Principles of Oral Language Development
In the past, language educators considered listening and reading as a passive skill that students simply do while receiving oral and written input. Speaking and writing were considered to be active skills where the students had to actively be involved in producing oral and written language. However, this view is no longer held to be true. Today, according language scholars, listening and reading are by no means passive processes and that listening, reading, speaking and writing are all active skills necessary for students to construct meaning of language (Wright, 2015). It has become evident that the skills to actively listen and to actively engage in talk are essential to building oral language within all students, and is particularly crucial for emergent bilingual students.
Quick List of Principles to help Learners Learn a New Language:
1. Learners need to understand what is said to them.
2. Learners need to use new language themselves
3. Learners need opportunities to use "stretched" language
4. Learners need models of language, especially academic registers in school
5. Learners need opportunities to build first language
6. Second Language is facilitated when students are using the new language to learn other things, such as subject content.
All six listed principles above were originated ideas received from Gibbons, P. (2002). Scaffolding language, scaffolding learning. Retrieved from: file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/Gibbons_Chapter%202%20(1).pdf
- This idea goes back to Krashen's theory of comprehensible input
2. Learners need to use new language themselves
- This relates to Merrill Swain's theory of comprehensible output, and suggest that learners need opportunities to actively engage in speaking a new language
3. Learners need opportunities to use "stretched" language
- Merrill Swain refers to "stretched language" as language used when one struggles to communicate to another and is essentially going slightly above or beyond comfort level of oral language in order to be understood by another.
4. Learners need models of language, especially academic registers in school
- If students are to move forward in their language development a teacher must daily model how to use academic language, and help guide academic conversations among students.
5. Learners need opportunities to build first language
- Research suggest that for emergent bilingual the stronger their first language is the more likely it is they will be successful in their second language development.
6. Second Language is facilitated when students are using the new language to learn other things, such as subject content.
All six listed principles above were originated ideas received from Gibbons, P. (2002). Scaffolding language, scaffolding learning. Retrieved from: file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/Gibbons_Chapter%202%20(1).pdf
Terms and aspects to Consider When Teaching Emergent Bilinguals
Silent Period and Wait Time
Students who are just beginning to learn a new language often go through a period referred to as the silent period. This is essentially a stage where a new language learner is taking in the new language, but has not developed a sense of comfort in orally produce the language themselves. During this period teachers should not assume that because a student is not speaking that he/or she is not learning. During the silent period a student is "developing their receptive listening skills and they are acquiring bits and pieces of the language and processing the input for meaning" (Wright,2015). In other words, they are beginning to take in the rules of a the new language, and developing a base level of understanding before attempting to orally produce language. Teachers should give students time to go through this silent stage and should not rush this essential process.
When emergent bilingual students feel ready to orally speak the new language, they may still need time to process their thoughts in English before speaking. Therefore, if a teacher asks them a question, they may need to first mentally process and translate what was asked of them, figure out an answer, and then translate the answer before they can orally respond back to the teacher. Due to this process it is important for teachers to allow sufficient amount of wait time. Wait time is simply when a teacher gives a student time to come up with a response.
Students who are just beginning to learn a new language often go through a period referred to as the silent period. This is essentially a stage where a new language learner is taking in the new language, but has not developed a sense of comfort in orally produce the language themselves. During this period teachers should not assume that because a student is not speaking that he/or she is not learning. During the silent period a student is "developing their receptive listening skills and they are acquiring bits and pieces of the language and processing the input for meaning" (Wright,2015). In other words, they are beginning to take in the rules of a the new language, and developing a base level of understanding before attempting to orally produce language. Teachers should give students time to go through this silent stage and should not rush this essential process.
When emergent bilingual students feel ready to orally speak the new language, they may still need time to process their thoughts in English before speaking. Therefore, if a teacher asks them a question, they may need to first mentally process and translate what was asked of them, figure out an answer, and then translate the answer before they can orally respond back to the teacher. Due to this process it is important for teachers to allow sufficient amount of wait time. Wait time is simply when a teacher gives a student time to come up with a response.
Correcting Students Speech Errors
It is crucial for teachers to know how to respond to their students in a positive manner, especially when correcting speech errors with language learners. Errors are a normal part of the process in learning a new language, but there is a time and an effective way for teachers to correctly respond to student's language errors. "In order to keep the affective filter low, student's errors should be corrected in a manner that avoids embarrassment, particularly in front of their peers" (Wright 157). One effective way for a teacher to accomplish this is through recasting. Recasting is essentially when a teacher corrects a student's speech error implicitly. Consider the two examples:
Example 1(Recasting Response- Implicit Correction)
Jin: Teacher! Yesterday I goed to mall with my friend.
Teacher: You went to the mall with your friend? Cool! I went to the mall last week with my son to buy clothes.
VS.
Example 2 (Direct- Explicit Correction)
Jin: Teacher! Yesterday I goed to mall with my friend.
Teacher: No, Jin, don't say goed. It's went. Remember, go is an irregular verb. And it's the mall.
