Transcript Working with Very Young English Learners and Their Families

Working with Very Young
English Learners and Their
Families
PITC Graduate Conference
October 20, 2005
Panelists
• Ruth Chao, University of California
Riverside
• Joanne Knapp-Philo, Early Head Start
Literacy Project
• James Rodriguez, San Diego State
University
• Rebeca Valdivia, WestEd CCFS
The ELL Resource Guide
Preschool English Learners:
Principles and Practices to Promote
Language, Literacy, and Learning
DRAFT
RESOURCE GUIDE
CALIFORNIA DEPARTM ENT OF EDUCATION
SACRAM ENTO , CA
AUGUST 30, 20 05
English Learners in California
• English learners about 25% of California’s
6.2 million students
• Even greater proportion at the lower
grades—36%
• Even though public school enrollment has
risen by 50% in last 20 years
• The number of English learners has
increased by six times
Who are the English Learners?
• Immigrants
• 40% of nations immigrant children reside in
California
• Latinos 30% and Asians 9.1%
• Create cultural and linguistic diversity
Mos t Pre valent Non-English Language s and Number of KÑ 12
Students Speak ing The se Languages , 1981Ñ 2000
Rank
1
2
3
4
5
6
1981
Spanish
285,567
Vietnamese
22,826
Cantonese
14,196
Korean
7,508
Filipino (Tagalog)
6,752
Lao
5,586
Source: California Department of Education
1990
2000
Spanish
655,097
Vietnamese
34,934
Cantonese
21,154
Khmer (Cambodian)
19,234
Hmong
18,091
Filipino (Tagalog)
16,338
Spanish
1,222,809
Vietnamese
39,447
Hmong
28,374
Cantonese
25,509
Filipino (Tagalog)
18,193
Khmer (Cambodian)
16,283
The Families & Communities of
English Learners
The Immigrant Experience
Their Immigrant Experiences
• Diversity of experiences
• Family here for generations
– May not speak another language in the home
– Cannot assume they do or that they are not
fluent in English
• More recent immigrants
– But come under very different circumstances
– Have different implications for child’s adjustment
Circumstances of Immigration
• Some have had time to prepare their move
– May even have a secure job here before leaving their
home country
– Supportive community, even family members
• Others may have left involuntarily
–
–
–
–
No time to prepare
Because fleeing from traumatic circumstances
May have lived in refugee camp
Entry into U.S. begins with living in relocation center
Circumstances of Immigration 2
• Family members often do not arrive all
together
• Even in case of planned or voluntary
immigration, father may arrive first
• Child may be have been separated from one
or both parents for a time
• Implications for child’s adjustment
Home Language Practices
• Some may be wellinformed about language
development
• Have definite goals for
whether & how to foster
bilingualism
• Others may not have
given this much thought
• Or may feel it is not your
role to support home
language
Importance of Supporting
Home Language
• Conveys your respect for their culture
• Helps build connect between home and
care-giving setting or school
• When they eventually enter school, improves
learning to be able to communicate at home
what learned in school
What Does This Mean for You?
• Discuss with each
family
– The language learning
experiences
– Language goals
– Language resources
that you would like to
provide
• Get to know the
family’s immigration
experiences
– Begin with asking about
recent circumstances of
child
– Anything you could be
sensitive to
What Does This Mean for You? 2
• Discuss and brainstorm with your staff
– Your philosophy or general policy for support of
English learners
– What resources and support you can offer
– How you can secure these resources and
support
LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT,
SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION,
& LANGUAGE SOCIALIZATION
EARLY LANGUAGE
DEVELOPMENT
• The purpose of language or “how do I get
what I want?”
• Differential rates in language
development and the role of culture
• Social influences on language
development: family, peers, and culture
SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION:
CRITICAL FACTORS IN BECOMING
BILINGUAL
• Exposure X Opportunities
• Receptive X Expressive
• Proficiency X Usage X
Preference
SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION:
PATHS TO BECOMING BILINGUAL
• Simultaneous bilingualism -- learning
two languages at the same time
• Successive bilingualism -- learning a
second language after the
establishment of the first language
• Receptive bilingualism -understanding without expression
LANGUAGE SOCIALIZATION:
DYNAMIC DIMENSIONS
• The multiple contexts of language development
and socialization
• The developmental continuum of language:
from birth to adulthood
• The psychology of bilingualism: Who am I and
how do I relate to the world around me?
Young English Learners with Disabilities
and other Special Needs
Proven and Emerging Successful
Practices
EL’s with Disabilities and S.N.
• CAN learn more than
one spoken language
• DO function as bi- or
multilingual beings
• Confusion comes not
from the child but from
lack of supports in the
learning environment;
nothing to anchor the
child
EL’s with Disabilities and S.N.(2)
• Their language development should be
compared to other children with same
diagnosis and similar degree of delay
• STILL have connection to their extended
family and community
• Implications of learning only one language
should be made clear to family
Family Quote
Teacher: In the classroom, Samuel speaks to
me in English and to the classroom assistant
in Spanish. Does he use both languages at
home?
Parent: Yes, since he began talking he uses
English with me and with his brothers and he
uses Spanish with his father. Sometimes
he’ll substitute Spanish when he doesn’t
know English, like he says “chancleta”, but
he easily switches back and forth between
the languages.
EL’s with Disabilities and S.N.(3)
• Should have clear, specific language goals
on IFSP
• All means of communication
should be considered
• Key to include a bilingual
specialist in program
planning
Strategies For Infants and Toddlers Who
Are Learning More Than One Language
Joanne Knapp-Philo Ph.D.
California Institute on Human Services
Sonoma State University
Goal – Truly Bilingual Children
• Children develop a strong base and
become fluent in their home language
AND
• Become fluent in English
Simultaneous Language Acquisition
• Infants and toddlers are learning 2
languages
– Normal developmental processes for each
language
– Some intermingling at first
– Most children have completely separated
the languages by 2
Principles to Consider
•
•
•
•
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How infants and toddlers learn
Parental preferences
Children need good language models
Child and parent comfort levels
How caregivers normally communicate with
infants and toddlers
Infants and Toddlers Learn
Best
• Caring relationship
• Frequent positive interactions
• Children know they will be
understood and responded to
Parent Choice
• Listen to parents’ preferences
• Share what we know
–Importance of home language
–It IS possible to develop 2
languages well
Children need good language models
Speak your best language
Comfort Levels
• Parent/s comfort levels
• Child comfort
Parent Comfort
• Communicate with
parents in the
language of their
choice
– Do NOT use other
children as
interpreters
• Make sure families
know they are
welcome anytime
• Provide
children’s books
in the family’s
language in the
environment
Child Comfort
• Learn ways to comfort the child
–Gestures
–Actions
–INDIVIDUALIZE FOR EACH
CHILD
The principles of high quality
infant/toddler care cross
language barriers
Individualize for each
child and family