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I came across an interview with the author of the book, Tell Me More, who was discussing the value of simply listening. It occurred to me that much of what was being discussed also applies to teaching. Students, like any individual, want to be heard, understood, listened to. How often do we as teachers (or administrators) quickly move to “fix it” mode without really listening to what a student is trying to convey? In these situations, oral expression is hampered.

Why is that an issue? Because developing oral language skills is a big deal.

Research shows that oral language has a significant impact on students’ success throughout their academic careers. In particular, oral language is closely tied to reading achievement. English learners have a knowledge gap in oral language because these students didn’t grow up speaking and listening to words in English about the world around them. Specific time in class must be dedicated to developing their oral language skills, especially use of academic language.

Here are six ways to enhance academic oral language for English learners. These ideas are drawn from our book, Developing Academic Language.

1. Create a positive, respectful and supportive classroom environment. English learners are more likely to talk to the teacher and peers, and to participate in academic discussions when they are comfortable doing so. The teacher sets the tone in the classroom and for oral language to be enhanced, the right tone is one of acceptance, encouragement, respect for differences of opinion or perspectives, and welcoming of all attempts to use the new language. Students benefit from teachers’ use of relationship-building language such as, “I’m listening, go on…” and “I’d like to hear what else you have to say about ____________.”Valuing and validating student contributions goes a long way in creating a positive learning environment and reducing the risk involved when using a new language in front of others.
2. Select interesting topics for discussion. One of the best ways to engage students – or anyone for that matter – is to discuss a topic of interest. Topics need to be appropriate for their age and related to the curriculum so that English learners are exposed to key topics covered at their grade level. Think of ways to tie students’ personal experiences and background to the topic so that they make personal connections. Show a picture or video clip to generate discussion and ask, Does this remind you of anything? What do you recognize? How does this relate to our topic? Also, be sure to encourage students to express their own opinions using techniques such as Take a Stand where students move to a corner of the classroom marked with a sign that reflects their view on a given topic: Strongly Agree, Agree, Disagree, Strongly Disagree. Small groups at each corner discuss a plan for presenting their ideas to the group, then each group shares their position.
3. Encourage active listening. English learners need instruction in developing strong listening comprehension skills such as learning how to filter out some of the “English noise” they hear by focusing in on specific information and listening with a purpose. One way to develop active listening is through note-taking. Show students that as they listen for the purpose of taking notes, they can pick up teachers’ speech cues that reveal important information. Cues that signal key information include change in intonation, emphasizing a word or phrase, and repetition. Also, teach students common phrases teachers say to help them home in on important information such as, “Ok, this is important,” “Be sure to remember this,” “Make a note of what I’m saying,” “Here’s something important.” Knowing what to listen for encourages active listening.
4. Provide scaffolds for expressing ideas. Sentence starters, language frames, sentence frames and/or scripts have become commonly used scaffolds to support English learners’ oral expression. They provide a model of correct English grammar as well as giving a boost to oral participation since some of the words are provided. For example, the frames,  In the text ________________ is arguing _______________ , but I think ________________. and, If ________________ then ________________ provide authentic language for English learners to use as they express their own ideas and draw conclusions. Remember to provide scaffolds that match students’ English proficiency levels and to remove scaffolds as needed. As I discussed in a previous post, advanced speakers should not be asked to use frames designed for those at the beginning stages of English proficiency. Some English learners may not require much scaffolding at all as their fluency increases.
5. Plan for multiple opportunities to practice using English. To improve oral proficiency, English learners need to engage in lots of meaningful practice activities that link to content and language objectives. But high-quality practice is unlikely to happen unless it is part of lesson planning. On-the-fly “turn and talk” about a topic is less effective than planned activities with small groups or partners discussing content topics using targeted vocabulary and/or specific grammatical structures. There are innumerable resources online and in books where teachers will find fun, interesting, and meaningful activities for developing academic oral language. Make sure that lessons have sufficient time devoted to such instructional activities.
6. Reduce teacher talk. The best way to get someone to talk is to listen. Teachers of English learners need to reign in their instincts to talk – to share more and more information, and to go into “fix it” mode when students have questions. Prompting (“Ok, what else?”  “And so….”) and pausing (remaining quiet and allowing students to finish their thoughts) are much more effective for encouraging extended oral expression. Consistently using techniques such as prompting and pausing creates a classroom environment that has a balance of teacher talk and student talk, one in which students feel comfortable expressing themselves. English learners are apt to use English more when they are confident that they won’t be cut off and when the teacher genuinely wants to hear their ideas.

