Reflections on Teaching Multilingual Learners

In many classrooms today, the emphasis has shifted from students solving math problems to learners explaining solution processes, describing their ideas and reasoning, presenting arguments, and proving their conclusions. There are many creative, effective approaches to teaching mathematics but one common denominator (pun alert!) in them all is the important relationship between language and mathematics. Language is at the heart of teaching math. For English learners, the relationship is critical because these students are learning mathematics while they are acquiring the language in which mathematics is being taught.

Equity is one of the themes reflected in NCTM math standards. As stated, “Excellence in mathematics education requires equity—high expectations and strong support for all students.”

So, what does strong support for English learners look like? Would you recognize it — or its absence?

Here are a few suggestions.

Explicitly teach vocabulary. Math has its own language and English learners must master it in addition to the general academic language they are acquiring. Explicit teaching involves selecting a set of math terms for each unit of study Ask yourself: What are the essential key terms students must know to be successful in this lesson/unit? How will I ensure key terms are not only introduced by me but also processed, used, and reviewed by my students? How can I encourage students to use the terms when working in partners?

Vocabulary for a 2-day lesson on the meaning of integers might include positive integers, negative integers, number line, opposites, and absolute value. Make sure students are provided multiple exposures to the words to deepen understanding. For example, write the words on the board or word wall, pronounce the words, point to a word on the board when it is encountered in the text or during instruction, play a vocabulary game, encourage students to use the terms in their answers and discussions. In other words, consistently make students aware of those words and how they are used. Students also need to use and practice the words in a variety of contexts such as peer discussions, individual activities, and teacher-led instruction. It is said that students need to use a word meaningfully around 15 times before it becomes part of their vocabulary. Getting that many encounters takes planning on the teacher’s part with a focus on vocabulary.

Scaffold instruction.  Since listening to oral instruction can be challenging for students who don’t yet speak English fluently, English learners require additional supports.

• Model the procedure step-by-step to demonstrate how a problem is solved. Remember that you may need to model more than once.
• Speak clearly and at a pace that is understandable.  Often teachers inadvertently speak too rapidly for English learners (and other students) to follow. Use a pace that is slower but natural.  Use visuals. Technology offers innumerable ways to help English learners comprehend instruction. White boards, document readers, online resources, and the like provide the visual support these students need.
• Link teaching to their background knowledge and experiences. For example, a lesson on the meaning of integers might be more meaningful if it begins with, Think of a time when you borrowed money. Tell a partner using the sentence frame, “One time I borrowed money __________.” (10 seconds to share) Then discuss the symbol in math that can be used to represent borrowed money making the connection between negative integers and borrowed money. Use a number line to show on which side of the number line borrowed money is represented. Linking the content to students’ own lives makes it more meaningful and easier to learn.

Provide opportunities for discussion.  English learners benefit from discussing math concepts and procedures with peers, as well as in whole group. When posing a question to the class, consider having students turn to a partner and answer the question first, before reporting out to the whole class. Speaking to a peer may be less threatening since it allows students to share their answer or idea with one classmate instead of many. As students are talking together, the teacher may circulate to monitor student responses and get an idea of who understands and who might need more instruction and/or practice. Taking time to have students talk about math is a productive use of time because it….

• Is a means for students to express their thinking, and to clarify and fine-tune their ideas;
• Gives each student time to process information and hear what others are thinking;
• Provides opportunities for English learners to participate as equal contributors to the class;
• Offers the benefit of repetition of academic language terms and thinking processes.

When interacting with students, go beyond responses such as, “Good job!” or “You’re right” by encouraging elaborated responses with comments like, “Can you tell us more about that?”

Try some of the following comments and see how the interaction in your class changes.

Prompt Thinking

• You’re on the right track.  Tell us more.
• That’s a great start.  Keep thinking and I’ll get back to you.
• What made you think of that?

Justify a Response

• That’s a good probable answer. . . How did you get to that answer?
• Why is what you said so important?
• Please explain how you figured that out.

Other Points of View

• If you were solving the equation, what would you have done?
• Would you have done (or said) it like that?  Why or why not?
• Did anyone else have that answer?

