Language Development for English Language Learners

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Demographics

Frequent terms used in the literature  Language Minority Student (LM) a child who hears and/or speaks a language other than English in the home Limited English Proficient (LEP)  Term used by federal government to identify LM students whose limited command of English prevents independent participation in instruction English Language Learner (ELL)  an LM student designated locally (i.e., by the state) as limited English Proficient  the English Language Learner term is often preferred over Limited English Proficient as it highlights accomplishments rather than deficits

Who are English Language Learners (ELLs)?  National-origin minority students who have limited proficiency of English  Membership defined by limited proficiency in English language use, which directly affects learning and assessment results  Group membership is expected to be temporary

 One of the fastest-growing groups among the school-aged population in this nation Of over 9 million LM students, roughly 5.5 million are classified as Limited English Proficient (LEP/ELL)  Within the ELL population the largest and fastest growing segments are: Students who immigrated before Kindergarten U.S. born children of immigrants (native-born)  K-8: 76%  9-12: 56% ELLs form a large, growing population By 2015, second generation children of immigrants are expected to be 30% of the school-aged population. (Capps, Fix, Murray, Ost, Passel, & Herwantoro 2005) By 2015, second generation children of immigrants are expected to be 30% of the school-aged population. (Capps, Fix, Murray, Ost, Passel, & Herwantoro 2005)

Number of LEP Students U.S. Department of Education, NCELA, 2006

Density of LEP Students U.S. Department of Education, NCELA, 2006

Growth in LEP Students U.S. Department of Education, NCELA, 2006

A heterogeneous population Languages  Over 460 different home languages are represented nationally  Most common languages are: Spanish (79%) Vietnamese (2%) Hmong (1.6%) Cantonese (1%) Korean (1%) Other 455 languages (15.4%)

Native language(s) Level of native language/literacy skills Level of English language/literacy skills Age of arrival Previous schooling experience Familiarity with school routines Content area knowledge Parental education Other Characteristics of this Heterogeneous Population

Definitions: At school entry Identification  Home survey  Language proficiency tests  Other input (e.g., teachers) Monitoring  Language – Title III  Achievement – Title I ELLs (or LEP) IFEP (fluent) Language Prof. Tests IFEP = Initially Fluent English Proficient Slide courtesy of N. Lesaux and M. Kieffer, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Definitions: Over time RFEP = Reclassified Fluent English Proficient ELLs (or LEP) RFEP (reclassified) Language Prof. Tests IFEP Slide courtesy of N. Lesaux and M. Kieffer, Harvard Graduate School of Education

ELL Performance Outcomes  Some states have begun to look at the performance of ELLs on state tests after they have gained proficiency in English  Although some reclassified ELLs do well, many students who have lost the formal LEP designation continue to struggle with: listening, speaking, reading, and writing that involves academic language access to content-area knowledge

Learning challenges  ELLs face a unique set of learning challenges: to develop the content-related knowledge and skills defined by state standards  while simultaneously acquiring a second (or third) language  for young children, this is a time when their first language is not fully developed to demonstrate their learning on an assessment in English

Language Development

What is Language?  Is a written or oral system of communication made up of symbols with rules that govern their use  Is the gateway for learning  Enables us to communicate

1.Phonology 1.Phonologythe patterns of basic speech units and the accepted rules of pronunciation 2.Morphology 2.Morphologysmallest meaningful units of speech 3.Syntax 3.Syntaxhow individual words and basic meaningful units are combined 4.Semantics 4.Semanticsthe ways in which a language conveys meaning 5.Pragmatics 5.Pragmaticsthe appropriate use of language Language Components

First Language Development Milestones  There are many theories of how we develop language  Language and speech development vary across children  Milestones serve as a guide to normal development  Language development is cumulative Simple skills are mastered before more complex ones  On average, children pass through different periods of language development at a certain age and time

Language Acquisition Theories  Nativist theories Propose that children are born with specific abilities that facilitate language learning Linguists  Chomsky  Universal Grammar  Lenneberg  Critical Period for language acquisition  DeKeyser  Role of language aptitude opposed to the Critical Period

 Interactionist theories Theorize that adults play an important part in children’s language acquisition  Theorists: Snow; Bates; Tomasello  Language learning results from general cognitive abilities and the interactions between learners and their environment Language Acquisition Theories

Some languages are easier to learn than others depending on the complexity of their symbol system and the degree of transferability from the first language.

