Best teaching practices for English Language Learners - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Best teaching practices for English Language Learners

Dr. Gayle Bortnem Emeritus Associate Professor-NSU April 13, 2018 SD Early Childhood Conference Spearfish, South DakotaSlide2

Objectives

Gain basic understanding of development of home language and learning new language.Acquire strategies for supporting home language and English Language Learning (ELL) needs. Collect ideas for literacy materials, props, and ways to meet ELL needs.

For this workshopSlide3

Why is it important to support children’s language development?

Kid’s Count stats;In 2016, 22% of US children spoke a language other than English in the home. In 2011-12, there were 3.7% or 4,736 children that were considered ELL in SD. By 2016, this # has doubled. There is a direct correlation between reading proficiency at 4th grade and children that do not speak English in the home. Slide4

Activity

How many languages are in our class rooms? Write on paperHow many words do you know from these languages?Write on paper When we learn to talk, we learn nouns, verbs, simple adjectives. This is the way ALL people learn language, regardless of age or language. Slide5

Learning to read and learning a language are similar:

Humans must learn to understand the sounds to then focus on words and meaning. Learning a new language is more than the words, but also the culture that is associated with it! Learning language and reading are similar skills, but learning to talk (in first language) comes naturally, where reading needs more direct teaching. Children need opportunities to Hear the language

Speak the languageRead the languageWrite the language Slide6

Activity

Let’s learn a new song! Hear it, sing it, see it and you can write it later!!  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHefacW-L5Uhttps://www.bing.com/search?q=4+hugs+a+day+video&form=IENTHT&mkt=en-us&httpsmsn=1&refig=2619ebf492464cbc9a5de22f33cacd48&sp=-1&pq=undefined&sc=0-16&qs=n&sk=&cvid=2619ebf492464cbc9a5de22f33cacd48Slide7

Research

A solid foundation in English Oral Fluency is highly desirable prior to formal teaching of English literacy instruction for children who did not learn to read in their 1st language. If a child has a good vocabulary in their 1st language, it promotes literacy achievement in the 2nd language. Children will go through stages at different rates. Oral & written language experiences should

support their home language when learning to speak and read in English.

Stages

in language development process;

Children use their native language.

The

nonverbal or silent

period. They listen to the sounds. They will use nonverbal cues. They might repeat what they hear, but in low voice and playing with the sounds.

When they are ready to speak in public, they will use content words, like “toy here” for “I want my toy over here with me”.

Use the new language productively. Social language is different than academic specific language. Slide8

Children are connected to the language of their homes.

They will become better readers & writers of English when they are familiar with vocabulary, grammar and concepts (colors, shapes, family…)Many early literacy and other cognitive skills transfer from 1 language to another. Research shows that children that have more than one language actually have brains that are better accommodating to learning. Teachers need to set up their classes to appreciate and value all children’s cultural identities. Create many opportunities for cooperation and talking.DRAMATIC PLAY- The use of creative dramatics sets up a face-to-face encounter for students that they usually do not experience in the classroom setting.

It has also been observed that dramatics allows students to develop a greater understanding of themselves and their world.Slide9

All children develop language in direct relation to:

The number and variety of words spoken to a child.Opportunities to use language to interact with adults and other children. Story time with interactionBooks that can share experiencesArt that lets children share their feelings and thoughts. Projects which support their interests and concerns. More time for free choice or PLAY time where children have centers or areas to be in small groups. Slide10

Ideas

A classroom full of preschoolers with no classroom rules is a ticking time bomb that can go off any second.ESL classes may include singing, dancing, and jumping, as well as writing, reading, or listening. The best ESL lessons combine the right mix of teaching strategies. You may begin class with a short song, then move on to a reading exercise. The best rule of thumb is to switch between quiet, independent tasks to those that require action and movement.Slide11

Puppets

Puppetry can help students internalize language patterns, enhance listening skills, develop risk-taking skills and student confidence, and provide opportunities for students to work cooperatively as a group.Puppetry

is a medium for students to use to express themselves and begin

to explore the various components of the English language.

By

working together using the puppets, students develop conversation skills such as risk taking and appropriate responses in a conversation

.

