Angela L. Briggs FLT 860 Michigan State University

High School English Language Learners (ELL’s) - Vietnam Individuals who are not native English speakers Students in Vietnam have learned English at home (heritage learners) and/or at school. (Gass,2013, p. 477) Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (Reed, 2003, p 18) Lack of background knowledge in US Social Studies Social Studies Content Area A study of history, political science, sociology, geography and economics Specialized jargon and concepts rooted in American culture Curriculum contains high cognitive load and low frequency vocabulary Szpara, 2007, p. 189

ELL Student Challenges Academic grade level English 5 to 7 years (Cummins) Syntax- use of passive voice is not common for ELL students Lack background information that authors of textbooks assume they have (Background Knowledge) Lack of grade-level appropriate vocabulary necessary for content learning; social studies vocab is technical and abstract Style of social studies text can difficult for ELL’s Brown,2007, p. 185

Cultural Literacy – familiarity with student’s culture and what they bring to the classroom (Szpara, 2007, p.. 189) Teaching Strategies Developing a socially supportive classroom Explicitly linking their past to the present. Contextualize the content (visual materials) Clearly defined objectives Increase comprehensibility Increase interaction – unique instruction – field, purpose and engagement (Gass, 2013, p. 424) Increase thinking/study skills Use student’s native language (L1) to increase comprehensibility promote the SLA process

“Culturally Responsive Teaching is making a connection to our student’s background by getting to know our students and having them share their culture through their work” (Li, 2010, p. 73) Age, aptitude, motivation, attitude socio-psychologocial influences (Gass, 2013, p. 430) Family background/history Language Status Prior Knowledge Potential for One Dimensional View of History (Vietnamese Perspective)

Teaching the Vietnam/American War in a culturally responsive way: Historical Positionality-the way in which worldviews and personal experiences can shape students’ perspectives and interpretation of historical evidence (Salinas, 2006, p. 204) One Dimensional View of the Conflict Family Status within Vietnam (North or South) Prior Knowledge

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