances this label will

mean teachers who areintegrating cognitive

neuroscience and psychologicalfoundations into their practice.

In other cases it will mean

psychologists who seek tobridge the hard and soft

sciences. In yet others it will mean

neuroscientists who dare tobring laboratory findings into

the classroom.


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Mind, Brain, and Education(MBE) Science is the new and

improved brain-basedlearning. It is the scientifically

substantiated art of teaching.It is the intersection of

neuroscience, education, and

psychology. And it is a

paradigm shift in formal

education

Tokuhama-Espinosa, T. (2010a, p.22).


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Why change from Education

to Mind, Brain, and Education?

Begin with the premise that solutions to problems in

education today require the more sophisticated and

complex approach offered by MBE science.


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Findings: Comparison with existing

literature.(bad info)

A large percentage of what teachers are exposed to in

literature and on the Internet was based on neuromyths

rather than well-established sources.

Ex.: Teachers were told to sit in a circle and pass arounda candle before class in order to getboys to focusneeded because of their primitive instincts; boys arent

meant to sit in our typical classrooms (Costa Ricanteachers conference).


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Delphi Participants

Daniel Ansari

Michael Atherton

Jane Bernstein

Sarah Jayne Blakemore Renate Nummela-Caine

Donna Coch

David Daniel

Stanislas Dehaene

Marian Diamond

Kurt Fischer

John Geake

Usha Goswami

Christina Hinton

Mary Helen

Immordino-Yang Eric Jensen

Jelle Jolles

Michael Posner

Marc Schwartz

Rita Smilkstein

David Sousa

Judy Willis

Virginia Berninger

John T. Bruer

Howard GardnerPaul Howard-Jones

Hideaki Koizumi

Neuroscientists

Psychologists

Educators


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Topics Researched in Mind, Brain,

and Science Education1. Neuroimaging

2. Neurotransmitters and Chemicals

3. Neurogenesis and Plasticity4. Theories of Consciousness

5. Beliefs about Intelligence

6. New Learning Theories

7. Neuroethics

8. Learning Differences9. Mind-Body Connection

a. Sleep

b. Physical Exercise

c. Nutrition


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Major Brain Functions in the Research1. Art

2. Creativity

3. Language

4. Reading

5. Math

6. Music

7. Science

1. Affect and Empathy

2. Emotions

3. Motivation4. Attention

5. Executive Functions and/orDecision-Making

6. Facial Recognition and

Interpretation7. Memory

8. Social Cognition

9. Spatial Management

10.Time Management

School Subjects Life Skills


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Eleven Areas Discussed by the Experts

1. Name of the emerging field;

2. Academic roots;

3. Definition of terms;

4. The overarching research, practice and policy goals of the emerging field;

5. History;

6. Thought leaders;

7. Steps to judging quality information;

8. Organizations and societies qualified to judge the information;

9. BELIEFS AND NEUROMYTHS (todays focus);

10. Enhanced communication between professionals in the parent disciplines;

11. Design of a new Masters program to meet the needs of new professionals in

the emerging field.

For complete dissertation, email [email protected]


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Categorization criteria

In Understanding thebrain: The birth of a

learning science, (OECD,2002)* the authors

propose a continuum of

four categories of

information quality.

*OECD= 30 countries (Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France,

Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Luxemburg, Mexico, the

Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey,

United Kingdom, United States.


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Criteria used to categorize concepts

Categories:

A. What is well-established (i.e.plasticity, which now hashundreds of credible human studies behind it);

B. What is probably so (i.e., sensitive periods, which has

hundreds of studies behind it, though not all conducted onhumans);

C. What is intelligent speculation (i.e., gender differences, whichhas thousands of studies behind it, albeit of mixed quality and

sometimes with contradictory findings); and

D. What is popular misconception or a neuromyth (i.e., "rightbrain" and "left brain" discussion, which has been the targetof thousands of books and articles, some of which promote

the term, but most of which criticize the lack of factual

accuracy of the claim).


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Principles That Great Teachers Teach By:

1. Great teachers know that each brain is unique and uniquely organized.2. Great teachers know that all brains are not equally good at

everything.