 From: Short, D. & Echevarria, J. (2016). Developing Academic Language Using the SIOP Model. Boston: Pearson.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In a recent podcast I encouraged educators to use research-validated teaching techniques and strategies for supporting English learners. So, I thought it might be useful to post a blog about using research to guide instruction.

A research report has identified seven guidelines for educating English learners in grades K-5. These guidelines provide the “what” that should be happening in classrooms. The “how” to make it happen can be guided by SIOP which is supported by research .

(By the way, there is an excellent SIOP twitter chat at #ELLchat_bkclub where teachers are posting lots of great, practical ideas and activities to use with English learners. Check it out!)

1. Provide explicit instruction in literacy components. There has been a lot of discussion recently about how students learn to read. While it’s important to enrich reading instruction by providing read alouds, book choice, and ample time for independent reading, students — especially English learners — need to be taught the essential skills of reading daily. That is especially true since English learners are unlikely to learn those skills incidentally. Students can’t become good readers if they don’t learn to decode well, but English learners need to make connections between the words they are pronouncing and the meaning of those words. SIOP teachers pre-teach key vocabulary so students can comprehend the text in front of them, and they use students’ background literacy knowledge and experiences to connect to text. Some of the innumerable ways that SIOP teachers make skill instruction meaningful include 4 Corner vocabulary (see example), contextualized word walls and personal dictionaries.
2. Develop academic language in the context of content-area instruction. Our mantra for decades has been, all teacher are language teachers. Each content area has its own unique way of using language and its own associated vocabulary (e.g., disunion and emancipation in history; photosynthesis and respiration in science) in addition to general academic vocabulary used across content areas such as, chart, subsequently, and symbol. One of SIOP’s most significant contributions to teaching English learners was introducing a focus on having content and language objectives in every lesson. During lesson planning, teachers consider the language students will need to be able to understand and participate fully in each lesson. The lesson’s vocabulary, sentence structure, and/or language skill (e.g., retell or persuade) become language objectives. Posting and reviewing content and language objectives makes learning transparent for students and ensures that academic language teaching is infused into content-area instruction.
3. Provide visual and verbal supports to make core content comprehensible. This recommendation is most fully reflected in the SIOP component, Comprehensible Input. Use of multimedia, charts, pictures, and even jotting words/sentences and drawing simple illustrations during oral presentation of information increases comprehension. Verbal scaffolds include paraphrasing or restating a student’s response to model correct English grammar, and eliciting more language from students by prompting, cueing and gesturing rather than accepting a one- or two-word response. Verbal and visual supports encourage greater student engagement and learning by making content comprehensible.
4. Encourage peer-assisted learning opportunities. The Interaction component of SIOP calls for frequent opportunities for interaction and discussion using a variety of grouping configurations such as moving from small groups to partners or from whole group to small groups. For English learners, engaging with peers in discussion around text provides deeper understanding of the content and allows them to use academic language in a non-threatening setting. Oral language is developed by interacting with language in ways such as Think Pair Share, and through more in-depth discussions where students grapple with ideas and practice defending their positions. Let’s face it, students enjoy working together productively, especially when they understand their roles and tasks are well organized. Changing up grouping provides variety and interest.
5. Capitalize on students’ home language, knowledge, and cultural assets. English learners come to school with a wealth of background experiences and knowledge. The Building Background component asks teachers to explicitly link instruction to the assets that students bring and build upon what they know and can do. Further, SIOP calls on teachers to provide ample opportunities for students to use their home language to clarify concepts. SIOP teachers use techniques such as chapter previews, asking students what they know about the topic, discovering experiences they have had related to the topic, and encouraging students translate key terms and concepts into their home language. Integrating students’ language, knowledge, and culture into the classroom communicates respect, honors their background, and enhances learning.
6. Screen for language and literacy challenges and monitor progress. English learners sometimes are passed along with the assumption that learning difficulties are because they “just need more time to learn English.” The idea of the research  recommendation is to screen for issues, do something concrete as a remedy, and monitor how well the remedies work. Progress-monitoring data tells us if basic classroom instruction for English learners needs to be improved or if both improved instruction and additional targeted interventions are called for. Disproportionate numbers of ELs identified as needing interventions is a signal that effective instruction is missing in the classroom. Resources would be better directed toward improving professional development for staff on effective teaching for English learners. In a previous post, RTI and English Learners: 4 Considerations, I make the point that RTI isn’t about, What is wrong with this student? but should be about, How can we meet the instructional needs of this student?
7. Provide small-group academic support in literacy and English-language development for students. A dedicated time of daily  instruction, typically called ELD or ESL, gives English learners a chance to focus on developing vocabulary and other language skills that will improve English proficiency as well as assist in the acquisition of literacy.  By using core content as the vehicle for learning during ELD/ESL, language is learned in context and important knowledge and concepts are reinforced through language practice. English learners also need focused instruction on how to use English in various ways and for specific purposes, and small group instruction with peers of similar English proficiency levels provides the best opportunity to improve both language and literacy for these students.

