A guide to some of the issues second language learners can have on mainstream college/university courses

1. Teaching Second‐Language
Learners on Mainstream Courses
An introduc7on to ESOL

2. Alphabet Soup
• EFL: English as a Foreign Language
• ESL: English as a Second Language
• (T)ESOL: English for speakers of other languages
• L1 – Learners using first or na7ve language
• L2 – Learners using an addi7onal language
• IELTS ‐ Interna7onal English language tes7ng system
• EAP – English for academic purposes
• FCE – Cambridge First Cer7ficate in English
• E3 – Entry level 3

3. Typical profiles of L2 students:
Se3led in UK post Yr 8 InternaBonal
• Strong speaking & listening • Strong academic background
• Weak wriKen language • Strong mo7va7on
• Confused by disrup7on in • Good technical knowledge
educa7on • Weaker spoken English
• Limited formal vocabulary • Limited informal vocabulary
• Gaps in technical knowledge • Limited cultural knowledge
• Under‐performs in • Confused by assessment
unsuitable wriKen exams • Confused by teacher/student
rela7onship

4. Common problems: L2 student seKled
in UK during secondary schoolQ
• Forced to take unsuitable courses: e.g. GCSE
English Language
• Labelled as ‘struggling’
• Confused by disrup7on in educa7on
• Confused by different register (formal/
informal)
• Low academic expecta7ons amongst peers
• Under confident

5. Where can L2 students get help?
IniBal Assessment Classes
ESOL ini7al assessments throughout Self‐Access classes
year in M206a: ‐
• Staffed by ESOL team throughout the
Monday 11:00 – 12:00 year
• Open to all learners who think they
Monday 18:00 – 19:00 would benefit from addi7onal ESOL
Tuesday 11:00 – 12:00 input
Wednesday 14:00 – 15:00 • Covers reading, wri7ng, speaking and
listening.
Thursday 11:00 – 12:00
Times
Monday 1:30 – 3:00
Tuesday 5:00 – 6:00
Wednesday 1:30 – 3:00
Thursday 1:30 – 3:00

6. The English Language
How many words? Typical vocabulary
• OED defines 615,100 words • German: 180,000 words
• 41,700 are obsolete.
• 240 ‘ghost words’
• Russian: 160,000 words
• 430 uses of ‘set’ • French 150,000
Usage
• Lederer: 10,0000 words
• Pinker: 60,000 average teen
• Lederer ‘most democra7c language in
history’
• ‘rela7ve simplicity of syntax and
grammar

7. What is IELTS?
What is IELTS?
Interna7onal English Language Tes7ng System
• Tests English proficiency across the globe.
• Most popular English tes7ng system.Q
Which organisaBons accept IELTS?
• IELTS is accepted by more than 6000 organisa7ons worldwide.
• universi7es, immigra7on departments, government agencies, professional bodies and mul7na7onal
companies.
IELTS has two versions – Academic and General Training.
• Academic test is for those who want to study in an English‐speaking country.
• General Training test for those migra7ng to or living in an English‐speaking country.
• All candidates take the same Listening and Speaking tests but different Reading and Wri7ng tests.Q

8. What do universi7es ask for?
Kingston: Minimum IELTS score Warwick: Minimum IELTS score
– Arts and Social Sciences; Faculty of Arts: 6.5
Pharmacy: 6.5
Faculty of Science 6.0
– Business and Law: 6.0
– Architecture; Art and Design; Psychology 6.5
Science; Engineering; Social Studies 7.0
CompuBng, InformaBon
Business School 7.0
Systems and MathemaBcs;
and Surveying: 6.0

9. What Language learners find difficult?
Irregular Verbs Other common problems
• 180 irregular verbs • Ar7cles: use of a/the/an
• Thousands of regular ones • Past present/agreement
• 70 % of all verbs used
• Pinker: irregular verbs are fossils • Phrasal verbs
• New verbs are all regular
• Children & L2 learners make similar mistakes
• ‘writed’ ‘speaked’ etc
10 most used verbs :
‐ be, make, do, take, go, come see, get, come, say
Difficult because they are illogical:
‐ The book you read today is the same as the one you
read yesterday
hKp://www.eslreading.org/english/english/
irregularverbs.html

10. Readibility Stats
Ideally you should have low numbers for: passive voice, words per
sentence, characters per word and Flesch Reading Grade level
‐ You should have a minimum of 60 for Flesch Reading Ease.

11. Typical Assignment brief
How easy to read
Sentences per paragraph: 1 (low)
Words per sentence: 12 (high)
Characters per word: 5.3 (low)
Passive: 9% (very high)
Flesch Reading Ease: (30.4 ) (very high)
Flsch Kikaid: 12.1 (very high)
Conclusion
Text difficult to read. Biggest problems
are: use of passive voice, number of long
sentences.
Vocabulary score slightly misleading
because of amount of repe77on.
SoluBon: shorter sentences using ac7ve
rather than passive verbs.
Reduce number of abstract nouns.