Teaching Teachers WELL Faculty Institute 2009

 Teaching pronunciation  Teaching vocabulary  Teaching students who are still in the Silent Period

 Two types of issues involving pronunciation 1. Problems that interfere with understanding 2. Problems that don’t interfere with understanding

 Ability to pronounce content vocabulary affects confidence and therefore the student’s willingness to participate in class  Pronunciation work is valuable for all Ss, even NESs For info on speakers of specific languages, see: Swan, M., & Smith, B. (Eds.). (2008). Learner English: A teacher’s guide to interference and other problems (2 nd ed.). New York: Cambridge University Press.

 Vowels and consonants (multiple sounds for a single letter and even for a unique combination of letters) ▪ ex: cat vs city ▪ ex: gender vs gap ▪ ex: shook vs tooth  Long vowels and short vowels are actually totally different sounds ▪ ex: The polish vs The Polish ▪ ex: bow (for a boat) vs bow (after a performance) ▪ ex: dove vs dove  Intonation and pitch ▪ ex: I don’t care to… ▪ ex: produce vs produce ▪ ex: object vs object

 Consonants in final position ▪ These sounds are dropped in some languages ▪ ex: -ing, -ed  Consonant combinations ▪ Compare church vs machine vs chemistry  Sounds in English that don’t even exist in other languages ▪ th- in the or thumb

Well, maybe…at least we can try. Brainstorm at least 3 things you think you could do…

 Teacher repeats, modeling correct pronunciation  Pronunciation drill/choral practice

 Break complex words into syllables to focus on sounds; blend together at different paces until more appropriate sound (including intonation and rhythm) is attained  Individual, private work, one-on-one  Use audiotape to let student hear their own sounds

 The need for preteaching…  Words provide anchors and context  Hearing words in isolation helps the ELL “locate” them within longer passages

 Include phrases or even sentence patterns as appropriate for your content area.  Ex: geometric proof language (If,…then), therefore, as a result, so, and vs. or  Point out “false friends” (false cognates).  Ex (Sp.) : embarassada = pregnant; caravana = traffic jam (Ger.): Sympathie = liking (not condolences)

 Idiomatic expressions  ex: Out of the blue, once in a blue moon, single file, hold your horses, etc.  Conger (2006). Between the lines. Idioms. Greenville, SC: Superduper.  Phrasal verbs  ex: Apply to/for  ex: take with/from/away/away from/over/along/up/ place/part

 Multiple meanings (esp. content area specific vs. everyday use)  ex: table, square, right,

How do we do it? Brainstorm at least 3 things you think you could do…

 Check text for:  False cognates  Words with multiple meanings  Phrasal verbs  Idiomatic expressions

 Words and phrases specific to content area  Use of words in noun form, for ex., rather than verb or another more common usage (run, strike)  Essential conjunctions (cause/effect, contrast, chronological/sequence, etc.)

 Provide visuals (still or moving)  If moving, any accompanying audio should reflect directly the image seen  Use gestures and/or demonstrations  Hands-on activities with extensive use of the new vocabulary

 Provide active repetition practice (for pronunciation purposes as well as use of the new/difficult/focus vocabulary in context)  Compare/contrast the various meanings of multiple meaning words  ex: table, cable, acute, obtuse, plot, meter, etc.

 Break words into prefix/root/suffix to teach meaning ▪ Ehrlich, I. (2003). Instant vocabulary. NY: Penguin Books.  Compare and contrast similarly spelled words that have different meanings ▪ Phythian, B. A. (1989). A concise dictionary of confusables. Kent, U.K.: Hodder & Soughton.

 Students comprehend, but do not produce language (they do not speak or write)  Also true for parents and any newcomer  Length of time varies in part according to educational background

 How do we know if content is understood?  How do we ensure that learning is taking place?  How do we lower the affective filter to encourage eventual speech/writing and general participation?

How do we know if learning is taking place?  Brainstorm at least 2 ways you could know whether the ELL is learning…  Brainstorm at least 2 ways you think you could help to lower the affective filter…  (Remember that you should not force language production during this period)

Teacher:  Repetition is key (same phrase, simple structures—not variations)  Support oral language with gestures and/or visuals Students:  Illustrate or gesture a response  Point to a visual

 Choose from a set of cards or words or other realia  TPR—raise hand, thumbs up, raise card or white board with symbol, move to location in room  Modify assessments to incorporate these strategies