3. Great teachers know that the brain is a complex, dynamic system and

is changed daily by experiences.

4. Great teachers know that learning is a constructivist process, and the

ability to learn continues through developmental stages as an

individual matures.

5. Great teachers know that the search for meaning is innate in human

nature.

6. Great teachers know that brains have a high degree of plasticity and

develop throughout the lifespan.

7. Great teachers know that MBE Science principles apply to all ages.


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8. Great teachers know that learning is based in part on the brainsability to self-correct and learn from past experience.

9. Great teachers know that the search for meaning occurs through

pattern recognition.

10. Great teachers know that brains seek novelty.

11. Great teachers know that emotions are critical to detecting patterns,

to decision-making, and to learning.

12. Great teachers know that learning is enhanced by challenge and

inhibited by threat.

13. Great teachers know that human learning involves various attentional

networks.

14. Great teachers know that the brain conceptually processes parts and

wholes simultaneously.

15. Great teachers know that the brain depends on interactions with

other people to make sense of social situations.


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16. Great teachers know that feedback is important to learning.

17. Great teachers know that learning relies on memory and

attention.

18. Great teachers know that memory systems differ in input and

recall and are vital to learning.

19. Great teachers know that the brain remembers best when facts

and skills are embedded in natural contexts.

20. Great teachers know that learning involves conscious and

unconscious processes.

21. Great teachers know that learning engages the entire physiology

(the body influences the brain, and the brain controls the body).


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Tenets in MBE

1. Motivation

2. Stress

3. Anxiety

4. Depression

5. Tones of voice6. Facial expressions

7. Movement and exercise

8. Humor (laughter)

9. Nutrition

10. Sleep

11. Cognitive preferences

12. Differentiation


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Instructional Guidelines

1. Good learning environments are made, not found.2. Good lessons take into account both sense (logical order) and

meaning (personal relevance).

3. Teaching to different memory systems enhances recall.

4. Well-managed classes take advantage of natural human attentionspans.

5. Good classroom activities take advantage of the social nature oflearning.

6. Good teachers understand the mind-body connection (sleep,nutrition, exercise).

7. Good teachers understand how to manage different students

(orchestrated immersion).8. Skills are retained better when learned through active processes.

9. Explicit teaching of metacognitive skills aids higher-order thinkingacross subjects.

10. Learning can and does take place throughout the lifespan.


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PART III: TEACHING: EVIDENCE-

BASED ACTIVITIES


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B Cl P i


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Best Classroom Practice:

Improve Student Self-Efficacy

If a student thinks she can learn, she will.

According to Hatties research (2009), a students self-

reported grades are the greatest indicator of improved

learning. In many ways, this is a self-fulfilling prophecy: If I

think I can learn, I will; if I believe I am incapable of learning, I

will fail.

As Hattie points out, a childs willingness to invest in learning,

openness to experiences, and the general reputation she canbuild as a learner are key s to success (2009), and this self-

efficacy is prejudiced by the way the teacher makes the child

feel.


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How can we promote this virtuous cycle in the classroom?

One way is to create a climate in which students believe that

its okay to make errors (I can always try again; I am not my

failures but rather my successes).

B t Cl P ti


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Maintain High Expectations

Learners respond to expectations. When teachers and

parents let kids know they expect a lot from them, the

kids react positively.

Examples: Proctor (1984); Rosenthal and Jacobson in1968, the Pygmalion effect the students performed to

the level of their teachers expectations, high or low

(Good, 1987; Good & Brophy, 1997; Rubie-Davies, 2010).


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Many teachers dont even realize how they are

communicating low expectations to their students. For

instance, a noteworthy finding of Hatties work is that failing a

grade is a strong indicator for future failure, primarily because

the student loses faith in her own ability to learn because her

teachersthose in the knowhave deemed her unable to

learn. On the other hand, the joy of learning is a great

motivator, and people who love learning have often had at

least one teacher in their lives who has given them confidence

in their ability to learn and pushed them to achieve more thanthey believed they were capable of


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Teachers often unconsciously have different expectations for

different students (related to race, gender, socio-economic

status and even physical attractiveness [see Clifford & Walster,

1973]), contributing to the self-fulfilling prophecy of failure for

many (Graham, 1991), or unintentional raising of IQs with

exceptional ability (Rosenthal & Jacobson, 1968).

