Transcript Vocabulary & Language Development for English Language

Supporting EAL Students in GSSD
Tracy Huckell
Student Services Coordinator
January 2011
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EAL, ESL, ELL Learners
Developing Vocabulary
Decreasing the Language Load
Academic Language
Frequently Used Word & Phrases to Teach
High Quality Literature & Reading Strategies
Sentence Structure & Writing Strategies
Strategies for Home & School
Fun Activities that Build Language
Useful Websites
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ESL - English as a Second Language
EAL - English as an Additional Language
ELL - English Language Learners
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Who are they?
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◦ They are students who come from language
backgrounds other than English and whose
proficiency is not yet developed to the point where
they can profit fully from English-only instruction
without adaptations and interventions.
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Receptive:
◦ Listening – Words we understand when others talk
to us
◦ Reading – Words we know when we see them in
print
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Expressive:
◦ Speaking – Words we use when we talk to others
◦ Writing – Words we use when we write
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Good literature has a wealth of
vocabulary....use picture books as tools to
teach more than just reading
Don’t limit vocabulary to words they can spell
or read....focus on developing a rich
vocabulary
Teach vocabulary by talking about words and
practice using them in sentences and
conversational language (rather than copying
them, looking them up in the dictionary, or
doing worksheets).
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Vocabulary Knowledge
◦ Is strongly linked to academic success
◦ Is the BEST predictor of reading comprehension
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English is more loyal to meaning, than to
sound or spelling, so teach connected words
together to support both reading and spelling
◦ Sign/signature
◦ Condemn/condemnation
◦ Wild/wilderness
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Introduce:
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Explain:
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Practice:
◦ Write and say the word - reluctant
◦ Have students repeat it
◦ Give a student friendly explanation
◦ Show pictures and/or demonstrate
◦ Provide sample sentences and examples/non-examples for
concept attainment (when you would be reluctant and when you
wouldn’t) – they can give thumbs up or down as to whether you’re
using it correctly
◦ Engage the students in activities or elaboration
◦ Help students connect the meaning to self – what are they
reluctant to do?
◦ Demonstrate use of word in other forms – reluctance, reluctantly
(demonstrate as a noun and verb if applicable)
◦ Monitor student understanding
◦ Revisit words over time
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Things to consider when using the dictionary:
◦ Students must already have some knowledge of the word
for the definition to make sense
◦ The definition may contain words the student is not
familiar with...often contain vague language with
insufficient information
◦ Use as a tool to confirm or expand your knowledge
◦ Words in the explanation should be simpler than the
word you are looking up
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Dictionaries with Student Friendly Definitions:
◦ Oxford Elementary Learner’s Dictionary
◦ Collin’s Cobuild Student’s Dictionary
◦ Or use an online student friendly version
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All words are ‘pegs to hang ideas on’....share
new words and information for them to hang
onto their pegs and develop new pegs.
◦ Enrich them with new experiences...if they haven’t
had a similar experience, they may have no prior
knowledge to connect new words to (help them
develop more pegs).
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Use real objects or pictures to generate
conversation. Ask student, “What is this?”
Student responds ‘cat’. Then build this word
into a sentence together....”This a cat curled
up on a chair.”
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May be familiar with the concept, just need to
learn the new word – eg. mirror/reflection
Laptop, freedom, government – may be a new
concept and label. Spend less time on labels and
more time on concepts.
Develop concept picture boards for multimeaning words (check, light, trip, show, watch)
http://reading.pppst.com/multiplemeaning.html
Model examples to teach concepts:
◦ show examples and non-examples – ie yellow in pictures
and actual items that are yellow – variety is key to
developing understanding of the concept
◦ present random examples/non examples – students can
show thumbs up or down
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Empower parents of EAL students to understand the value
of conversations at home in their first language.
◦ If students understand concepts, then it’s just the language/label
that needs to be taught. Easier than teaching both concepts and
language. Have them reinforce concepts in their native language
to deepen the EAL learner’s understanding.
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Story of 3 moms – one ignores, one labels and one
explains the concept – share as much information as you
can – we should do this in school as well
◦ “That’s a pear” vs. “A pear is a fruit that needs to ripen before we
eat it. When it turns from green to yellow, we know it’s ripe
enough to eat. Fruits are good for us...they have vitamins that our
body’s need...etc.”
