SH I L DE 15 NA N 0 IO A 2 T N O L A O O N TI EXP S R TE TE EN GE IN NV UA O G C N LA M 2 - 5 T 2 O 8 R O N A T R C H C A N A D GL N A O Some gems from the convention Fran Murray TESOL Conference 2015, CANADA
IDENTIFICATION/NAMES/LABELS In USA and Canada: - English Second Language students are in ESL classes and are mainly ‘Newcomers’ (our New Arrivals) - English Language Learners (ELL) students are those ESL students in mainstream classes - What do we think about our English Additional Language/Dialect (EAL/D) label and the students it may apply to? Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
EXPLORE… University of Michigan Teacher Training and Applied Linguistics resources at www. press. umich. edu/elt/ Texts such as - Keys to teaching Grammar - The ART of Teaching Speaking - Understanding Cultural Narratives and many more……. Don’t Myth a Volume series Assessment myths, Pronunciation Myth, Second Language Acquisition Myths, vocabulary Myths, Listening Myths, Writing Myths Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
WE COULD TEACH THEM A THING OR TWO ABOUT…. Task based teaching Finland is moving to ‘Topic-based teaching’ away from subjects and content……. In other words – backward design or outcomes-based teaching - Plan end task, the outcome, the criteria, write the rubric, plan the process (teaching and learning) Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
CENTRE FOR APPLIED LINGUISTICS PRESENTATION Principles of effective instruction for English Language Learners 1. Learn about, value and build on the languages, experiences, knowledge and interest of each student to affirm each student’s identity and to bridge to new learning 2. Use multiple tools and sources of information to continually learn about and observe student performances, using the knowledge gained to teaching. 3. Involve every student in authentic, challenging, and engaging and academic experiences, including tasks that prompt them to use critical thinking skills and that relate to their lived experiences. 4. Plan for and develop all four language domains (listening, speaking, reading and writing) through meaningful, task-based content instruction. 5. Involve every student in academic interaction with peers who represent a variety of proficiency levels and with proficient speakers and writers, including the teacher 6. Scaffold instruction so that every student is able to participate in academically challenging grade level content instruction while developing academic language and literacy 7. Engage and communicate with all stakeholders of students’ success, especially with students’ families and communities. Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
CAL: FACTORS BEYOND INSTRUCTION THAT AFFECT STUDENTS’ SUCCESS Teachers backgrounds and the way in which they relate to students and to English learners in particular At the school level ……. program design How is diversity viewed? Not just on bulletin boards but in every interaction between administrators, teachers and students. - Do students feel their cultural and linguistic backgrounds are valued? - What is the availability and accessibility of appropriate services and extracurricular activities? - Does the school strive to reduce barriers to these? - Is the school aware of them? - Empowering parents to participate in their child’s education and promoting family literacy can be invaluable in promoting ELL’s Fran Murray TESOL academic achievement and personal development. Conference Toronto 2015
MORE FROM CAL Understanding Literacy in Academic Contexts - What is literacy? - A Brief History of Literacy - Literacy as a Social Practice - Literacy as Power - Multimodal Literacy (language, visuals, sound, gesture, action, space). - Apply the above to subject content. It looks different in different fields Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
MAJOR ORIENTATIONS TO LITERACY Autonomous orientation (an individual’s ability to read and write) Social Practices orientation (something a person does with oral or written texts) Ideological Orientation (literacy is considered a tool of power; literacy practices are associated with institutional power) Multiliteracies/multimodal orientation (an ability to understand use an array of sign systems to convey meaning; it goes beyond reading, writing and language) Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
CAL: STRATEGIES/ACTIVITIES FOR DEVELOPING ACADEMIC LITERACY LANGUAGE Inside/outside circles Sentence Stems Numbered Heads Together Most Important Words Together Snowballs Talking Chips Video Observation Guide Visual Puzzle Activity Sentence Generation Domino Discussion Soundgrams Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
Workshop: Strategies for developing Key Uses of Academic Language Workshop Outcomes Genre-based explanation – praised the work of Systemic Functional Linguists in Australia Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
THREE TYPES OF ASSESSMENT : O Diagnostic Assessment: A for L Formative assessment : A as L Summative Assessment – A of L e. g. assessment of planned RICH TASKS Occurs before learning Occurs during learning Occurs after learning Identifies students’ strengths and needs prior to instruction Identifies where students are in terms of their learning progress Measures students’ achievement in relation to curriculum expectations Allows teachers to tailor Allows teachers to monitor their instruction to each student’s learning individual students’ needs progress and to reflect on and adjust their teaching program as necessary Informs initial planning and teaching decisions Informs instruction to meet the needs of individual students Allows teachers to measure student learning and to determine the effectiveness of their program Assists teachers in the determination of a summary statement of Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronot 2015 students achievement
