GOOD MORNING! Agenda: Share personal experiences of learning a second language Discuss second language acquisition Learn about some assessments used with ELLs Revisit the Learner Profile assignment for clarification

Invisible If I stay very still And breath very quietly The Magic happens: I disappear -and no one sees me -and no one hears me -and no one even thinks about me. And the teacher won’t call on me. It’s very safe being invisible. I’m perfect! I can’t make mistakes -at least nobody sees them, so nobody laughs.

Learning a second language A complex process

Based on the readings: Think about a time when you learned a second language in a “school” setting. What second language acquisition theory most applied? (See Table 2.2, p. 58 in P&B.) How did you feel learning a second language? Was culture a part of your instruction or did it only involve language? QUICKWRITE

Acquisition vs. Learning Canale and Swain, 1980, studied two groups of English learners.  The “acquisition group” was taught English in predominantly natural settings with an emphasis on real communication  The “learning group” learned English predominantly through formal instruction, with little emphasis on communication

They found that… The acquisition group was fluent and communicative, but made frequent mistakes. The learning group made fewer mistakes, but virtually never talked. English Learners need an ELD program that provides a balance of acquisition and learning.

The Challenge of Learning English Native English Speaker Enters school with 4, ,000 words (this varies dramatically, but all native speakers have a considerable vocabulary) Internalized basic phonology and syntax of English English language base is continually increased through new experiences in school, continuously reinforced & expanded in home & community English Learner Enters school with native language and limited vocabulary in English. They may have a few, several or even hundreds of words. English phonology and syntax not yet internalized Little or no opportunity for reinforcement and expansion of English language knowledge outside of the school setting Adapted from Hampton Brown

What must be taught to English Learners? Phonology Rhythm and cadence Syntax Vocabulary - general utility and topic specific Grammatical forms Social and academic functions Discourse styles Cultural contexts

Many English Language Learners…  Achieve fluency in everyday language (BICS), yet…  Lag in measures of academic success and tasks requiring academic language. Why is this the case?

Types of Language Use BICS (Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills) * Everyday language *Easier to acquire *Necessary for survival CALP (Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency) *Language of school and textbooks *Needs to be explicitly taught

An example of academic language “If we hadn’t deprived the soil of essential nutrients, the plant would have grown larger.” What is necessary to understand this sentence? Reading knowledge Language knowledge Background knowledge

Explicit Teaching “If you are not already a participant in the dominant culture, being told explicitly the rules of that culture makes acquiring power easier. …The educational curriculum must include explicit teaching of those forms of language that will enable students to succeed in school and actively participate in the dominant community.” -Lisa Delpit, 1995