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Reading and talking in their native language is VERY
important...this will further develop concepts and
connections in the brain, so that we just have to teach and
reinforce the labels.
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Happen when students don’t have a word for our
English word in their native language...eg. they
may use the same word for ceiling and roof
Emphasize the characteristics of similar labels:
◦ Roof is outside, ceiling is inside.
◦ If it has a back it’s a chair, not back is a stool
◦ Clock hangs on a wall, but a watch is worn on the wrist
 It’s 11 o’watch is an error of transfer ....for 11 o’clock
◦ Positive transfer – m says the same sound in both
languages
◦ Negative transfer – h is silent in Spanish and has a sound
in English
◦ Zero transfer – no ‘sh’ in Spanish so nothing to compare
it to
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Decrease language load when focusing on
content and skills.
Find a way for them to ‘show what they know’
(reduce language load during evaluation) –
eg. ‘thumbs up’ or ‘thumbs down’ to show
correct/incorrect for math or factual
questions...helps you get a sense of what they’re
understanding
Offer other options for showing what they know –
instead of writing an essay, use multiple choice
or demonstration though a diagram or picture.
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Reduce difficulty of content when focusing on
language development
Appropriate wait time – they are doing double
the processing as they are translating into their
native language
“Don’t give your answer until I raise my hand” for
choral answers...allows processing time/wait
time
Have students show answers on individual white
boards so you can see how everyone is doing
quickly
Remind peers when they answer for a peer, they
are ‘stealing their thinking time’
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Teach different intonation with some words
when noun or verb – ie. object and object
Put a dot over syllable to be stressed
Clap out the syllables of a word together
clapping loudest on the stressed syllable.
Teach how intonation affects sentence
meaning: Do you want to go to dinner with
me tonight?
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Elkonin Boxes with scrambled words
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Word Sorts
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Be A Mind Reader/Detective
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Teach ‘Sound Reductions’
◦ coklb – b/l/o/ck
◦ Tgiatshr – s/t/r/aigh/t – 4 letters make one sound
◦ Sort ‘long a’ words into patterns
◦ Ai, a_e, ay, rule breakers
◦ Sort words such as...pain, rail, maid, make, sale, tame,
say, day, pay, said, eight, plaid
◦ use word wall words and give clues as to the word of the
day (has an ‘a’, ends with ‘e’, has seven letters...the
answer is because)
◦ Commonly used in everyday conversation...we often use
these without even knowing it.
◦ I’d’ve, Didja, I wanna, I’m gonna, I’ve godda, It’s on the
tippa my tongue.”
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Discuss meaning and use of terms that
express relationships in terms of:
◦ Time – seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks,
months, years etc.
◦ Quantity – more, less, most, least, greater, none, all
◦ Direction – north, south, west, east, left, right,
further, closer, nearest etc.
◦ Order – first, last, ordinal numbers
◦ Size – bigger, biggest, smaller, larger, largest, tinier
◦ Age – older, younger, oldest, youngest
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Demonstrate prepositions to teach
◦ above, over, from, to, near, until, toward, beside etc.
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Teach adjective and adverb forms such as:
◦ hardly, scarcely, rarely, next, last, older, younger, most,
many, less, longer, least, higher etc.
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Teach words that express logical relationships:
◦ if, because, therefore, however, unless, same, alike,
different from, opposite of, whether, since, unless,
almost, probably, exactly, not quite, always, never etc.
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There are not rules to memorize these types of
words...just use them as much as possible as
they are the little words that connect big ideas.
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Sara came over ___ play ___ Lucia’s house. She
was coming over ___ see Lucia’s new kittens.
When she arrived, they quickly ran up ___ Lucia’s
room. There, ___ her closet, were five white
kittens, all ___ a cardboard box. After a few
minutes, they heard knocking ___ the door. It
was Sara’s grandmother ___ a tray ___ milk and
cookies ___ the girls. She said, “I’ll just leave
these ___ your desk so you can eat while you
visit.” Sara and Lucia played and talked ___ the
kittens all afternoon.