STEM & ELLS SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS MOVING FROM SILOS TO INTEGRATION Evaluate solution Designing solutions to a problem Test design Design Identify academic language of science and mathematics Create a design Predict Brainstorm solutions Task WHY? ELLs didn’t identify with Science/scientist s Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
STEM & ELLS SCIENCE TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERING MATHEMATICS MOVING FROM SILOS TO INTEGRATION Trans-disciplinary approach to inquiry and problem-based learning that fosters creativity and innovation with all students, inclusive of ELLs Facilitated the change in the role of ESL Specialists as school leaders ESL specialists as the STEM specialists or teachers could or work with/inform the Science and Maths teachers All kids to do STEM Resources: kids books (Omnivores Dilemma, That’s a Possibility, Mr Ferris and hi Wheels, film: the boy who harnessed the wind – TED talk Technology: foodmiles. com Informative texts: manuals, information on food labels Media: television, internet TASK e. g. develop a commercial/advertisement on a topic of relevance Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
CAL AND THE SIOP MODEL Eight interrelated concepts 1. Lesson preparation 2. Building background 3. Comprehensible input 4. Strategies 5. Interaction 6. Practice/application 7. Lesson delivery 8. Review-assessment www. cal. org/solutions/seven Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
JIM CUMMINS - KEYNOTE HTTP: //WWW. SOFTCONFERENCE. COM/TESOL/2015_WEBCAST/EVIDENC E. HTML Don’t believe everything you are told! Developing a healthy skepticism about “scientifically proven” policies Two examples: Interpreting low ELL performance after 1 year of learning English as an indicator of “bad teaching” Failure to acknowledge that systematic phonics teaching is largely unrelated to reading comprehension after grade 1. Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
EVIDENCE-FREE POLICY MAKING: READING (1) The (US) National Reading Panel (NRP) (2000) adopted a narrow focus regarding what constituted legitimate research (only experimental and quasi -experimental research was considered) u A major finding of the NRP was that there is “strong evidence substantiating the impact of systematic phonics instruction on learning to read” (p. 2 -132) u The $6 billion Reading First program predominantly funded programs that incorporated an intensive phonics focus in the early grades u The role of print access and literacy engagement was ignored despite extensive research documenting its impact on reading comprehension Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
EVIDENCE-FREE POLICY MAKING (2) Evidence-free Policy Making: ELL students typically require at least 5 years to catch up academically to native-speakers; by contrast, basic conversational fluency is usually acquired within 1 -2 years. For example: After three years of English-only instruction, a mere 12 percent of English language learners in California had acquired sufficient academic u English to be re-designated as English-proficient Parrish, T. , Merickel, A. , Perez, M. , Linquanti, R. , et al. (2006). u Effects of the implementation of Proposition 227 on the education of English learners, K-12: Findings from a five year evaluation (final report). Palo Alto and San Francisco: American Institutes for Research and West. Ed. u Therefore, it is unbelievably stupid and irresponsible to interpret low ELL performance after 1 or 2 years of learning English as indicative of inadequate instruction. Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
EVIDENCE-FREE POLICY MAKING: READING (1) Evidence-free Policy Making: Reading (3) $6 Billion largely wasted because research was ignored Reading First Impact Study: Final Report (November 2008) u “Reading First did not produce a statistically significant impact on student reading comprehension test scores in grades one, two or three. ” (2008, p. xv) u “Reading First produced a positive and statistically significant impact on decoding among first grade students tested in one school year (spring 2007). ” (2008, p. xvi) u “Reading First had no statistically significant impacts on student engagement with print. ” (p. xxii) Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
WHAT IS THE NATURE OF ACADEMIC LANGUAGE AND HOW DOES IT RELATE TO LITERACY DEVELOPMENT? We need to distinguish between: u Conversational fluency u Discrete language skills u Academic language proficiency What Is English Language Proficiency? Conversational Fluency u The ability to carry on a conversation in familiar face-to-face situations u Developed by the vast majority of native speakers by the time they enter school at age 5 u Involves use of high frequency words and simple grammatical Constructions u ELL students typically require 1 -2 years to attain peer appropriate levels. Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
EVIDENCE-FREE POLICY MAKING: READING (2) What the NRP Actually Found u Policy-makers and many researchers ignored the fact that for normally achieving and low achieving readers, systematic phonics instruction showed no relationship to reading comprehension beyond Grade 1. Ehri, Nunes, Stahl, and Willows (2001) acknowledge this pattern as Follows: “Among the older students in 2 nd through 6 th grades. . . phonics instruction was not effective for teaching spelling (d = 0. 09) or teaching reading comprehension (d = 0. 12)” (p. 418). “[R]eaders in 2 nd through 6 th grades classified as low achieving (LA) revealed no overall effects of phonics instruction…” (p. 418). Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