Puppetry also helps students begin to develop risk-taking skills that will help them develop self-confidence. The use of puppets provides an opportunity for students to become comfortable exploring language and becoming expressive verbally. Research shows that students become less inhibited when they are hidden behind the puppets. Once students become more comfortable and less self-conscious, they are more available to begin exploring the conventions of the English language.Slide12

ESL kids stuff

websiteAlphabet Boxes.  You need 26 tissue boxes or plastic tubs and various items to go with each letter (e.g. apple magnet for the letter A) & permanent marker.  Write the upper and lower case letter on each wipe box, one letter of the alphabet for each box.  Get your

Ss

to fill each box with items that begin with that letter.  Some can even be pictures of items (this can be done slowly over a matter of weeks/months). Each class show the items to the children and pass them around, this captivates the children!  One box is used at a time. You don't even have to fill all the boxes at once but fill them as you go through the year. This hands-on experience is a big hit!Slide13

Seeing & Doing

. "I hear and I forget; I see and I remember; I do and I understand" (Ancient Chinese Proverb).  I think this proverb applies so well to teaching children.  Here's a simple example.  Hearing: if you come across a new word in a text, say 'strawberry', you can explain it or translate it into the children's L1.  Chances are they'll have forgotten the word the following week.  Seeing: but drawing a picture, showing a flashcard or even better showing an actual strawberry will help reinforce the new word. 

Doing: By pretending to eat or actually tasting a strawberry

Ss

can discuss if they like it or not and this really allows for a full understanding of the object.  Preparation is a key factor here. Slide14

The Stupid Teacher

.  Discussed by Lutz (Balls, Balloons & Bubbles, 2001) and used by many kid’s teachers, the 'Stupid Teacher' technique allows children to show off their recently acquired knowledge.  Kids love to show you how smart they are and by making mistakes kids will quickly jump in to correct the teacher.  Say the wrong word for a flashcard, hold objects upside down, get your colors and adjectives wrong, put your socks on your hands, try to blow up balloons with your ears - all these mistakes will encourage your students to teach you to do it right!Slide15

Music and games

Online ESL Songs.  This link at The EFL Playhouse takes you to 30 popular kids songs for use in the ESL classroom.  Songs include: "The Alphabet Song", "The Colors of our Clothes", "Do You Know the Opposites?", "Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes", "If You're Happy / Sad and You Know It", "Listen to the Teacher", "Pretty Colors", "Round the Clock", "There is Thunder", "What's the Weather" and "Where's My Desk?" 

ESL Bingo.

All kids love bingo!  Here are 2 excellent links: Peter Warner's

Livening Up Bingo

has instructions and ideas for using Bingo with ESL kids as well as a great prepositions bingo game with board and cards - well worth checking!  The second link is David

Lisgo's

Double Sound Bingo

, which can be found at the bottom of his webpage.Slide16

More

Outdoor Activities.  The discussion list recently had some postings on outdoor activities and games (for summer class parties, camps, picnics, etc.).  Here are some ideas: TV tag, 4 square, bug/insect hunting, a scavenger hunt (e.g. Ss have to find a yellow leaf, a cup of sand, a caterpillar, etc.), alphabet find (Ss

have to find as many things as possible which start with a different letter of the alphabet), What's the time Mr

Wolf? (or

Ms

Wolf!), bubbles (counting bubbles, blowing the biggest ones, blowing as many as you can, catching as many as you can), collecting leaves and doing leaf rubbings, outdoor painting (especially hand and feet painting on a huge piece of paper), three legged races, play

doh

.

Vanishing Objects Game

.  Place a number of objects in front of the Ss.  Give them a few moments to memorize the objects and then tell them to close their eyes.  Take away one of the objects and then tell the

Ss

to open their eyes again.  The first S to guess the missing object can win that object (for 1 point) and take away an object in the next round.Slide17

Should we speak the children’s native language in the ESL classroom?

This is a big debate in ESL classrooms with students of all ages and levels. But let me tell you my experience with very young learners.

The younger an ESL student is, the more accepting they will be of your speaking only English. And they will question you less. You can teach entire songs in English and none of them will ask you what each word means. They accept the song as a whole.

The

same goes for instructions, greetings and set phrases. So I strongly recommend trying to speak English for the duration of the class, and making only a few exceptions, for example, when a student is crying/upset/feeling sick/doesn’t understand.Slide18

“Instruction begins when you, the teacher,

learns from the learner; put yourself in their place so that you may understand…what they learn and the way they understand it.” Soren Kierkegaard (1813-1855)