Eng l i sh as an Add i t i ona l Language

Teach ing Eng l i sh to

Speakers o f Other Languages

P r e s e n t e d b y P a m e l a B e l l a r d

Who is an English as an Additional Language Learner?

O A student who is a non-native English speaker who uses another primary

language at homeO Students born in another country who

have immigrated with their familyO Children born here into a family of non-

English speakersO Indigenous people who speak the native

language or dialectO A migratory child whose native language

is not English

Socio-cultural knowledgeWhat do I need to know?

The Basic Facts• Where is the student from?

• How long have they been here?• Where and with whom is the student living?

• What were the circumstances of immigration?• What language or languages are spoken at

home?• How well do they know their primary language?

Prior School Experience• If possible, gain school records from the previous

school. You may need the help of an interpreter.

The Home Culture

O What are the basic features of the home culture?

O Religious beliefs, customs, food preferences, and restrictions, roles and responsibilities of children and adults.

O How do children relate to adults and how do they address one another?

O How does this child feel about being here?

Helpers

How can I enlist the help of other students to make them

feel welcome? How can I get feedback on

how the child is coping?Who can I assign the child to

as a special buddy to help them to feel safe?

Which small group of children can I put them with for them to interact regularly? A table

group? Keep that group consistent. This contributes to

the initial sense of belonging.

So…How do children learn their first language?

O There are a few different theories

How do children learn their first language? (L1)

Acquisition

Aspects

Behaviourist Perspective

Innatist Perspective

Interactionist Perspective

Linguistic Focus

Verbal behaviors (not analyzed per se): words, utterances of child and people in social environment

Child’s syntax Conversations between child and caregiver; focus on caregiver speech

Process of acquisition

Modeling, imitation, practice, and selective reinforcement of correct form

Hypothesis testing and creative construction of syntactic rules using LAD (an innate, biological language acquisition device)

Acquisition emerges from communication; acts scaffolded by caregivers

Role of child Secondary role; imitator and responder to environmental shaping

Primary role: equipped with biological LAD, child plays major role in acquisition

Important role in interaction, taking more control as language acquisition advances

Role of social environment

Primary role: parental modeling and reinforcement are major factors promoting language acquisition

Minor role: language used by others merely triggers LAD

Important role in interaction, especially in early years when caregivers modify input and carry much of conversational load

Peregoy, F., & Boyle, O. (2013). Reading, Writing and Learning in ESL: A resource book for teaching K-12 English Learners (6 th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

Stages of Development in L2 (Language 2)• The Natural Approach describes several stages of language development that

it seems that every student progresses through no matter who they are. They are:

P r e p r o d u c t i o n , E a r l y P r o d u c t i o n , S p e e c h E m e r g e n c e & I n t e r m e d i a t e F l u e n c y

Let’s look a bit closer at these

• Preproduction – also called the ‘silent period’ “the learner absorbs the sounds and rhythms of the new language, learns to identify specific words, relies on contextual clues for understanding key words, and generally communicates nonverbally.”

• “Once a learner feels more confident in the Early Production stage , words and phrases are attempted, and responses can consist of single words (“yes”, “OK”, “come”), two-or-three-word combinations (“gimme the ball,” “don’t go”), utterances learned in one piece (Can-I-go-to-the-bathroom?”), and simple poems and songs.”

• “In the third stage” , Speech Emergence “utterances become longer and more complex.”

• In the fourth stage, Intermediate fluency, “students begin to sustain conversations and can recognize and correct their own errors.”

Diaz-Rico, L. (2013) Strategies for Teaching English Learners (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ : Pearson (pg.43)

How do children learn their second language?

“Behaviorist, innatist and interactionist views of second language development have influenced teaching methods over the span

of several decades. In today’s classrooms, you will see teaching strategies that can be traced to each one. Currently, the most influential theories stem from the innatist tradition,…

and the interactionist tradition. The three theoretical perspectives of second language acquisition bear certain

implications for instruction”, as outlined in the following table

Instructional Implications of Second Language Acquisition Theories

I n s t r u c t i o na l C o m p o n e n ts

B e h a v i o u r i s t I n n a t i s t I n t e r a c t i o n i s t

Source of linguistic input

Language dialogues and drills from teacher or audiotape

Natural language from the teacher, friends, or books

Natural language from the teacher, friends, or books

Nature of input Structured by grammatical complexity

Unstructured, but made comprehensible by teacher

Unstructured, but focused on communication between learner and others

Ideal classroom composition

All target language learners of similar second language proficiency

Target language learners of similar second language proficiency so i+1 can be achieved

Native speakers together with target language learners for social interaction aimed at communication

Student output Structured repetitions and grammar pattern drill responses

Output is not a concern; it will occur naturally

Speaking occurs naturally in communication with others

Pressure to speak Students repeat immediately

“Silent period” expected

No pressure to speak except natural impulse to communicate

Treatment of errors

Errors are corrected immediately

Errors are not corrected; students will correct themselves with time

Errors that impede communication will be corrected naturally as meaning is negotiated; some errors may require explicit corrective instruction

Peregoy, F., & Boyle, O. (2013). Reading, Writing and Learning in ESL: A resource book for teaching K-12 English Learners (6 th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

How is teaching English as a first language different from teaching English as a second language?

• Children are surrounded by language and its meaning even before they are born. They are cared for in families that speak,

listen and respond.

• When a child comes into a classroom that same level of interplay between adult and child is not available, so other measures must be intentionally addressed so that the child can quickly develop

into a fluent communicator.

• Making up for this short-fall is the difference between learning English as a first language and teaching it as a

second language.

Gibbons, P. (1991). Planning for a language of learning. In learning to learn in a second language . Newtown: PETA

The Four Strands of a Language Course

1. Meaning-focused inputFocusing on the ideas that are contained in the message e.g. “listening to a story, taking part in a conversation, following instructions, or watching television.2. Language-focused learning“giving attention to features of the language … for their spoken or written form, their general meaning, the patterns that they fit into, or their correct use.”3. Meaning –focused output“Learners are pushed” (to speak) “when through encouragement or necessity they have to produce spoken language in unfamiliar areas.”4. Fluency development activities“Learners demonstrate fluency when they take part in meaning-focused activity and do it with speed and ease without holding up the flow of talk.”

Nation, P. (1996). The four strands of a language course. TESOL in Context. 6(1), 7-12. http://search.informit.com.au/fullText;dn=101956;res=AEIPT> ISSN: 1030-8385.

Enthusiastic support and modelling from adults and peers is needed; chances to copy and clarify meanings one-on-one. This individual instruction should be focused on taking the child to the next

level, always done in an encouraging and supportive manner.

“the complex circumstances of teaching and learning languages, with different kinds of pupils, teachers,

aims and objectives, approaches, methods and materials, classroom techniques and standards of achievement make it inconceivable that any single

method could achieve optimum success in all circumstances”

In Celce-Murcia, 1980

Peter Strevens, a well-known British expert on English language teaching says...

O In terms of classroom procedures, they need much more repetition and practice

O More explicit instruction and concept-checkingO More careful paraphrasing of difficult vocabularyO More demonstration and modellingO More highly structured and sensitive elicitation of existing

knowledgeO More opportunities for controlled teacher-student

interaction and student-student interactionO More time to absorb the rhythms and patterns of the

target languageO Methodical, planned language development, not just

opportunities for use. Chris Davison in TESOL in Context

So what strategies do we need for teaching EAL learners?

References