Transcript Document

ESL Acquisition & Social
Studies
Allison Cater
Gentry Jr. School
ESL 6-8 Science & SS
GHAWP 2004
ESL POEM
(taken from In The Middle)
English As A Second Language
The underpaid young teacher
prints the letters t, r, e, e
on the blackboard and imagines
forest and gardens springing up
in the tired head of her students.
But they see only four letters;
A vertical beam weighed down
By a crushing crossbar
And followed by a hook,
And after the hook, two squiggles,
Arcane identical twins
Which could be spying eyes
Or ready fists, could be handles,
Could be curled seedlings, could take root,
Could develop leaves.
~Lisel Mueller
MYTHS
 Students can learn a language quickly and easily
 Students automatically learn another language when immersed in
an environment where everyone speaks that language
 All students learn a second language the same way
 Students have acquired a second language once they can speak
 Students need to learn grammar and vocabulary before they can
speak
Four Stages of Second
Language Acquisition
I.
Pre-production
~students do not usually produce their own language
~students understand language that has been comprehensible
II. Early production
~students have a small, active vocabulary
~they feel ready to speak in one- or two-word phrases
III. Speech emergence
~there is a noticeable increase in listening comprehension
~students will try to speak in short phrases
~they will begin to use the social language necessary in the classroom
IV. Nearly fluent
~students understand what is said in the classroom
~they can express their ideas comprehensibly in both oral and written
communication
~they will be able to read most grade level material
Literacy Development for ELL (ESL)
 Speed & fluency with a new language will
vary from one child to the next
 Language acquisition is a very complex
process that may not always follow a
straight path
 Oral language must come first for ELL
students. Once they have developed oral
language skills in English, they can begin to
learn about writing and reading in English
Music and Poetry (Multiple Intelligences)
*BER Institute presentation by Jo Guzman…
Guzman uses Dr. Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligence theory
to show one of many examples of how music and repetition are
like glue to a brain
(POETRY)
•Charlie Brown’s teacher (example)
•It is important to permit the new student to watch
and listen without demands at first.
•Comprehensible input is vital for success. You could look
at Chinese writing for 100 years and never learn it, if someone
did not explain it.
Lesson: The 7 continents
Learning Through Poetry
The Seven Continents
North America, South America
joined in the West.
Europe and Asia meet together,
and on Africa they rest.
Australia stands alone, floating
down below.
And Antarctica is the loneliest,
where no one wants to go.
www.teachers.net
YOUR TURN…
Create your own poem of either the 7 continents or
choose 1 continent. It can be any rhyming pattern.
Bibliography
Department of Public Instruction: Myths
www.everythingesl.net:Four Stages of
second language acquisition
www.bnkst.edu: Literacy Development for
ELL
BER Institute: Jo Guzman “multiple
intelligences”
www.teachersdesk.org: Austrailia