Week 12: Supporting English Language Learners

Synthesis

Garcia and Godina:
Research has shown that Hispanic students who are bilingual encounter more vocabulary and topics that are unfamiliar when they read in English than their monolingual peers. Research has also shown a correlation between ELLs success in reading English and their use of high-level vs. low-level reading strategies. Also, most ELLs make use of cognates to enhance their comprehension. The article recommends several areas of instructional support that help ELLs succeed. Schools should have high standards for academic and hold students accountable for achieving those standards. Staff development should always be linked to strategies for supporting ELLs. ELLs' sociocultural knowledge should be integrated into the curriculum, and examinations such as the AP exams should be offered in students' native languages. Students should receive "continued instruction in the native language" that focuses on content-area knowledge, and ELA should be offered as an ESL course (316). The article also recommends seltered instruction that integrates reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills with realia. In terms of writing approaches, teachers should focus on process writing that includes multiple-draft writing, student choice, open-ended prompts, etc.

Hinchman and Sheridan-Thomas:  This chapter posits that teachers should focus on the language competencies that ELLs/EALs already have in their native language(s). Students should be both supported and challenged, and they should be provided varied opportunities for demonstrating learning. The CCSS imply that all secondary teachers should focus on supporting ELLs by designing lessons around discipline-specific language. Teachers should integrate explicit instruction that helps ELLs examine language closely, such as through discussions about "text structures, word study, and comprehension strategies" (24). Students should also do annotations while they read to track their own thinking in conjunction to the close reading activities. Additionally, ELLs should have "multiple and varied opportunities to engage in classroom conversations... and express their learning" (27). They should not just be on the receiving end of English language communication; they should also be speaking and writing in English to express their understanding of disciplinary concepts. To scaffold these conversations, teachers can have target vocabulary or phrases posted at the front of the room as a guide for students.

Responses

Garcia and Godina:

One section of the article discussed a study that showed that ELLs were struggling in classes that are lecture-heavy and teacher-fronted, classes in which the material was not relevant or interesting to them, and classes that lacked visual and hands-on experiences. That section reminded me of a saying that a professor of mine in undergrad had: "Good teaching is good teaching." If we teach with principles that we know are best practices (student-centric classrooms, establishing relevance, multimodality, etc.), it will benefit all of our students, so of course it will benefit our ELLs. Whenever I get stressed about supporting students who are having a particularly hard time, I try to remind myself that good teaching is good teaching. We just have to ask ourselves what aspect of good teaching might help our students the most.  

Hinchman and Sheridan-Thomas:  This chapter recommends a strategy that involves "deconstruction of 'juicy sentences'" (25). I love this, since it helps all students understand language better. They must examine syntax, vocabulary meaning, word choice, etc., which both enhances their understanding of the English language and enhances their understanding of the content being studied. That aligns with what this chapter was saying about the importance of simultaneously fostering language learning and content area learning. ESL classes have their own merit, I believe, but most of the language development and most of students' learning happens in content-area classes. That's why we really need to equip content-area teachers to help students examine those "juicy sentences" the way a skilled ELA teacher would.

Questions

- How can we help ELLs when we lack school resources such as an ESL instructor?
- How do you usually differentiate for your ELLs?
- What ESL resources do you have at your school? Are they helpful with the way they are implemented, and do they align with what we read?
- What do you think of the term EAL vs. the term ELL?