When teachers and students interact together, it fosters a supportive environment which builds teacher-student rapport and a sense of community.

It may occur to you that the suggestions here would likely benefit all of your students. Right! Many of the supports that provide access – and equity — for English learners are good teaching for all. However, these supports are essential for English learners to achieve academically.

 

 

 

Based on:  Echevarria, J., Vogt, M.E., & Short, D. (2010).  The SIOP Model for Teaching Mathematics to English Learners.  New York: Pearson.

 

The saying, “He who dies with the most toys wins” was popularized in the 1980s on bumper stickers and T shirts, and even made its way into an episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Attributed to Malcolm Forbes, it represents an era when acquiring material possessions – or stuff –was the ultimate status symbol. Hopefully, the sentiment of greed the saying represents is as outdated as the saying itself.

In education, the saying, “He or she who has the most words wins” speaks to the importance of vocabulary.  Ok, so I just made the saying up. But, having a robust vocabulary is essential for school success. Those students who know and can use the most words do best in school. For English learners, vocabulary development is critical for overall language proficiency as well as for academic achievement.

Having a strong vocabulary allows English learners to read and comprehend text, to participate in oral discussion and presentation of information, and to express themselves adequately in writing and speaking. Keep in mind, the benefit isn’t simply a list of new words that have been learned. As those new words are learned, more is learned about the concepts and images with which the words are associated, which then contributes to facilitating further learning and deeper understanding of words’ meanings.

Here are 3 ways to develop vocabulary with English learners:

1. Explicitly teach words.  There’s little benefit to putting isolated vocabulary terms on the board and asking English learners to copy them and look up their definitions in the dictionary. Many of the words in the definitions are also unfamiliar to these students, so the activity can be meaningless – and frustrating. Although using the dictionary is an important school skill to learn, it isn’t the most effective way to learn the meaning of new words. Instead, teachers select a specific set of words from the texts and other materials students will be expected to read. These words may be supplemented by cross-curricular words found in academic word lists such as contrast, analyze, or variable. The selected set of words should be used in multiple ways in order to deepen understanding. Some ways of providing multiple exposures to the words include:

• Pointing out the words when they appear in the text so students see the words in context;
• Using picture dictionaries that have the word, definition, and pictorial representation for reference;
• Incorporating into lessons ways for students to use and practice the words in peer discussions, individual activities, and teacher-led groups;
• Teaching words in context, rather than in isolation, by providing student-friendly definitions, creating sentences using the words, showing pictures, giving examples students can relate to, and the like.

2. Provide opportunities for incidental learning.  English learners can learn the meaning of words from coming across them in print, and orally. But they must come across the words more than once or even twice; there must be multiple exposures in meaningful contexts. This means engaging in meaningful reading experiences, accompanied by discussion and writing. Incidental learning occurs by:

• Allowing time for independent reading of books or online resources that are appropriate for English learners’ language and literacy levels;
• Providing opportunities for students to listen to texts.

It is important to note that while English learners acquire vocabulary incidentally, through use, intentional learning tends to be more effective and efficient. Students should be provided with both explicit teaching and incidental learning opportunities to develop and practice using their vocabularies to the fullest.

3. Develop word consciousness. Simply put, this means to help students become interested in words and aware of how they work. Learning about words and playing with words can be great fun. Activities in which students manipulate words, sort words, experiment with creating funny words, and choose words they want to know about are important for vocabulary growth. As students develop word consciousness, they understand that words have meanings and that these meanings are knowable, not some mystery that they can’t figure out. Often, English learners encounter words they can’t understand but don’t know why. Once teachers help them learn more about words and how they work, they’ll be more likely to figure out the meaning of words that trip them up. Some ways to develop word consciousness include:

• Generating words from roots by adding affixes (See example using –port which means, to carry.);
• Talking about the language used by good authors. Pull out a sentence or phrase and discuss its meaning and why the author might have used those particular words. Ask students how the meaning might be conveyed using different words.