WHAT IS ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY? DISCRETE LANGUAGE SKILLS u Refers to the rule-governed aspects of language (phonological awareness, phonics, spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc. ) u Can be developed in two independent ways: (a) by explicit instruction, and (b) through immersion in a literacy-rich home or school environment where meanings are elaborated through language and attention is drawn to literate forms of language (e. g. letters on the pages of books) u ELL students can learn these specific language skills concurrently with their development of basic vocabulary and conversational fluency. However, there is little direct transference to other aspects of language proficiency (e. g. vocabulary). Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
WHAT IS ENGLISH LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY? Academic Language Proficiency u Includes knowledge of the less frequent vocabulary of English as well as the ability to interpret and produce increasingly complex written language u ELL students typically require at least 5 years to attain grade expectations in language and literacy skills u In order to catch up to grade norms within 6 years, ELL students must make 15 months gain in every 10 -month school year u Because academic language is found primarily in books, extensive reading is crucial in enabling students to catch up u Frequent writing, across genres, is also crucial in developing academic writing skills. Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
WHAT TEACHING STRATEGIES ARE MOST EFFECTIVE FOR DEVELOPING BILINGUAL/ELL STUDENTS’ LANGUAGE AND LITERACY COMPETENCIES? Key insight: u If academic language is found primarily in printed text, then it is not surprising that print access and literacy engagement are of central importance in promoting academic language proficiency. Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
Understanding Literacy Development in Multilingual School Contexts: What the Research Is Saying ↑ Literacy Achievement ↑ Print Access/Literacy Engagement ↑ Scaffold Meaning (input and output) ↔ Connect to students’ lives ↔ (activate prior knowledge) Affirm Identity ↔ Extend Language ↔ Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
THE CENTRALITY OF LITERACY ENGAGEMENT u Amount and range of reading and writing u Use of effective strategies for deep understanding of text u Positive affect and identity investment in reading and writing Guthrie notes that in all spheres of life (e. g. driving a car, doing surgery, playing golf, gourmet cooking, etc. ) participation is key to the development of proficiency. He notes that “certainly some initial lessons are valuable for driving a car or typing on a keyboard, but expertise spirals upward mainly with engaged participation” (2004, p. 8). Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
LITERACY ENGAGEMENT PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN PROMOTING READING COMPREHENSION OECD’s PISA Study Data on the reading attainment of 15 -year olds in 27 countries showed that “the level of a student’s reading engagement is a better predictor of literacy performance than his or her socioeconomic background, indicating that cultivating a student’s interest in reading can help overcome home disadvantages” (OECD, 2004, p. 8). Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
SCAFFOLD LANGUAGE Scaffolding refers to the provision of instructional supports that enable learners to carry out tasks and perform academically at a higher level than they would be capable of without these supports. u Graphic organizers u Visuals in texts u Demonstrations u Hands-on experiences u Collaborative group work u Encouraging L 1 use (e. g. , writing) as a means of transferring knowledge and skills from L 1 to L 2 u Learning strategies (planning tasks, visualisation, grouping/classifying, notetaking/summarising, questioning for clarification, making use of multiple resources fortask completion) u Language clarification (explanation, dictionary use, etc. ) Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT LEARNING? Bransford, Brown, & Cocking (2000) How People Learn Engaging prior understandings “new understandings are constructed on a foundation of existing understandingsand experiences” (Donovan & Bransford, 2005, p. 4). Integrating factual knowledge with conceptual frameworks “deep understanding of subject matter transforms factual information into usable knowledge” (Bransford et al. p. 16). Using metacognitive strategies to take active control over the learning process “a ‘metacognitive’ or self-monitoring approach can help students develop the ability to take control of their own learning, consciously define learning goals, and monitor their progress in achieving them” (Donovan & Bransford, 2005, p. 10) Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
LEARNING= THE INTEGRATION OF NEW INFORMATION AND SKILLS WITH EXISTING INFORMATION AND SKILLS Snow, Burns and Griffin (1998: 219) express the centrality of background knowledge as follows: Every opportunity should be taken to extend and enrich children’s background knowledge and understanding in every way possible, for the ultimate significance and memorability of any word or text depends on whether children possess the background knowledge and conceptual sophistication to understand its meaning. Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE AFFECTIVE DIMENSION (IDENTITY INVESTMENT) IN DETERMINING STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC ENGAGEMENT Key insight: Devaluation of identity is a cause of underachievement. Gloria Ladson-Billings: “The problem that African-American students face is the constant devaluation of their culture both in school and in the larger society” (1995, p. 485). Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
