1. Improving Education for English Learners: Research-Based Approaches
English Learner and Support Services
Professional Learning Series
September 23, 2010

2. Chapter 1 pp “Research to Guide English Language Development Instruction” by W. Saunders & C. Goldenberg based on a presentation by Dianna Gutiérrez Education Programs Consultant Language Policy and Leadership Office
William Saunders, Ph.D. – senior research fellow at Cal State Long Beach
Formerly director of the Writing Project at USC.
Claude Goldenberg Ph.D. – professor of education at Stanford University.
Former Executive Director of Center for Language Minority Education and Research (CLMER) at Cal State Long Beach
Was on the National Literacy Panel

3. Chapter Overview
Synthesizes studies and research that identify guidelines for effective English language development (ELD) instruction.
Provides guidelines for instructional practice based on existing research.
Authors found little research that focuses specifically on U.S. K–12 ELD instruction and conclude that most of the current ELD instruction is driven by theory.
Fourteen guidelines for ELD instruction are outlined.

4. Chapter Organization Explanation of ELD instruction
Description of the small research base for ELD instruction
Description of the fourteen ELD instruction guidelines and the related research

5. Defining ELD Instruction
ELD instruction is designed specifically to help English learners (ELs) learn and acquire English to a proficiency level that maximizes their capacity to engage successfully in academic studies taught in English. (p. 23)
Primary goal of ELD instruction is to learn and acquire English by mastering ELD standards. To evaluate, first measure progress on the California English Language Development Test (CELDT). (p. 24)
In ELD instruction, language is the primary objective and content is secondary. (p. 25)

6. Sheltered Instruction
Primary goal of sheltered instruction is to teach skills and knowledge identified in the content area standards. To evaluate, first measure progress on California Standards Tests (CSTs). (p. 24)
Content is primary and language is secondary.
(p. 25)

7. ELD Instruction Research Base
Chapter draws heavily on six syntheses and/or meta-analyses that represent diverse populations and contexts. (p. 25)
Small body of research to guide design and delivery of
K–12 ELD instruction.
- Very few studies focus on the effects of instruction
- Most studies involve college-age and adult learners
studying a foreign language
Most of the research on ELs in the U.S. have focused on evaluating bilingual or English immersion programs to measure the effects of the overall program, not the ELD instructional component on the acquisition of English.
Ellis 2005a
Genesse et al. w006
Keck et al. 2006
Lyster 2007
Norris and Ortega 2000
Russell and Spada 2006

8. Guidelines for ELD Instruction
Based on relatively strong supporting evidence from EL research (two).
Based on hypotheses emerging from recent EL research (nine).
Applicable to ELD but grounded in non-EL research (three).

9. Our Process Today Review the guidelines in “chunks”, whole group.
Discuss in smaller groups. This will be timed.
Use the NCR graphic organizer to record your Make/Take Notes, Implications for your district, and Next Steps.
Return whole group for the next “chunk” of guidelines.

10. Guidelines based on Relatively Strong Supporting Evidence from EL Research
1. Providing ELD instruction is better than not providing it. (pp ) -aids language acquisition for all proficiency levels -aids younger and older learners 2. ELD instruction should include interactive activities, but they must be carefully planned and carried out. (pp ) -One study found that interactive tasks that required accurate use of English form, produced stronger learning outcomes than tasks that did not require correct us of the language form.
5 minutes

11. Small Group Discussion
Discuss Guidelines 1 and 2.
Anything surprising? Similar to what occurs in your district? Different?
Implications for your district?
Next steps for you in your district?
5 Minutes

12. Guidelines based on Hypotheses Emerging from EL Research
3. A separate block of time should be devoted to ELD instruction. (pp ) -Kindergartners who received ELD in a separate block made greater gains than students in an integrated ELD/LA block (bilingual & English immersion programs). -Hypothesize that longer ELD block combined with focused, systematic language instruction helped accelerate oral language growth. 4. ELD instruction should emphasize listening and speaking although it can incorporate reading and writing. (pp.35-37) -A positive relationship between oral English proficiency and English reading achievement
#3 – Saunders and Goldenberg hypothesize

13. Guidelines based on Hypotheses Emerging from EL Research
5. ELD instruction should explicitly teach elements of English (e.g. vocabulary, syntax, grammar, functions, and conventions). (pp ) -Focusing students’ attention on the targeted language element, or form, produces higher levels of second-language learning -Explicit instruction also includes inductive approaches 6. ELD instruction should integrate meaning and communication to support explicit teaching of language. (pp ) -No definitive empirical evidence related to the appropriate balance and exact relationship.
Inductive – students engage in tasks containing many examples of a particular rule or form and then instructor direct students’ attention to the language elements so that students arrive at the rule by themselves or with the teacher’s guidance pg. 38

