Implementing the English Language Proficiency

English
Language
Proficiency
Standards
(ELPS)
in the
Social Studies
Classroom
Cheryl Chance
Office of Bilingual Education/ESL
Session Objectives
Content Objectives (TAKS):
Participants will develop background knowledge of why
Language Objectives (ELPS) are an essential part of lesson
delivery for English language learners.
Participants will be able to describe how Language Objectives
(ELPS) differ from Content Objectives (TAKS).
Language Objectives (ELPS):
Participants will orally discuss and categorize Content (TAKS)
and Language Objectives (ELPS).
Participants will demonstrate their knowledge of Language
Objectives (ELPS) by sharing with the group.
English Language Proficiency
Standards (ELPS)
The English Language Proficiency
Standards (ELPS) were approved by the
State Board of Education on November
16, 2007. These standards will replace
the English as a Second Language Texas
Essential Knowledge and Skills (ESL
TEKS) beginning in the 2008-2009
school year and may be found online at
http://www.tea.state.tx.us/curriculum/biling/
elps.html.
Why are English Language Proficiency
Standards Necessary?
Small Group Activity
1. Attain English proficiency,
2. Develop academic language, and
3. Meet the same challenging academic
content and achievement standards that
all children are expected to meet.
English Language Proficiency
Standards (ELPS)
The ELPS have two components:
• cross-curricular second language
acquisition essential knowledge and
skills
• proficiency level descriptors
(Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced,
and Advanced High)
Every teacher in any content
or enrichment course in the
Austin Independent School
District who teaches ELLs
must teach a language
objective as well as a content
objective.
The Nature of Language
Proficiency:
BICS
Basic
Interpersonal
Communication
Skills
Conversational
CALP
Cognitive
Academic
Language
Proficiency
Textbook language
Academic Language
Academic language is the language used in content area
classrooms. It is linked to higher order thinking
processes and developed by extensive modeling and
scaffolding of classroom talk. In order to develop
academic language, students must be immersed in a
language-rich, interactive environment.
Academic language unique to Social Studies
the past
the present
point of view
analysis of relationships
persons, places, and events
cause and effect
Teaching Guidelines for Social Studies
• Assess students’ prior knowledge about social
studies topics
• Select content objectives from the TEKS
• Provide academic language activities in which
students read, write, listen to, discuss, and make
presentations on social student content
• Teach and have student practice leaning
strategies with all social studies activities
TEKS and ELPS Objectives
Content Objectives are the:
Language Objectives are the :
Writing Language Objectives
• Language Objectives are the HOW of the lesson. Your language
objectives should include interaction in the form of discussion
(paired and/or cooperative learning activities). Think about
specific language skills you want students to develop; include
them as language objectives. Then plan the lesson accordingly.
• Most of the language verbs lend themselves to language
objectives:
• define (vocabulary is most important)
• describe
• identify
• label
• name
• spell
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define (vocabulary is most important)
describe
identify
label
name
Spell
compare
contrast
explain
summarize
rephrase
interview
discuss (peer/group work)
elaborate
imagine
predict
compose
Objectives
CONTENT
•
Complete a timeline
listing the events
leading up to the
Revolutionary War.
LANGUAGE
• In the reading,
highlight the colonial
action in blue and the
British reaction in red.
• Explain to a partner
your timeline. Use the
words first, second,
then to show
sequence.
Sentence Stems
ELLs benefit from having language scaffolded through the use of
sentence stems when engaging in activities involving speaking and
writing. Stems are used until they have mastered that scaffold. It
should not become a “crutch” for the students. Sentence stems:
• Are short phrases that provide models for how to use academic
vocabulary and correct grammar in context.
• Help English learners have a starting place for communicating their
ideas orally and in writing.
• May be oral and/or written.
• Can focus on issues and concepts.
• Should be created using the language of TEKS and TAKS.
• Are created by understanding the academic language students are
currently able to use and will need to use to demonstrate their
knowledge of the content objective.
TEKS 8.6C:
Creating Sentence Stems
Content Objective:
Identify colonial grievances listed
in the Declaration of
Independence. explain how those
grievances were addressed in the
U.S. Constitution and the Bill of
Rights.
ELPS: 3(H)
Narrate, describe, and explain
with increasing specificity and
detail as more English is
acquired.