FACTORS IMPACTING ON LOW ACHIEVEMENT AND LEARNING DISADVANTAGE Student Background Linguistically Diverse Low SES Marginalised status Source of potential disadvantage Failure to understand instruction due to home/school language differences Inadequate pre-natal care Inadequate nutrition Lack of cultural and material resources in the home due to poverty Limited range of language interaction Inadequate access to print at home and at school Societal discrimination Low teacher expectations Stereotype threat Identity devaluation Evidence-based Instructional reponse Scaffold comprehension and production of language across the curriculum Maximise literacy engagement Connect instruction to students’ lives Reinforce academic language across the curriculum Affirm students’ identities in association with literacy engagement “Inadequate access to print at home for academic language development, therefore the school has to do it. ” Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
DEVALUATION OF IDENTITY AS A CAUSE OF UNDERACHIEVEMENT u Extensive evidence from both the sociological/anthropological and u psychological research literature demonstrates the impact of societal power relations on minority group achievement u Students who come from social groups whose identities (culture, language, religion, etc. ) have been devalued in the wider society tend to experience disproportionate academic failure. Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
THE DEEPER ROOTS OF UNDERACHIEVEMENT ISIDRO LUCAS (1981): STUDY OF PUERTO RICAN DROP-OUT STUDENTS IN CHICAGO: “All my dropout respondents spoke good understandable English. They hadn’t learned math, or social sciences, or natural sciences, unfortunately. But they had learned English…No dropout mentioned lack of English as the reason for quitting. As it evolved through questionnaires and interviews, theirs was a more subtle story—of alienation, of not belonging, of being ‘push-outs’… To my surprise, dropouts expressed more confidence in their ability to speak English than did the stay-ins (seniors in high school). For their part, stay-ins showed more confidence in their Spanish than did dropouts…I had to conclude that identity, expressed in one’s confidence and acceptance of the native culture was more a determinant of school stay-in power than the mere acquisition of the codingdecoding skills involved in a different language, English”. (p. 19) Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
WHAT IMAGE OF THE CHILD ARE WE SKETCHING IN OUR INSTRUCTION? u Capable of becoming bilingual and biliterate? u Capable of higher-order thinking and intellectual accomplishments? u Capable of creative and imaginative thinking? u Capable of creating literature and art? u Capable of generating new knowledge? u Capable of thinking about and finding solutions to social issues? Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
AFFIRM STUDENT IDENTITIES u Newcomer students are often in a vulnerable position – they are unable to show their intelligence, personality, sense of humour, etc. to teachers and peers. u They may have gone from a school situation where they were very competent academically to one where they now feel incompetent. u When newcomer students feel welcomed in the school and classroom by teachers and peers, they will engage academically much more actively and effectively. u Identity Texts: a tool for literacy engagement and identity investment u Identity texts refer to artefacts that students produce. Students take ownership of these artefacts as a result of having invested their identities in them. u Once produced, these texts (written, spoken, visual, musical, or combinations in multimodal form) hold a mirror up to the student in which his or her identity is reflected back in a positive light. Students invest their identities in these texts which then become ambassadors of students’ identities. When students share identity texts with multiple audiences (peers, teachers, parents, grandparents, sister classes, the media, etc. ) they are likely to receive positive feedback and affirmation of self in interaction with these audiences. Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
SEGMENT 5 GETTING ON THE SAME PAGE – A WHOLESCHOOL APPROACH Segment 5 Getting on the same page – a whole-school approach Key insight: Research evidence matters! If policy-makers are promoting evidence-free policies that simultaneously hinder learning among bilingual/ELL students and damage teacher effectiveness and morale, then educators within schools must develop school-based policies that reflect the empirical evidence and express the collective educational identity of the school. Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
PLANNING INSTRUCTIONAL CHANGE WITHIN SCHOOLS: ARTICULATING CHOICES AND TAKING COLLECTIVE ACTION Instructional Options Current Realities Where Are We? Content How do we adapt curriculum materials to link with students’ prior knowledge and cultural background (e. g. purchase dual language books) and also to promote critical thinking about texts and issues (e. g. whose perspectives are represented in a text)? Cognition How can we modify instruction to evoke higher levels of literacy engagement and critical thinking? Tools How can we use tools such as computers, digital cameras, camcorders, web pages, etc? Assessment How can we complement mandated standardized assessments in order to present to students, parents, and administrators a more valid account of student progress? (e. g. a role for portfolio assessment? ) Language/Culture What messages are we giving students and parents about home language and culture? How can we enable students to use their L 1 as a powerful tool for learning? Can we increase students’ identity investment by means of bilingual instructional strategies (teaching for transfer)? Parental Involvement How can we engage parents as co-educators in such a way that their linguistic and cultural expertise is harnessed as fuel for their children’s academic progress? Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015 Vision for the Future Where Do We Want To Be? Getting it Done How Do We Get There?