B t Cl P ti


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See Learning As Fluid

It is actually impossible for the brain not to learn.

Intelligence is fluid, not fixed.

Teachers who believe that their students are locked into a

level of intelligence that is fixed are less effective than

teachers how believe that intelligence in fluid and ever-changing (Geake, 2011).

Teachers with the right mentality know that all students can

learn, as it is the brains natural state.


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Expert teachers do not label their students.

Remember: When something is repeated over and over, it

becomes true in the mind (Schacter, 1997).

In expert teacher classrooms, there are no smart kids or

dumb kids, no free lunch kids or special needs kids.Calling someone learning disabled, ADD, or dyslexic isnt

helpful, and only places impediments in the path of learning.



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Appreciate the Role of Affect in

Learning

There is no decision without emotion, and there is no

learning without decision-making; therefore, there is no

learning without emotion.

According to the editors ofThe Nature of Learning, emotionsare the primary gatekeepers to learning (Dumont, Istance, &

Benavides, 2010, p.4),


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How well do we recognize our own emotions and those of

others? How well to we manage the emotional states of

others and ourselves?

Emotional abilities and social functioning are closely related

(Brackett, Rivers, Shiffman, Lerner, & Salovey, 2006). Being able to manage ones own feelings and clearly

understand their origins is important in decision-making,

which is a decision in and of itself.


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A quote attributed to Aristotle (384322 B.C.) in tica aNicmaco captures how difficult it is to control and directemotions: Anyone can get angry, that is simple. But to get

angry with the right person in the right degree and the right

moment, with just reason and delivered in the right way, that,

most certainly, is not easy.


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Establishment of relevant emotional connections to what is

being learned is key to remembering that information.

Teachers should be more conscious of actively managing the

social and emotional climate of the classroom



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Take the Lead in Social Contagion

Teachers communicate to their students verbally and

nonverbally, but they are often conscious only of the message

sent and not the message received.

The complex mirror neuron system in the brain appears to be

triggered when the brain perceives, then acts on, an

understanding of the Other (Pineda, 2008).



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Award Perseverance and Celebrate

Error

Challenge, ok, threat, no.

Every problem is an opportunity.

People who have a great degree of openness to experienceslearn faster than those who dont.

Dare to err


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Why does openness flourish in some settings and not inothers? Because being open to new ideas requires a mind

frame that takes fear out of the equation.

Students who fear they will be ridiculed for their ideas will not

speak. The concept of brain plasticity (MBE principles 3 and 6) tells us

that the brain adapts to what it does most: If the brain is in

contact primarily with tolerance of error and openness, it

remains open. However, if it has been punished for being

openas in being told, Dont be ridiculous! or Why wouldyou every think that?then it learns to retreat from suchnegative confrontation and learning is stunted.



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Motivate

Dan Willingham, author ofWhy Dont Students Like School?(2010), looks at students lack of motivation from a cognitive

scientists angle and makes the case that the way school is

structured, and the way teachers teach, is not compatible with

how the brain wants to learn.

The Goldilocks's Rule: No one likes to do things that are too

easy or too hard; we seek learning experiences that are just

slightly beyond our reach.


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Motivation is a tenet of MBE because it influences all learners,but no one in exactly the same way. People spend time and

energy doing things they think are important. When students

think something is worth learning, they invest time in the

process, and the more time they spend, the more likely they

are to actually learn the new competency.


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Anderman, Andrzejewski, and Allen (2011) tried to determinehow teachers can increase student motivation and learning in

their classrooms and suggested a model that consists of

three core themes: supporting understanding, building and

maintaining rapport, and managing the classroom (p. 969).


N W k H d h Y


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Never Work Harder than Your

Students

The Law of Minimal Effort: Human beings usually choose to

do the minimum to get by (Kingsley, 1949).

The person who does the work is the person who does the

learning.


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It takes energy to learn, and students parcel it out sparsely inorder to survive. An observer might say that these students

arent motivated, but they are actually conserving their energy

and lying in wait for something that deserves their attention.