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Model how to pull out the important information
from a sentence:
◦ The dog that lives at the fire station makes weekly
demonstrations for school children on the stop, drop
and roll method.
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Analyze text with students:
◦ Step 1 – Read aloud a short passage so they hear proper
pronunciation and begin to build understanding.
◦ Step 2 – Read aloud and discuss the meaning of the text.
◦ Step 3 – Take apart the language in the passage.
Choose one or two sentences to discuss construction of.
◦ Step 4 – Read the passage aloud once more to deepen
critical understanding of the passage.
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Instead of ‘say’:
◦ report, speak, tell, articulate, conclude, utter, state,
declare, convey, describe, claim, verbalize
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Instead of ‘look’:
◦ gaze, stare, glance, glare, glimpse, peep, peek,
watch, view, examine, observe, notice
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Thinking Maps:
◦ Fish can: swim, breathe, eat, get caught
◦ Fish have: fins, gills, scales, a tail
the
of
and
a
to
in
is
you
that
it
he
was
for
on
are
as
with
his
they
I
at
be
this
have
from
or
one
had
by
word
but
not
what
all
were
we
when
your
can
said
there
use
an
each
which
she
do
how
their
if
will
up
other
about
out
many
then
them
these
so
some
her
would
make
like
him
into
time
has
look
two
more
write
go
see
number
no
way
could
people
my
than
first
water
been
call
who
oil
its
now
find
long
down
day
did
get
come
made
may
part
Have to go
They did not
Then you give
Was to come
He has been
What we know
That old man
In and out
Not up here
Are so long
It was new
Work on it
Can come here
They will go
Are so long
Before this one
But not me
Be here again
Have been good
act up, act like, add up, add up to, ask out, get
across, get along, get along with, get around to, get
by, get off, get out of, get over, give up, go out with,
go with, goof off, grow up, make fun of, make up
with, mark down, mix up, back down, blow up, break
down, break in, break up, bring back, take back,
bring up, call on, calm down, care for, not care for,
catch on, catch up with, check into, check off, check
out, cheer up, chew out, clam up, come across, come
down with, count on, crack down on, cross out, cut
back on, iron out, pan out, pass away, pass out, pick
out, pick up, pick on, pitch in, pull off, pull over, put
away, put off, put on, put out, put up, put up with,
put back, do in, do over, drag on, draw up
knock out, know oneself out, set up, set back, slip
up, stand out, stand up, show up, stand for, face up
to, fall through, feel up to, figure out, run into, run
out of, eat out, egg on, fill in, fill in for, find out, lay
off, leave out, let down, let up, look back on, look
down on, look forward to, look into, look like, look
over, look up to, luck out, take after, take/bring back,
through out, throw up, try on, try out, try out for,
turn around, turn in, turn down, turn off, hang up,
have to do with, hold up, nod off, call off, keep on,
kick out, drop out, draw out, jump all over, rip off,
round off, run into, build up, burn down, burn up,
butt in, butter up, hand in, hand out, drop off, drop
in, drop by, brush up on, take off, take up, tell
someone off, tick off, throw away, take care of
One Smart Cookie
Bite-Size Lessons for the School Years
& Beyond
By Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Illustration by Jane Dyer & Brooke Dyer
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Don’t just teach reading, teach the ‘language’
Language and reading must develop together, not
one before the other
Demonstrate what good readers do and the strategies
they use (sound out, predictions, use of titles for
information etc.)
Demonstrate intonation in sentences...then have
students repeat the sentences following your
intonation and pauses.
Model for them how to get the ‘jist’ of a story. Model
it, do it together, and then have the student(s)
summarize the ‘jist’ in 10 word or less....Who or what
is the story/paragraph mainly about?
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Build a sight word vocabulary....the more sight
words we know, the better we read.
Pull sight words to learn from subject topics,
novels and picture books
Put sight words on flash cards with the word
used in a sentence on the back. Students can
use these card with a peer or EA/teacher during
transition time to practice sight words and
understand their use in context.
Flashcards can also contain phonetic
pronunciation – ‘said’ as ‘sed’ – or put these
words on either:
◦ post it notes inside a folder and remove once mastered
◦ a ‘rule breaker’ jail bulletin board
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Independent Reading
◦ be sure it’s at the students’ independent level...no more
than one error in every 20 words
Students can figure out the meaning of about
60% of new words they encounter by analyzing
word parts.
