1. The importance of talking and listening for second language learners
What is grammar?
Janet Freeman Sydney Region Equity

2. Learning English as a Second Language
Grammar is the system of relationships between elements of the sentence that links the ‘sounds’ to the ‘meanings’. It refers both to the knowledge of language in the speaker’s mind, and to the system as written within a culture and within a context.

3. Learning English as a Second Language
What is grammar?

4. Learning English as a Second Language group work
"When group work is set up effectively it has important advantages over whole-class work for second language learning. McGroarty (1993) suggests that it offers benefits to second language learners in ways that are important for language learning.”

5. Learning English as a Second Language group work
Learners hear more language: learners hear a greater variety of language, and have more language directed toward them: group work situations increase the input to the learner.

6. Learning English as a Second Language - group work
Learners say more: the more a learner hears the more their output is also increased because they tend to take more turns, and in the absence of the teacher, have more responsibility for clarifying their own meanings.
In other words, it is the learners themselves who are doing the language learning.
In other words it is the learners themselves who are doing the language learning.
Janet Freeman Sydney Region Equity

7. Learning English as a Second Language - group work
Language is contextualised: What learners hear and what they learn in group work is embedded more easily because language is heard and used in an appropriate context and used meaningfully for a particular purpose.

8. Learning English as a Second Language - group work
There is likely to be considerable message abundancy: that is, similar ideas will be expressed in a variety of different ways by a variety of people.

9. Learning English as a Second Language - group work
Meaning is made: the need to get information or clarify meaning increases the likelihood of learners asking questions that genuinely seek new information.

10. Learning English as a Second Language - group work
Positive affective outcomes: Second language learners and those who are not confident often feel more comfort­able working and speaking with peers in a smaller groups than being expected to perform in a whole-class situation.

11. Learning English as a Second Language - Talking to children
There are times when the teacher does need to work with the whole class
to explain a task or
to gather feedback.
This is an ideal opportunity for teachers to
scaffold the language learning by clarifying,
questioning and providing models for the
speakers

12. Learning English as a Second Language - ESL Based Teaching Sequence
Looking and Listening
Talking
Writing
Reading

13. Learning English as a Second Language - Facilitating language learning
Noticing aspects of language.
Students are using receptive
language skills
Language input
Recycling of target language.
Students are using receptive &
Productive language skills
Language uptake
Recasting of target language. Students are using predominantly productive language skills
Language output

14. Scaffolding Language Learning
When planning for teaching ask these questions:
Is the task challenging and relevant?
What spoken demands will there be?
What listening demands will there be?
What texts will the students need to read?
What specific vocabulary does the topic require the students to know?
What aspects of grammar does the topic require the students to use?
With any task or unit English language outcomes need to
sit beside the KLA outcomes

15. Practical Ideas for Supporting the Second Language Learners in your Classroom
Negotiating School
Keep routines simple and use the same language each time.
Use images and written labels with spoken language if possible
Use “School language” such as recess, PE, numeracy groups, literacy, assembly etc.
Use the same names for things in the school as well e.g. boys toilets, office, photocopy room, staff room
Use subject specific terminology in context if you want the students to use it.

16. THE ROLE OF TALKING IN LEARNING
Communicative activities provide:
students with the opportunity to hear and use language. They
a situation where there is a need to use language in order to do the task.
ESL students with opportunities to hear more proficient language modelled.
##It is important that the language needed to participate in the task be introduced to the students before they do the task.

17. Communicative activities
Enquiry and elimination
Using two matching posters or a set of matching picture cards one student chooses a card or identifies an object on the poster (unseen by the other participants). The other students must guess what it is by asking yes/no questions, thus allowing them to eliminate certain characteristics. For students to develop the skills necessary for effective participation in enquiry and elimination games it is essential that they first build up familiarity with the pictures in question before they participate in the activity.

18. Communicative activities
Barrier games
Otherwise known as information gap activities the aim is for each student to share their information with the other students in order to complete the task. This can be done in pairs or teams. By taking turns, students ask questions in order to obtain information and complete the task, eg spot the difference, crosswords with down clues on one and across clues on the other, matrices with different information on each, describe and draw where one student describes and the other must draw what is described, cloze passage where the students have different words missing.

19. Communicative activities
Rank ordering Group or pairs of students rank items and justify their decisions, eg: likes and dislikes in food, things with the loudest sounds, sizes of animals, reasons e.g. Why we should wear hats at school. Collaborative problem solving Each member of the group has part of the information needed to solve a problem. Each member must share the information orally and contribute to the group problem solving process.

20. Communicative activities
Sorting and classifying In pairs or groups, students sort objects into various categories determined by them and justify their reasons. Sequencing In pairs, students sequence a series of pictures, dialogue, life cycles, texts etc, and recount the events. Matching In large groups students must match: picture halves, words and pictures, shapes, colours etc.

21. Communicative activities
Labelling and Describing
I Spy
Matrix Activities
Bingo

22. Communicative activities
These activities allow
substantive communication
and the use of meta-language
to negotiate meaning.