Building Language Capacity for Access and Communication in Mathematics NCSM Annual Conference April 15, 2015 Boston, MA Ava Belisle-Chatterjee Barbara.

Building Language Capacity for Access and Communication

in Mathematics

NCSM Annual ConferenceApril 15, 2015

Boston, MA

Ava Belisle-ChatterjeeBarbara Molina

Alison Whittington

IntroductionsWho are

we?Who are

you?

Equip students to read, think, talk, and write in ways that will prepare them for the

future.

21st Century Skills

http://www.imls.gov/about/21st_century_skills_list.aspx

Common Core State Standards

QUESTIONSHow do we teach ELLs to listen, speak, read,

and write English without neglecting the math, but teaching them simultaneously?

How do we adjust instruction for different levels of English language proficiency?

How do we make sure that ELLs are not “left behind” in terms of the language and content demands of the Common Core?

Language is the main axle of learning in any discipline.

The CCSS intensify the need for every teacher to develop the language, thinking and literacy skills of texts and tasks in every discipline.

The CCSS emphasize: argument-based reasoning reading and writing complex texts engaging in authentic academic

discussions

An ELL StudentFilm website with info and resources. DVD

available for $6.

http://www.immersionfilm.com/

Youtube link to lower quality version of film.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6Y0HAjLKYI

WIDA’s English Language Proficiency

Levels What are the implications?

LEV

EL 6

: REA

CH

ING

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4 Level 5

Entering

Emerging Developing Expanding Bridging

ELPS-TELPAS Proficiency Levels

What are the implications?

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

Beginning Intermediate

Advanced Advanced High

ENGLISH LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

A specialized program of English language instruction appropriate for the English language learner’s (ELL) identified level of language proficiency. This program of study is designed to promote second language acquisition of listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

Who are ACADEMIC LANGUAGE LEARNERS?

“Long-term” English language learners

Students from homes in which variations or dialects of English are spoken that differ significantly from “expected” English

Students who struggle in ways in which schools ask them to listen to, converse, read, and write academic English.

Teachers need to know the language that is running the

learning show in each lesson. Zweirs et al.

What are LANGUAGE DEMANDS?

DEMANDS that are placed on us when we use a communication system, including:

VOCABULARY: words that are used (everyday, general academic, content-specific) [Phonology and Morphology]

SYNTAX: ways we put words together to form sentences that follow meaningful patterns and that make sense [Syntax and Semantics]

DISCOURSE: ways we fluently communicate messages [Pragmatics]

Identifying Language Demands

What do we want students to do/read/write/say/draw?

What content-specific words are needed?

What grammatical structures are implied?

The ‘F’ Words

Function: What is my purpose for communicating?

Form: How will I package my message?

Fluency: What venue will I use to communicate my message?

1. LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS

FUNCTIONS: What systems of communication allow us to do.

“The use to which language is put, the purpose of an utterance rather than the particular grammatical form an utterance takes” (Sauvignon, 1983)

Language Functions (Halliday, 1978)

Instrumental: Getting what you want

Regulatory: Controlling others’ behavior

Informative: Communicating information

Interactional: Establishing social relationships

Personal: Expressing individuality

Heuristic: Investigating and acquiring knowledge

Imaginative: Expressing fantasy

retelldescribecompare/

contrasthypothesizequestionpersuadeanalyzeput in order

make inferencescritiqueinterpretproveconstructidentifysynthesizejustify

LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS: THINGS THAT GET DONE

STANDARDS FOR MATHEMATICAL PRACTICE

SMP 3: Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others. Mathematically proficient students understand and use stated assumptions, definitions, and previously established results in constructing arguments. They make conjectures and build a logical progression of statements… They justify their conclusions, communicate them to to others, and respond to the argument of others…

PRACTICE WITH A PROBLEM

Carlos wants to buy chocolate milk from the vending machine. The milk costs 75¢. Carlos has 2 quarters, 5 dimes, and 5 nickels.

Show at least four possible coin combinations Carlos could use to pay for the milk. Use N, D, and Q to record your answers.

Pick one of your coin combinations and show or explain how you know it totals exactly 75¢.

