Working with Second Language Learners Answers to Teachers’ Top Ten Questions By Stephen Cary Answers to Teachers’ Top Ten Questions By Stephen Cary

How do I assess a student’s English???  Authentic, performance based assessment  Multiple-source  Assessment should be ongoing  Limitations of formal language testing  Use observation, chats, and anecdotal records  Authentic, performance based assessment  Multiple-source  Assessment should be ongoing  Limitations of formal language testing  Use observation, chats, and anecdotal records

How do I find useful information on a student’s cultural background?  Multiple sources  Student as a resource  Identify possible cultural conflicts  Know the first and second language differences  Avoid over generalization  Multiple sources  Student as a resource  Identify possible cultural conflicts  Know the first and second language differences  Avoid over generalization

How do I make my spoken language more understandable?  Objects, video, pictures, and movement  Summaries and paraphrasing  Key vocabulary and “power words”  Build background knowledge  Include first language support when you can  Objects, video, pictures, and movement  Summaries and paraphrasing  Key vocabulary and “power words”  Build background knowledge  Include first language support when you can

How do I get my reluctant speakers to speak?  Increase talk time and opportunities for meaningful talk  Reduce teacher talk  Incorporate students’ personal interests  Emotionally safe ground for risk taking  Encourage English while honoring first language  Increase talk time and opportunities for meaningful talk  Reduce teacher talk  Incorporate students’ personal interests  Emotionally safe ground for risk taking  Encourage English while honoring first language

How do I make a difficult textbook more readable?  Many comprehension strategies  Text tours, graphic organizers, and main idea  Think alouds  Many interactions with the text  Text have meaningful with a personal connection  Many comprehension strategies  Text tours, graphic organizers, and main idea  Think alouds  Many interactions with the text  Text have meaningful with a personal connection

How do I help students improve their English writing?  Write for real world purposes  Writing content based on student interests  Compliance writing complications  Process over product  Many supports, group writing, graphic organizers, “skeletons”  Write for real world purposes  Writing content based on student interests  Compliance writing complications  Process over product  Many supports, group writing, graphic organizers, “skeletons”

How do I teach grade level content to English Beginners?  Rich engaging content  Real artifacts  Collaborative work  Rich engaging content  Real artifacts  Collaborative work

How do I help students build learning strategies?  Integrate learning strategies across the curriculum  Reading comprehension  Learning strategies immediately applicable  Integrate learning strategies across the curriculum  Reading comprehension  Learning strategies immediately applicable

How do I support a student’s first language when I don’t speak the language?  A classroom that values people of all cultures  Encourages parents to develop and maintain primary language  Offer primary language support  Learn a second language yourself with students  A classroom that values people of all cultures  Encourages parents to develop and maintain primary language  Offer primary language support  Learn a second language yourself with students

How do I minimize communication conflicts ina multilingual classroom?  Community that values and celebrates diversity  Find common ground and exploit it  Emphasize “doing” over “telling”  Community that values and celebrates diversity  Find common ground and exploit it  Emphasize “doing” over “telling”

SDAIE  Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English  Supported English acquisition developed by Stephen Krashen and James Cummins  Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English  Supported English acquisition developed by Stephen Krashen and James Cummins