How do English Learners’ acquire Academic Language to Obtain Reading Comprehension Skills?

Mishka Veira Barnes, Ed. D.

Local School ESOL Lead Teacher

Cobb County School District

Team Building Activity Write your name and teaching experiences on an index

card. State one interesting fact about you.

Hi, I’m Mishka.

I love to

snorkel.

What is Academic Language?

Academic Language consists of three

components

Academic Vocabulary

Discourse-Forms of Communication

Grammar and Conventions

(Egbert& Ernst-Slavit, 2010)

Academic Language and Reading

Students who do not acquire academic

language will most likely not achieve

academic success because they will not

understand the skills and the vocabulary

related to the curriculum.

How Do We Learn?

We remember:

20% of what we read

20% of what we hear

30% of what we see

50% of what we see and hear

70% of what we see, hear, and discuss

90% of what we see, hear, discuss, and practice

Rutgers Cooperative Extension & Research, 2004

As Confucius said…

I hear and I forget

I see and I remember

I do and I understand

How do Children Learn?

Children are active learners and thinkers.

(Piaget, 1970)

Children learn through social interaction.

(Vygotsky, 1962)

Children learn effectively through

scaffolding by adults. (Bruner, 1983)

Cummins (1980) reported that it will take

5 to 7 years for ELs to learn academic

language.

Activity: Create a Word Splash “What’s your

Theory?”

How do YOU think ELs Learn Academic Language?

We will Share!

Word Splash

Motivated

Social interaction

Non-threatening

(Use index cards)

Epiphany

ELs must learn and use

academic language to

function or perform on an

English Language

Proficiency Level 5:

Bridging.

• Rich descriptive discourse with complex

sentences

• Organized related ideas

• Compound, complex grammatical constructions

(e.g., multiple phrases and clauses)

• A broad range of sentence patterns characteristic

of particular content areas

• Technical and abstract content-area language,

• Words and expressions with shades of meaning

across content areas

WIDA Performance Definitions - Listening

and Reading Grades K-12

Level 5: Bridging

WIDA Performance Definitions - Listening and

Reading

Level 5: Bridging

• Rich descriptive discourse with complex sentences

• Organized related ideas

• Compound, complex grammatical constructions

(e.g., multiple phrases and clauses)

• A broad range of sentence patterns characteristic

of particular content areas

• Technical and abstract content-area language,

• Words and expressions with shades of meaning

across content areas

How do we learn Language?By Learning:

Discourse-forms of communication

Example - a play, magazine article

Language Function- How can we use language?

Example- to explain, to retell, to summarize

Academic vocabulary -Content area vocabulary

Example- fossils

Grammar- Conventions

Example- I am going to the park.- correct

I go to the park.-incorrect

How can we help ELs acquire academic

language? Thoroughly teaching the CCGS

Activity 1:Look at copies of the ELA Common Core

Georgia Standards Work with a partner

1. Highlight the task and the important

academic vocabulary

2. Create Synonyms for the Verbs, Tasks, or

Academic Vocabulary

*****Think of the tasks***

You will share!!

Example

ELACC2RL1

Ask and answer such questions as

what, when, where, when why, to

demonstrate and show

understanding of a key details in a

text.

Unpack the Standard in a

whole-group setting

While unpacking the standard in

front of the students use

synonyms to explain or focus on

the academic vocabulary.

Unpacking The Standards

Unpacking the Standards

Unpacking the Standards

You can also create a Synonym Wall

How do you teach Reading Instruction and

Common Core Standards?

Lesson Planning Components of a Common Core Classroom

~Standards posted and discussed(Include Synonyms)

~Lesson Framework

Opening

Work Session

Closing

Small Group instruction

Assessments

Activity 2: Lesson Planning

Instructional Teaching Strategy

See Lesson Plan Handouts

With a partner, create a lesson plan including all the components of a Common Core Classroom.

You will share!!

I have included created a lesson plan to help ELs acquire Academic language to learn reading comprehension skills.

Lesson Plan Components:

Standards

EQ

Opening

Academic Vocabulary

Select Academic Vocabulary from the text and Rate and Discuss academic vocabulary in text

Rating 1- Never heard it-

Rating 2- Heard it-

Rating 3-Use it-

More Lesson Plan Components

Language Function

Work Session

Stations

Assessments

Closing

While in small groups-

Use these Instructional Strategies Modeling

Scaffolding

Visuals

Comprehensible Input

UNRAVEL (Reading Comprehension

Strategy)

Use WIDA Performance Definitions

Use this rubric to determine students performance in reading, listening, speaking, and writing.

Use this rubric to set language goals

Determine students’ progress

Closing: How do English Learners’ Acquire Academic

Language to Obtain Reading Comprehension Skills?

Teachers Must:

Thoroughly Review and Explain Standards ( Use Synonyms)

Teach Academic Vocabulary in Text

Teach Reading Instruction in a small-group setting

Instructional Strategies- model reading comprehension strategies, scaffold instruction, use visuals, comprehensible input, use UNRAVEL

Track ELs progress using the WIDA Performance Definitions

Set Language Goals use WIDA Performance Definitions