Thus, instead of being discouraged, teachers should takecontrol of the situation and spiral up the energy.



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Be Passionate!

The teaching profession cant afford apathy or fear. However,

passion is not a tangible or easily structured concept, which is

why it has evaded the core curricula in teacher colleges:

Resorting to obedience to teach passion just isnt going to

work, (Godin, 2012 , p. 48).


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The passion with which a teacher approaches the profession ismore important than all other factors combined; passionate

people are the reason teaching works (Hattie, 2009).

Without passion, there is no motivation, and without

motivation (positive or negative, intrinsic or extrinsic), there isno learning.

People who love what they are doing are contagious and

inspirational.


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Great teachers are passionate and instinctually so; others cantry to cultivate a passion for their work, but not all do so

successfully.

Best ClassroomPractice:


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Design Engaging Classrooms

As classes let out in todays schools, students are often heard

ruminating about the value of what they just supposedly

learned: When will I ever use thatin real life? Whenstudents dont see how the new knowledge or skill will benefit

them in the real world, they wont spend time on it and they

are more likely to create distractions (Nelson, Lynn & Glenn,

1999).

5E E l


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5Es Example


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Your brain pays attention to different things at different timesfor different reasons. Your brain is drawn to elements that

help sustain your focus. When the situation is not engaging,

sustained focus is dropped.

The difference between whats happening in class with whatsimportant in real life is sometimes a formula for boredom.

Authentic learning is connected to engagement.


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In The Highly Engaged Classroom (2010), Marzano andPickering recommend a thoughtfully planned classroom with

space to adjust for individual needs through tactics like

initiating friendly controversy, presenting unusual

information, connecting to students lives and ambitions,

and using effective pacing to precisely stimulate memory

and attention mechanisms.



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Manage

Great teachers know that, even if you have oodles of content

knowledge and a firm handle on teaching methodologies, you

wont succeed if you have poor class management skills.

Effective classroom management often entails stifling negative

disturbances.According to Hattie (2009), a teachers ability toperceive and take action on potential problems has a

significant impact on learning. A single student can have a

detrimental effect on the entire groups learning, so being able

to contain negative behavior is a must.


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Class size has less of an impact on student learning thaneffective management of behavior (Hattie, 2009).

What do expert teachers do to manage large classes? They

apply the oldest war tactic in history: Divide and conquer. One

way to divide is to move the furniture in your classroom

around until youve structured seating for smaller groups,

which are easier to handle.


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When we can see one anothers faces, were more likely torespond to someone elses comments (Winston, Strange,

ODoherty, & Dolan, 2005).

While lecture-style formats, with students in rows, are good at

directing attention to the professor, circles or divisions in

which people can see one another are helpful in stimulating

student exchange and social engagement. When this energy is

well focused, extended student learning occurs.


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Good classroom management doesnt result in silence; itresults in learning.

There are a variety of classroom management problems that

can be handled by changing the types of activities that

normally constitute course design. These activities usually

focus on harnessing the energies of small groups of students

to meet collaborative learning goals and include peer

teaching, peer correction of homework, small-group

discussion, collaborative writing of a script, debate, group

mind maps, shared responses to essential questions, researchprojects (in jigsaw fashion), and one-minute paper

discussions.



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Use Thinking Routines (Ritchhart, Church andMorrison (2011)

See-Think-Wonder: This activity emphasizes the idea that

observation is fundamental to thinking and interpreting. The

ability of a student to pay attention to detail and the subtleties

of a visual image allow her to posit why the author of thepiece chose to interpret his image in the way he did. In

studying literature, students are often asked to identify salient

messages, and the same goes for visual imagery as well: What

are the really important details in this drawing (photo,

painting, advertisement)? (See Ritchhart et al., 2011, pp. 5563.)

n=21: Examples


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Zoom In. This activity is a variation of See-Think-Wonder butchallenges kids to consider only parts of an image. Students

are given a small portion of an image and asked to relate their

thoughts on it. What do the textures and colors mean? What

about the location and order of elements? Students are then

given a slightly larger image to use in the interpretation and

asked to make growing inferences about the purpose of the

image. This continues until the entire image is visible.