How many words should be selected for teaching? There isn’t research to guide precisely how many words to teach, but depending on age, teachers can choose from five to 20 or more words a week to teach.  The best guide might be to ask, “How many words can I teach meaningfully, have kids use to practice and apply their new learning, and assess within a particular lesson?”  This question helps teachers realize that having more words isn’t necessarily better.

There are innumerable ideas and activities for developing vocabulary. But the most bang for the buck comes by being selective and strategic in the words chosen for study, and giving students many different exposures to the words.

 

Post based in part on:

Echevarria, J. & Goldenberg, C. (2017). Second-language learners’ vocabulary and oral language development. Literacy Leadership Brief, International Literacy Association.

Echevarria, J., Vogt, ME., & Short, D. (2017). Making content comprehensible for English learners: The SIOP Model Fifth Ed. New York: Pearson.

Teachers’ expectations for students – indeed, even their attitudes toward them – has a direct influence on students’ performance and impacts their perceptions of themselves as learners. Research over the past several decades shows that teachers treat the students who they consider achievers (thus, have high expectations for them) differently than those for whom they have lower expectations.

How so?

Low expectations are communicated to students by:

• Giving less feedback to them, delving into their answers less deeply, and accepting incorrect answers;
• Calling on them less often and waiting less time for them to answer questions when they are called on;
• Asking them less challenging questions and rewarding them for less rigorous responses;
• Smiling less and making less eye contact with them.

English learners, in particular, are often characterized by what they cannot do: they cannot speak English, they are not prepared to be in mainstream classrooms, they do not understand the culture of schools in the United States, their parents don’t speak English and cannot help them with their schoolwork, they do not do as well academically……. You’ve heard many of these comments that reflect “can’t do” attitudes, I’m sure.

We recognize that there are real challenges in teaching English learners in a language they have not yet mastered, and our research, and that of many others, has focused on strategies and techniques to make content comprehensible for English learners while advancing their English proficiency.

Teacher’s attitudes about working with ELs is often born out of lack of preparation for teaching these students effectively. Even teachers with good intentions may be frustrated if they lack specific knowledge of proven ways of teaching grade-level content so that it is comprehensible for English learners and assists in developing their language proficiency.

There are many well-intentioned teachers whose teaching practices unintentionally communicate low expectations and deny English learners access to the education we want for them and that they deserve. From our book, No More Low Expectations for English Learners, consider the following chart:There are many ways to communicate high expectations to English learners including:

• Recognizing and capitalizing on the assets that students bring: their experiences, language, and background knowledge that may not align precisely with the teaching processes in U.S. schools.
• Accepting the level of language that students are able to produce and providing supports to help them understand the content of lessons. Developing second language proficiency is a developmental process that takes time – 4-6 years. Students who are trying their hardest may appear passive because they don’t yet have the language to express themselves or may not completely understand the teacher’s expectations for the lesson.
• Communicating with their families and creating school-family partnerships. Research is clear that family involvement has positive benefits for students.
• Ensuring that English learners have access to grade-level content, including college-prep courses. Just because students don’t yet speak English fluently doesn’t mean that they can’t think about complex ideas and respond to higher order questions, when provided linguistic supports.
• Showing interest in each student, getting to know them and discovering their interests and passions. Greeting students by name and asking a simple question or making a comment communicates that you care: How was the soccer game yesterday? That’s a nice blouse, is it new? How is your mother feeling? I like your haircut! This type of specific attention takes about 5-10 seconds per student so a kind word to each student in class costs less than 5 minutes of instructional time and is a valuable investment in developing relationships.
• Affirming student identity by recognizing that each student has his or her own story. What is her parents’ background? What is her own story? What does she do well (e.g., music, sports, art)? Create opportunities for students to incorporate their heritage, hobbies, and interests into class assignments and share with others. Create a community of learners who know and appreciate one another.
• Providing research-validated instruction to English learners in a supportive environment before suspicion of learning problems creeps in. When English learners struggle academically, the question isn’t, “What’s wrong with this student?” but instead the emphasis is on instruction: “How can we meet the instructional needs of this student?” There is both under- and over-representation of English learners in special education, which is a nagging and complicated issue. For a discussion of RTI and English learners, click here.

