Background on second language acquisition plus best practices in teaching true beginner ESL students

1. www.nvcc.edu/workfo

2. EDUC 1727:
Teaching Entry-Level Students
American Culture & Language Institute, TESOL Certificate Program
Northern Virginia Community College
www.nvcc.edu/workfo

3. Overview
• Order of acquisition & the U-shaped
curve
• Different types of literacy
• Teaching Phonics
• Teaching “Survival Skills”
www.nvcc.edu/workfo

4. Stages of Second
Language Acquisition
• Preproduction: the Silent Period
– Student understands 500 words
– Takes 3 to 6 months to move to the next stage
• Early production: imitation of words or short
phrases
– Student understands & uses 1,000 words
– Takes 6 months to 1 year move to the next stage
www.nvcc.edu/workfo

5. Stages of Second
Language Acquisition (cont.)
• Speech emergence: simple communication
– Student understands & uses 3,000 words
– Takes 1 to 3 years to move to the next stage
• Intermediate fluency: share thoughts and
opinions
– Student understands & uses 6,000 words
– Takes 3 to 5 years to move to the next stage
– BICS
www.nvcc.edu/workfo

6. Stages of Second
Language Acquisition (cont.)
• Advanced fluency: students can function
close to the level of native speakers
– Takes 5 to 7 years to achieve
– CALP
www.nvcc.edu/workfo

7. Stages of Second
Language Acquisition (cont.)
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Plural –s
Progressive –ing
Copula forms of be
Auxiliary forms of be
Definite & indefinite articles the & a
Irregular past tense
Third person –s
Possessives
Girls go.
Girls going.
Girls are here.
Girls are going.
The girls go.
The girls went.
The girl goes.
The girl’s book.
Cook, 2008
www.nvcc.edu/workfo

8. U-Shaped Curve of Language
Acquisition
Correct
-ing used for
present &
progressive
-ing used for
progressive
-ing & present
tense used for
progressive
Lightbown, Spader,
& Wallace, 1980
Incorrect
Time
www.nvcc.edu/workfo

9. Levels of Literacy
• Def.: Literacy: the ability to read and write
–
–
–
–
Preliterate
Nonliterate
Semiliterate
Literate in a Non-Roman Alphabet
• Some students new to English have literacy
deficits in their L1
www.nvcc.edu/workfo

10. Levels of Literacy (cont.)
• Preliterate:
– Oral language
– No written form, or is rarely written (Hmong)
• Nonliterate:
– Oral and written language
– Speak only
– Refugees (Somali, Sudanese)
www.nvcc.edu/workfo

11. Levels of Literacy (cont.)
• Semiliterate:
– Oral and written language
– Some formal education at the elementary level
– Refugees
• Literate:
– Oral and written language
– Non-Roman alphabet (Korean, Arabic, Chinese,
etc.)
www.nvcc.edu/workfo

12. Teaching Pre- &
Nonliterate Students
• Oral retellings of stories are transcribed
into text
• TPR or charades to act out phrasal verbs
• Realia to connect meaning with functional
vocabulary & encourage prediction
• Holding a pencil/pen and printing storyrelated words
www.nvcc.edu/workfo

13. Teaching Pre- &
Nonliterate Students
• Life Timeline
– Ask students to put the pictures in order or hold up
fingers to indicate first, second, etc.
– Look for visual cues from students to indicate
understanding, i.e. nods or smiles
www.nvcc.edu/workfo

14. Teaching Pre- &
Nonliterate Students
• Have students point to pictures starting with
the sound P.
• Focus on word beginning or ending sounds,
not individual letters.
www.nvcc.edu/workfo

15. Teaching Phonics
• In the past, students were taught individual
letter/sound correspondence.
– Assumes oral knowledge of English.
– 26 letters but 40 sounds in English
– The letter C makes 4 sounds
• /k/ like cat
• /sh/ like Cheryl
/ch/ like child
/s/ like cycle
• Phonics focus should be on whole words, not
letters.
www.nvcc.edu/workfo

16. Teaching Semiliterate Students
• Prediction by previewing text elements:
– Headings
– Titles
– Pictures & Graphics
• “All About Me” book
– Each page has a picture and a simple sentence
– Students learn to read through retelling the story.
www.nvcc.edu/workfo

17. Teaching Semiliterate Students
• Semantic mapping
– Organize prior
knowledge shared
orally into formal
categories visually
– Prewriting tool.
Movies
Food
Life in
the
U.S.
English
Music
www.nvcc.edu/workfo

18. Teaching Literate Students
• New information still introduced orally first.
– Matching useful phrases, such as “Good Morning”
with a sunrise picture or “Good Night” with a moon
picture
– Name 10 things in the classroom – transcribed by
the teacher.
– Match months and seasons pictures with text.
– Copying simple stories in their books.
– Find the odd word out activity.
www.nvcc.edu/workfo

19. Assessing Entry-Level Students
• Focus on fluency of students’ production.
• Expect “backsliding” during experimentation
with language (U-shaped curve)
• Correct if…
– The error truly interferes with your comprehension
– There is a pattern of errors
– The student has established the content and
context.
www.nvcc.edu/workfo

20. Assessing Entry-Level Students
(cont.)
• Mistakes are:
– Unsystematic
– Students often self-correct
– Low need for teacher correction
• Errors are:
– Systematic
– Rule-governed, i.e. based on L1
– Students aren’t aware -> Teacher correction
needed
www.nvcc.edu/workfo

21. Put it into Practice
• Work in pairs to create a 10 min entry-level
lesson.
– Level of literacy
– What is the input?
– What is the output?
• Consider how you will assess students.
• Teach us!
www.nvcc.edu/workfo