New Pathways to New Pathways to Academic Achievement Academic Achievement

for K-12 English for K-12 English LearnersLearners

New Pathways to New Pathways to Academic Achievement Academic Achievement

for K-12 English for K-12 English LearnersLearners

TESOLTESOL

March 26, 2009March 26, 2009

Anna Uhl ChamotAnna Uhl Chamot

The George Washington The George Washington UniversityUniversity

ObjectivesObjectivesObjectivesObjectives Identify the academic needs of Identify the academic needs of

K-12 English learners;K-12 English learners; Describe instructional Describe instructional

approaches that meet these approaches that meet these needs; needs;

Provide guidelines for selecting Provide guidelines for selecting and teaching content and teaching content knowledge, language and knowledge, language and literacy, and learning strategies.literacy, and learning strategies.

Who are our EnglishWho are our EnglishLanguage Learners?Language Learners?Who are our EnglishWho are our EnglishLanguage Learners?Language Learners?

Linguistically and culturally diverse.Linguistically and culturally diverse. Differing educational backgrounds.Differing educational backgrounds. Variety of approaches to learning.Variety of approaches to learning. Range of levels of family literacy.Range of levels of family literacy. Differing family attitudes towards Differing family attitudes towards

school.school. Differing family expectations. Differing family expectations.

What Do K-12 English What Do K-12 English Learners Need to Learn?Learners Need to Learn?What Do K-12 English What Do K-12 English Learners Need to Learn?Learners Need to Learn?

Socialization and Socialization and acculturation to school.acculturation to school.

Conceptual development.Conceptual development.Linguistic development.Linguistic development.Literacy development.Literacy development.Learning how to learn.Learning how to learn.

Cognitive-SocialCognitive-Social Learning Learning TheoryTheoryCognitive-SocialCognitive-Social Learning Learning TheoryTheory

Learning is mentally active and Learning is mentally active and strategic.strategic.

Require higher level thinking.Require higher level thinking. Social context, interaction are critical.Social context, interaction are critical. Content learned through connections Content learned through connections

to prior knowledge.to prior knowledge. Processes leaned through practice Processes leaned through practice

individually and with peers.individually and with peers. Learning strategies can be taught and Learning strategies can be taught and

learned.learned.

Five Instructional Five Instructional Principles:Principles:Five Instructional Five Instructional Principles:Principles:

Identify and build on students’ Identify and build on students’ prior cultural, conceptual, and prior cultural, conceptual, and linguistic knowledge.linguistic knowledge.

Practice interactive teaching and Practice interactive teaching and learning.learning.

Teach students to work Teach students to work collaboratively.collaboratively.

Focus on learning processes and Focus on learning processes and strategies.strategies.

Help students evaluate their own Help students evaluate their own learning.learning.

What kinds of content?What kinds of content?What kinds of content?What kinds of content?

Differentiated according Differentiated according to students’ needs and to students’ needs and interests. interests.

Cognitively and Cognitively and linguistically appropriate.linguistically appropriate.

Content information Content information andand content processes.content processes.

Selecting contentSelecting contentSelecting contentSelecting content

Identify National and State Identify National and State Standards for subject and grade Standards for subject and grade level.level.

Set learning outcomes.Set learning outcomes. Work backwards to design activities.Work backwards to design activities. Differentiate instruction.Differentiate instruction. Include content from history, social Include content from history, social

studies, literature, mathematics, studies, literature, mathematics, science, art, music, etc. science, art, music, etc.

Collaborate with content specialists.Collaborate with content specialists.

How can ESOL teachers How can ESOL teachers teach content?teach content?How can ESOL teachers How can ESOL teachers teach content?teach content?

Find out students’ prior knowledge.Find out students’ prior knowledge. Study the school curriculum. Study the school curriculum. Look at students’ textbooks for major Look at students’ textbooks for major

content subjects.content subjects. Identify major concepts and themes.Identify major concepts and themes. Find material through a variety of Find material through a variety of

resources, including the Internet.resources, including the Internet. Use content-based ESL instructional Use content-based ESL instructional

materials.materials. Ask content teachers.Ask content teachers.

Working with Content Working with Content TeachersTeachersWorking with Content Working with Content TeachersTeachers

Research on Content-ESL team Research on Content-ESL team teachingteaching

Planning togetherPlanning together Defining classroom rolesDefining classroom roles Differentiating instructionDifferentiating instruction Integrating language and Integrating language and

contentcontent

Integrate Language Integrate Language Development and Content Development and Content - 1- 1

Integrate Language Integrate Language Development and Content Development and Content - 1- 1

Analyze language difficulties in Analyze language difficulties in textbooks.textbooks.