Students are then asked to think about how they developed

their understanding of the picture, determine which elements

are more important than others, and imagine the authors

process of devising the image. (See Ritchhart et al., 2011, pp.

6470.)


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Chalk-Talk. In this activity, the teacher places a controversialidea (e.g., Should uniforms be mandated? When is revenge

justified? Is loyalty more important than respect for the

law?) on a piece of butcher paper in the middle of a table

shared by a small group of students and then asks them to

write their reactions to the question. The students are then

asked to read the reactions of other students are invited to

react to those responses in writing. This activity provides

sufficient thinking time and allows all students to participate

in democratic fashion, without the controversy that oral

debate sometimes invites and allows them to refine their own

beliefs by reviewing others ideas on the same topic. (See

Ritchhart et al., 2011, pp. 7885.)

Compass Points This activity solicits the groups ideas and reactions


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Compass Points.This activitysolicits the group s ideas and reactions

to a proposal, plan, or possible decision. The north, south, east, and

west directions on a compass serve as a mnemonic for remembering

steps to take when making a decision: E = excitements; W = worries; N= needs; and S = stance, steps, or suggestions. The idea is that

students view the same decision from a variety of decision-making

angles before embarking on them. Some people see change as

exciting, while others find it worrisome. This activity forces students

to develop the habit of mind of evaluating circumstances in a more

balanced manner. The teacher labels four pieces of butcher paper

with each of the compass points, places them in different corners of

the room, and asks students to contribute to each page. The group

then reviews each compass point and considers everyones comments

in depth. Finally, a group consensus is sought and suggestions for

moving forward are developed. Different types of groups can do thisexercise (e.g., parents and students or teachers and administrators),

and their answers can be compared. (See Ritchhart et al., 2011, pp.

93100.)


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TEACHER INFLUENCES INMULTILINGUAL CLASSROOMS

Th F d S d


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The Facts and Studies

Cenoz and Lindsay (1994) in

their study, "Teaching English inPrimary School: A Project To

Introduce a Third Language to

Eight Year Oldshighlight the

important role of the teacher.

Cenoz, J. and D. Lindsay (1994). Teaching English in Primary School: A Project To Introduce a third language to eight year

olds." Language and Education 8(4): 201-210.

h d


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What motivates students?

1. Teacher enthusiasm2. Relevance of the subject

3. Organization of course4. Appropriate difficulty level5. Active participation by student6. Variety of activities and

methodology

7. Personal link between teacherand student8. Use of appropriate, concrete and

clear examples.

According to Sass (1989), the eight most influential factors thatmotivate students and that are controlled by the teacher are:

Sass, E. J. (1989). Motivation in the college classroom: What students tell us. Teaching of Psychology,

16(2), 86-88.


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What is needed in a teacher

What is essentially needed then is a teacher who

understands, appreciates, and respects the cultural

background of the child;

who knows the phonic and grammatical differences

between the childs native language and that of the second

language being taught so that he can help the child with his

linguistic needs;

and who is knowledgeable concerning the various reading

approaches so that he will be able to select and utilize thosethat best meet the particular needs of the bilingual child.

(Paraphrasing Doris Ching 1976).


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Teacher Preparedness High EFL teacher qualifications mean

Being versed in appropriate teaching methods

Understanding of students native language structure (orbeing able to speak it)

Owning a good toolbox of motivational skills

Appropriate use of evaluation and feedback mechanisms

Respect for other cultures Knowledge of students home languages

Student-centered learning practices


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Aspects of a good teacher training

program: Train teachers in language instruction;

Have regular meetings for discussing instructional issues

and exchanging ideas; Develop an activity-based and thematic syllabus;

Program coordinators observe classrooms several times a

year;

Apply a formative evaluation


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Teaching practices-Whatnotto do

Do most of the talking in classrooms (poor language teachersmake about twice as many utterances as do students).Students produce language only when they are workingdirectly with a teacher, and then only in response to teacher

initiations. In over half of the interactions that teachers have with

students, students do not produce any language as they areonly listening or responding with non-verbal gestures oractions.