In secondary classrooms, many of these same guidelines apply but are adjusted for age.  For example, secondary teachers use more collaborative, peer-group learning to support and extend teacher-led instruction. They also provide appropriate scaffolding to ensure that grade-level texts and other instructional materials are used and are accessible to English learners. The urgency associated with teaching older learners requires a more intense focus on developing academic English — its varied grammatical structures and vocabulary  — as part of subject-matter learning, as well as attention to fostering student motivation and engagement in literacy learning.

Online resources provide easy access to research about teaching English learners. Let’s make sure we’re using research-based practices to improve the academic achievement of our students.

Since SIOP is designed to make content comprehensible for English learners, sometimes there is a misconception that it is intended exclusively for ESL (English As a Second Language) or ELD (English Language Development) classes. After all, English learners are the students in those programs. Of course, SIOP is used in ESL/ELD settings, and students and teachers in ESL classes were part the original research through which the SIOP Model was developed.  However, English learners are also in general education classes. So, SIOP is used in those classrooms by content teachers to help English learners access the core curriculum while, at the same time, they capitalize on language learning opportunities to improve English proficiency.

(To learn more about SIOP – and enter to win a free book– join a twitter PLC discussion of SIOP beginning March 25, 2019 #ELLchat_bkclub)

SIOP is used widely as a guide for effective lesson planning and teaching in a number of settings including the following:

• Preservice teacher candidates preparing to be teachers of second or multiple language learners. Many colleges and universities include SIOP in their teacher preparation programs so that all teachers are equipped to work effectively with English learners in their future classrooms. In other countries, SIOP is typically used with students who are preparing to teach ESL or EFL. It is useful for CLIL teachers as well.
  • SIOP is particularly useful with individuals studying to become teachers because its research-validated protocol for observing and rating lessons provides a way for giving objective, specific feedback on lessons. The protocol can also be used by teacher candidates themselves to reflect on their lessons and figure out in which areas they need to improve. Their field supervisors can use it for data-based discussions after observations of the teacher candidates.
• Elementary classroom teachers and secondary subject area teachers who want to provide more effective instruction to English learners who are learning English and rigorous content simultaneously.
• English as a second language (ESL) and English language development (ELD) teachers who provide content-based ESL/ELD.
• Dual language and bilingual teachers who teach content through a non-native language. In dual language classes, teachers use SIOP to scaffold instruction for students when the language of instruction is not their home language, such as teaching in Spanish to native English-speaking students or teaching in English to Mandarin-speaking students. In bilingual classes, instruction in English is more understandable when SIOP is used to provide access to the content and develop English proficiency.
• English as a foreign language programs with students who are learning English for academic or professional purposes (EAP/ESP). Typically, in countries outside the U.S. SIOP is used in programs in which majority-language speaking students are learning content through a minority language.

