A Standards-Based English Class for English Language Learners: Can It Work?
For students who are English Language Learners at the secondary level, mastery in content material is crucial and takes the form of learning a discrete body of knowledge in areas such as chemistry, U.S. history, geometry, etc. in addition to acquiring the ways to think critically in those areas. What is the role, then, of the English teacher? Charged with aiding students in developing a larger vocabulary; teaching better ways to comprehend text when reading, responding, analyzing, and appreciating literature; learning the writing process and applying it in a variety of composition forms; mastering the grammar, mechanics, and style of Standard American English; and improving skills and strategies for speaking and listening, it seems impossible to teach Hamlet or Jane Eyre to a student who has a 3rd grade reading level in English. Modifying the expectations of what students can do and should learn, in addition to modifying the way I assess student work, makes achievement in my Core 40 English 9 and English 11 classes possible for all ELL students.
I find the following ideas and issues to play the most critical part in English teaching for ELL students:
□ Focusing on texts and supplying students with as many authentic reading materials as possible. Teaching only spelling and grammar robs students of a chance to encounter and appreciate literature.
□ Not having an appropriate socio-cultural knowledge of American society makes engaging in discussions of most texts quite difficult. Students do not know about the Great Depression or the struggle for civil rights, when trying to understand the themes in To Kill a Mockingbird.
□ The “story grammar” of most reading selections in our English classes is different from that of other cultures. What motivates the characters in the stories we read? If the majority of our reading materials are from American and European authors, the ideas and backgrounds obstruct understanding the ideas and themes. The discourse of my ELL students shows in their writing that their understanding of plot and character are muddled by the way we read and explicate literature.
□ Vocabulary is a double-edged sword. Learning new words with their classmates, ELL students will improve their fluency when encountering rich words in poetry and prose. Yet vocabulary acquisition is at its most frustrating in English when texts can include several colloquialisms, idioms, metaphors, and unknown allusions.
□ Oral and written differences must be acknowledged. I teach some students who are proficient at discussing ideas and issues orally, but struggle to compose the most basic of sentences. Other students seem to do well at reading, yet demonstrate an awkward ability in speaking about their reading and understanding. Knowing and differentiating between the two is imperative
□ Should I use simplified texts with students? Some reading selections I teach can be found in condensed or abridged versions, some specially designed for ELL students. When teaching the short story “The Lady or the Tiger”, I was able to work with Lucy Robie in finding an abridged version of the story to assign to my ELL students. At the most basic level, ELL students should be given simplified texts when possible. At intermediate levels, however, exposure to the same texts as classmates is appropriate. Students at Levels 2 and higher in my 11th grade classes have performed well when studying The Crucible and The Red Badge of Courage thus far this year.
□ Pre-teaching novels with all students allows ELL students to gain scaffolding for better comprehension with reading the rest of the book. Active note taking on the assigned reading works well for ELL students.
□ Assessing writing can be problematic unless specific criteria are selected for evaluation beforehand. A less challenging rubric, although still addressing specific areas, can continue to be used for ELL students.
The most important strategy to aid in the instruction of ELL students in my English classes is a strategy that is most important for all student s – engaging them in personal conversation. Keeping the ELL students connected to the rest of the classroom community is essential in lessening their fears about the course and in you learning more about the student. I have many passive ELL students who would never choose to participate in class or group discussions. It is vital to continually invite these students to join the learning process everyone else is doing and to maintain periodic, informal conversations to measure comfort and achievement in the course.
Below is an example of a modified lesson plan from my 9th grade English class, using sheltered instructional strategies while maintaining a focus on the Indiana Academic Standards for English Language Arts:
Lesson: To read and analyze the events of Act I in William Gibbons’ play The Miracle Worker
Objectives: 1.) To identify and evaluate stage directions in a play and the importance they play
2.) To write about how a character’s personality and motivation are revealed through what he/she says and does.