When students do respond, typically they provide only simpleinformation recall statements. Rather than being providedwith the opportunity to generate original statements, studentsare asked to provide simple discrete close-ended or patterned(i.e., expected) responses.


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Teaching practices-Whatto do

Teacher should make classes student-centered and try NOT speak

most of the time, nor initiate the majority of the exchanges by asking

display questions, but rather seek out student-initiated requests.

As students prefer to verbally request help only in small group or one-to-one interactions with the teacher, teachers should call on students

individually and approach them personally to offer support.

Teachers should not only modify their own speech in response to

students' requests (verbal or non-verbal), they should also request

modifications of the students' speech.

Sustained negotiation - in which teachers and students verbally

resolve incomplete or inaccurate messages should occur frequently.

Cl i M h d f


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Classroom strategies: Methods for

better language learning Cooperative learning and other grouping strategies (allow

for native language use)

Task-based or experiential learning Whole language strategies

Push for vocabulary development (grammar follows

natural samples)

Use of graphic organizers/portfolios to track development.

Teacher qualifications


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Teacher qualifications

Typically, teachers who have more graduate education andmore specialized training for working with language minority

children are more successful.

Teachers with greater knowledge of the home language(s) of

their students are more successful.

Knowledge of evaluation methods that ensure instructurally

embedded assessment.


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Curriculum designsand school choices

Program design should include:


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Ongoing assessment using multiple measure.

Integrated schooling (all language learners together)

High expectations by teachers

Equal status of languages

Healthy parent involvement

Continuous staff development

second language taught through academic content

Critical thinking across language program

Activation of students' prior knowledge

Respect for students' home language and culture

Cooperative learning

Interactive and discovery learning

Intense and meaningful cognitive/academic development

(Collier & Thomas, 2003).


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What does a good multilingual

school look like?


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Guidelines for Assessing Bilingual

and Trilingual Children

Bilingualism is a complex concept and includes individuals with a

broad range of speaking, reading, writing, and comprehendingabilities in each language. Furthermore, these abilities are

constantly in flux.

Assessment must be developmentally and culturally appropriate.

The child's bilingual linguistic background must be taken into

consideration in any authentic assessment of oral languageproficiency.


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and Trilingual Children

The goal must be to assess the child's language or languages

without standardizing performance, allowing children todemonstrate what they can do in their own unique ways.

Assessment must be accompanied by a strong professional

development component that focuses on the use of narrative

reporting, observations of language development, and sampling

the child's language abilities.


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and Trilingual Children A fully contextual account of the child's language skills requires the

involvement of parents and family members, the students

themselves, teachers, and staff in providing a detailed picture of the

context of language learning and the resources that are available to

the child (Nissani, 1990). What is called for is a description of the

child's language environment, of the extent to which significant

others-adults or children-provide language assistance by modeling,

expanding, restating, repeating, questioning, prompting, negotiating

meaning, cueing, pausing, praising, and providing visual and other

supports. Assessment of the child needs to take into account the

entire context in which the child is learning and developing.

I li i


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Implications

The Individual and his family (strategies and attitudes) Frequency: Opportunities to use English

Interest and Motivation

Parental encouragement

Pride in home language Use of home language

Teaching of home language

The Institution (curriculum structure and teacher training)

School structure

Teacher preparedness Knowledge of students home languages

Student-Centered Learning


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Bilingual and

multilingual curriculumdesign

Seven observations of good


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Seven observations of good

multilingual programs*

1. First, successful multilingual programs start foreign

language instruction early, normally in elementary

school.

2. Second, successful multilingual programs teach throughcoherent, well-articulated frameworks, which are careful

to scaffold their learning in a developmental style.

3. Third, the successful multilingual schools typically enjoy

strong leadership, and have enthusiastic backing fromkey stakeholders.

*Elizabeth Clayton, Center for Applied Linguistics, 1997

4 Fourth successful multilingual programs teach


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4. Fourth, successful multilingual programs teachlanguages as core subjects, (unlike the Americantendency to make foreign languages electives).

