1. Making Content Accessible
EDESL 771 PreK-12 ESL Curriculum and Materials through the Content Areas
Hunter College MA in TESOL, Laura Baecher
1

2. Legal Precedent for Sheltered Instruction and ELD
• 1964 - Civil Rights Act, Title VI
• 1974 - Lau vs. Nichols
• 1981 - Castañeda vs. Pickard
• 1982 - Plyler vs. Doe
All school districts and therefore all teachers have a dual obligation in the
law to serve English learners by:
Developing students’ English proficiency
• English Language Development (ELD)
Providing meaningful access to academic content
instruction
• Sheltered Instruction
2

3. Sheltering Content and English Language Development
Sheltered
Content
Both
Involve:
Focus
on
Content
Opportuni3es
for
Objec3ve
Interac3on
Making
Content
Purposeful
and
Flexible
Comprehensible
Grouping
Recognizing
Linguis3c
Hands-­‐on
Ac3vi3es
Demands
of
Texts
Ac3va3ng
Prior
Knowledge
English
Language
Development
Focus
on
Language
Objec3ve
Modeling
Target
Language
Language
Development
Ac3vi3es
Feedback
on
Form
Hunter College MA in TESOL, Laura Baecher
3

4. What is Sheltered Instruction?
Sheltered Language Instruction is:
Sheltered Language Instruction is not:
• Usually delivered by the core content • Only the responsibility of the ESL
teacher
teacher
• Making core content standards • Lecture only style teaching
accessible to all learners
• Faulting students’ lack of English
• Clear grade level, content and proficiency as the barrier to their
language objectives
access to content learning
• Active student engagement
• Just one strategy (i.e. word wall)
• Building background knowledge
• An extra adult in the classroom/
• Uses visuals, manipulative, gestures, Teacher Assistant
paraphrasing, etc.
• Academic Support
• Multiple strategies (including those • Study Hall
used in programs such as, SIOP, • Independent Study
CALLA, CLIL and SDAIE)
• Necessarily a class just of ELLs
• Thinking, “How do I make my
academic content accessible to this
student?”
Hunter College MA in TESOL, Laura Baecher
4

5. What is English Language Development?
ELD is:
ELD is not:
• A separate, graded class in systematic • Reading instruction, “Reading
English Language Development
Recovery”, “Double Dose” reading, A
• A state mandated program based on literacy class
state ELP (English Language Proficiency) • An extra adult to help in the
standards
classroom/Teacher Assistant
• A class in which students are grouped by • Sheltered content instruction
language proficiency levels
• Tutoring time, Academic Support,
• Explicitly reflected in the school’s master • Special help with classroom projects/
schedule
Independent Study
• Assessed using the statewide ELPA • Just vocabulary
(English Language Proficiency
• SIOP, SDAIE (although some of these
Assessment)
strategies can be used in an ELD
• A scope and sequence of vocabulary, class)
language functions and grammatical
• Just a software program (can be
forms
used to supplement live instruction)
• Meeting minimum minutes mandated by
state and beyond
Hunter College MA in TESOL, Laura Baecher
5

6. The Need for Content to be Made Accessible
Persistent gap in academic achievement for
those from culturally and linguistically diverse
groups:
" Many teachers are underprepared to make content
comprehensible for ELLs.
" Few teachers trained to teach initial literacy or
content-area literacy to secondary ELLs.
" ELLs are tested in all subject areas well before they
reach proficiency in English
" ELLs take 6-8 years to develop academic English
and during that time cannot lose years of content-
area learning
Hunter College MA in TESOL, Laura Baecher
6

7. Being a CBI (CLIL) Teacher is Double the Work
• CLIL is complex
• There is no single model for
CLIL – the context is to be taken
into account
• Who is to teach CLIL (language
or subject teachers), and how to
combine both?
• New concepts are always difficult
to accept
• Insufficient understanding of
content through the medium of
foreign language
• CLIL methodology and
CLIL= assessment are not clear –
Content and Language teachers have to be supported
Integrated Learning • Teacher overload, shortage of
materials
Hunter College MA in TESOL, Laura Baecher
7