In each of these settings, students benefit when teachers use a variety of proven instructional features for making the content understandable and also provide ample opportunity for practicing the target language.

SIOP has additional applications such as

• Teacher self-reflection tool– After a lesson is completed, teachers can reflect on how the lesson went, rate their own teaching using the protocol, and highlight components that need more attention. An effective way to do this is to videotape the lesson and then watch the lesson from the camera’s perspective. Much can be learned about your own teaching – and the behavior of students that may escape your attention while you were busy teaching the lesson!
• Observation instrument– The protocol is organized in a format that allows for observation of specific research-based practices. Observation may be done by peers, school administrators, or university supervisors.
• PLC focus – It is structured in a way that makes professional learning discussions systematic and manageable. If the PLC is a comfortable setting for teachers, they may choose to share videotapes of their classrooms for group feedback.

SIOP is used in classrooms of all grade levels and across all content areas. The model hasn’t changed since its original development although the professional development for teachers in the U.S. has been broadened. SIOP trainings include (see Pearson SIOP website):

• Teachers – training for content and language teachers explains the theory and research undergirding the eight components, demonstrates and provides practice in a wide range of student-centered instructional techniques that teachers can use in their classrooms, and guides them in SIOP lesson planning.
• Administrators – training includes information about the SIOP Model, how to support teachers using the model, and how the SIOP can have a positive impact on teaching all students, especially English learners and those with weak academic literacy skills.
• Instructional Coaches – training helps to develop effective SIOP coaches who assist teachers in improving classroom instruction.
• Inter-rater Reliability – administrators and coaches learn how to use the observation protocol to establish common benchmarks of effective classroom lessons and rate the quality of instruction and SIOP implementation in a consistent manner.
• Advanced SIOP Training for Teachers – training provides component enrichment through which educators deepen their understanding and implementation of one or more of the eight SIOP components.

Although the SIOP Model has eight components, it’s not a step-by-step approach. Rather, it is an integrated system for lesson planning and teaching that ensures that critical features of instruction in combination are present in every lesson. Further, it allows for natural variation in teaching styles and lesson delivery because SIOP is curriculum- and materials-neutral. It has been successfully adapted for use in a variety of educational settings and linguistic and cultural contexts worldwide.

Hope you will join the twitter discussion to learn more from expert SIOP practitioners and other participants.

Based on: Echevarria, J., Vogt, ME. & Short, D. (2017). Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model 5e. Boston: Pearson.

 

 

I was in a non-English speaking country a few months ago and survived several situations by pointing, miming, and using gestures to make my message understood. It made me think, once again, about how difficult it must be for our English learners and their families to navigate everyday life in an English-speaking country. It’s no wonder that people gravitate to neighborhoods to live where their home language and culture are understood.

In classrooms, using techniques to make a message (oral or written) understood is referred to as comprehensible input, and is one of the components of SIOP.

When working with teachers, we find that comprehensible input is one of the easiest places for teachers to begin providing more support for English learners because it builds on practices they are likely already using. There are innumerable ways to make information or instructions – or whatever the teacher is communicating — understandable for English learners. In the SIOP Model, we focus on three features of comprehensible input and have found that the best results come when teachers:

Adjust their speech so that it’s appropriate for a students’ proficiency levels. While it is important for English learners to gain exposure to grade-level academic language, there are times when teachers make adjustments for English learners, particularly those at the beginning or intermediate stages of language acquisition.  For example, slowing the pace of speech and enunciating clearly are helpful techniques to use with beginning English learners. With more advanced speakers, the teacher may use native-like speech but will restate, articulate more clearly, or clarify as needed. Likewise, teachers should accept students’ contributions commensurate with their levels of proficiency. A beginning speaker may use only a few words to convey meaning while a more advanced speaker might use complete sentences, perhaps with some errors. Both students are demonstrating their knowledge. For writing, adjustments might include providing word banks, sentence frames or partially completed outlines to support students’ expression.

