Tag Archives: EL Students

Listening: An Active and Thinking Process

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Listening is often lumped together with speaking instead of being considered by educators as an entity in itself. However, listening is an important part of language development and should not be overlooked by teachers as they plan and implement classroom instruction. As with reading, listening requires an active process in which students use their previous knowledge and experiences of the topic and the language to construct meaning from what they’re hearing. David Nunan (1990) refers to the listener as a “meaning builder” (Gibbons, 2015, p.184). Understanding the spoken words requires more information than just listening to the sounds and words that are said.

“Nunan (1990) has suggested that listening occurs in four types of contexts, which he set out as a matrix” (p.186). Listening can be one-way such as students listening to the teacher presenting a direct teach lesson or listening to news on the radio. It can also be two-way, in which two people take turns being the listener and the speaker. Two-way listening allows the opportunity for the listener to ask the speaker to slow down, repeat a portion of what he said or to ask clarifying questions. Both types of listening can take place in two different contexts—everyday conversation such as discussing the weather or a favorite video game and informative conversations like giving directions or listening to a lecture. For EL learners, two-way listening in the context of interpersonal topics is the easiest and one-way listening in an informational context is the most difficult.

Nunan’s listening matrix retrieved from SAGE Knowledge Chapter 5: The Importance of Active Listening by Ivannia Soto

Educators can help students learn to listen actively by engaging them in activities for the sole purpose of introducing how to listen, then providing specific activities for both types of listening: one-way and two-way listening. For example, have students be completely silent, close their eyes and listen. After a few minutes, give them the opportunity to share what they heard and discuss what active listening feels like. In the case of two-way listening, EL learners often don’t know how to ask the speaker to clarify what was said, to repeat themselves, or to provide more information. Teachers can assist EL learners by modeling and practicing phrases such as, “I’m sorry, I don’t understand. Could you repeat that?” and “Excuse me, I’d like to ask something” (p. 189). Creating an anchor chart with students and displaying it for reference is beneficial so using the phrases in class becomes a natural part of student learning. Teachers should ensure that all students know it is okay to ask questions or to ask for clarification.

Barrier games are effective for increasing two-way listening skills. Two students have a problem to solve, but they each have different information—photographs, illustrations, maps, or text to read. Instead of looking at each other’s materials, they solve the problem by explaining to each other what they see or read on their resource. This requires both students to speak with clarity and actively listen to each other for understanding. For more information on barrier games, see Chapters 3 and 5 in the book Scaffolding language, scaffolding learning (Gibbons, 2015).

To practice one-way listening, teachers can give students directions asking them to write specific words or drawing on a certain area of their papers such as “If you are a boy, write it (name) on the left. If you are a girl, write it on the right”. (p.194) Another activity Gibbons calls “Hands Up” involves giving students a list of questions before reading a text aloud to them and asking them to raise their hands when they hear information from the text that answers one of the questions. Providing students with a note-taking page that already has an outline or bullet points to listen for is a third way to practice one-way listening. The teacher tells students the topic they will learn about, gives them the outline, and asks them to listen for the specific line items listed on the outline. For example, if the teacher reads a books about animals, the outline might contain name of animal, habitat, food, and defense mechanism.

Gibbons also includes information for educators about teaching EL learners how to focus on the sounds of the English language. “One aspect of spoken English that some EL students may find hard to master is its stress system”. English is spoken with different pronunciations around the globe, so even EL students who have learned some English in their native country may not understand the English spoken in the classroom. Providing activities such as chants and raps will give students the opportunity to “focus on the rhythms, stress, and intonation patterns of English”. Other activities to help EL learners with how English sounds that Gibbons explained in Chapter 7 are: Minimal Pair Exercises, Say It Again, and Shadow Reading.

In conclusion, educators must regard teaching listening as a vital part of their instruction because learning to be an active listener is an essential aspect of language development. One way teachers can show students they value listening is to be active listeners themselves. Modeling listening strategies by paying attention to what students say and asking them for clarification when comprehension breaks down expresses to students the importance of listening.

References:

Gibbons, Pauline. (2015). Scaffolding language, scaffolding learning Teaching English Language Learners in the Mainstream Classroom (2nd ed.). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann

Nunan, David. Listening Matrix. [Table]. Retrieved from https://sk.sagepub.com/books/ell-shadowing-as-a-catalyst-for-change/i193.xml

From Speaking to Writing in the Content Classroom

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In Chapter 4 of Scaffolding Language, Scaffolding Learning, Pauline Gibbons contends that “spoken language and written language are better understood as a continuum rather than as two discrete forms of language” (Gibbons 2015, p.79). Language changes according to the context in which it’s being used beginning with a level that’s dependent on face-to-face spoken language and moving across a continuum to a written language from which a reader can construct meaning without having knowledge of the writer or being present in the moment the writer is explaining. In the lower level of spoken language, the speaker doesn’t have to use specificity because he can simply point or gesture using words such as this, that, or those because the audience is present to see where he’s pointing. As language moves across the continuum, the audience becomes further removed from the event so the need for specific vocabulary and grammar increases in order for the listener or reader to understand what’s being communicated.