Skills: - Reading: Comprehension, Inferring, Making Critical Judgments, Identifying Cause- Effect Relationships, Drawing Conclusions, Evaluating
- Writing: Literary response
- Vocabulary: Using Context Clues
- Speaking: Reading aloud from a script
1. Ask students to write in their Writer’s Journal about any experiences with drama they may have had. This could include being in a school play, reading a play, watching a drama on stage or on the screen. Share responses. Ask ELL students what forms of drama exist in their native countries. Explain to them (and the rest of the class) the rich history of American theatre, including the idea of “Broadway”.
2. Analyze the cover of the Playbill on page 708 for The Miracle Worker. Discuss possible meanings of the title of the play. Define the word “miracle” by webbing its definitions on the board. Ensure that ELL students understand the meaning of the word by asking them to supply their personal definition.
3. Call attention to the setting of the play. ELL students will not have a deep background knowledge of 1880s America. Explain the clash of cultures in Reconstruction Era America as a result of the Civil War and provide some examples of what daily life would be like in the 1880s. Have students make a list in their notebooks. Ensure that ELL students have a basic understanding of the differences in time and place for this play.
4. As students read the play, have them write notes in their Writer’s Notebooks when the Kellers and Annie experience a culture clash. Most students, ELL or not, will have difficulty understanding the Civil War references in the play, as well as Captain Keller’s frustration with “Northerners” such as Annie. Share notes and ideas periodically.
5. Teaching how to use context clues when encountering new words in the play is important for regular and ELL students. Provide a list of vocabulary terms – with definitions – for ELL students (easily prepared or already prepared by textbook company). Ask them to choose a few words and write their own sentences using the words correctly. Ask other students to do this with all vocabulary words.
6. Call students’ attention to instances when words are ambiguous when isolated alone. When Captain Keller refers to Helen’s “constitution of a goat”, explain the multiple uses of “constitution”. When discussing the narration that “Annie’s gaze is grave…”, explain the multiple meanings of the word “grave.”
7. Provide ELL students a CD/cassette recording of the play. Have them read the script aloud as they listen and follow along with the script. Participating in choral reading during class time as we read the play is also important.
8. When assigning discussion questions for students to answer individually by writing in their Writer’s Notebook, I assign only half, or less than half, of the questions to ELL students. Choosing questions that focus on recalling and interpreting the text can be just as difficult as questions that focus on evaluating the text and applying it to their own lives. Requiring fewer words/sentences/paragraphs is acceptable in my classes. I do expect ELL students to engage in the Writing Process, adhering to the 6+1 Traits of Writing, with all other students. Formal writing assignments, adhering to requirements for Writing Applications as outlined in Standard 5, ask students to write original compositions of 1,500 words. This is nearly impossible for ELL students! You will have to adjust expectations and criteria to assess when assigning formal assignments to ELL students.
Indiana Academic Standards addressed and met in this lesson include:
- Reading: Vocabulary 9.1.1 & 9.1.2
- Reading: Literary Response & Analysis 9.3.1, 9.3.3, 9.3.4, 9.3.6, 9.3.7, 9.3.8, 9.3.10, 9.3.11, 9.3.12
- Writing: Writing Applications 9.5.2
Areas of concern MCCSC needs to address for teaching English to ELL students:
v How to effectively balance the instruction in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and thinking critically when students have exceptional difficulties at learning strategies for English
v How to assess writing assignments and evaluate products of work while not devoting a significant amount of time in addition to creating such experiences for all other English students.
v How to effectively manage a student load of 170+ students in a reading/writing intensive course such as English while attempting to devote special planning for ELL students.
v How to choose and select teaching resources for ELL students in the English class when acquiring resources for the general student population is also insufficient (i.e. CliffNotes in Korean, books on tape/CD, etc.)
v Engaging ELL students in authentic speaking applications when opportunities for class presentations, group work, and literature circles are compromised due to large class sizes.