Clearly explain the expectations for academic tasks. Most individuals are more comfortable and perform better when they know the expectations of a situation. For example, if you are asked to speak before the Board of Education you would want to know the parameters, right? What the topic is, the length of time, the precise message you are supposed to deliver, the desired outcome, etc. The same is true for every task or assignment English learners are asked to complete. Oral explanation by the teacher is ineffective for English learners who likely will have gaps in their understanding of what was said. Here’s where modeling is powerful. Walk students through a step-by-step process of how the task should be done; show a completed example of the assignment; do think-alouds while explaining the task or assignment. Further, write the steps for completing a task or assignment on the board for reference. When students are unsure about what to do, not only do they disengage from learning, but their off-task behavior may result in disruption. Making expectations clear to students contributes to effective and efficient teaching.

Use a variety of techniques to make content concepts clear and understandable. After expectations are made clear, then provide supports to make English learners successful. This feature reflects the “do whatever it takes” approach to making a lesson understandable: visuals, hands-on experiences, previewing material, gestures, graphics, real objects, and so forth. Technology allows teachers to provide visually rich lessons, a huge benefit for English learners when the use of multimedia is well-planned and done with intention. I experienced the power of visuals recently at an annual charity event I attend to support a friend. Typically, it is difficult to hear the after-lunch speaker due to side conversations throughout the room. This year, the speaker captured the attention of the entire audience. She moved around the platform, used gestures, was animated, engaged in question-response with the audience and, perhaps most importantly, used PowerPoint to augment her oral presentation. When she used a term such as zeitgeist, it appeared on the screen and was defined. The difference in delivery – and audience response — was striking. The power of visual representation cannot be overstated, especially for English learners.

Think about TED Talks. These talks are wildly popular. Why? In part, it is because they use the features of comprehensible input. In addition to discussing fascinating, timely topics, TED Talk speakers:

• Adjust their speech to the audience by limiting jargon, acronyms, and overly complex ideas; they speak clearly and concisely; and although they use a natural pace, it is slightly slower to aid in comprehension for listeners who are unfamiliar with the content.
• Make the topic of the presentation clear up front and they stick to the topic which provides the audience an idea of what to expect; listeners are interested and engaged.
• Use techniques to enhance their talk such as gestures and visuals.

The SIOP features of comprehensible input are intended for teachers to use with English learners to help them understand lessons but when you think about it, those features work well with almost any group.

 

A significant number of English learners are considered long-term English learners (LTELs) because they’ve been in EL programs for more than 6 years. These students haven’t yet been able to demonstrate adequate proficiency in English to meet established English language proficiency criteria and to be considered fluent English proficient.

Why are there so many LTEL students and what can be done?

There is no single answer to this complex issue because there are any number of factors involved such as absenteeism and transiency, but there is a lot that schools can do to reduce the numbers of LTELs.

When discussing exiting EL services, it’s important to keep in mind that English learners are entitled to language support services until they are sufficiently proficient in English to be successful in general education without such supports. These necessary – and legally required – services provide equity of access to schooling for those students who are still in the process of learning English.

The solution to LTEL students languishing in EL programs is not lowering the bar for exiting but improving the quality of instruction these students receive. After all, EL services are a scaffold, or support, that is in place until the student has acquired the language and literacy skills to be successful academically after exiting the program.

The goal is acquisition of language and literacy skills, not simply exiting the program.