Which column in the chart most reflects your own attitudes? It may be uncomfortable to consider but it is important to question whether our instruction is increasing our English learners’ access to academic opportunity or diminishing it. Perhaps even more important is to ask for help when we’re not certain or when we’re in need of support in improving instruction for our students.

Many of you have headed back to school and others will be soon. Back-to-school is typically an exciting time of preparation, new beginnings, and anticipation. There is also a certain amount of nervousness involved, especially for English learners (ELs) who may be anxious about doing well in school.

There are some great blog sites for teachers and parents for making the transition from summer to school smooth. There are also videos that illustrate English learners’ experience in school which reminds us how challenging the first days can be for these students.

In this post, I’ll offer my own tips based on my experiences in working with English learners.

1. Be welcoming in your words and affect. Teachers’ attitudes and behaviors have a tremendous impact on how students feel about themselves as learners and on their academic performance. A smile, eye contact, a kind word, or gesture are simple actions that will go a long way in making English learners feel welcome and that they are a valued members of your class.
2. Learn your students’ names and how to pronounce them correctly. I know from personal experience how embarrassing it can be when a teacher butchers your name or makes a comment such as, “Oh, this is a tough one. Let’s see if I can say it.” Such comments usually incite laughter from other students. One’s name is linked to one’s identity and sense of self. It doesn’t take much effort to practice saying your students’ names correctly and with the same intonation as when saying, for example, Jason Thomas.
3. Display items and visuals around the classroom that represent your students’ cultures and languages such as photos, posters, and books. Use labels on items in English and the students’ languages, and ask students how some words or greetings are said in their home language. In elementary schools, a photo of each student with their name displayed on a wall communicates that every child is equally recognized and valued. A modified version may be devised for secondary students.
4. Communicate high expectations, with support provided. Spell out expectations, generate enthusiasm for the upcoming year, and communicate confidence that all students will be able to achieve their best work. Make sure that ELs know that there will be instructional supports in place to make them successful.
5. Be sensitive about asking the class how they spent their summer, where their family went on vacation, and other kinds of typical back-to-school sharing activities or assignments. Some English learners come from affluent households but statistically speaking, most live in low socioeconomic circumstances so it is unlikely that they attended summer camp or went on a family vacation. When I was a new teacher in an inner city high school, I naively asked my students what they had done during the summer. Many responded that they had mostly stayed indoors and watched TV or had to go to work with their parents. I was amazed at how eager most students were to return from summer break because school provided structure, safety, social interaction, and a purpose to their day.
6. Post the daily schedule and classroom rules/expectations in a visual manner that is easy for English learners to understand, even if they can’t comprehend every word. You may teach a mini-lesson for English learners to be sure that they understand the rules and expectations in a positive way and can participate fully in classroom routines and activities. Set them up for success!
7. Don’t criticize students if they are a day or more late in returning back to school. Teachers are excited about the new school year and it can be understandably disappointing if students aren’t in attendance from the first day when you have spent time and effort establishing a classroom culture and all that that entails. However, it isn’t the student’s fault when she misses some days because her family had other responsibilities to tend to. Just this past year I was observing in a school that had been in session for a little over two weeks. In a 4^th grade classroom that had a high number of English learners, a girl approached the teacher to say she didn’t know what to do for her report, an assignment the other students were working on. The teacher replied that since the girl’s family “chose to take an extra two weeks of vacation in Mexico” she would have to figure it out herself or ask a student. He pointed out that the other children returned to school on time and knew the assignment. Needless to say, I was shocked that a student was made to feel unworthy of help because of circumstances beyond her control. Don’t take your frustrations out on students –ever.

The new school year is a time of excitement, anticipation, and new challenges. Students are more likely to attend school and actively engage in learning when their social, emotional, and intellectual needs are satisfied in the classroom environment. There is a lot that teachers can do to get the school year off to a good start, which may put English learners on a trajectory for tremendous academic and linguistic growth, even for the most reluctant learners.

Hopefully some of these tips will inspire teachers to make their classrooms positive learning environments for every student. Have a great year!