Newsletter Date: March , 2009 Volume 5, Issue 2
ESL Newsletter
Guilford County Schools
Mayra Hayes/ESL Director Shirley Marcus-Newsletter Coordinator
WE ARE ON THE HOT LIST!
The National Reading Panel (www.nationalreading panel.org) seems to be a major determinant of many of the “hot” topics on the “What’s Hot” list. The following were “very hot” topics: adolescent literacy, literacy coaches and English as a Second Language and RTI. Comprehension and word mean/vocabulary remain “hot”. Phonics and phoneme awareness are again on the “not hot” list and fluency and scientific-based research and instruction changed from “very hot” to “hot.” The five coldest topics on the 2009 list are adult literacy, motivation/ engagement, multicultural literature, and writing. National Reading Panel 13th annual survey Regardless of the program what matters the most is teacher quality.
AFTER TESTING ON THE WIDA ACCESS-A STRATEGY FOR IMPROVING LISTENING AND ORAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS DICTOGLOS
A dictoglos is a strategic developed by Ruth Wajnryb (1960) for use with high school students, but it can be adapted for use with all ages. It is especially effective with ELLs because the strategy focuses on fluent academic language and supports learners in listening and recalling good English language models. A dictoglos involves students in listening to repeated, fluent readings of English text. At first, they just listen, but on subsequent reading they take down as much of the text as possible. Then they get together in pairs and again in fours to combine their notations and re-create as much of the text as possible. The activity provides an authentic reason for communication and practice in recreating, rewriting and rereading English text. Step 1-Select an appropriate piece of text-Select a content related text and read it aloud at a normal speaking pace. At first, the students are instructed, “Just listen carefully.” Step 2-Reread the text orally-Read the text twice more. The students are instructed to “Jot down key words and phrases.” Step 3-Pair to re-create the text- Have the students work in pairs to re-create as much of the text as possible using the notes taken by each of the partners to write the text as closely as possible to the original as read by the teacher. Step 4-Work in groups of four-Have two pairs meet together and pool their re-creation of the text to reconstruct it more completely to the original. Step 5-Ask one member of each group to read the group’s re-creation of the text and ask the others to see how closely it matches their version. Display the group’s text, compare and discuss them. 50 Strategies for Teaching ELLs/ Herrell & Jordan
ESL Newsletter
Page 2
TESOL/Southeast Region
Make plans to attend the TESOL Academy in Charleston! BIG NEWS! TESOL, INC. is extending the members' rate of $205 for registration to Carolina TESOL members. If you have not gone to www.carolinatesol.org to renew or register as a member, NOW is the time. Please pass the word to mainstream colleagues and adult educators because the Institutes at the Academy provide some of the best training a non-ESL teacher can get! Dates: June 19-20 Presenters: Judy Cheatham, Judy O'Loughlin, Judie Haynes, Socorro Herrera (K-12 primarily); Donna Moss and Rob Jenkins Adult ESL Place: College of Charleston, Charleston Hotel: Frances Marion - $159/night More Info: The details will be posted on at www.tesol.org and in our coming newsletter www.carolinatesol.org.
P.S. The Academy is attended by professionals from all over the world, and it will probably not return to the Southeast region anytime SOON.
GCS/ESL
Fostering Leadership and Building Collaborative Communities for the 21st Century TESOL for ALL: Partnering for Future Ready Schools For classroom teachers, ESL specialists, administrators, teacher education faculty, and prospective teachers June 24, 2009 Learn more about strategies and resources for better collaboration with families and the community to support the achievement of ELLs in NC. Registration opens March 23, 2009 Information and Online Registration: http://www.uncg.edu/ted/summersymposium/ $15/participant, CEUs & book included Participants will receive 0.6 CEUs & Book
ESL Newsletter
Page 3
Web Sites - ESL Research
Yes-No feedback provides no information for the student in terms of learning.
http://www.gcsnc.com/depts/esl/video/helping.htm-Video of GCS/ESL staff presenting important strategies for content teachers (highly recommended)
http://www.srnleads.org/resources/publications/pdf/nsdc _profdev _tech _ report.pdf -Professional Learning in the Learning Profession http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/edlabs/projects/project.asp?projectID=172&productID=125 New Measures of English Language Proficiency and their Relationship to Performance on Large-scale Content Assessments ( 2 009 ) reports the findings of a study designed to determine whether students' performance on an English proficiency assessment ( ACCESS for ELLs) could predict their performance on a large-scale content assessment ( the New England Common Assessment Program, or NECAP ) . Researchers found ( a ) that the English language domains of reading and writing were significant predictors of performance on reading, writing, and mathematics content assessments in fifth and eighth grades and ( b ) that reading and writing were stronger predictors of content area performance than the oral language skills of speaking and listening. If you're not already subscribed to Larry's ESL blog, you might want to have a look at it. http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org North Carolina State University produces a quarterly online newsletter called the ESL Globe. The new one just came out http://www.ncsu.edu/eslglobe/ http://www.repeatafterus.com/index.php-offers a huge selection of recorded texts that allow students to read along with a native English speaker. Selections range from nursery rhymes to famous quotations, and students can even record their own reading! Contents are organized by author, by genre, by title, and by difficulty level ( b eginning, intermediate, advanced )
Congratulations to Student at the Newcomers School
“ W e are all still on Cloud 9…Mariya Tabin was placed 3rd overall at the
Feedback-a direct, personal response by a teacher to a specific statement by a student-seems closely linked to academic success.
Shakespeare competition!! And although this may not sound all that greatshe competed against 13 American kids , all of whom had been doing drama forever, and were very polished. To be placed in the top 3 was unbelievable…!! ” English /eacher-Georgie Tasseron
Cooperative Learning in the ESL & Content Area Classroom
Research shows how important small-group instruction is to student learning in general. Cooperative group instruction is a crucial tool for the ESL classroom and for content area teachers who have ELLs in their classes. When students have specific guidelines and roles in the group and native English speakers are coached in how to include their ELL classmates, the academic and social results are impressive. The following are some important effective small-group strategies that are effective with ELLs:
1. Showdown is an activity effective for reviewing material before a test. Each group creates 10 questions about the topic to be reviewed. They then pass their questions to another group. One student from each group reads the first question, and the other group members write their responses. When the lead student calls out “Showdown,” everyone shows their responses. Those with correct answers are congratulated. A different team member reads each question until they have been answered. 2. Round Table is an activity that can be used with ELLs if the responses do not require too much written language and spelling does not count. For example, the teacher gives an instruction such as “Name as many insects as you can.” The first student in each group writes a response and passes the paper to the next student. The paper is passed around the group until the group members have written everything they can think of. The group with the most correct responses wins some kind of recognition. 3. Two-Minute Review is an activity in which the teacher stops during a lesson or discussion so that the group members can review the information with each other. Modify this strategy so that students have up to 10 minutes to help each other, which gives ELLs a chance to clarify questions and review information. This works best when students are give a particular group task and the team discusses and writes down the most important points.
Essential Magazine, 12/08
Vocabulary of Socialization Processes
Enculturation: acquiring one’s native language and culture (i.e., socialization) Acculturation: modifying one’s native language and culture by adapting to another culture (and often giving up one’s own). Assimilation: coming to see oneself as part of a culture other than the one in which one was raised (often under external pressure to conform). Bilingualism/biculturalism: participating appropriately and effectively in two languages and cultures, whether acquiring both simultaneously in childhood or one later in life.