I plan to support the ELLs' L1 (first language) by incorporating their L1 into school activities and providing more resources for them. There are only benefits in providing the ELLs with books in their home language, adding bilingual posters throughout the classroom, and providing worksheets in both English and L1. I would also incorporate the L1 into the calendar routine. Furthermore, the ELL can have a few minutes each week to teach the class new sentences and words. It could be called, "the word of the week." This would not only foster the ELLs' confidence and development of their home language, but the whole class would benefit from learning new words and sentences in a new language.
An important aspect of the Constructivist Theory is asking questions to guide student knowledge. When a question is asked during a lesson, students link it to their own understandings before answering. Questions are also a great way to find out prior knowledge. For example, I was showing students a Polygon Mobile that I had made, they were also going to be making them. I asked them what they noticed about mine before giving them any details or instructions. Many hands flung into the air. Students noticed that each shape was a different color, except the quadrilaterals were all one color. They noticed that I had named the shapes and cut them all out. They also noticed that there were no circles or ovals because those are not polygons. The students had revealed my entire lesson. The Constructivist Theory proves that students come to school preloaded with information. They are NOT blank slates. By simply asking questions, teachers can help guide students' own learning and understand their prior knowledge.
The students in my site classroom generally read the textbooks together as a class (round robin reading), then they buddy read. Questions are asked throughout the process to gain student knowledge. This is the teacher's method, not mine. I have read complex language with students and restated it in ways where it makes sense to the students. In a lesson of teaching them word problems in math, I related the word problems to my life and theirs. In some word problems, I replaced the names in the problems with the students' names to make it more personal. New subjects are best learned as relatable, continuous stories. For example, in science, all the concepts connect to each other. If a teacher can teach science in a way where every area is connected, the students will understand it better. I remember that in history class throughout school, I did not see how the events were connected. First, we learned about the Civil War, then WWI, and finally WWII but there were never connections between them and I often was confused with which happened first. In college, I had a professor who talked about history as a story. He left in all the details in between the wars and was excellent at telling history as one chronological story. He emphasized certain details but there was never a break in the timeline. This is what made me fall in love with history. It also instilled the need for teachers to teach subjects so they connect. This is also how I mentally edit textbooks before teaching to the students. Instead of reading as a class first, I like to tell them the chapter as a story, then they can buddy read or silent read the chapter.
Academic language is perhaps the most important tool in getting hired. When someone has a strong academic language, they leave a stronger impression. Careers have different academic language. For example, a lawyer might feel out of place when talking with a computer engineer. Academic language is the language of the profession. Since it is so important to have in life, students can practice it at school in various fun, engaging ways. When students switch subjects throughout the day, the teacher can say, "Okay it is time for science, we are all scientists now." The class can be challenged to use the academic language of the profession they are practicing. It is necessary to teach ELLs the academic language because of its importance. There should be exposure throughout each day of academic language and all students should be challenged to use it.
Perhaps the biggest hurdle we face going into the public school system is the lack of bilingualism for student growth. Jose does not speak any Spanish at school and my site classroom does not have any Spanish books, posters, etc. Study after study proves that bilingual education is the most beneficial way of learning a new language as it strengthens the home language. Without a strong first language, it is harder to grasp a strong second language. The public school system is full immersion and assimilation into the new language. Since I cannot change public schools to bilingual schools, I can incorporate books, posters, and other resources in languages to foster all my ELLs. They can do the calendar routine with the class in their home language and teach us other vocabulary throughout the semester. We need to start using the second language to our class' benefit instead of hiding it.
Jose's first language supports him in many ways. He has excelled at the English language because of the knowledge of his first language, Spanish. Throughout our conversations, it is clear that Jose likes to read in both English and Spanish. When I listen to him read in English, I point out strange words in his book and ask him if he knows what they are. In one book, he read something about a girl opening her blinds. I asked him if he knew what blinds were, he said "no." When I explained them to him, he said, "Oh yeah, I know what that is. We have those in my house!" I asked him what they call them in Spanish and he said a word that I did not write down. Now, Jose can associate the word "blinds" with his prior knowledge of their name in Spanish. This continuous growth of vocabulary will support him throughout his language journey.
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CategoriesAuthorHi I'm Felicia, a credential student at SSU. Archives |