Student will use a graphic
organizer to identify colonial
grievances in the Declaration of
Independence.
Language Objective:
Students will identify and describe
colonial grievances using the
sentence stems:
A grievance can be defined as
___________.
Three examples of colonial
grievances listed in the Declaration
of Independence are _______,
________, and ________.
Objectives
CONTENT
•
Select the 3 most
significant events
which led to the
Revolutionary War.
LANGUAGE
• In writing, summarize the
3 most significant events
which led to war.
 _______ was the most
significant event because
_________________.
 The significance of
_____cannot be
overstated. It _________.
 ________ was also
significant because
_________.
Verbs for Language Objectives
Write…
Read with a
partner…
Think…
Listen…
Retell…
Read…
Discuss…
Big Ideas
Make Content
Comprehensible
Develop Academic
Language
Big Responsibilities
Communicate
Sequence Curriculum
Scaffold
Identify Language Levels
ELPS
Student Expectations
Listening
Language
Speaking
Learning
Reading
Strategies
Writing
Cross-Curricular
Language Levels
Beginner
Intermediate
Advanced
Advanced High
Instructional Strategies
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Act out meanings
Activate prior-knowledge and build upon students’ background
experience (i.e., schema)
Adapt content-critical content
Allow
– multiple learning opportunities (2-3)
– the student to highlight texts
Contextualize language
Create word banks
Describe
– difficult concepts visually with the use of graphic organizers and
other charts
– assignments orally and in written form—having the assignment
written on the board at the beginning of class gives the student the
entire hour to copy it
Embed definitions
Emphasize of key vocabulary
Instructional Strategies
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Employ
– a variety of grouping strategies
– brainstorming when seeking answers to questions
– journal writing
– reciprocal teaching
– story creation technique using key words
– think- pair- share techniques
– writing workshops
Encourage active involvement
Engage
– higher-order thinking skills
– students in activities and small & large group discussions
Exercise inductive and deductive instruction
Find supplementary materials (books related to topic & at reading level)
Give demonstrations with real objects
Include relevant 5-minute grammar review workshops
Label maps and diagrams with necessary information
Make
– content objectives explicit
– language objectives explicit
– learning-strategy instruction explicit
Instructional Strategies
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Model
Modify pacing
Place an agenda on the board, so students have an advanced organizer for reference
Plan meaningful activities (like games and flashcards) it will motivate and engage all the
learners
Pre-teach important concepts (A Priori)
Provide
– a vocabulary review/preview
– ample practice
– contextualization clues
– lots of feedback on content and language use
– words and images together
– clear oral and written explanation of tasks
– links to past learning
– organizational charts for new information
– instruction to train the learners to read for context clues
Repeat in a variety of ways (recycle, connect, and extend)
SQ3R (survey, question, read, recite, review, reflect)
Simplify! Some texts are just too wordy.
– Outlines
– Paraphrase and summarize intermittently
– Find the main ideas
Instructional Strategies
Teach
– the bold face and italics terms and importance of the form
– the text backward
• Use
– comprehension checks to check students’ attention and understanding
– gestures, pictures, drawings, stories.
– graphic organizers appropriately (not just a worksheet)
– activity before content or ABC=hands on activities and materials-try to
allow learners to conduct a hands-on activity first before a lecture on the
principles. They then have the opportunity to use inductive reasoning, and
are more likely to understand the principles, or points of lesson, more
clearly.
– interest builders (movies, photos, music, field trips, books, anticipation
guides, etc) prior to chapter readings
– mnemonic devices
– native language (clarification in L1)
– overheads, realia, visuals, maps, charts, bulletin boards, timelines...
– real-life examples and anecdotes
– Think-Aloud Protocol to gain insight into your learners’ reading.
– word associations to make connections
Writing Language Objectives
Practice writing content objectives and correlating
language objectives. Try to incorporate the four
ELPS Proficiency Level Descriptors.
Reading, Writing, Listening and Speaking
Share with the whole group.
English Language Proficiency Standards
Texas Education Agency
Developing Language Objectives for the
Mathematics Classroom
From Theory to Practice
Southwest Educational Development Laboratory
Mastering Multiple Literacies: Implementing the English Language Proficiency
Standards
Austin Independent School District
Stepping Up Your Sheltered Content Instruction
Dr. Kate Mastruserio Reynolds
University of Wisconsin