I chose this article because the title interested me and after reading the first few lines I wanted to know more. Currently in my computer class I have a few students who are EL. I there I am trying to introduce to them new vocabulary, while also teaching him how to use Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft Word and the content knowledge. The classroom setting is changing now days and to understand best practices with our ELL is a growing priority. This article if understood correctly could help me better serve my students and become a better educator. Words for English- Language Learners by Andrew Biemiller argues that ELL students and native-English learners learn in a similar way. The other argument is that it is easy to find the words that are …show more content…
In this article the evidence used from the first argument was from a study conducted by Biemiller and Slonim (2001) and Biemiller (2005). The average student knows about 8,000 words in 4th grade. The data that they showed explains that if a child is in 2nd, 4th, and 6th grade and they know 8,000 meanings then most of those meaning are of the same words. Concerning ELL Learners this is very important if we can know the specific words and meaning students should know and practice then this could be very helpful to ELL learners. We can focus on the words that they will use often and to be more structured with our language teaching of ELL students. The data shows that these words being learned in a similar way (200). Andrew Biemiller determined that there are around 1600 words that should be labeled as high priority. These words will most likely be in books in 1st or 2nd grade so if they don’t have the meaning then it will become a struggle to understand what they are reading (202). It is important to say that many times some students might now how to read the word fluently but they might not understand the
English learners have classes like ELD, can seek extra help to ensure their understanding in English curriculums, and take certain tests to help their fluency in English. One of those tests that English Language Learners have to take to build proficiency, is the CELDT Test. While taking other classes like ELD, out of the 224 English language learners at a local elementary school who took the test, 8 students got advanced, 57 students got early advanced, 85 students got intermediate, 56 students got early intermediate, and 18 students got beginning in the 2012-2013 school year. ** Out of the 224 students that took the test, 206 students were fluent or almost fluent in English. According to these stats, ELD classes and the CELDT test, help with making an English learner’s proficiency in English almost as proficient as a native English speaker, making the system seem equal for everybody to succeed. But, what happens to the students when they move on to higher classes or come from another country and do not have the opportunity to take these classes. According to statistics published by http://www.pewhispanic.org/files/2007/06/2007-math-01.png, English language learners had the highest percent of students at below basic in English and math in 4th and 8th grade. Students that do not get to take ELD classes, often have lower test scores because
...r they had all received the same language instruction for three years (kindergarten, first and second grade). These finding conclude that English language proficiency at the time of entering school does not matter. A good early literacy program works for both L1 students and ESL students who enter school at the kindergarten age. Students at that age are very susceptible to learning new languages quickly. The ESL children had difficulties in kindergarten, but by second grade they had caught up and were right on track with the L1 students and some of them even surpassed the L1 students.
There are a lot of students being placed whose primary language is not English. Students walk into a mainstream classroom not being able to speak English. Students in this situation are call English Language Learners(ELLs). These students are not receiving appropriate language support to succeed in their language development which is causing them to not have the ability to acquire language.
Due to the rise in immigration and the demographics of classrooms in America are changing. As a result, English Language Learners are becoming more common in schools. English Language Learners make up one of the largest demographics in the American Classroom (Flynn & Hill, 2005). These students have been observed to have a major achievement gap because many of these students are placed in mainstream classrooms with basic literacy skills. Many English Language Learners are born in the United States (Goldenberg, 2008). These students have only attended the school system in America. However, the achievement levels are nowhere near the level of their peers. According to Calderon, Slavin, and Sanchez (2011) “these students, who have been in U.S. schools since kindergarten, are still classified as limited English proficient when they reach middle or high school— suggesting strongly that preschool and elementary programs are not adequately addressing the needs of English learners.” The achievement gap between English Language Learners and native English speaking students is extremely high. English Language Learners tests scores are low. According to the 2007 National Assessment of Educational Progress, “fourth grade ELLs scored 36 points lower than their peers on the reading section of the test and 25 points below their peers in math. The results in eighth grade were worse with a difference of 42 points in reading and 37 points in math” (Goldenberg, 2008). The gap between ELLs and non-ELLs are three to eighteen points larger then students from low-income households.
After reading “People First Language” by Kathie Snow, the first thing that came to my mind was the saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” I have never agreed with this saying because words can inflict pain just like sticks and stones. Words really do matter.
Is it possible to make vital life changes to become a better person at heart? Who’s the one that can help you? The only person that will get you up on your feet is yourself, and you have to believe deeply to make those changes. In this essay there are many main points that are being brought across to explain the problems and wisdom that arose from Baca’s life as an inmate. It talks about how he was grown up into an adult and the tragedies that he had to face in order to become one. Later I fallow steps that lead to the purpose and rhetorical appeals of Baca’s essay. The purpose dealt with the cause and effect piece and problem/ solution structure.