Improving the quality of instruction for LTELs (and other English learners) begins with using research-validated instruction such as the SIOP Model, an approach for making instruction comprehensible while at the same time advancing students’ English language proficiency. SIOP ensures that grade-level content is made meaningful and provides opportunities for students to use academic language. High quality content instruction coupled with a specific time of daily, focused English language development (ELD) is a combination that is sure to offer ELs the best support for gaining proficiency in English.

Even with SIOP teaching and English language development, there may be barriers to exiting EL programs. I’ll discuss several common barriers in the context of solutions for each one. These ideas build on an assumed foundation of high-quality instruction.

1. School-wide effort. Everyone benefits when students make academic progress. However, too often school personnel view English learners as the responsibility of an EL coordinator or similar staff person. Especially in schools with large numbers of ELs a team effort will more likely increase the number of ELs who are ready to exit EL programs. School staff should:
   • Meet with each English learner from 4^thgrade on to discuss the areas they need to improve, i.e., speaking, listening, reading and/or writing. Be transparent about assessment results and set goals for improvement in the area(s) of need. These meetings should probably take place more than once a year to keep students and school personnel focused on their set goals.
   • Design an efficient system for data collection and reporting. Ask a group of principals how many students exited their school’s EL program the previous year and likely few could answer accurately, probably because they depend on their EL coordinators to check on English learners’ progress. Every district has established criteria for exiting EL programs such as cut scores to define proficiency on state language proficiency assessments, demonstration of “basic skills,” teacher recommendation and so forth. School staff, led by the principal, should be proactive in analyzing each English learner’s progress toward meeting these criteria and a system should be in place for doing so: Who monitors progress toward exit criteria? What happens when some English learners are close to meeting exit criteria? (Hint: The students’ teachers should be informed and instruction focused on targeted areas) Who gathers the paperwork and submits it to the district? Lost paperwork or lax procedures are not valid excuses for keeping students in EL programs when they are ready to exit.
2. Enlist teachers. Teachers need to be knowledgeable about their EL students’ levels of proficiency in each of the domains of reading, writing, speaking and listening. Assessment results should be used to create an instructional profile for each student; determine areas of need and focus on those areas. For example, many LTELs have solid listening and speaking skills but fall short in reading and writing. Rather than spending lots of time on “turn and talk” type activities, teachers should focus on literacy skills by providing lots of opportunities for ELs to read (independently, with a partner and with the teacher), talk about what they’ve read, write a response, reaction or summary, and so forth.
3. Involve students. LTEL students have taken a language proficiency assessment every year since they entered U.S. schools. Some students become weary of taking the same test with the same results. Most have no idea how they performed on the assessment, only that they remain an EL student. There is value in getting buy-in from students and a good motivator is choice: secondary students in EL programs have limited electives because they take ELD for one or two periods. Be explicit with students that if they will double down on their effort in the classroom and during ELD they will likely perform better on the next assessment. Further, encourage students to:
   • Give their best effort on the test. Let them know that every answer counts.
   • Come prepared by getting a good night’s sleep the night before test day and eating breakfast on the day of the test. Most students (English learner or not) aren’t aware of the impact of sleep and nutrition on performance.
4. Enlist parents’ help. This valuable resource is often overlooked, and research shows that when EL parents are asked to assist with school work, they do. Ask parents to:
   • Help with the student’s target areas by supervising their work. For example, if reading goals are set, ask parents to make sure their student reads at home each day. Teachers may design an accountability system for reporting work done at home.
   • Make sure their student attends school on testing day, is on time, and well rested.
   • Encourage the student to do their best on the test and take it seriously.

When English learners aren’t making adequate progress academically, look at classroom instruction and determine if it is a barrier to attaining English proficiency. Are teachers using a research-validated approach for teaching English learners? Are teachers capitalizing on students’ home language, knowledge and cultural assets? Do teachers have high expectations for their English learners?

With growing numbers of LTELs nationwide, it’s important to be aware of and to reduce barriers for our English learners in reaching English proficiency.