Therefore, it’s important to teach word parts:
◦ Divide the unknown word into meaningful parts
telegraph – ‘tele’ means far, ‘graph’ means writing
◦ Think about what each part means – or think of other
words that contain that part. From those words,
formulate a meaning for the unknown part (telephone)
◦ Combine the meanings of the word
◦ Try the possible meaning in a sentence
◦ Always ask yourself, “Does it make sense?”
Strategies For Using Context Clues to Confirm or
Negate your Knowledge/Prediction:
◦ Cover the unknown word with your finger. Reread the
sentence without the word. Think about what would
make sense. Ask yourself, “Does this make sense?”
◦ Read the sentence before and after looking for clues and
remind yourself what the text is about. Think about a
meaning that would make sense. Ask yourself, “Does
this make sense?”
◦ Divide the unknown word into meaningful parts. Think
about what each part means OR think about other words
that contain that part. Now make a guess as to the
meaning of the word and try the possible meaning in the
sentence. Ask yourself, “Does this make sense?”
◦ Reread the sentences. Look for key words. Ask
yourself, “Does this make sense?”
◦ Look the work up in a dictionary if needed.
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Right There
◦ Can be answered by looking in the text
◦ Answers are located in one place in the story
◦ Can be answered in one sentence
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Putting it Together
◦ Can be answered by looking in the text
◦ Answers are in more than one place in the text and then
put together
◦ Answers require one or more sentences
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Making Connections
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Cannot be answered by looking in the text
Think about the information in the text
Think about what you already know
Put these together to answer the questions
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Teach students how to recognize the type of
questions being asked by modelling for them.
Having students produce the three types of
questions demonstrates the highest level of
mastery.
Help them organize information from stories
on timelines, diagrams, concept webs etc.
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When writing is difficult, begin with cloze
procedures where EAL students can fill in
parts of the story rather than writing the
whole story.
◦ Can provide words to use or have them decide what
words to add...depending on support needed
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For more advanced learners, copy text book
pages and white out important vocabulary.
◦ Student has to use context clues to decide what
word will best fit the blank space...can provide a
word bank
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Examples:
◦ She liky how she play ball.
◦ Me talkee Spanish because English more hard.
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Refine the grammar and pronunciation:
◦ She likes how he plays ball.
◦ I talk Spanish because English is harder.
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Expand the meaning/vocabulary:
◦ She admires how well he plays basketball.
◦ I often speak Spanish because I find it difficult to speak
English.
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A peer or EA can scribe the dictated story,
then reread and edit it together.
Use scaffolded story frames:
◦ Banff is wonderful! Yesterday we ___________.
Today we ________________. Tomorrow we will
____________. We’ll be home on ____________.
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Use story starters to encourage writing:
◦ I really like...
◦ My friend is special because...
◦ My dad and I are alike because...
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Discuss sentence structure and rework
sentences to grasp meaning:
◦ The longer this presentation goes on, the more
likely I am to fall asleep.
 What are other ways we can express the meaning in
this sentence?
◦ Teach meaning of words as well as the structure of
sentences – break them down without using
additional language/terms like adjectives etc.
 Help them frame sentences in simple structure.
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Sentence Frames - Compare two shapes in math,
two animals in science, two types of homes in
social etc.
◦ “Our shape is a triangle. One similarity between the
octagon and the triangle is that they both have straight
sides. However, the triangle has 3 sides, while the
octagon has 8 sides.
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Delayed copying – trains short term visual
memory and improves spelling skills.
◦ Write a short familiar sentence on the board and give a
few seconds to look at it. Erase it and have students
attempt to write the sentence from memory.
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Sentence Frames – post on SMART board as a visual cue to
answer questions in complete sentences and use correct
grammar:
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I believe/imagine/predict...
In my opinion, the most impressive part of the story is...
I conclude/suspect/speculate...
As ____already pointed out, I think that...
I want to find out more about...
I am beginning to wonder if...
I found out that...
I noticed that...
I learned/discovered/heard...
