Good evening #ELLCHAT@judiehaynes and I hope that the resources and ideas we all shared last week have given you tools to support Martin Luther King day today. Now we have a new topic to discuss tonight!
A.1 Louise El Yaafouri, Refugee/Immigrant and ELD Consultant. I live in Denver (CO native), but have a school in Tanzania and am in Lebanon for parts of each year. Happy to be here! #ellchat
#ellchat Yes, lots of teachers do not intentionally plan for students speaking in classes. They have intentions or ask questions, but #ELLs sometimes don't have the opporutnity to access academic language in speech
A2 Well, in addition to research, just talking to general education teachers in early ed brings up the related question: How can I be expected to engage a child in conversation if you don’t speak their language? #ELLCHAT and yet…. it must happen!
A1 It’s always challenging for students, especially ELs, to be the one’s doing most of the talking. I personally struggle with getting them to speak the academic language of my content area. Many are nervous speakers & ELs come with additional challenges when speaking. #ellchat
A2 It’s always challenging for students, especially ELs, to be the one’s doing most of the talking. I personally struggle with getting them to speak the academic language of my content area. Many are nervous speakers & ELs come with additional challenges when speaking. #ellchat
A2) YES. Especially in 9th grade classrooms. For classroom management, students are not encouraged to talk. Some classes become packet-driven. When students do talk it is superficial and all the academic language is coming from the instructor :( #ellchat
A2. Yes. Often, the intent to engage students in meaningful talk is there, but the implementation falls short on the "meaningful" piece. For example, our students might partner-pair-share, but we may miss out on their conversations or fail to close the feedback loop. #ellchat
A2: For students here, it's more of a missed opportunity. It's up to the teachers to structure high quality academic talk in their classrooms. Many are unsure how to accomplish this, so I do what I can to model and integrate language in lessons. #ellchat
A2. I also think sometimes that the classroom environment is not set up in a way so that ELLs feel comfortable taking risks even when they have opportunities to speak. #ellchat
#ellchat Yes, lots of teachers do not intentionally plan for students speaking in classes. They have intentions or ask questions, but #ELLs sometimes don't have the opporutnity to access academic language in speech
I also struggle with getting them to interact with/using my content area in middle school. I feel like i need to model how to have those academic convos a lot better but I also feel pressure to cover all the content. a2 #ellchat
Sometimes we feel so bogged down by curricular expectations that we forget how important meaningful interactions are with the content, especially in the upper grades where the content can get quite heavy. #ellchat
A2 I find that unless I specifically *plan* for meaningful English conversations in my lessons, they don’t often happen. Not to say students don’t often have rich, grade level conversations with each other in L1 #ellchat
a2 I find SO many articles & books for #earlyed tchrs offer suggestions of how to ask questions to support children’s oral lang - but they use scripts in Eng - "say this…" or "ask that…. “ with no reference to how this advice can be used in multilingual classrooms! #ELLCHAT
Absolutely- there’s a lot of pressure and a lot to cover in a short time. But with modeling a few times and even sentence frames that are posted around the room on display for class talking expectations, the efforts will be well worth it. #ellchat
I hear you! It's especially tricky with newcomers who are still getting used to a new school / culture on top of language. One thing that worked for me was assigning a buddy for S's who are reluctant speakers. It helped them get more comfortable with the language #ellchat
I have found the space of the ESL classroom fundamental to help our Els interact with each other. Our kids need a comfort zone where they can communicate freely #ellchat
A2 Yes. Gen ed classes move quickly, often challenging ELs. New content is often presented W an assumption of shared knowledge that ELs may not have in their cultural &/or linguistic background. #ellchat
A2)Walking the hallways at my school, I continually see many quiet classrooms. We as Ts need to create an environment where Ss feel comfortable speaking. The only way to get better their speaking is for them to speak without the fear of being made fun of. #Ellchat
A2. I think most mainstream general classes in my district use Think-Pair-Share activities and digital tools to provide support for meaningful talk for ELs.#ellchat
A2) YES. Especially in 9th grade classrooms. For classroom management, students are not encouraged to talk. Some classes become packet-driven. When students do talk it is superficial and all the academic language is coming from the instructor :( #ellchat
Instructional time is short and precious. We have so much to cover in a very short period. I find that even squeezing 2-3 minutes of talk is a great way to start conversations. #ellchat
Yes!! Often it’s nerves with newcomers—i just wna shake them and say, “you’re safe here, no one will judge u!” but not sure that’ll lower affective filter 😅. I want them to take those linguistic risks! #ellchat A2 i like ur buddy system idea 💡!
