Nancy Comstock

“Students who come from language backgrounds other than English and whose proficiency is not yet developed to the point where they can profit fully from English- only instruction.” (NRC Report, 1997)

English Language Learners are a historically underperforming population that many mainstream classroom teachers seem least comfortably prepared to teach.

 ELL students still spend the majority of their time in mainstream classes.  Every teacher needs to understand the language acquisition process in order to support ELLs.

It IS good instruction but it is strong practice matched with linguistic scaffolding that is informed by an understanding of students’ language development.

ReceptiveExpressive Requires a reader or listener to associate a specific meaning with a given label as in reading or listening Requires a speaker or writer to produce a specific label for a particular meaning. Listening Words we understand when others talk to us Speaking Words we use when we talk to others Reading Words we know when we see them in print. Writing Words we use when we write

 BICS  Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills ▪ Takes children an average of two years to acquire conversational language he called BICS ▪ What you hear spoken on the playground or in the cafeteria

 CALPS  Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency ▪ Type of language students encounter while reading a textbooks or hearing formal speech ▪ Takes about five to seven years to acquire.

The amount of time for many ELLs to approach grade-level norms may be closer to a range of 7 to 10 years. Thomas & Collier, 2002

 Long-term English learners will make about 6 to 8 months gain each year compared to 10 months of typical native speakers.  Compounded annually, the loss of 20 to 40 percent of academic growth can lead to overwhelming academic frustration for students.

 If students are conversationally fluent, teachers forget that these students still require linguistic supports.  English language learns come to believe in their own academic inferiority.

 OSPI provides assistance for us on their website:  ▪ Offices and programs ▪ Migrant Bilingual ▪ English Language Development ▪ Language Proficiency Levels and/or ▪ English Language Development Standards

 You will be providing assistance for a 7 th grader at an assigned level (presenter will assign)  As a group determine the skills you are currently seeing  Identify skills you are working towards  How can you scaffold instruction while teaching your other students with strong English skills?

Nancy Comstock