Observe the language Observe the language requirements in content classesrequirements in content classes

Provide language activities with Provide language activities with each content infusion.each content infusion.

Teach vocabulary and discourse of Teach vocabulary and discourse of content subjects.content subjects.

Integrate Language Integrate Language Development and Content Development and Content - 2- 2

Integrate Language Integrate Language Development and Content Development and Content - 2- 2

Practice reading, listening, Practice reading, listening, speaking, and writing in all content speaking, and writing in all content subjects.subjects.

Use students’ prior linguistic Use students’ prior linguistic knowledge.knowledge.

Develop language awareness: Develop language awareness: comparisons, register, grammar, comparisons, register, grammar, spelling, pronunciation, etc.spelling, pronunciation, etc.

Teach students how to learn.Teach students how to learn.

What are learning What are learning strategies?strategies?What are learning What are learning strategies?strategies?

Thoughts and actions that Thoughts and actions that learnerslearners use to help them to complete a use to help them to complete a learning task.learning task.

Ways to understand, store, and Ways to understand, store, and recall information.recall information.

Ways to practice skills so that they Ways to practice skills so that they are mastered more easily.are mastered more easily.

Useful for listening, reading, Useful for listening, reading, speaking, writing, vocabulary, speaking, writing, vocabulary, grammar.grammar.

What Learning Strategies Are NOT!

What Learning Strategies Are NOT!

Not learning styles!Not learning styles!Not teaching Not teaching strategies!strategies!

Not memorized Not memorized formulas!formulas!

Why teach learning strategies?Why teach learning strategies?

Show students how to be Show students how to be better learners.better learners.

Build students’ self-efficacy.Build students’ self-efficacy. Increase student motivation Increase student motivation

for learning.for learning. Help students become Help students become

reflective and critical thinkers.reflective and critical thinkers.

Why promote thinking in the ESL class?Why promote thinking in the ESL class?

Interdependence of language Interdependence of language and thinking.and thinking.

Need for critical thinkers.Need for critical thinkers. High standards in education.High standards in education. Career challenges.Career challenges. Independent and life-long Independent and life-long

learning.learning. Motivation.Motivation. Self-knowledge and reflection.Self-knowledge and reflection.

What does the research say?What does the research say?

All second language learners All second language learners use strategies - BUTuse strategies - BUT

““Good” language learners use Good” language learners use more varied strategies and use more varied strategies and use them more flexibly.them more flexibly.

Frequent use of learning Frequent use of learning strategies is correlated to strategies is correlated to higher self-efficacy.higher self-efficacy.

More research More research findingsfindingsMore research More research findingsfindings

Strategy instruction improves Strategy instruction improves academic performance. academic performance.

Instruction needs to be explicit.Instruction needs to be explicit. Students need to develop Students need to develop

metacognition.metacognition. Transfer is difficult.Transfer is difficult. Language of instruction Language of instruction

matters.matters.

Teaching Learning Teaching Learning StrategiesStrategiesTeaching Learning Teaching Learning StrategiesStrategies

Focus on the learning process.Focus on the learning process.Model and teach learning Model and teach learning

strategies explicitly.strategies explicitly.Develop students’ awareness Develop students’ awareness

of their own thinking and of their own thinking and learning - their metacognition.learning - their metacognition.

Standards-based objectives Standards-based objectives for:for:Curriculum contentCurriculum contentAcademic languageAcademic languageLearning strategiesLearning strategies

Assessment of each objectiveAssessment of each objectiveStudent self-assessmentStudent self-assessmentDifferentiated instructionDifferentiated instruction

CALLA: An instructional model for academic achievement

CALLA: An instructional model for academic achievement

Integrating Content, Integrating Content, Language, and Learning Language, and Learning StrategiesStrategies

Integrating Content, Integrating Content, Language, and Learning Language, and Learning StrategiesStrategies

PREPARATIONPREPARATION

PRESENTATI ONPRESENTATI ON

PRACTICEPRACTICE

SELFSELF-- EVALUATIONEVALUATION

EXPANSI ONEXPANSI ON

CALLACALLA’’S FIVE PHASESS FIVE PHASES

For more For more information:information:

For more For more information:information:

www.calla.wswww.calla.wsauchamot@aol.auchamot@aol.

comcom