Love think pair share! I've seen teachers default to it though without much structure, so it's crucial that the conversations are intentional. What digital tools does your district use? #ellchat
A2 Wow! but I wonder if this means Academic Conversations in English? In #earlyed , research shows that content conversations in home language can be very useful for learning - but researchers rarely study these and tchrs rarely support them! #ELLCHAT
A2 cont. Too, meaningful and cooperative talk is fundamental to our ELD classrooms. But the practice of planning for and providing these opportunities is a newer concept in many mainstream classes, which are likely to focus more on developing reading and writing skills. #ellchat
A1) Shelley Fairbairn, Associate Professor and coordinator of the ESL Endorsement program at Drake University in Iowa, co-author of two books focused on EL education, presenter #ellchat
Buddies are great! And practicing/prepping ahead with them if possible before the class begins even if it’s for just a few minutes will set them up to feel more comfortable when their peers are around. #ellchat
A2: When recently shadowing ELs I noticed Ts I’d not intentionally plan speaking opportunities ELs, our district does have an EL class that the zeal students feel more comfortable speaking, however we need to educate our classroom Ts on this #ellchat
A1) Shelley Fairbairn, Associate Professor and coordinator of the ESL Endorsement program at Drake University in Iowa, co-author of two books focused on EL education, presenter #ellchat
A2 This gives me a headache. So much to cover, not enough time for student talk = reduced learning! If tchr is saying it, kids rarely learn it. If kids say it, they usually learn it! Our whole field needs a shake up! #ELLCHAT
Instructional time is short and precious. We have so much to cover in a very short period. I find that even squeezing 2-3 minutes of talk is a great way to start conversations. #ellchat
I remember when I started my intensive 1-1 Thai tutoring, I was in the middle of a convo with my T and another S. I did NOT feel comfortable engaging at that time, so I sat and listened without contributing. It takes a lot of time to get comfortable with a new language. #ellchat
I have found the space of the ESL classroom fundamental to help our Els interact with each other. Our kids need a comfort zone where they can communicate freely #ellchat
A2 I say: if you present ten things and students only remember one due to passive learning, or you present only 3 things using student interaction, oral language, and active learning and students learn all 3, HOW IS THAT LESS LEARNING????/ #ELLCHAT
A3. I think a personal challenge of mine is utilizing wait time. I know I need to do it, but sometimes I forget and expect ELLs to produce oral language more quickly than what’s expected at their ELP level. I often have to actually count in my head while I’m waiting. #ellchat
I totally agree. I find the focus to be on simple "covering the material" and assume that students learn from osmosis. Structured convo's, even if they're short and sweet, can help facilitate both learning and understanding. #ellchat
A3)The cultural aspect of being a silent learner where all the speaking was done by the T at their previous school. Some of my newcomers are not used to speaking in class. Others are just to shy and think their “English is bad”, when the reality is opposite. #Ellchat
A3 It depends; in my emerging EL class, they have a wide spectrum of oral proficiency. Some are still working on phonetics and others are close to mastering BICS. Yet I need all of them to be able to explain what a mitochandria does for the cell 😅 #ellchat
A3: Cultural expectations about speaking at school, mixed gender classes, shyness, & other socio-emotional factors play a role in how much ELs speak in class. #ELLChat
A1: I think one of the hardest obstacles that ELL’s face is expressing themselves in meaningful conversation! Focusing on oral production strategies and scaffolding opportunity for them to communicate in ways they can is key! #ellchat
A3: The biggest challenge for me is to structure language use without making it too formulaic. I want my students to understand the structure of English while giving them the opportunity to play with the language in different ways. #ellchat
A2: I think one of the hardest obstacles that ELL’s face is expressing themselves in meaningful conversation! Focusing on oral production strategies and scaffolding opportunity for them to communicate in ways they can is key! #ellchat
A3. One challenge is that it can be easy to overestimate a child's level of oral language (and thus fail to provide supports). I've had some newcomers who could talk your ear off all day, but when it comes to engaging with academic language, it's a different ball game. #ellchat
A3: my biggest challenge as a 1st grade bilingual teacher is that the only English instruction is in math, and my newcomers are too shy to answer and also don’t have the language. Also, the other students want to constantly translate for the newcomers. #ELLCHAT
Wow - teaching communication skills while also teaching complex content like cell functions / structures. What are some strategies that you use in your Co-Taught class to tackle this? #ellchat
A3 some challenges are that certain students can dominate conversations and shier, more self-conscious students are too nervous to speak. They’ll speak when specifically asked to but otherwise stay quiet 😕 #ellchat
A3: The biggest challenge for me is to structure language use without making it too formulaic. I want my students to understand the structure of English while giving them the opportunity to play with the language in different ways. #ellchat
A3: I think one of the biggest obstacles with oral production is building confidence in language learners to take risks! It’s so hard to have peer pressure as a student and needing to practice language. #ellchat
A3. One big challenge for me is TIME. ELLs need time to process and produce oral language because of the increased cognitive demands and error self correction. Often in mainstream classes, the schedule is not set up for them to engage in enough academic talk. #ellchat
A2 #ellchat I have used Numbered Heads Together successfully with a mixed group of students. It gives ELs the opportunity to practice what they want to say in a small group before responding to the whole group.
