This document discusses explicit language development (ELD) instruction for English learners. It defines ELD as explicitly teaching the forms of English, including vocabulary, grammar, and language functions, with a focus on speaking and listening. It cites research that shows stand-alone ELD classes taught in a systematic way leads to stronger English proficiency gains compared to other models. However, ELD faces challenges due to lack of resources and disbelief in its effectiveness. The document calls for advocates to address these issues and crowd-source teaching materials to help make high-quality ELD instruction a reality.

1. Why is
ELD the
forgotten
beast of
ESL
Instruction?

2. Rita & John
Rita Platt is a Nationally Board Certified teacher. Her experience
includes teaching learners of all levels from kindergarten to
graduate student. She currently is a Library Media & Reading
Specialist for the St. Croix Falls SD in Wisconsin, teaches graduate
courses for the Professional Development Institute, and consults
with local school districts.
John Wolfe is running for VP of MinneTESOL.
Wolfe Supports Shakira as next MELED Keynoter!
ritaplatt@hotmail.com
john.wolfe@mpls.k12.mn.us
http://www.weteachwelearn.org/tag/rita-platt/
http://mplsesl.wikispaces.com/Home+Page
@ritaplatt
@johnwolfe3rd Your soul, my soul,
MinneTESOL!
Vote for the man
with the squarish
head!

3. Relax … Everything (and more) is on The Wiki
http://www.mplsesl.wikispaces.com/

4. ELD
1.What It Is
2.The Evidence
3.The Recommendations
4.The Logic
5.The Big Problem
6.The Solution

5. Systematic ELD
• Stand-alone, ELD class through
WIDA level 5
• Students groups at like-levels
• 30-45 minutes a day
• Explicit, systematic instruction
• Focused on forms
(“grammar,” “patterns”)
• Systematic Vocabulary
development
• All four domains with a focus
on speaking and listening
• On-going progress-monitoring
Why a
narrow
band of
like levels?
To increase the
odds that the
whole class will be
ready & need the
content being
teaching.

6. 1. ELD: What It Is
Explicitly teach, and engage students in
consciously studying, the elements of the
English language
• with significant time devoted to speaking
and listening, and
• particular attention to meaning and
communication
3 P’s: Present / Practice / Preserve

7. “The Elements of the English Language”
Explicitly teach, and
engage students in
consciously studying,
theelements of
the English
language
• with significant time
devoted to speaking
and listening, and
• particular attention
to meaning and
communication
ELD instruction should explicitly
teach forms of English
• vocabulary,
• syntax,
• morphology,
• functions, and
• conventions

8. And again …
Language forms refer to standard, formal aspects of a
language—words, sentence constructions, and
generally what is considered to be "correct" or
"grammatical" usage, such as
• subject-verb agreement,
• possessives,
• the order of adjectives and the nouns they
modify,
and so on

9. “Explicitly teach and consciously study”
Explicitly teach,
and engage
students in
consciously
studying, the
elements of the English
language
• with significant
time devoted to
speaking and
listening, and
• particular attention
to meaning and
communication
P1: Present
1. Name. Teacher names the
form or focus.
2. Analyze. Teacher and students
analyze the form/focus.
3. Notes. Students use notes to
remember/review form.

11. “Explicitly teach and consciously study”
P1: Present
1. Name.
Teacher names
the form or focus.
2. Analyze.
Teacher and
students analyze
the form/focus.
3. Notes.
Students use
notes to
remember/
review form.

12. “time devoted to speaking and listening”
Explicitly teach, and
engage students in
consciously studying,
the elements of the
English language
• with
significant
time devoted
to speaking
and listening,
and
• particular
attention to
meaning and
communication
P2: Practice
1. Speaking / Listening Practice.
• Controlled Response.
• Free Response
• Noticing Activities
2. Corrective Feedback.
• Immediate & Explicit.
3. Test. 2 Benefits: Inform instruction & clarify
to students learning priorities & focus

13. “time devoted to speaking and listening”
P2: Practice
1. Speaking / Listening
Practice.
• Controlled
Response.
• Free Response
• Noticing Activities
2. Corrective Feedback.
• Immediate &
Explicit.
3. Test. 2 Benefits:
• Inform instruction
• clarify to students
learning priorities &
focus

14. Corrective Feedback?
• exposure & interaction promote
fluency & communicative competence,
• not sufficient for native-like
proficiency.5
• Cf. Lyster on Two-Way Immersion
programs