ELL STUDENTS’ L 1 AS A RESOURCE WITHIN THE CLASSROOM Invite students to: u Complete dual-language assignments such as a bilingual advertisement (e. g. to attract visitors to a country or region) or a dual language story or book; u Work with same-language partners to discuss a problem and clarify information in the L 1 before reporting back in English (e. g. think, pair, share in L 1) u Create multilingual displays or signs (e. g. , high school science teacher gives extra marks for multilingual posters of bodily systems for presentation to younger students from diverse backgrounds). u Write first drafts, notes, journal entries, and outlines in L 1; u Provide bilingual support for newcomers (e. g. class partners or cross-grade u tutors who speak the language of the newcomer can highlight or translate key concepts). (Based on Ontario Ministry of Education (2006) Many Roots, Many Voices. http: //www. edu. gov. on. ca/eng/document/manyroots/) Fran Murray TESOL Conference toronto 2015
CULTURAL DIVERSITY AS A RESOURCE WITHIN THE CLASSROOM Geography: Have students present a climate graph on their country of origin to use their personal and previous experiences as a basis for information. Physical education: Have students teach the class a game or activity from another country – including key words and phrases related to the game. English/language arts: Invite students to create poems in their two languages. If they are newcomers they may write first in their L 1 and then translate the poem to English (with help from classmates, community volunteers, or bilingual teachers); if they are more fluent in English than L 1, they can write first in English and then get help from classmates, parents, or teachers to translate the poem into the L 1. All subject areas: Ask English language learners and English-speaking students to work together to create dual-language posters or brochures on topics being studied. (Ontario Ministry of Education (2006)Many Roots, Many Voices. http: //www. edu. gov. on. ca/eng/document/manyroots/) Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
THE KNOWLEDGE BASE The language of academic success in school is very different from the language we use in everyday conversational interactions. ELL students typically require at least 5 years to catch up academically to native-speakers; by contrast, basic conversational fluency is usually acquired within 1 -2 years. Sustained growth in reading and writing skills is strongly related to students’ level of literacy engagement. All learning builds on a foundation of pre-existing knowledge and skills. Students’ L 1 is an important cognitive resource in scaffolding instruction – can be mobilized as a stepping stone to English academic skills Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
RESOURCES u www. multiliteracies. ca (Multiliteracies project) u Dual Language Showcase (http: //www. thornwoodps. ca/dual/index. htm) u ell. stanford. edu (Understanding Language Project, Stanford University; highly relevant articles on the nature of academic language and how to teach it) u Literacy, Technology and Diversity: Teaching for Success in Changing Times (Jim Cummins, Kristin Brown, & Dennis Sayers; Allyn & Bacon, 2007) u (http: //www. allynbaconmerrill. com/bookstore/product. asp? isbn=020538935 X&rl=1) u Identity. Texts: The Collaborative Creation of Power in Multilingual Schools (Edited by Jim Cummins and Margaret Early; Trentham Books, 2011) http: //trentham. styluspub. com/Books/Book. Detail. aspx? product. ID=2417 http: //www. multiliteracies. ca/index. php/folio/view. Project/219 Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015
Also go to this website for a good ppt to use when you are presenting PD to the staff at your school http: //www. gaelscoileanna. ie/assets/Language-Literacy-Development-among-EALPupils_Jim-Cummins. pdf Cheers Fran Murray Education Consultant www. walkteach. com. au Fran Murray TESOL Conference Toronto 2015