A4: 1/2 I utilize as many opportunities as possible for students to engage with 1 or 2 other students to maximize conversation. I'm also v v clear with expectations so students know exactly what the objective is. #ellchat
2/2 I also strategically partner S's, especially emerging EL's, with other S's who I know can guide them through the language. Occasionally, I'll modify the assignment to fit the needs of emerging EL's. #ellchat
A4 #ellchat I have used Numbered Heads Together successfully with a mixed group of students. It gives ELs the opportunity to practice what they want to say in a small group before responding to the whole group.
A4: There are so many oral production strategies that I love and all of them involve movement and opportunity for ALL students to engage: inside outside circle, fold the line, 2 stay-one stray... are all great. They key is keeping it fun and giving lots of chance to talk!#ellchat
A3. One big challenge for me is TIME. ELLs need time to process and produce oral language because of the increased cognitive demands and error self correction. Often in mainstream classes, the schedule is not set up for them to engage in enough academic talk. #ellchat
A3 I think the biggest challenge is for teachers to let go of control. They feel if they don’t present info - it hasn’t been taught and if they con’t understand the language of child’s response - it doesn’t count! How to reverse these? #ELLCHAT
A4) I think have more small group and pair learning activities is crucial. Give ELLs a sentence frame or starter to use in the discussion. (depending on ELD level) #ellchat
A4 1 thing I do to engage students in oral lang is debates. Each week we read + discuss a controversial issue then students work in teams to prep for a debate. They have meaningful conversations bc they had time to prep talking pts + the support of working in a team #ellchat
A3) Creating good sentence frames that are flexible enough to help them express themselves! I end up with dozens of them on the whiteboard but what I want is posters on my word wall! #ellchat
A2)a resource I use in my ESL class that promotes academic language and oral language is Word Generation, available for free on Serp website. Students feel safe talking in ESL class.#ELLCHAT
Yes! I like using a fish bowl discussion. Can be between co-teachers or even teacher-student with other students watching for specific conversation moves, vocab, structures, etc. #ELLChat
A4 I recommend #earlyed tchrs learn a few open-ended questions in home languages of children: ask in a way they understand and don’t worry if you don’t understand their reply! That’s oral language! ex “What are you making?” #ELLCHAT
A4) Have students use “talk moves,” such as asking for clarification, paraphrasing, and building on or disagreeing with a previous idea. This has to be explicitly taught & practiced. #ellchat
A4 Also, in #earlyed the quality of materials in the environment is critical component of teaching. A room w/ lots of high-value materials supports content-rich conversations even if they are in language teacher does not understand! #ELLCHAT
A4 For my emerging ELs, I provide different contexts for them to experience science vocab, including visuals, different texts, and me using the word repeatedly. I let them practice with sentence frames in pairs or small groups. Technology can also be a huge help! #ellchat
A4) We keep a word wall and work with a few words per week. Ss must use a word when constructing their response. It is a bit restrictive but allows Ss to use them organically rather than "write a word with this sentence." Since the topics are the same as the passage. #ellchat
A4)Explain to Ss from day 1 that I don’t like quiet classes. Also, after Ss answer any question, I continually ask them a simple “Why?” for them to expand their answers. Sometimes more than one “Why?” so they can talk more. #Ellchat
A4 This can go well or badly. TRULY selecting topic of student interest comes from asking or observing students, not a tchr sitting in front of their computer cooking up a topic that students might like #ELLCHAT
A4. I use the Exc-ELL strategy for explicitly teaching vocabulary words. Reader's theater for fluency. Also, I use sentence stems as support when discussing any academic content. #ELLCHAT
One way to foster this is to have the ELLs start by contributing to small group. As the student becomes more confident, he or she can present part to the class. It’s a work in progress, but it can happen!! #ELLCHAT
It's from my #VirtuEL18 presentation "Constructive Academic Conversations for ELs" Ahttps://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1nAoY_bto6nsmzMUqSdDFtV3MseeYpBSfpLRof-NXlJs/edit?usp=sharing #ELLChat
A4 In #earlyed there are many classroom labels that are never talked about. Here are ideas for swapping them for labels that are conversation starters https://t.co/JE8BdgSY6A#ELLCHAT