EM4 Open Response Problem: Buying from a Vending Machine

What are the learners being asked to do?

What do they need to understand?

How might they use language to convey their thinking?

2. LANGUAGE FORMS

Vocabulary: Word Choices, Word Formation Rules, Pronunciation

Syntax: Sentence Structures, Rules of Grammar

Semantics: Phrase and Sentence Meanings

MYTHS AND CLARFICATIONS ABOUT VOCABULARY

EVERYDAY TERMS

(TIER 1)

GENERAL ACADEMIC

TERMS[Mortar] (TIER 2)

CONTENT-SPECIFIC TERMS[Bricks](TIER 3)

MYTH: Vocabulary teaching refers to content-specific terms.

Building Complex Language

Words Sentences

Messages

3. LANGUAGE FLUENCY

Ability to:

Use language for different functions

Appropriately adapt or change language according to the listener or situation

Follow rules for conversations and narrative

(Díaz-Rico, 2014)

Our students will not succeed with the CCSSM if they are not talking/interacting at least 65% of the

time.Anecdotal Comment Reported by Douglas Fisher, FIT Academy, Aug. 1, 2014

Three Types of Language Purposes

Vocabulary

•WORD•Everyday•Academic•Specialized/Content

Structure•SENTENCE•The way the vocabulary is used in sentences to express ideas.

Function

•MESSAGE•The intended use of those ideas.

MATH LANGUAGE PURPOSE STATEMENT EXAMPLES Fisher & Frey

VOCABULARY

•Use less than, greater than, equal to for describing the relationship between pairs of numbers

STRUCTURE/SENTENCE•Highlight additive signal words in word problems.

FUNCTION/MESSAGE

•Describe the relationship between numbers in expanded and standard notation forms.

IMPLICATIONS FOR INSTRUCTION

Build students’ abilities to understand and communicate complex ideas.

Focus on the whole, not on disconnected pieces.

Increase the quality of students’ understanding, thinking, and communicating.

Zweirs et al.

CHANGES IN TEACHING PRACTICES

Use complex texts

Fortify complex output

Foster academic interactions

Zweirs et al.

THE ‘F’ WORDS

Why? Purpose FUNCTION

How? Language Structures

FORM

Who?When?Where?

Context FLUENCY

Guiding QuestionsWhat are the language demands of the task?

FUNCTION: How will academic language be used by students to convey understanding and thinking?

FORM: What language structures—vocabulary and sentence structures—will be needed to convey their reasoning?

FLUENCY: How will the message be shared?

SHIFTS IN PRACTICEFrom………….To

Access…Ownership

Piece skills…Whole message

Focus on content…Focus on Language-Literacy-Content

Individual…Collaborative

Zweirs et al.

Some Resources

Celedón-Pattichis, S. & Ramírez, N.G. (2012). Beyond Good Teaching: Advancing Mathematics Education for ELLs. Reston, VA: NCTM.

Center for Applied Linguistics www.cal.org

Díaz-Rico, L.T. (2014). The Crosscultural, Language, and Academic Development Handbook: A Complete K-12 Reference Guide. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Echevarría, J., Vogt, M., & Short, D.J. (2010). The SIOP Model for Teaching Mathematics to English Learners. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc.

Fairbairn, S. & Jones-Vo S. (2010). Differentiating Instruction and Assessment for English Language Learners: A Guide for K-12 Teachers. Philadelphia, PA: Caslon, Inc.

Some Resources

Zweirs, J., O’Hara, S., Pritchard, R. (2014). Common Core Standards in Diverse Classrooms. Portland, ME. Stenhouse Publishers.

Framework for English Language Proficiency Development Standards corresponding to the Common Core State Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards www.ccsso.org

http://www.everythingesl.net/inservices/language_stages.php

http://www.tsusmell.org/index.htm

WRAP-UPI learned…I felt…I began to

wonder…I thought…I practiced…I understood…

PRESENTERS’ CONTACT INFORMATION

Ava Belisle-Chatterjee

[email protected]@uchicago.edu

Barbara [email protected]

Alison [email protected]