When the audience doesn’t have any visuals to aid in comprehension, the speaker must use language that is closer to written language, describing their message in detail. “Chang and Wells (1988) refer to this more written-like spoken language as ‘literate talk’” (p.82) Engaging students in this type of literate talk serves as a bridge between speaking and writing in an academic register required in a school setting. Educators can intentionally plan activities that encourage students to move across the continuum so they can develop content vocabulary and apply their knowledge to their speaking and writing. The stages of these types of activities are listed below in an example lesson:

  • Stage 1–Doing an experiment: Prior to introducing specific content related vocabulary, students are put into groups to do an experiment with magnets. The directions include students explaining their experiment to the rest of the class. So as they work together, they discuss how they will report their findings. Through their discourse, students’ phrases and sentences become longer and more concise as they prepare what to say.
  • Stage 2–Introducing key vocabulary: Before students report to the class, the teacher introduced two key vocabulary words—repel and attract–while demonstrating using visual aids to increase student understanding.
  • Stage 3–Teacher-guided reporting: In this stage, the teacher assists students as they report to help them move from the face-to-face spoken language level up to the literate-talk level using the new vocabulary words that were introduced. “….the teacher begins the exchange by inviting students to relate what they learned, rather than with a known answer or display question.” (p.89) Wait time is critical during this stage. Students’ language usage will increase and extend if teachers give them thinking time by waiting three or more seconds to respond to what the students have said. Asking probing questions to extend students’ thinking and reporting is also an important part of this stage.
  • Stage 4–Journal writing: Giving students the opportunity to write about their experiences in their journals moves them further along the continuum between speaking and writing, closer to the academic level of writing used in school. Their writing should reflect the language that was used in the teacher-guided reporting and the journal entry will give them a foundation to build on later when they’re required to write a formal report detailing their knowledge of magnets.

Using these stages, including teacher-guided reporting, provides “authentic and meaningful context for students to develop the more academic registers of school” (p.92). The more traditional approach of teaching vocabulary is to introduce the key words prior to the lesson, to pre-teach the vocabulary. However, Gibbons believes that activating the students’ prior knowledge and giving them the opportunity to discuss the content with peers before teaching the new vocabulary provides a “cognitive ‘hook’ on which to ‘hang’ the new language”. (p.92) EL learners need to learn language in the context of the content areas they’re studying, not in isolated “pull out” classes that are separate from their learning and don’t provide opportunities for them to use the new language. Discourse opportunities provided by the teacher through intentional planning significantly impact EL learners’ language development. Students will not just pick up the language on their own without appropriate and effective activities that include structured classroom talk.

References:

Gibbons, Pauline. (2015). Scaffolding language, scaffolding learning Teaching English Language Learners in the Mainstream Classroom (2nd ed.). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann

Language and Literacy

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Reflections on the readings of Christie, Enz, Vukelich, & Roskos (2014) Teaching Language and Literacy Preschool through the Elementary Grades (5th edition). Boston, MA: Pearson.

Reading Chapters 1-3 in Christie, Enz, Vukelich, & Roskos (2014) solidified and increased my understandings of best practices literacy teachers should use. One of the foundational keys to an effective literacy program is providing balanced instruction that includes aspects of meaning-based methods (whole language) combined with teaching core literacy skills. As shown in Figure 1.1 (p. 12), some features of meaning-based instruction include print-rich classrooms, storybook reading, and opportunities for students to use reading and writing in meaningful ways during independent station activities. In the same graphic, the authors listed features of skill-based learning or scientifically based reading research (SBRR) such as phonological awareness, alphabet knowledge, and concepts about print to name a few. Providing direct skills instruction gives students the tools they need to help them construct meaning from their reading and writing experiences with text as they participate in whole-language classroom activities.

Many strategies are needed for effective literacy instruction. For example, educators should consider how they model reading and writing and what type of literacy opportunities they provide for their students. Children need to see the adults in their lives using literacy to engage in everyday tasks so they will see its value. Children should also be given opportunities themselves to use reading and writing in meaningful ways to communicate, not just for school assignments. Specifically for reading teachers, modeling what they’re thinking as they read will help students develop the understanding that their brain is active while reading. I tell my students that they have a little reader voice in their head. It should always be awake when they’re reading, actively listening to and thinking about the text, in order to comprehend what’s being read. Some additional effective strategies include providing opportunities for students to learn in a social setting through collaboration, building positive relationships with students’ families and helping them support their children as learners, assessing students in various ways and using the data to drive instruction, self-reflection on teaching methods and adjusting those methods based on outcomes, and acknowledging each student’s unique and diverse background when developing instructional strategies and activities for the classroom.

