AcLanguage PPT 2018 - SupportEd · • The lexical or academic vocabulary level • The grammatical or syntactic level • The discourse or organizational level Bailey, 2007, 2010,

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@DStaehrFenner www.GetSupportEd.net @GetSupportEd.net

Strategies For Teaching Academic Language and Content to English Learners

Diane Staehr Fenner, Ph.D.March 15, 2018

www.GetSupportEd.net

• You will:

– Describe the three levels of academic language – Learn and apply research-based strategies for selecting

academic vocabulary – Learn and apply strategies for supporting ELs’ academic

language development at the word, sentence, and discourse levels

2

Session Objectives


1. What language might be difficult for your ELs? 2. How could an ESOL and content teacher

collaborate to support ELs in this problem?

3Staehr Fenner & Snyder, 2017. Adapted from NY State Testing Program, 2016.

Walking Think-Pair-Share

www.GetSupportEd.net 4

1. Why you need this book to support ELs

2. Using a culturally responsive framework

3. Scaffolding instruction for ELs4. Fostering ELs’ oral language

development5. Teaching academic language

to ELs6. Vocabulary instruction and

ELs7. Teaching ELs background

knowledge8. Scaffolded text-dependent

questions9. Formative assessment for

ELs

Staehr Fenner & Snyder, 2017

Unlocking ELs’ Potential


• Stands in contrast to the everyday informal speech

• Tends to be more abstract, more complex, less contextualized

• Serves as the language of power

5Bailey, 2007, 2010, 2012; Scarcella, 2008

Academic Language: Definition


Distinguished from English in other settings on at least three key levels: • The lexical or academic vocabulary level • The grammatical or syntactic level• The discourse or organizational level

6Bailey, 2007, 2010, 2012; Scarcella, 2008

Academic Language: Definition (cont.)

www.GetSupportEd.netStaehr Fenner, 2014; Adapted from: WIDA, 2012

Representation of Academic Language

www.GetSupportEd.net 8Adapted from Staehr Fenner, 2014; Originally adapted from WIDA, 2012

Academic Language: Considerations for ELs

Word Level:• General academic words• Content or technical words• Multiple meaning words• Words with affixes• Idiomatic phrases

Sentence Level:• Grammar • Syntax – sequence in which

words are put together to form sentences

• Language structures, conventions, mechanics

Discourse Level:• Quantity and variety of oral

and written text• Organization and cohesion of

ideas• Type/purpose of text

Sociocultural Context: • Background knowledge• Expectations for ELs• First language use• Impact of ELs’ culture on

understanding

www.GetSupportEd.net 9Staehr Fenner & Snyder, 2017. p. 123

Levels & Features of Academic Language

Word Level: Selecting Academic Vocabulary For Instruction


1. When working with a new text, how do you decide which vocabulary to provide in-depth instruction on?

2. How do you decide which words to quickly pre-teach or frontload?

11

Pair Discussion


Select a small group of words for in-depth focus. Words...• Key to understanding the

text likely unfamiliar to students

• Frequently used in the text

• Students will see across disciplines (general academic vocabulary)

• With multiple meanings• With affixes

Baker, et. al, 2014

Selecting Academic Vocabulary for Instruction


Tier Definition Example from your context

Tier 1 Words usually acquired through everyday speech

walk?

Tier 2 Academic words that appear across all types of texts (general academic vocab)

analyze ?

Tier 3 Domain-specific words that are tied to content

evolution?

Beck, McKeown, & Kucan, 2002

Vocabulary Tiers

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Example: Selecting Academic Vocabulary “The scientists put caterpillars on leaves and used another machine to make the leaves vibrate. When the leaves shook the way a predator would shake them, caterpillars behave as if a real predator were on the leaf. They spun threads and hung. When the leaves shook as if the wind were blowing or rain were falling, caterpillars did nothing.”

14Haynes, E. 2017; Text: Hanging By a Thread, by Pochron, S.[Engage NY Grade 4 ELA Module 2B]

Key Words

Frequent Words

General Academic

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Example: Selecting Academic Vocabulary

The party leaders distributed

a draft of the bill and asked their

colleagues to review it carefully.

15Haynes, E. 2017; Text: Hanging By a Thread, by Pochron, S.[Engage NY Grade 4 ELA Module 2B]

Multiple Meanings

Affixes


1. Select from one of two text excerpts.2. Decide on 5-8 words from the text you would choose for

in-depth focus using the criteria provided.STOP!

