ESL Students By: Megan Shelton

Before We Start…Definitions! ESL: English as a Second Language –Learning English in a country where English is the dominant language for students from non-native English-speaking countries ESOL: English for Speakers of Other Languages –Learning English as a third, fourth, etc language (more distinct than ESL) ELL: English Language Learners –Learners of the English language, commonly used in K-12 EFL: English as a Foreign Language –Learning English in a country where English is not a dominant language ESP: English for a Specific Purpose –Usually adults who know some English and are learning the language for professional purposes (Hyte, n.d)

Who Are ESL Students? Students who are newcomers to the country or mandatory public education Three Factors Affect Language Acquisition: 1.Learner Characteristics 2.Situational or Environmental Factors 3.Prior Language Development and Competence (Robinson, N., & Kusuma-Powell, B. K. n.d.).

Classroom Implications Why is it important to understand ESL students? –There is a growing number of Hispanic students in the state Census data from 2010: 7.7% of the population Census data from 2000: 4.7% of the population Census data from 1990: 1.16% of the population National data: –The Hispanic population increased 3.1% between July 1, 2008 and July 1, 2009 »Making Hispanics the fastest-growing minority group! (North Carolina - DP-1. Profile of General Demographic Characteristics:2000. n.d.), (North Carolina QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau. n.d.)

Classroom Strategies 1.“Comprehensive Input” 2.Use Visuals 3.Use Schema 4.Key Concepts and Objectives 5.Vocabulary Instruction 6.Cooperative Learning Strategies 7.Differentiation (Haynes, J. n.d.)

What is Response to Intervention? What is RtI? –Multi-tiered approach to helping struggling learners –Begins with a universal screening where struggling learners are identified and provided with interventions –These interventions can be provided by general education teachers, special educators or specialists and are guided by student data Essential Components: –High-quality, scientifically based classroom instruction –Ongoing student assessment –Tiered instruction –Parent involvement (Vaughn, S. n.d.)

Using RtI with ESL Students What are the initial challenges? –Determining knowledge and skills in primary language and then English language performance –Educators are hesitant to implement RtI because of their own lack of knowledge The Process: –Universal Screening and Progress Monitoring –Tier 1 –Tier 2 –Tier 3 Ensuring success with RtI and ESL students (Vaughn, S. n.d.)

What ESL Students have to say… “We need to be able to communicate in Spanish without people telling us to shut up!” “Respect the students and let them speak their own language” “Let us work in groups!” “We are equally as smart.” “My teacher thinks she has to baby me only ‘cause I’m in ESL!” “I need more time to finish classwork!” “Sometimes I need you to explain things more to me!” “I like learning about our ancestors.” “My teacher never lets us stand and stretch because my butt hurts every day sitting down and writing.”

“Let us read a book we can read and not a very high lexile.” “I can’t read at grade level!” “I like reading out loud”

References Carrier, K. (2005). Key Issues for Teaching English Language Learners in Academic Classrooms. Middle School Journal, 37, 4-9. Curtin, E. (2006). Lessons on Effective Teaching From Middle School ESL Students.. Middle School Journal, 37(3), Haynes, J. (n.d.). Seven Teaching Strategies for Classroom Teachers of ELLs. everythingESL: The K-12 ESL Resource from Judie Haynes. Retrieved April 7, 2011, from Haynes, J., & Zacarian, D. (2010). Teaching English language learners across the content areas. Alexandria, Va.: ASCD. Hyte, H. (n.d.). What's the Difference: ESL, EFL, ESOL, ELL, and ESP?. ESL Trail: Lessons learned from life as an educator in the ESL world. Retrieved April 7, 2011, from esol-ell-and.html Lipka, O., & Siegel, L. (2010). The improvement of reading skills of L1 and ESL children using a Response to Intervention (RtI) Model.. Psicothema, 22(4), Retrieved April 6, 2011, from ehis.ebscohost.com.wncln.wncln.org/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=6b28587a-ce9e-48f4-9b4a- 40a %40sessionmgr11&vid=6&hid=1

References North Carolina - DP-1. Profile of General Demographic Characteristics:Â Â (n.d.). American FactFinder. Retrieved April 7, 2011, from =DEC_2000_SF1_U&geo_id=04000US37 North Carolina QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau. (n.d.). State and County QuickFacts. Retrieved April 7, 2011, from Problems in Current Instruction of English Language Learners | Education.com. (n.d.). Education.com | An Education & Child Development Site for Parents | Parenting & Educational Resource. Retrieved April 7, 2011, from Robinson, N., & Kusuma-Powell, B. K. (n.d.). Chapter 6: Who Are ESL Students?. U.S. Department of State. Retrieved April 7, 2011, from Vaughn, S. (n.d.). Response to Intervention in Reading for English Language Learners. RTI Action Network. Retrieved April 20, 2011, from Yoon, B. (2010). Meeting the Cultural and Social Needs of English-Language Learners: A Middle School ESL Teacher's Practice.. Teacher Education & Practice, 23(1),