Example 1 demonstrates how a teacher can positively correct a student's speech error, in an implicit way, so that the student's affective filter remains low. Teachers' should take note that it they should only correct errors that students are ready to learn. In other words, if a teacher corrects a speech error that a student is not cognitively ready to learn, he or she will continue to make the error.
It is crucial for teachers to know how to respond to their students in a positive manner, especially when correcting speech errors with language learners. Errors are a normal part of the process in learning a new language, but there is a time and an effective way for teachers to correctly respond to student's language errors. "In order to keep the affective filter low, student's errors should be corrected in a manner that avoids embarrassment, particularly in front of their peers" (Wright 157). One effective way for a teacher to accomplish this is through recasting. Recasting is essentially when a teacher corrects a student's speech error implicitly. Consider the two examples:
Example 1(Recasting Response- Implicit Correction)
Jin: Teacher! Yesterday I goed to mall with my friend.
Teacher: You went to the mall with your friend? Cool! I went to the mall last week with my son to buy clothes.
VS.
Example 2 (Direct- Explicit Correction)
Jin: Teacher! Yesterday I goed to mall with my friend.
Teacher: No, Jin, don't say goed. It's went. Remember, go is an irregular verb. And it's the mall.
Example 1 demonstrates how a teacher can positively correct a student's speech error, in an implicit way, so that the student's affective filter remains low. Teachers' should take note that it they should only correct errors that students are ready to learn. In other words, if a teacher corrects a speech error that a student is not cognitively ready to learn, he or she will continue to make the error.
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Characteristics of Effective Group Work:
Collaboration discussions carried out during effective group work can heighten all students learning process by allowing for richer, more cognitively challenging work to take place. During effective group work students have time to:
Therefore, students, especially emergent bilinguals, benefit from the chance to talk with others. Informal talk that tends to take place during group work is actually talk that still supports academic content learning and oral language development. Academic language is about learning how to talk about material and develop content-specific vocabulary which if correctly directed within the classroom group discussions can very easily accomplish such task. During group work, teachers can mingle around the classroom and help guide or support group talk through teacher-led reporting. |
A few key aspect to consider when building effective group work within the classroom is:
1. Clear explicit expectations
Teachers should help set the stage for what an effective group discussion looks like, this might include:
- Defining what active listening is
- Explaining what is expected of each group member
- Clarifying each person's duty
- Making sure everyone within the group receives fair opportunities to speak
Teachers should do their best in making sure students feel comfortable and safe within the classroom so that
- Student's effective filters are low
- Student's feel more confident in participating during group discussion
- Student's do not feel embarrassed or fear making a mistaking while speaking
Teacher should go around making sure talk is related to topic and that students are participating in group discussion
Activities that Require and/or Encourage talk:
There are many activities that teachers can include within their classroom that help promote, require, or encourage students to talk to one another. Here are just four examples of activities that have students orally participate.
- Barrier Games- Students are put into pairs. One student in each pair is the designated artist and is given a pen and a pencil. The partner is give a pattern or a picture, which he or she places behind some type of barrier where the artist cannot see it. The partner looks at the patter/picture and then, using only oral English must describe to the artist the image. The artist must then try to draw what is being described to him or her from partner. For this activity to be most successful, teacher should pre-teach necessary vocabulary and language structures that can then e practiced through this activity
- Think-Pair-Share- Teacher assigns each student a partner and asks a question related to whatever topic the students are studying. Students are given time to think of their answer. Then the teacher signals to students when to turn and discuss their answers with their partners. The teacher wanders around and provides support if needed within group discussion. After a few minutes, teacher may call on a few pair of students to share out with the rest of the class.
- Obstacle Course- (Suited for beginning- level ELLs) Teacher sets up an obstacle course in the classroom or outside on the playground. Students are put into pairs or small groups. One student in each pair or group is blindfolded and must make it through the obstacle course guided only by instructions from his or her partner or teammates, who must speak in English and may not touch the blindfolded student. To be successful, students would need to first learn basic vocabulary and simple phrases related to directions.
- Classroom Bingo- Teacher creates a Bingo like chart with "Get to know you" statements. For example, the statements can be: my favorite food is pizza, I have sister's and brothers, my favorite subject is math (etc.) Students must walk around and ask other students within the classroom if the statement pertains to them. If a student agrees that the statement fits them they must write their name in the box of the statement. The goal is to fill as many boxes with peers names as possible.
Works Cited:
- Wright, W. E. (2010). Foundations for Teaching English Language Learners: Research, Theory. Policy and Practice. Philadelphia: Caslon Publishing
- Chambers Schuldt, L. (2017). Tuesday Week 6 Oral Language Strategies. [PowerPoint Slides]
- Foppoli, J. (2017). The Silent Period of Second Language Acquisition. Retrieved from: http://www.eslbase.com/teaching/silent-period-second-language-acquisition
- Pasden, P. (2008). Recasting in Language Learning. Retrieved from: http://www.sinosplice.com/life/archives/2008/12/29/recasting-in-language-learning