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Vocabulary Selection Activity

Teaching Academic Language at the Word Level


• Context clues

• Word parts

• Cognates and false cognates

• Words with multiple meanings

18Baker, et al., 2014

Practice Independent Word Learning Strategies

www.GetSupportEd.netAdapted from August, Staehr Fenner, & Snyder, 2014

Example: Context Clues

Unfamiliar word Location Clues

1. litter Line 2 Lines 1, 5

Clues: picking up, junkDefinition: pieces of waste paper and other objects scattered around a place

Not many people would spend their free time picking up other people’s litter. But Chad Pregracke has spent most of the past five years doing just that along the Mississippi, Ohio, and Illinois Rivers. Why?

Chad grew up in a house alongside the Mississippi. He loved to fish and camp on the river’s wooded islands. That’s when he first noticed the junkdotting its shoreline.


Verbs(Action)

Nouns(Person, Place, Thing, or Idea)

Adjectives(Words to

Describe Nouns)

Adverbs(Words to Describe Actions)

act action active actively

collect collection collective collectively

consider consideration considerable considerably

Adapted from Baker, et al., 2014

Example: Teaching Word Parts

www.GetSupportEd.net 21Adapted from August, Staehr Fenner, & Snyder, 2014

Cognates False Cognates

planet = planeta carpet ≠ carpeta

Example: Teaching Cognates

www.GetSupportEd.net 22Adapted from Steinhardt, New York University, 2009

Example: Vocabulary With Multiple Meanings

Vocabulary Meaning in Everyday Use

Meaning in Social Studies

party A social gathering Group of people with common political interests

lobby ? Political unit; pressure group

house A building where people live

?

front The most forward part of something

?


3. Discuss how you would collaborate with an ESOL or content teacher and teach those words.

23

Vocabulary Selection Activity

Teaching Academic Language at the Sentence Level


• What patterns or structures have you noticed your ELs struggling with?

• How do you help your students make sense of grammar?

25

Discussion


Activity Level of Academic Language Support

1. Identifying and breaking down challenging sentences

Sentence

2. Analyzing and supporting sequencing

Discourse

Supporting ELs at the Sentence and Discourse Level


Unpacking “Juicy Sentences”Consider this sentence: “Since most owls feed upon a variety of animals, owl abundance is not limited by the rise and fall in numbers of any one prey species.”

• Divide the sentence into chunks. • Summarize each chunk in your own words.

27Staehr Fenner & Snyder, 2017; adapted from Wong Fillmore & Fillmore, 2012 and California Department of Education, 2014Text Source: Government of Alberta, 2009

1. Identifying and Breaking Down Challenging Sentences


“Since most owls feed upon a variety of animals, owl abundance is not limited by the rise and fall in numbers of any one prey species.”

28Staehr Fenner & Snyder, 2017; adapted from Wong Fillmore & Fillmore, 2012 and California Department of Education, 2014Text Source: Government of Alberta, 2009

1. Unpacking “Juicy Sentences” Activity

Chunk of Text Summary in My Own Words

Since most owls feed upon Because most owls eata variety of animals,owl abundanceis not limited by the rise and fall in numbersof any one prey species.


Directions:

1. Select one sentence on a poster paper to “unpack” the meaning with your colleagues.

2. Under the sentence, break the sentence into chunks.

3. Then, summarize the chunk of text in your own words.

4. Discuss how you might use this activity to support ELs’ comprehension of complex text.

29Staehr Fenner & Snyder, 2017; adapted from Wong Fillmore & Fillmore, 2012 and California Department of Education, 2014

1. Unpacking “Juicy Sentences” Activity (cont.)

30

Teaching Academic Language at the Discourse Level


2. Analyzing & Supporting Sequencing in a Text

• Students put sentence strips in order to determine proper order of a text

• Provide first and last sentence as scaffold (if needed)

• Students circle clues & discuss


2. Analyzing & Supporting Sequencing in a Text (cont.)


• You will:

– Describe the three levels of academic language – Learn and apply research-based strategies for selecting

academic vocabulary – Learn and apply strategies for supporting ELs’ academic

language development at the word, sentence, and discourse levels

33

Session Objectives


• English glossary or bilingual glossary

• Word parts activity

• Context clues activity

• Unpacking juicy sentences

• Sentence strips

34

EL Student Handouts


Like Our Facebook Page

35

Let’s continue to collaborate! Like Our Facebook Page for resources, ideas, and innovative ways to facilitate our ELs’ success and well-being.

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@[email protected]


Diane Staehr Fenner, Ph.D.

[email protected]

Thank you!

AcLanguage PPT 2018 - SupportEd · • The lexical or academic vocabulary level • The grammatical or syntactic level • The discourse or organizational level Bailey, 2007, 2010,

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