5. Fifth, successful multilingual school teachers receiverigorous preparation and are trained how to managestudents from different language backgrounds. Theyalso make language a priority, giving it equal status with

prestigious courses like Math, Physics and CoreLanguage.

6. Sixth, good multilingual programs creatively use

technology in the classroom to increase interaction

with native language speakers.

7. Seventh, successful multilingual schools offered

support for heritage language, or the childs mother

tongue

Ten additional characteristics of


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Ten additional characteristics of

successful multilingual schools*

1. Successful multilingual schools ensure that languagebasics, including phonemic awareness, phonic fluency,age appropriate vocabulary, text comprehension and

grammar are taught explicitly.2. They emphasize good oral skills and encourage active,

authentic language use by students.

3. Successful multilingual schools integrate the students

family in a positive way.

Tracey Tokuhama-Espinosa, 2007

4 The se a ariet of assessment tools and consider the


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4. They use a variety of assessment tools and consider theproduct, the process and the progress of the student.

5. Some of the most successful schools use thematic syllabiand work within dual-immersion structures in which allstudents take pride in their home language while learninga second or third.

6. The most successful schools conduct linguistic and ethnicaudits and know their clients (students) well. Whenpossible, they hire staff that speak the home languages ofthe families they serve and make every effort to keepclear channels of communication.

7 S f l h l d t l t h


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7. Successful schools conduct regular teachertraining to ensure that teachers keep an up to

date toolbox of activities handy.8. They also have high expectations of their

students.

9. The best multilingual schools allow a portion of

their budget to be invested in multilingualmaterials and media.

10. Successful multilingual schools do their best tocreate a significant learning experiences, which

relate new information to prior knowledge, andgive students a certain level of autonomy(control and choice).



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Ongoing assessment using multiple measure.

Integrated schooling (all language learners together)

High expectations by teachers

Equal status of languages

Healthy parent involvement

Continuous staff development

Second language taught through academic content

Critical thinking across language program

Activation of students' prior knowledge

Respect for students' home language and culture

Cooperative learning

Interactive and discovery learning

Intense and meaningful cognitive/academic development


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An overview of the most

effective language programs inmultilingual schools

Thomas & Collier, 2007)

ll


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Full Immersion(MOST effective)

Characteristics:

All instruction is in target second language.

Target language is taught through thecontent areas (as well as a separate subject).

High level of peer teaching.


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Partial immersion

Characteristics:

There is some initial instruction in the childs

primary language, thirty to sixty minutes a day, This is usually limited to the introduction of

initial reading skills. All other instruction is in

the second language.

Dual immersion


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Dual immersion

Characteristics: Two languages are taught to the same group,

normally divided by native vs. non-nativespeakers.

Normally taught by two different team teachers.

Can be conducted from 30-70 to 50-50 model(time in designated languages).

Need for qualified teachers. High level of peer teaching.


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Early English Immersion

Characteristics

All instruction is in English

English is taught through the content areas (as

well as a separate subject)


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Early Exit Programs

Characteristics There is some initial instruction in the childs primary

language, thirty to sixty minutes a day,

This is usually limited to the introduction of initial reading

skills. All other instruction is in English.


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Late exit programs

Characteristics Receive a minimum of forty-percent of their total

instructional time in country language. Students remain in this program through sixth grade,

regardless of when they are reclassified as fluent-English

proficient.


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(E)SL Sheltered

Characteristic: Students remain in class with the other

students, but are given a tutor in the class.


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(E)SL Pullout(WORST results)

Characteristic: Students are taken out of regular class time for

support in the second language.

LEAST effective (Thomas & Collier)

R l C i


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Results: Comparison

Children in immersion programs had comparable test scores

regardless of the school they amended; the same was true for

students in the early-exit programs (Ramirez et al., 1991, Vol.

II, p. 96).

In sum, after four years [K-3] in their respective programs,

limited-English proficient students in immersion strategy and

early-exit programs (as defined in this study) demonstrate

comparable skills in mathematics, language, and reading whentested in English. (ES, p. 20)

Different growth curves between


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immersion strategy, early-exit, and

late-exit students

While the growth curves for immersion strategy and early-exit

students show growth for first to third grade in mathematics, English

language, and reading skills, they also show a sawing down in therate of growth in each of these content areas as grade level

increases. This deceleration in growth is similar to that observed for

students in the general population.