I was surprised that...
In my opinion...
I concluded that...
It seems to me that...
I agree with ____ that...
I had a different/approach/idea/answer/solution...
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Provide multiple opportunities for practice
Maximize student engagement – active learners learn
best
Establish a set routine of activities so that students
can make sense of what is happening
Use visuals as supports (visual schedule etc.)
Model skills and strategies during lessons
Ask questions to ensure comprehension – check
in/frequent monitoring
Encourage questions – example of EA reading to
student
Draw on students prior knowledge when explaining
new concepts/ideas – connect it to what they already
know something about
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Exaggerate the sounds you are having
students listen for (ie. ‘mmm’)
Break words and tasks down, model, and
have them repeat back/paraphrase
To model effectively, make the entire process
visible to the student
◦ Model letter writing for the students, then do it
together, then provide scaffolded prompts if
needed, then finally independently (I do, we do, you
do)
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Think out loud in front of students when
demonstrating a task or solving a problem
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Ensure students know the pictures on
phonics pages..make sure they know the ‘ay’
sheet has pictures of ray, jay and hay.
Teach the names of the pictures in the
alphabet strip displayed in the classroom –
don’t assume they know what the objects are.
If you teach a student how to use a tool,
they’ll use it as a cue effectively
Ensure students know the lesson objective or
purpose
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Correct students by continually modelling for
them....use it as a teachable moment.
Correct/model sentences they say ...it’s
everyone’s role in the school...RTI
Think, Pair, Share - allows everyone the
opportunity to participate, practice language and
share in a less threatening environment
Pair visual with auditory and actions to support
EAL students
Systematically teach skills in sequence from easy
to difficult
◦ Initial consonant, end consonant, medial consonant
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Use consistent prompts and cues ie. put on your
thinking caps – use same prompt in same way
daily to increase understanding of concept.
◦ Using consistent language and prompts will also make
transitions quicker and smoother
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Have a vocabulary ring with words students are
learning and definitions/examples on the other
side to review during transition times or a few
minutes of down time – make the most of each
moment of the day
Give them conversational sentence starters to
finish when they have a few minutes between
activities, “In the morning, I typically....” or
“Something that I am wondering about is...”
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When students are in a classroom with high
quality instruction, routines and tasks are
predictable, and the teacher first models how
to do something, student don’t necessarily
have to be pulled out for further instruction.
If they are removed from class, be sure that
it’s not for ‘busy work’, but for high quality
instruction. Be sure this instruction is more
beneficial to the student than what they’re
missing in the classroom.
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Listen & Do – use common school phrases –
sharpen your pencil, close the door, put this
chair beside the garbage can etc.
◦ Partner to take turns giving directions and following
them through.
◦ Use prepositions – on, over, under, between etc.
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Use real tasks to teach vocabulary
◦ Winter clothing activity – give directions such as
‘wrap the scarf around your neck’, ‘put your toque
on your head’, ‘put your other mitten on your right
hand’
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Charades – provide a phrase or context to
student and help them decide what actions to
do if needed for the group to guess
◦ Student demonstrates limping and other students
must guess the action.
◦ Then discuss what would cause this (allows for rich
vocabulary discussion).
◦ Write simple instructions on paper for charades if
learners are more advanced and they can draw
situation at random from a container.
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Role-playing dialogues
◦ Have students act out simple written scripts. ie.
Buying an ice cream at the ice cream shop, ordering
a burger in a restaurant, paying for groceries at the
store etc.
 Then have students do another similar dialogue
substituting something to change their situation or
what they are purchasing. – use cue cards for support.
◦ For more advanced learners, cue cards could
contain less info...
 ”Customer Cue Card: you go into a store to buy a
chocolate bar, a can of pop and a bag of chips.
Remember to be polite.”
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Information Gaps
◦ Two students sit back to back or with a barrier
blocking view. Each has part of a family calendar
with different information. They have to
communicate to add information from each other’s
calendars to both end up with family calendar
complete with all members activities. Encourage
them to ask each other questions, “Does anyone
have an activity on June 10th? “Yes, Sara has guitar
lessons at 4:00 p.m.”