When considering how children develop language, Christie, Enz, Vukelich, & Roskos (2014) propose there are four major views: behaviorist, nativist, social-interactionist, and neurobiological. Behaviorists believe that language is primarily developed through a child’s interaction with caregivers. The child learns which sounds are correct by interpreting the responses of the parents, adjusting them to solicit positive reactions. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the nativist view is based on the idea that children are born with the ability to learn language and their development is not dependent on caregiver interactions. This ability was coined LAD, language acquisition device, by Noam Chomsky (1965). The social-interactionist view falls in the middle of the first two. They believe that humans do have an ability for language at birth, but also that their development is influenced by engaging with caregivers. Specifically, children’s language development increases when the caregivers acknowledge that their attempts at speech have meaning and encourage continued conversation. The neurobiological view supports the other three views with evidence of brain activity through data collected with recent improvements in brain imaging techniques. Neuroscientists believe children are born with language abilities, but to develop the language modeling from caregivers and interaction with them is necessary.

Acquiring English as a second language is similar to first language acquisition in children who are exposed to both languages from birth. They can communicate in either language and translate back and forth between languages as needed. However, children who are first exposed to English upon entering school usually progress through different stages. At first students continue to speak their native language. Next, students go through a “silent period” (Krashen, 1981; Saville-Troike, 1988) in which their receptive language gradually increases through social and academic experiences at school, but they don’t speak the new language yet. During the third period, students begin to use a few words or short phrases and finally they start speaking in full sentences. Each EL (English language) learner is unique and has an individual trajectory of learning so students spend differing amounts of time in each period or stage. For example, I recently taught a set of twin girls who were EL learners and their personalities affected their language acquisition because the one who was very shy experienced a much longer silent phase compared to the sister who was more of an extrovert.

A reading specialist can support children’s language development by adhering to the strategies for effective literacy instruction outlined by Christie, Enz, Vukelich, & Roskos (2014) as they plan and implement lessons with students and partner with teachers, families and communities who play supportive roles in the language development of young children. They should provide information and training to stakeholders about the importance of oral language development, including the stages of development most children experience from birth to age 5 and what warning signs might indicate a child is experiencing a developmental delay. Reaching out to the community to provide information about language development in infants, babies and toddlers before they enter school is important since interactions with caregivers at a young age can greatly influence a child’s future literacy success in school. Reading specialists can assist parents and guardians with strategies to use at home that will increase their children’s oral language development and help them be better equipped for learning when they enter a structured school setting.

Vocabulary Strategies for EL Students

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English Learners sometimes have difficulty understanding new vocabulary words, especially academic vocabulary that they may not know and understand in their native language. Listed below are three strategies I’ve used successfully with my students to help them internalize new vocabulary words.

Realia or Visual Aids

When introducing new words to EL students, including a photograph, clip art or even an example of the real item, is helpful. Teachers in early elementary may want to consider creating a word wall to display for the entire class that has accompanying pictures for each word since young students are all soaking up new vocabulary words at a rapid rate and most are emergent readers who need to picture cues to understand the text. Upper elementary and secondary teachers could provide individual students with personal words walls or picture dictionaries to keep for reference in a folder. These resources should include the specific academic vocabulary words students will need to be successful in the current unit for each content area. Collaboration and communication between teachers of each content area is important to assist EL students with building a strong foundation of vocabulary.

For more information on displaying a word wall with pictures for the entire class, check out this post from Pre-K Pages: https://www.pre-kpages.com/wordwall/

Think/Pair/Share

Most teachers are familiar with the Think/Pair/Share strategy for cooperative learning in which students turn and talk to a partner, then some of them share what they discussed with the class. It’s important for EL students to be provided many opportunities for structured conversations, so this strategy is especially helpful to them. During a whole group lesson, pair each EL student with a native English speaker. Then provide students with a sentence stem such as, “I think the word ___________ means ______________.” Teachers can have students discuss specific content vocabulary words prior to beginning the lesson or stop periodically during the lesson as the new words are encountered and allow students to Think individually for a set time frame (such as 20-30 seconds), then turn and talk to their partner using the sentence stems, and finally call the group back together asking a few pairs to share out their ideas. Be sure to write the words and the sentence stem on the board or chart paper for student reference while they’re talking to their partners.

Creating Gestures or Motions

Let’s face it! Children of all ages love to move and they need to move! One strategy I have found that helps students remember a new vocabulary word is to use a gesture or motion for the word. If the word is a verb, sometimes the action aligns specifically with the word such as stomping for the word “stomp” or clapping for the word “clap”. However, some of the academic vocabulary words introduced and taught to students don’t naturally have a particular gesture to accompany them. Teachers can create a gesture that’s appropriate and introduce it to the entire class with the word or, to increase student buy-in and ownership, ask the students to create a motion they think fits the word and will help them remember it. Sometimes they come up with very funny and creative ideas, but the funnier they are makes them even easier to remember!

For more vocabulary strategies for EL students, see the sites listed below:

https://www.readingrockets.org/article/vocabulary-development-ells

https://www.teachingchannel.org/blog/2017/05/18/top-5-vocab-strategies-ells