A4. Also, content language objectives really are critical. We all perform better when we know what our job is, what is expected of us, and which tools we can successfully employ to get us there. #ellchat
A5 Article from Language magazine - “Early Language is Key to School Success” shows early lang success leads to success in literacy, math, and more! https://t.co/f0RGys76wA#ELLCHAT#earlyed
A4. I'm loving a Jeff Zwiers activity, "Stronger & Clearer," which I recommend googling and youtubing. Basically pair-share, but repeated w/ 3 partners. My Ss are more confident, w/ responses that actually are stronger & clearer, after triple practice opportunities! #ellchat
A5: most definitely! When they are able to communicate orally, they can express themselves better in writing. I think it can also help them have better comprehension when they read. #ELLCHAT
A4. I'm loving a Jeff Zwiers activity, "Stronger & Clearer," which I recommend googling and youtubing. Basically pair-share, but repeated w/ 3 partners. My Ss are more confident, w/ responses that actually are stronger & clearer, after triple practice opportunities! #ellchat
A5-1. Absolutely. All cultures demonstrate a high degree of oral reliance. In certain regions, the communicative aspects of a culture permeate and sustain every grain of social function. Many of our new-to-English students come from these rich oral-centric backgrounds. #ellchat
A5) I truly believe it supports all other learning! We're social beings. If we can talk about learning, it's both an academic and social experience, so the brain strengthens and holds onto those connections. #ellchat
A5) I see a lot of growth in students who learn how to articulate academic language in math. For those who can explain using academic vocabulary, they are able to breeze through test questions because they know how to break down the problems! #ellchat
My college freshman love fishbowls if they're silly, but I have found that the worst students are intimidated by it even then. My level is heavily mixed, from ELs still working on sentence structure to those who did 3-12 here, so extra scaffolding is needed. #ellchat
A4) When strategy that I use when training teachers is clock buddies. It works well with ELLs too and a great way to give them a lot of different partners. https://t.co/bXHY3zw9eX#ELLchat
A3 “Support for Extended Discourse in Teacher Talk with Linguistically Diverse Preschoolers” by J.W.Jacoby and Nonie Lesaux https://t.co/VjWWVMaj4K#ELLCHAT#earlyed
A5)All 4 lang. domains should be connected. We know that as EL teachers we create a special connection with our Ss, and they feel comfortable speaking in our classes. We must be sure that they feel comfortable as well in other content areas. #Ellchat
A5-2. We can build on these oral-centric strengths at school. After all, one great advantage to oral language is that it is wholly cross-curricular! #ellchat
A5)All 4 lang. domains should be connected. We know that as EL teachers we create a special connection with our Ss, and they feel comfortable speaking in our classes. We must be sure that they feel comfortable as well in other content areas. #Ellchat
A5 Here’s me quoting my own self again: “No learning domain is more important than language development!” I know you all know that - but if you make it look like a quote - maybe people will be more impressed ;) #ELLCHAT
A5: Absolutely! When an ELLs oral production is supported they are more easily able to communicate feelings, understandings, & concerns. This contributes to their confidence and willingness to take risks in everything from writting to reading to numeracy! #ellchat
A5) Students start with listening and speaking. They learn to read, and as they combine those three, they become better writers and students. It’s definitely a progression which is evidenced by ACCESS levels. #Ellchat
A5. When ELs can communicate the content. They understand it. Given the cognitive demands of oral communication (form, word choice, structure), if they can communicate the content knowledge information correctly, I think they definitely understand it very well. #ellchat
A5 Here’s me quoting my own self again: “No learning domain is more important than language development!” I know you all know that - but if you make it look like a quote - maybe people will be more impressed ;) #ELLCHAT
A6 as an ELD teacher I want to assess and track oral language progress, but I really struggle with this. I’ve been trying to use Flipgrid to get speaking samples, but students don’t like recording themselves and sharing videos with their classmates #ellchat
A3 One of the simplest, yet underused strategies in multilingual #earlyed is: just record children’s conversations so you have a record and colleague, volunteer, or parent can help you translate later. Don’t ignore all that awesome home lang! #ELLCHAT