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Similar Barrier Activity
◦ one builds with Lego following the instructions
from another...see if the creations turn out similar
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Have all students bring a word they would
like to teach their class about once a week.
Make flash cards using photos, pictures from
flyers/magazines. Put the picture on one side
and the word on the other.
Use picture books to practice language – after
reading the book, use the book’s pictures as
a prompt to have the student retell the story
to you.
After reading a story, put events on sequence
strips for the student to arrange in order.
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Following Directions:
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In the middle of your page, draw a happy face.
On top of the happy face, draw a triangle.
Above the triangle, draw a sun.
Below the happy face, draw a table.
Under the table, draw a heart.
In the triangle, draw a square.
Draw a moon on the right side of your paper (close to
the edge), parallel to the sun.
Draw a line connecting the sun to the moon.
Draw a glass of water on the right side of the table.
Draw a star behind the left leg of the table.
On the top left hand corner of your paper, draw a cloud.
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Play Scrabble with peers
Play Hangman together with simple words
they are familiar with
Memory – match a picture card to a word card
Bingo – use to reinforce word recognition,
sound recognition or to build vocab. students have to search their Bingo card for
certain sight words, words with a certain
sound, or a picture to match the vocabulary
word called out.
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Guessing Game
◦ Students take a card with an item of clothing listed
on it. Pantomime putting this item on, while the
other students guess what it is. Enjoyable as it is
silly at times, but makes learning memorable and
fun.
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Word Families
◦ Use whiteboards to work on word families (_at)
◦ Add various initial consonants and decide together
if it makes a word – thumbs up or down if needed
◦ Explain the word/draw a picture etc.
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War/Speed
◦ Put sight words on cards and play with partner – first to
read the word as the cards are overturned from the stack
gets the card. Most cards wins.
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Group Vocabulary Game
◦ I have the word _____. Who has the word defined as
_____? (each student gets a card with a word on one side
and a not matching definition on the other)
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Play Taboo - Get them talking a mile a minute!
◦ get your team to say the word you chose without using
the word or others linked to it on the card. Begin with
them focusing on not saying the main word, but allow
them to use the other words as cues if needed
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Which takes more effort...to urge, ask or beg
your parents for something? – think, pair,
share
Describe a time when you felt
dread/scared/danger
Discuss 3 things that can be ‘confined’.
Teach what suffixes and prefixes mean – ‘co’
means together, ‘ab’ means separate
◦ Cooperate, coincidence, abduct, absent
◦ Look up other words beginning this way in the
dictionary for more examples
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Word Scaling
◦ Put in order of intensity:
 Crying, wailing, weeping, bawling, tearing up, sobbing
 Running, walking, jogging, strolling, marching, sprinting
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Word Detective Book
◦ Include words they don’t know, need to know, or want to
know
◦ Write the word in the book and then have them ask 3
adults about the word and to sign
◦ Gives the student a chance to experience the word in 3
different ways
◦ Aim for more than familiarity...we want them to use/own
the word
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www.justvocabulary.com (various podcasts
teaching about context of words – when & how to
use – high school level)
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/
(Grammar Girl – middle & high school –
affect/effect, who/whom, using plural with family
names)
www.princetonreview.com/podcasts - songs that
teach vocabulary (Christmas Carols, Somebody’s
Looking for Me)
http://word-games.pogo.com/ - free online
games like Scrabble and Boggle
http://www.onestopenglish.com/games/freegames - various free games
Various Grammar activities and downloadable worksheets:
http://www.englishbanana.com/big-grammar-bookenglish-worksheets.html
Family Words Worksheet from English Banana.pdf
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http://esl.about.com/ - variety of useful tools
and tips for teaching ESL students... eg. how to
make introductions (under ‘vocab’ and ‘beginner’
tabs
http://www.eslcafe.com/grammar.html hundreds of lessons on grammar, confusing
vocabulary, figurative language etc.
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Inclusion and interacting with peers in the
classroom is key to learning
Language can be taught in everything you are
teaching and reinforcing
Teach language and vocabulary through
conversation and discussion
Encourage questions and monitor understanding
Demonstrate, think out loud, and use visuals to
support understanding
Expose EAL students to all activities, but explain
and model..don’t assume they understand
Encourage reading at home and school