In contrast, the growth curves for students in the late-exit program

from first grade to third grade and from third grade to sixth grade

suggest not only continued growth in these areas, but continued

acceleration in the rate of growth, which is as fast or faster than the

norming population. That is, late-exit students appear to be gaining

on students in the general population.

Virginia Colliers Model


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Virginia Collier s Model

When first language instructional support cannot be provided,the following program characteristics can make a significant

difference in academic achievement:

Second language taught through academic content

Conscious focus on teaching learning strategies needed to

develop thinking skills and problem-solving abilities

Continuous support for staff development emphasizing

activation of students' prior knowledge, respect for students'

home language and culture, cooperative learning, interactive

and discovery learning, intense and meaningfulcognitive/academic development, and ongoing assessment

using multiple measures.


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THIRD LANGUAGES

Does English as a third language


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g g g

help or hurt immigrants (in

Holland)?

English as a high prestige language: Europes lingua franca in

2005. Bilinguals performed better learning English (as a third

language) than monolinguals.

The more languages you know, the easier it gets to learn an

additional one. Third-language learners are highly successful;they learn more language faster than second language

learners of the same target language; and (2) their behaviours

are those of the self-directed learner.

English as a third language HELPS


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low income children (in Holland)

when School programs are accompanied by

(1) Home stimulation and support for all three

languages with special emphasis on native languagefluency;

(2) Parents' motivation for schooling is high and the

give value to their childrens efforts; and

(3) Children's self-esteem is integrated into theacademic, social, cultural and cognitive goals of

multilingualism.

Future challenges


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utu e c a e ges

The practical obstacles include

Continual increase in immigrant community growth.

Shortage of teachers who can teach with knowledge of students

native languages

A complex set of legal, administrative and funding issues in urban

school districts that balance the needs of schools

The political obstacles include

Wariness and lack of support among substantial portions of the

population. Rights of new immigrants a priority?

Threat to the status of home country language.

UNESCO recommendation


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UNESCO recommendation

Mother tongue education and multilingualism are increasingly acceptedaround the world and speaking ones own language is more and more a

right. International Mother Language Day, proclaimed in 1999 by

UNESCO and marked on 21 February each year, is one example.

Encouraging education in the mother tongue, alongside bilingual or

multilingual education, is one of the principles set out by UNESCO in anew position paper. This includes:

1. Promoting education in the mother tongue to improve the quality

of education.

2. Encouraging bilingual and/or multilingual education at all levels of

schooling as a means of furthering social and gender equality and asa key part of linguistically diverse societies.

3. Pushing languages as a central part of inter-cultural education.

National Language Policy


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g g y

Language is a sensitive political issue, as it is a profound

symbol of national and personal identity.

In the Netherlands, itself containing a high percentage of

immigrants, research has begun into the common challenges

facing both "old" and "new *language minorities+. Whetheror not the EU is willing to include the thorny issue of

immigration in a future language policy remains a point of

debate


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Questions?

Thank you for coming!

Summary


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y

There are general practices that we should use

on a daily basis.

Specific activities can spice up class structures

Specific tools should be explicitly taught (good

note taking, summary skills, questioning tactics,

cooperative learning, clear objectives for everyclass, etc.).

In practice:


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In practice:

Choose one of the tools that you

have not yet applied (successfully)in class to date and prepare a

lesson for tomorrow.


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References

(in MyDropBox link)


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3-2-1

1. Three things you learned.

2. Two things you will share.

3. One thing you will change.

For more information:


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For more information:

Tracey Tokuhama-Espinosa, Ph.D.

Universidad San Francisco de Quito

Casa Corona, primer piso

Campus Cumbay

Diego de Robles y va Interocenica

[email protected]

Tel.: (593)-2-297-1700; (593)-2-297-1937

Fax: (593)-2-289-0070.

P.O.BOX 17-1200-841,Quito - Ecuador

Telf: 297-1700 x1338

Documents

Zurich is Teaching Multilingual Children-Evidence-Based Teaching