14. Small Group Discussion
Discuss Guidelines 3-6.
Anything surprising? Similar to what occurs in your district? Different?
Implications for your district?
Next steps for you in your district?
13 Minutes

15. Guidelines based on Hypotheses Emerging from EL Research
7. ELD instruction should provide students with corrective feedback on form. (pp ) -Three studies tested the effects of implicit (recast) and explicit (prompt) forms of corrective feedback and found stronger positive effects for prompt than recast feedback. -ELD teachers should not avoid or hesitate about providing feedback –central to the issue is how to do it effectively 8. Use of English should be maximized during ELD instruction; the primary language should be used strategically. (pp ) -Use of primary language to ensure ELs understand directions, pay attention to cognates, master language learning and metacognitive strategies
#7 - implicit (recast) teachers recast a student’s utterance, they rearticulate what the student was trying to say with an utterance that includes corrections of one or more errors in the student’s utterance.
Prompts explicitly draw a student’s attention to an error and encourage or require the student to attempt to repair the utterance.

16. Guidelines based on Hypotheses Emerging from EL Research
9. Teachers should attend to communication and language-learning strategies and incorporate them in ELD instruction. (pp ) -As students develop proficiency, their strategy use changes. -Another study suggests that explicit instruction on how to use strategies, especially metacognitive strategies, might be beneficial for ELs’ oral language development.
from heavy reliance on receptive strategies to increased use of interactive strategies and eventually to more sophisticated communication-monitoring strategies

17. Guidelines Based on Hypotheses Emerging from EL Research
10. ELD instruction should emphasize academic language as well as conversational language. (pp ) -Academic language refers to the specialized vocabulary, grammar, discourse/textual, and functional skills associated with academic instruction and mastery of academic material and tasks. -The concept of academic language has gained attention, but no studies have tested the hypothesis that ELs’ language development benefits from ELD instruction that focuses heavily on academic language.
It is not the case that academic language is necessarily more sophisticated than social language (Bailey 2007)

18. Guidelines Based on Hypotheses Emerging from EL Research
11. ELD instruction should continue at least until students reach level 4 (early advanced) and possibly through level 5 (advanced). (pp ) -Hypothesize that if ELs continue to receive explicit ELD instruction in levels three through five, they can more rapidly attain native-like oral proficiency and avoid the plateau many experience
-Studies have found that ELs require four to six years to achieve “early advanced” proficiency,
-the average oral English proficiency achieved advanced proficiency by fifth grade in fewer than ½ the available studies
-progress from beginning to middle levels of proficiency is rapid, but then plateaus.
Pg. 54
The hypothesis implicitly assumes that:
English Learners typically do not receive ELD instruction once they get to middle proficiency levels and, even less so, as they move into early advanced and advanced levels;
The lack of ELD instruction is perhaps one reason for the stagnation

19. Small Group Discussion
Discuss Guidelines 7-11.
Anything surprising? Similar to what occurs in your district? Different?
Implications for your district?
Next steps for you in your district?
18 Minutes

20. Guidelines Applicable to ELD but Grounded in Non-EL Research
12. ELD instruction should be planned and delivered with specific language objectives in mind. (pp ) - Evidence that objectives can enhance learning if objectives, teaching and assessment are coordinated. -Hypothesize that instructional objectives will be as useful for ELD instruction as it is for other types of academic instruction.

21. Guidelines Applicable to ELD but Grounded in Non-EL Research
13. ELs should be carefully grouped by language proficiency for ELD instruction; for other portions of the school day they should be in mixed classrooms and not in classrooms segregated by language proficiency. (pp ) - There is no research that directly relates to how ELs should be grouped, for what purpose, and how much of the school day. -Studies in other content areas found homogeneous groupings for the entire school day lead to lower achievement among lower-achieving students -ELs should be regularly assessed to monitor progress and to make certain instruction and placement is appropriate.
-- possible homogeneous grouping exception is for gifted students
-no studies on grouping practices for for extremely high-achieving ELs

22. Guidelines Applicable to ELD but Grounded in Non-EL Research
14. The likelihood of establishing and/or sustaining an effective ELD instructional program increases when schools and districts make it a priority. (pp ) -Very little experimental research in this area. -Studies agree that what gets emphasized in schools and districts can influence what teachers do and what students learn. -A high priority placed on ELD instruction by schools and districts is likely to contribute to promoting higher levels of English acquisition (together with curriculum and instruction based on the best research currently available)

23. Small Group Discussion
Discuss Guidelines
Anything surprising? Similar to what occurs in your district? Different?
Implications for your district?
Next steps for you in your district?
8 Minutes

24. Success for English Learners
“….requires comprehensive programs and approaches that incorporate ELD instruction, strong English literacy instruction, effective sheltered instruction in the content areas, and—ideally—effective use of students’ primary language.” (p. 63)
Cloze reading of quote, they read blue