What Teachers Really Need to Know

Angela B. ThevenotThe University of Memphis

abthevnt@memphis.edu

ESL WORKSHOP IN A BOX

Teachers need to know about:

Cultural Issues

ESL Methods and Techniques

Authentic Assessment

What Teachers Need to Know about

Cultural Issues

Surface Culture vs. Deep Culture Differences in Academic Cultures Cultural Thinking Process of Acculturation

What Teachers Need to Know about

ESL Methods and Techniques

Using Comprehensible Input Accommodation Content-Based Instruction

What Teachers Need to Know About

Authentic Assessment

BICS vs. CALP Four Stages of SLA Authentic Assessment Tools Realistic Expectation

Test Your ESL Knowledge!

Take the challenge.

“Discuss amongst yourselves”

SESSION 1

CULTURAL ISSUES

The ELLs Voice Surface Culture vs. Deep Culture Differences in Academic Cultures Cultural Thinking Process of Acculturation

The Language Learner’s Voice

Introduce the ESL student’s voice using some form of audio/video or print media such as:

YouTube clipNYTimes videoAmy Tan’s “Mother Tongue” essay

Everybody has a Culture.

What Teachers Need to Know aboutSurface Vs. Deep Culture

Surface Culture:

Those things that are visible, readily explained and easily changed.

Deep Culture:

Those aspects of culture that embody deeply held values and beliefs and are therefore not easily changed.

What Teachers Need to Know aboutDifferences in Academic Culture

Some Ways Academic Cultures differ.

•Values•Roles •Assumptions •Attitudes•Patterns of behavior / Nonverbal Communication•Rhetorical patterns

“Students need to learn behaviors expected in their new environments, but may need explicit instruction and patient reminding to change habits and become ‘bi-cultural’ (able to meet expectations in their home culture and school culture, as appropriate).

–Tennessee ESL Program Guide

SO WHAT?What is the significance in the

classroom?

Cultural Misunderstanding Affects Assessment

Misunderstanding of cultural influences can slant educational assessment of children .

Teacher perceptions of “Good and Bad” behavior influence their interactions with students.

1. Behavioral norms are based on cultural expectations. (Your culture)

2. Teachers reward behavior that supports their cultural expectations.

What Teachers Need to Know aboutThe Process of Acculturation

4 Predictable Stages  

4 Stages of Acculturation(The 4 H’s)

oneymoonostilityumorome

Honeymoon - characterized by excitement, anticipation, enjoyment of differences.

Hostility- characterized by irritation, anger, depression, physical ailments.

Humor- characterized by a growing ability to deal with the differences and see them as

interesting or funny.

Home- characterized by the ability to function well and feel comfortable in the new culture.

Adapted for the ESL student:

Euphoria

Initial phase in which students will experience a period of excitement over their new surroundings

Culture Shock

This is associated with the student feeling separated, angry, frustrated, sad, lonely, homesick , and even physically ill.

Anomie

This is a gradual stage in which students begin to accept differences in thinking and feeling around them. They are slowly becoming more accepting of other people in the second culture and do not feel totally bound to their native culture nor fully adapted to the second culture.

Assimilation or adaptation

This stage represents near or full recovery by showing acceptance of the new culture and self-confidence in the ‘new’ person they have become in the new culture.

Of course.

Talk to a neighbor and discuss what types of behavior might be associated with each of these stages?

What would you look for to determine a level of acculturation in children’s school behaviors?

What Teachers Need to Know About

Cultural Thinking

Individualism vs. Collectivism

‘I think’ vs. ‘We think’

Are you from an ‘I think’ or‘We think’ culture?

Cultures belong to one of two categories:

•Low ContextIndividualistic – ‘I think’

•High Context Collectivist – ‘We think’

“We think”Members of these cultures share:

•Values•Attitudes•Beliefs

They tend to value the group over the individual, oral vs. written communications, a hierarchical workplace and an emphasis on being over doing.

They tend to avoid conflict with other members of their culture. Hence, “giving and keeping face.”

Silence is seen as polite.

Indirect and formal communications.

Individualistic Cultures“I think”

Members of these cultures come from different ethnic, religious, educational and socioeconomic backgrounds. As a result they tend to differ widely on:

•Values•Attitudes•Beliefs

These cultures tend to value:

• Written communication over oral - more has to be explained to people who don’t share your background

• Individual achievement over group welfare

• Separation of work and personal life

• A democratic workplace structure

• Competition, argumentation and aggression

• Silence must be replaced with communication

• Direct and informal communications

And Teachers Need to Know This

Why?