8. CLIL Involves the “Four C’s”
• Content - Progression in knowledge, skills and understanding
related to specific elements of a defined curriculum.
• Communication – Using language to learn and learning to use
language. Language does not necessarily follow the
grammatical progression found in language-learning settings
• Cognition-Developing thinking skills which link concept
formation (abstract and concrete), understanding and language
• Culture- understanding of otherness and self, deepened
feelings of community and global citizenship
Hunter College MA in TESOL, Laura Baecher
8

9. CLIL Considers Language FOR and THROUGH Content Learning
• L of learning – content obligatory language related to the subject theme or
topic
• L for learning – language needed to operate in foreign language environment
(for pair/ group work, asking questions, debating, etc.)
• L through learning- new language that cannot be planned. This emerging
language needs to be captured, recycled and developed so that it becomes a
part of a learner’s repertoire
Hunter College MA in TESOL, Laura Baecher
9

10. Analysis of Content Objectives
Content Area Objectives
Read the objectives below and determine:
-the content area
-whether the desired “understanding” is clearly expressed
-whether it’s feasible in a 40 minute lesson
-whether you will be able to assess students’ understanding at the end of the period
-whether it’s worded as an assessment instead of a learning objective
-whether it’s worded as an activity instead of a learning objective
A. Content Objective: Students will develop basic understanding of the concept of Nomadic
people.
B. Content Objective: Students will be able to recognize the 6 basic nutrients and identify
the foods these are found in.
C. Content Objective: Students will use product design elements to create their own
chocolate bars.
D. Content Objective: Students are able to identify and demonstrate an understanding of
the five senses used by humans by exploring bags filled with items related to the senses
including a lemon (taste), a nail file (touch and hearing), a cotton ball (touch), soap, vanilla
beans (smell and taste)
Hunter College MA in TESOL, Laura Baecher
10

11. Analysis of Content Objectives
Content Area Objectives
Read the objectives below and determine:
-the content area
-whether the desired “understanding” is clearly expressed
-whether it’s feasible in a 40 minute lesson
-whether you will be able to assess students’ understanding at the end of the period
-whether it’s worded as an assessment instead of a learning objective
-whether it’s worded as an activity instead of a learning objective
Original: Students will develop basic understanding
of the concept of Nomadic people.
Revised: Students will understand that Nomadic people are
those who have no permanent home, but move from place to
place based on factors such as seasons and work.
Hunter College MA in TESOL, Laura Baecher
11

12. Analysis of Content Objectives
Content Area Objectives
Read the objectives below and determine:
-the content area
-whether the desired “understanding” is clearly expressed
-whether it’s feasible in a 40 minute lesson
-whether you will be able to assess students’ understanding at the end of the period
-whether it’s worded as an assessment instead of a learning objective
-whether it’s worded as an activity instead of a learning objective
Original: Students will be able to recognize the 6
basic nutrients and identify the foods these are found
in.
Revised: Students will understand that our bodies
require six basic nutrients (Carbohydrates, Protein,
Fat, Water and Minerals) to survive.
Hunter College MA in TESOL, Laura Baecher
12

13. Analysis of Content Objectives
Content Area Objectives
Read the objectives below and determine:
-the content area
-whether the desired “understanding” is clearly expressed
-whether it’s feasible in a 40 minute lesson
-whether you will be able to assess students’ understanding at the end of the period
-whether it’s worded as an assessment instead of a learning objective
-whether it’s worded as an activity instead of a learning objective
Original: Students will use product design elements
to create their own chocolate bars.
Revised: Students will understand that design
elements such as color, lettering, and position of text
can make a product appear more appealing.
Hunter College MA in TESOL, Laura Baecher
13

14. Analysis of Content Objectives
Content Area Objectives
Read the objectives below and determine:
-the content area
-whether the desired “understanding” is clearly expressed
-whether it’s feasible in a 40 minute lesson
-whether you will be able to assess students’ understanding at the end of the period
-whether it’s worded as an assessment instead of a learning objective
-whether it’s worded as an activity instead of a learning objective
Original: Students are able to identify and demonstrate an
understanding of the five senses used by humans by
exploring bags filled with items related to the senses including
a lemon (taste), a nail file (touch and hearing), a cotton ball
(touch), soap, vanilla beans (smell and taste)
Revised: Students will understand that we use all of our five
human senses (sight, smell, touch, hearing, taste) when
encountering objects.
Hunter College MA in TESOL, Laura Baecher
14

