ELL/EAL Students

Synthesis

Hinchman and Sheridan-Thomas
This chapter begins by discussing the importance of using correct terminology when referring to students whose native language is not English.  The text refers to these students as EAL (English is an additional language) instead of English language learners because EAL expresses a more holistic view of them.  The authors also discuss the vast differences among EAL students.  These differences include religious beliefs, immigration histories, prior educational experiences, and range of competencies.  With the implementation of CCSS, all content-area teachers are now required to present knowledge in a way that meets every student, including those who are learning English as an additional language.  Some ways meet EAL students exactly where they are is by facilitating home-school communication, believing in the potential of these students and holding high expectations for them, and modifying instruction to meet specific academic and linguistic needs.  As far as modifying instruction, content-area teachers need to place language at the forefront of all of their instruction.  This may look like close and careful reading of texts, deconstruction of "juicy sentences," and annotation.  While focusing an extensive amount of time on one sentence may seem wasteful, in reality, this provides the kind of scaffolding that EAL students will need to read more complex texts.  Furthermore, close reading and annotation provide opportunities for multiple readings of the same text.  The importance of oral language also cannot be overstated.  Content-area teachers need to provide active learning for their EAL students through conversations that emphasize using academic language appropriately.  These conversations must be monitored and scaffolded for student success.  The chapter concludes with an example of a series of American history lessons beginning with direct instruction, moving to expert groups and mixed groups, and concluding with assessment.

Garcia and Godina
According to these authors, over 2/3 of all ELLs are Latino, and while these students may be able to fluently speak a second language, they are not necessarily proficient in their academic English.  Teachers in secondary schools must work to understand ELLs.  Many ELLs are highly mobile, and their parents tend to defer authority regarding education to teachers and other school officials.  Many families of ELL students want to be involved but are unsure of how to do so.  The text states that ELLs most commonly drop out of school due to grade retention, standardized testing, and tracking, rather than parental influences.  Lack of coordination among all teachers within the school is another factor that hinders ELL students.  Even students who are knowledgeable in their native language typically need 4-6 years to perform at grade level in English.  Several research studies have shown strategies that have helped ELLs be successful.  These include the ability to make inferences, use prior knowledge, make use of cognates, and apply strategies across languages.  Students who are successful also are more content with general understandings of a text than specific vocabulary knowledge.  The writers of this text advocate a process approach to literacy in which students complete inquiry based projects and have ample opportunities for peer interactions.  In addition to process approaches, though, ELLs also need structured writing opportunities.  Other strategies that are effective include multiple readings of the same text for fluency, Collaborative Strategic Reading (teaches comprehension strategies and cooperative learning), use of realia, and intensive vocabulary support.  One extremely important point that may seem counterintuitive is the need for continued instruction in a student's native language to build academic proficiency, not just oral proficiency.  Sheltered techniques should be provided.

Responses:

Text-to-text
To be quite honest, I have not read many texts about English Language Learners before.  However, in a staff meeting several weeks ago, we had an ELL teacher come and talk to our staff about techniques to use to help these students.  I was reminded of what she said as I read the Hinchman and Sheridan-Thomas book this week because this teacher talked about strategies that are effective for all students.  The text this week mentioned that all teachers are responsible for meeting each student exactly where he or she is and helping him or her become academically proficient.  Our speaker at the meeting mentioned basically the same thing.  She said that incorporating some of the strategies discussed (realia, cooperative learning, etc.) into our classroom would certainly help our English Language Learners, but in reality, they would help everyone.  This was helpful for me to hear because there are so many diverse needs to meet within the classroom that it can be overwhelming, but some instructional strategies really are great for all students.

Text-to-self
These readings were insightful to me because I often make many of the incorrect assumptions that were mentioned in the text.  I often think that ELL students' parents do not want to be involved in their schooling, that ELLs need to "hurry up" and learn English (as opposed to receiving continued instruction in their native language), and that all ELL students learn basically the same way.  Reading these texts will, I believe, help me be a better teacher because I now have a better understanding of who these students are, where they come from, and the best ways to meet them where they are.  Though I do not have any ELLs in my classroom this year, I know that I will in the future, and I want to be able to help them be successful, not just in my classroom, but in their lives.

Text-to-world
As more and more immigrants are coming to the United States from all around the world, our demands to teach them effectively will continue to rise.  While new cultures are being infused into our culture here, we, as teachers, are responsible for helping to create a culture that is inclusive and inviting for everyone by making sure that individual students in our classroom are a part of it.  We can do this by helping them to understand our language.  Understanding goes further than speaking; understanding requires a deep knowledge of academic vocabulary and comprehension, which we can help to provide.  In teaching language to our students, we open up a whole new world of opportunities for them.

Questions:

1.  As a classroom teacher in elementary school, how can I work with our ELL teacher to make sure that we maintain consistency between our classrooms?  As one of the texts mentioned, the ELL teachers in schools often use their own curriculum, and I'm wondering how to make the two align.

2.  Are ELL teachers hired based on the languages they teach?  I'm just curious.  I have a friend who is an ELL teacher, and she only knows how to speak Spanish and English.  I can't help but think that ELL teachers would need to have at least a basic knowledge of a variety of languages.