Academic Deep CultureIs Driven by Individualists’ or Collectivists’

Thinking

• Wait time•Eye contact•Physical space•Concept of time•Raising the hand•Schema•Teacher vs. student centered classroom•Parents’ role•Helping each other vs. cheating

Cultural Interpretations Examples

Avoiding Direct Eye Contact

Looking on/with another student

Dishonesty, Shame Showing Respect

Cheating Learning Strategy

Us Them Behavior

Making assumptions through our cultural lenses can create falseimpressions of character.

WRAP IT UP!

• Thank group for coming.• Field research as bridge to next

workshop

ESL Methods and Techniques

Workshop 2ESL Methods & Techniques

Preparation:Network with other teachers at your

school and come up with 5 – 10 responses to the following question:

Your principal tells you that you are getting three ESL students at registration . . . What questions do you ask?

SESSION 2

ESL Methods and Techniques

What Teacher Need to Know about ESL Methods & Techniques

How to use Comprehensible Input

Accommodation Content-Based Instruction Strategies

What Teachers Need to Know AboutComprehensible Input

What will help ESL students understand and learn the lesson material?

Schema Realia Kinesthetics Scaffolding

Mrs. Amin’s Lesson

Strategies that Help ELLs Learn the Material pictures gestures; actions;

drama pointing repetition clear pronunciation keywords on the board clear printing on

board slower rate of speech simplified language predictable structure

energy; enthusiasm discussion with a

partner or group emphasis on key

words/points pauses facial expressions verification of

understanding vocal expressions

intonation

Content Area Strategies

pre-teach vocabulary Scaffold with clearly written text/outline

on board CALLA Method - Keep the content complex

but the language simple

Accommodation

Eliminate True/False Remove 2 out of 4 of multiple choice Grade essays on content rather than

grammar Minimize task. Ex. 5 vocabulary

words rather than 20 Buddy/small Group Work rather than

individual presentation

Session 3

ASSESSMENTSTRATEGIES

What Teachers Need to Know about Assessment

BICS vs. CALP Four Stages of SLA Authentic Assessment Tools Realistic Expectation and

Accommodation

How’s that English working for them?

Determine BICS and/or CALP and why

Determine level of L2 acquisition

Two Dimensions of Language

BICS and CALPShe can read and write – can she speak?

He can speak – can he read and write?

Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS)- Takes 1 to 2 years to develop

Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP)- Takes 5 to 7 years to develop

Four Stages of SLA

Stage 1 – Pre-Production Stage 2 – Early Production Stage 3 – Speech Emergence Stage 4 – Intermediate Fluency

Authentic Assessment Tools Oral Interviews Story or Text Retelling Writing Samples Projects/Exhibitions Experiments/Demonstrations Teacher Observations Process/Progress Portfolios Rubrics

Essentials of Error Correction Focus on accuracy or fluency but not both

at once. Be selective – keep error correction to a

minimum. Correct what is being focused on. Model when possible, rather than correct. Encourage self-correction. Encourage student to student feedback. Recognize errors as positive signs of

language development.

For Example:Which student is more advanced and why?

Student A: I eated all my lunch today.Student B: I eat all my lunch today.

Although student B might be less ‘offensive’ to the ear, student A shows an awareness and acquisition of simple past tense.

Expectation & Accommodation

Less is more. – Shorten the assignment

It takes longer. – Allow more time for tests.

Translation tools are a wonderful thing.

What can you do to more authenticallyassess your students?

•Learn all you can about cultural expectations.

• Respect differences in cultural interactions.

• Avoid labeling children based on cultural actions

•Practice nonbiased observations.

•Use multiple assessment sources to evaluate children’s potential. •..

Suggested Reading: Travel as a Political Act – Rick Steves

Available to teachers for $5 athttp://www.ricksteves.com/graffiti/graffiti152.html

Working with English Language Learners Answers to Teachers’ Top Ten Questions – Stephen Cary

Five-Minute Activities for Young Learners – Penny McKay and Jenni Guse

Authentic Assessment for English Language Learners – O’Malley and Pierce

Tennessee ESL Program Guidehttp://www.tntesol.org/forms/ESLProgramGuide.pdf

To Download this PowerPointGo to:

umdrive.memphis.edu/abthevnt/workshopinabox.ppt

Handout: umdrive.memphis.edu/abthevnt/public/

WORKSHOPINABOXMrs. Amin video: wwwlib.jmu.edu/./esl.aspx