15. P3 Preserve
P1: Present
• Name the
form/focus
• Analyze the form
focus
• Take Notes / Use
Notes
P2: Practice
• Listening & Speaking
Practice
• Corrective Feedback
• Test
P3: Preserve
• Cue Notice
• Cue Use
• Cue Strategy
You’re going to
hear those verbs
of memory used a
lot in this
conversation.
cue notice
This is a time
when those verbs
of memory you
learned are going
to be really useful.
cue use
Before you start,
you probably want
to review your
verbs of memory.
cue strategy
Environmental Supports
• Word Wall
• Structure Wall
• Student Notebook
• Reinforced with
periodic practice &
review (cf. Marzano)

16. ELD: The Evidence
1.What It Is
2.The Evidence
3.The Recommendations
4.The Logic
5.The Big Problem
6.The Solution

17. Kenji Hakuta, Stanford University
• Massive study
of 257 high-EL,
mid-low income
schools
• Correlate school
practices with
outcome

18. The Bombshell Finding ….
Higher English Proficiency scores
from Pull-Out/Stand-alone ELD
Both English Progress Proficiency
(AMAO 1 & 2) strongly negatively
correlated with …
• co-teaching and
• ESL done by classroom teacher

19. The Kindergarten Study
(reported in Saunders et al, “ELD,” p.13
Oral ELD
provides “more
accelerated
growth”

20. … or is it a bombshell???
Conclusion of a 2000 analysis/
meta-analysis of all existing studies
comparing “explicit ELD” to “implicit”
language teaching methods:
Students who received focused
second-language instruction made
more than five times the gains
of students who did not.
Norris & Ortega, 2000

21. x

22. On Studying Vocab Lists
• Empirical studies of learning suggest
that most students are able to learn
vocabulary from lists
• The rate is about 30 words per hour
of study
• There seems to be no limit (or
“saturation point”) with this
method

23. On Vocabulary Study
• Word retention scores were significantly higher for the students
who worked with translations than for those who had
pictures. (Lotto and de Groot, 1998)
• students who had access to a glossary in their LI were
more successful at retaining new vocabulary (Grace, 1998)
• words glossed in the Ll were always retained better
than words glossed in [the L2] regardless of presentation mode.
(Laufer & Shmueli, 1997)
• less proficient students were able to recall more
items when they had learned the words in the translation
condition rather than in the context condition (Prince, 1995)

24. ELD: The Recommendations
1.What It Is
2.The Evidence
3.The Recommendations
4.The Logic
5.The Big Problem
6.The Solution

25. Review the 2010
Calif. DOE
Recommendations
• Which one most
closely line up to what
you’re doing in your
school/ classroom?
• Which ones are
farthest from what
you’re doing?
• Which ones do you
still not fully
understand?

26. ELD: The Logic
1.What It Is
2.The Evidence
3.The Recommendations
4.The Logic
5.The Big Problem
6.The Solution

27. The Prague Thought Experiment

28. “How many people …”
• …have
studied a
foreign
language?

29. “How many people …”
…have had some level of success with that language
learning?
From
http://www.thepo
lyglotdream.com/
nativefluency/

30. How many people …
• …used a language textbook in studying that
language?
• … studied “forms” (grammar, structures,
rules, patterns) in studying the language?
• … memorized vocabulary using bilingual lists?
• … used a bilingual dictionary while working
with the language?

31. In the language or ESL classes you
work with… how many people …
• …have their students use a language textbook in
studying that language?
• … have their students study “forms” (grammar,
structures, rules, patterns)?
• … have their students memorize vocabulary using
bilingual lists?
• … have their students use a bilingual dictionary while
working with the language?

32. Why?
Speculate (we’ll snoop)

33. ELD: The Logic
1.What It Is
2.The Evidence
3.The Recommendations
4.The Logic
5.The Big Problems
6.The Solution

34. Problem 1:
Resources?
x

35. Problem 2: Mass Disbelief
• Priorities (High
Stakes)
• “Shapes & Colors ,
Seasons & Clothes”
slander
… and
the Catch-22 of …

36. The Negative High School
Language Experience

37. Advocacy
•Time
•Money
•Space

38. Steps
towards a
Solution:
Crowd
Source the
Grammar
Matrix

39. x

40. ELD: From Mythic to Legendary
1.What It Is
2.The Evidence
3.The Recommendations
4.The Logic
5.The Big Problem
6.The Solution: You?