Teachers who work with English Language Learners know that academic language takes longer to achieve proficiency in than does conversational language. On average, ELL students need at least two years to achieve conversational language and, five to nine years to develop academic language proficiency. Many English words ELL students are exposed to in school, they have not yet learned or even heard in their first language, which makes transference of knowledge impossible. The vast differences in the ability to use conversational versus academic language can be a hindrance to these students and have lasting effects on their academics and therefore, their lives.
racie Allen of the comedy team of Burns and Allen was once asked how one should speak French. She replied, “Well, you speak it the same way you speak English; you just use different words.” When trying to assist in instructing English language learners, they usually have many concepts and language abilities that they need to master, as do the teachers that are trying to teach them. With the incorporation of the concepts and approaches to identify and assess the issues and concerns that we have learned in our classroom instruction, such as lesson preparation, building background, and comprehensible input, we can indeed teach our future English language learners all the right moves with all the right words.
Carefully choosing instructional strategies that support Ell’s with proper word formation will ensure students can correctly articulate inflectional and derivatives morpheme
To obtain a complete understanding of the word knowledge of students who are learning English, it is important their reading abilities (WTW, 2012). There are many ways to assess the reading abilities for ELL’s. For example, spelling inventories help explore the literacy knowledge of an ELL; however, the test should be first administered in their primary or first language. According to Words their way: Word Study for Phonics, Vocabulary, and Spelling instruction, “a spelling inventory in students’ spoken language can indicate their literacy levels in the primary language, and more specifically, show which orthographic features they already understand” (WTW, 2014). Bilingual learners rely on knowledge of their primary language to spell words in a second language (WTW, 2014). Teachers can also assess ELL’s reading comprehension through sequencing activity (Ada, 1990). For example, teachers can have ELL’s write individual sentences from the text on separate sheets of drawing paper; then read or have the students read each sentence and illustrate it (Ada, 1990). Teachers can also informally test students’ ability to sequence material from a story by printing sentences from a section of the story on paper strips, mix the strips; have students put them in order (Ada, 1990). According to Spanish-Language Children’s Literature in the Classroom, teachers should “read to newcomers every day” (Ada, 1990). Appropriate reading material for beginning English Language Learners (ELL) should include numerous illustrations that help clarify the text, story plots that are action-based, little text on each page, text that contains repetitive, predictable phrases, high-frequency vocabulary and useful words, text that employs simple sentence structures (Ada, 1990). When you read to beginning ESL students, be sure to make language comprehensible to them (Ada,
English Language Learners range from Newcomers learning survival English and developing foundational literacy skills to Long-Term English Learners who have had 6 years or more of their education in English yet continue have significant language gaps. These students may speak English with little or no accent and still lack the vocabulary, grammar and grade level literacy to be successful in school. English language learners may remain silent in the classroom as they adjust to a new school, environment, and culture unless he is a native language comrade to interact with. The English language learners are concerned about decoding verbal and non- verbal communication as well as understanding the social culture framework of the school. Most of the time English language learners are observing during instruction, trying to repeat words used by others, memorizing simple phrases and sentences, tired by midday or be frustrated attending long lectures unaccompanied by visual and gestures, relying on first language translation used peer translation or bilingual dictionary, as the students begin to learner they become more involved in the classroom, they can respond non-verbally to commands, statements, and questions in simple form. As their oral comprehension increases, they begin to use simple word and phrases and may use English spontaneously. They can understand short conversation on a simple topic when reading students can understand a narrative text and authentic materials, although they will be below
Shirley Geok-lin Lim is the author of the poem “Learning to love America”, written in 1998. Ms. Lim was originally from Malacca, Malaysia. She did not come to America until after college. Her poem was written to explain what it means to develop an attachment to an adopted country and she uses comparisons such as the attachment between a mother and her children. This helps us understand how attached she truly was feeling, because the attachment between a mother and her children is generally strong.
Word walls are also a great support for ELLs, and may be organized around a number of concepts, including the alphabet and phonetic sounds, new vocabulary words, sight words, grammar rules, conversational phrases, and writing structures.” (Walker) Teachers who support the students while learning the English language go out of their way to find new ways to help their education needs as describe by the last passage above. In addition to teacher supporters they take the time to know the student in order to better prepare their lessons to make them effective for the student as possible as describe in “Even if you don't know a student's native language, being aware of native language influence will allow you to target your instruction. Help students by providing a model of how to use sounds, structures, and vocabulary correctly in English.” (Walker) the teachers that do not support the students normally find it very difficult and wait for someone to help them or train them.
In the twentieth century, the avoidance of the using L1 in classrooms dominated teachers’ minds; as well it was implemented in many policies and guidelines of language teaching (Cook, 2001). Thornbury (2010) listed a set of arguments against using L1 in L2 classrooms mainly for that the translation of L2 into another language will play negative effects on students’ learning process. He pointed out that the use of L1 will result learners to have a cognitive dependence on their mother tongue at the expense of developing independence TL learning. Although the two language systems are not equivalent in many aspects, students may have an awareness of the notion of equivalence of the two languages if translation serves to convey meanings. Some argue that the use of translation to convey the meaning of the TL is more efficient and more memorable. However, Thornbury (2010) sees the opposite. He stated that the simple and direct way of translation will make L2 knowledge less memorable since the process lacks mental efforts in working out meanings.
According to the Lexical approach, language demands immense exposure to lexis. But, text books, the only source of exposure to language for the ESL learners, are unable to cater learners need in learning lexis. Hence, it is important to make the learners get acquainted with supplementary materials.