What is the Alphabetic Principle?  The idea that letters and letter patterns represent the sounds of spoken language

What is an Alphabetic Language?  A language that uses symbols to represent sounds in speech and print. Examples: English, Spanish, Greek, Russian Alphabetic languages differ in how they present a single sound in print.  Orthography (defines the set of symbols used and the rules about how to write these symbols) Transparent  Languages that allow a few or just one association between symbols and sounds Opaque  Languages that allow:  many ways to represent the same sound and a given symbol; or  combination of symbols to represent sounds

Alphabetic Languages  English is considered to have an opaque orthography due to its many combinations of symbols to a particular sound. Ex: English:  “f” and “ph” in fantasy and pharmacy; “ee”, “ei” and “ea” in need, receive, and read  “u” for umbrella or Utah  Whereas Spanish is considered to have a transparent orthography because of generally a 1:1 correspondence between letters and sounds.

What is Second Language Acquisition?  The process of learning a language in addition to a native or “first” language.  Debate: how long does it take to become fully proficient? Little empirical data to inform an answer to this question Factors that influence second language proficiency  Age of first contact with new language  Level of proficiency in first language (L1)  Language-learning ability  Intensity of instruction and opportunities-to-learn

Assessment

Challenges in Assessing ELLs’ Content Knowledge  Content area knowledge and language proficiency challenges;  ELLs need to devote more cognitive resources than their monolingual peers to process the language of English assessments;  Fewer cognitive resources to attend content; and  Language demands of the tests Francis, 2006

Language Proficiency  Students considered fully proficient communicate effectively and understand the meaning that others are trying to relay  Components of language proficiency oral (listening and speaking) skills written (reading and writing) skills academic and non-academic language

Language Proficiency Tests  The purpose of using Language Proficiency Tests with ELLs is threefold: To determine placement in language programs To monitor students’ progress while in these programs To guide decisions about when students should exit the program (August & Hakuta, 1997)

Language of Assessment  In what language should ELLs be assessed?  Native Language  may give more accurate inventory of student’s knowledge and skills  may be less predictive of English skills than a English assessment, depending upon schooling history  English  may be more predictive of English skills than a native language assessment  may reflect misunderstanding of assessment directions more than actual skill level  may also reflect the ELL’s schooling experiences in English

 Testing in both languages Provides a clear picture of knowledge, skills, abilities, and instructional needs Ideally, instructions even for English assessments, should be given in the student’s first language (L1) for ELLs who are indeed bilingual and biliterate  Challenges Difficult to find comparable assessments in L1 and English Technically and financially demanding Dialects Many skills being assessed are dependent upon instruction, but much instruction is only in English Language of Assessment

References  August, D., & Hakuta., K. (1997). Improving schooling for language minority children: A research agenda. Washington, DC National Academy Press.  Capps, R., Fix, M., Murray, J., Ost, J., Passel, J, & Herwantoro, S. (2005). The New Demography of America’s Schools: Immigration and the No Child Left Behind Act. Washington, DC: The Urban Institute.  Francis, D.J. (2003, October) Identification of learning disabilities in Spanish-Speaking English language learners. Paper presented to the OELA/OSERS/NICHD Symposium on Learning Disabilities in English Language Learners. Washington, DC.  Hakuta, K. (2001). A critical period for second language acquisition? In D. B. Bailey, J. T. Bruer, F. J., Symons, & J. W. Lichtman (Eds.). Critical Thinking about Critical Periods. Baltimore, MD: Paul Brookes Publishing Company.  National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition and Language. (2006). Growing numbers of limited English proficient students: 1995/96 – 2005/06. Retrieved June 25, 2008, from