ESL at St. Stephen’s

ESL at St. Stephen’s

U.S. Faculty Meeting Presentation

Transitional English Classes (9T & 10T)

O are designed for intermediate-advanced ESL students

O feature many of the same texts as the mainstream 9th & 10th graders

O pace = slightly slower, with more focus on comprehension and vocabulary development

O class size = smaller (8-15 students), discussion seminar format

O pedagogical approach = geared toward second language learners

Goal of Trans. EnglishTo facilitate a smooth transition into a mainstream English class the following year by…

O  strengthening students' spoken English and ability to participate fully in class discussions

O introducing and reinforcing the vocabulary and skills associated with literary analysis

O developing students' academic writing

Feedback from former/current students…

O “Since all the students are international students who speak English as second language like me, I felt very confident about participating in the class.”

O “Before starting a section, we get to learn different terms and vocabularies which was very helpful to me because it is a basic words that we use in English classes all throughout the year.”

O “I have never analyzed any literary work like this before I took this course.”

O “The teacher's pace is suitable for the international students and the teacher understands the difficulty of foreign students.”

Faculty Survey Questions

1. What assets have ESL students brought to your class?

2. What challenges have you faced working with ESL students?

3. What strategies have you found most effective in your work with ESL students?

Assets!International students bring…

O great personalitiesO diverse viewpointsO global consciousnessO humorO diligenceO willingness to work hard

Challenges!Some international students…

O avoid asking questions/making conferences

O wait until the last minute to confer and then have too much to cover

O miss important contentO self-segregate in the classroomO are reluctant to speak up O have issues with academic honestyO seem very stressed/pressuredO are obsessed with electronic

devices

Suggestions from YOU!

Adopt a multi-sensory approach

O Write specialized vocabulary on the board (direct vocabulary instruction)

O Use images and visual symbols wherever possible

O Have all students write answers to questions on dry erase boards

Elicit support from peers

O Assign a buddy in the same class (or course) who speaks their language but is much more fluent in English

O Assign a native-English-speaking partner for note-taking and studying

O Do more small-group work, including collaborative learning activities

Offer support outside the classroom

O Get to know as many of the students as possible

O Encourage conferences (in which information can be streamlined)

O ** Note: It may be necessary to REQUIRE a conference, rather than merely suggesting it

Give writing supportO Use sentence stems and

structured prompts O Allow students time to

write down thoughts before answering

O Allow for (even require?) multiple drafts/revisions of papers

The challenge of…evaluating international student

work

TESOL Levels of Language Proficiency

The levels… O reflect the complexity of language

developmentO allow for the tracking of student progress

over time O provide a model of the process of

language acquisitionO highlight characteristics of language

performance at each developmental stage

International students at SSES fall mainly into…

Level 3Developin

g(Intermedi

ate)

Level 4Expanding(Advanced

-Intermedi

ate)

Level 5Bridging

(Advanced)

Level 3 - DevelopingStudents at this level…O understand complex speech but may require

repetitionO use English spontaneously but have some

difficulty expressing thoughts (restricted vocabulary, limited command of structure)

O speak in simple sentences (comprehensible + appropriate but marked by grammatical errors)

O vary considerably in reading proficiencyO construct meaning from texts for which they

have background knowledge

Level 4 - ExpandingStudents at this level…O can meet most day-to-day communication

needsO can communicate in English in new, unfamiliar

settingsO have some difficulty with complex structures

and abstract academic conceptsO read with considerable fluency BUT may not

understand de-contextualized concepts or vocabulary that is abstract or has multiple meanings

O experience occasional comprehension problems

Level 5 - BridgingStudents at this level…O can express themselves fluently and

spontaneously on a wide range of personal, general, academic, or social topics in a variety of contexts

O have good command of technical and academic vocabulary as well as colloquialisms

O can produce clear, smoothly flowing, well-structured texts of differing lengths and degrees of linguistic complexity

O errors = minimal, generally corrected when they occur

Why is it helpful to consider proficiency levels?

O Knowing a student’s level may help in your assessment of his/her work in your class.

O You may consider adjusting your expectations for students at different levels of proficiency.

O Ask yourself: What is reasonable to expect at this level?

O Proficiency develops over time. A student may start the year at Level 3 and transition into Level 4.

Some Useful Terminology

BICSO Basic

Interpersonal Communication Skills (social)

CALPO Cognitive

Academic Language Proficiency (academic)

BICS CALPSegments

Short Long

Structure

Words, Phrases Sentences

Vocabulary

Everyday Specialized

Grammar

Simple Complex

Interaction

Face-to-face Abstract

Feedback

Immediate Limited

Cues Facial expression, gesture

Limited

Register Informal Formal

Why is it helpful to be aware of social vs. academic language?

OSometimes you can adjust your language without adjusting or compromising content.

OUsing simpler language and grammatical construction allows students to distinguish between what is/isn’t necessary to answer the question.

Example:

Suppose you have a bag containing 3 red, 4 blue, 5 white, and 2 black marbles. One marble is selected at random. Find the theoretical probability of choosing each of the following…

You have a bag with 3 red, 4 blue, 5 white, and 2 black balls inside it. You choose one ball. What is the probability that you will choose…

original

modified

How can I best serve you as the ESL support person at the school?

O Work with teachers on an individual basis to help meet the needs of particular students

O Optional workshops, faculty meetings in the future…

O Online information & resources (see Moodle page)

Written Feedback on ESL student writing

Principles for maximizing effectiveness

Common problems related to L2 writing

O learners not utilizing teacher comments

O lack of learner interest in writingOteacher investment of large

amounts of response TIME for little return

O Clarity is paramount (learners’ most oft cited criticism about teacher feedback is that it is unclear)

O Respond selectively (too much feedback can be overwhelming/discouraging)

O Responses should be interactive (suggestions rather than commandments… avoid appropriating student writing)

O Appropriately balance critique and praise

Creating self-regulated learnersO Offering freedom to choose activities /

assignments builds motivationO Developing students’ awareness of the stages of

the writing process (prewriting, planning, drafting, revising, editing) helps with time management

O Requiring evidence of the completion of each part of the process helps students avoid procrastination

O Creating a safe environment that supports risk-taking will allow students to engage in meaningful interaction necessary for developing their communicative competence

Motiveand its application to L2 writing