15. Plan the Content Objective
Ques%ons
to
ask
yourself
Considera%ons
What
is
the
big
idea
you
are
working
Check
on
state
and
na3onal
standards
towards
and
the
final
performance
piece?
documents.
What
understanding
can
you
“bite
off
and
Know
the
proficiency
and
developmental
chew”
in
one
class
session?
levels
of
your
learners.
How
will
students
be
able
to
show
you
their
Keep
all
students
of
all
proficiency
levels
level
of
this
understanding
at
the
end
of
the
working
towards
the
same
understandings.
class?
Hunter College MA in TESOL, Laura Baecher
15

16. Planning for Content-Based ESL
Discourse
Adapta3ons
Cultural
Responsiveness
Text
Modifica3ons
Vocabulary
Focus
Par3cipa3on
Structures
English
Language
Development
Hunter College MA in TESOL, Laura Baecher
16

17. Need for Background Knowledge
Sejong is a well known
Daewang in Korea. Every
Korean school child
knows about him.
Hunter College MA in TESOL, Laura Baecher
17

18. Build Background Knowledge
Sejong is a well known Daewang in
Korea. Every Korean school child Rather than assume prior
knows about him. knowledge, provide
background information.
Henry the VIII is a well known
Daewang in England. Every
British school child knows about
him.
Ques%ons
to
ask
yourself
Considera%ons
What
do
my
students
already
know
about
Look
into
and
learn
cultural
references
that
this
topic?
Do
they
have
cultural
knowledge
can
bridge
your
students’
learning.
or
experiences
that
can
bridge
this
content?
What
visual,
graphic,
video,
music,
map,
Always
have
visuals!
drawing,
etc.
can
convey
important
background
informa3on
without
words?
Hunter College MA in TESOL, Laura Baecher
18

19. Modify your Speech
Ques%ons
to
ask
yourself
Considera%ons
What
will
I
do
when
I
speak
to
make
my
Modify
your
speech
through
text
support,
speech
more
easily
understood
and
visual
aids,
gestures,
expressions,
body
meaningful
for
my
learners?
language,
slower
rate,
repe33on,
re-­‐
phrasing,
and
word
choice.
How will I know my input is
comprehensible?
Assessment checks such as
circulating, thumbs up/down,
pencils up, response boards.
Hunter College MA in TESOL, Laura Baecher
19

20. Bring in Hands-on Learning Activities
Ques%ons
to
ask
yourself
Considera%ons
How
can
students
gain
access
to
the
ideas
Bringing
in
realia,
manipula3ves,
concrete
behind
the
content
without
a
language
objects
and
visuals,
rather
than
referring
to
barrier?
distant
and
abstract
concepts
only
through
language.
How
can
the
learning
be
structured
to
Provide
induc3ve
rather
than
deduc3ve
provide
students
with
opportuni3es
to
presenta3ons,
with
plenty
of
opportunity
construct
or
arrive
at
their
own
for
discovery
(construc3vist)
learning.
understandings?
Tell me, I’ll forget,
Show me, I’ll remember,
Involve me, I’ll understand.
Hunter College MA in TESOL, Laura Baecher
20

21. Sheltering and Language Teaching
Sheltering Involves:
• ontent objectives
C
• nowledge of the linguistic
K
Sheltering opens the door
demands of the content
for ELLs to content
• iscourse adaptations
D
learning.
• ext modifications
T
• urposeful grouping
P
Language teaching gets
students through the door Language Teaching involves:
and beyond. • anguage objectives
L
• nowledge of the linguistic
K
demands of the required
student activity
• nstruction in grammar,
I
vocabulary, pragmatics,
L-S-R-W
Hunter College MA in TESOL, Laura Baecher
21

22. Implications for Lesson Planning in
Content-Based ESL
Ask yourself…
Am I sheltering content or teaching language?
What student language learning need am I responding to by
designing this language objective?
Am I clearly focusing on teaching and applying ONE skill?
Am I cycling through content material using the different
language skills?
.
Hunter College MA in TESOL, Laura Baecher
22