Challenges Faced by Language Minority Students in Education
The content discusses the increase in ESL immigrant students in schools, their distribution across states, the necessity of a college-bound path for upward mobility, and varying levels of English proficiency among students. It highlights the importance of addressing language and literacy requirements for students from diverse linguistic backgrounds.
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LANGUAGE MINORITY STUDENTS IN HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE ENGLISH CLASSES: ISSUES AND STRATEGIES Mark Roberge San Francisco State University & Vanessa Wenzell CSUDH (Feb. 28, 2014)
INCREASE IN IMMIGRANT ESL STUDENTS IN SCHOOLS In 1965 the National Origins Act of 1924 was repealed. Family unification as favored criteria National origin favored Higher quotas Low quotas Much more varied ethnic mix European Large socio-economic variation (esp. education) Moderately well-off Large # of children (1/3 are children) Small # of children Indo-European languages Mix of languages Enclaves in South and West Enclaves in North East
WHERE DO IMMIGRANTS LIVE? California 9 million New York Texas Florida Illinois 4 million 3 million 3 million 2 million (22% of CA population is foreign-born)
WHY IS A COLLEGE-BOUND PATH NECESSARY? Traditional path of upward mobility First Second generation Third generation generation Labor Skilled Professional Minimal language and literacy requirements Language intensive Language intensive Not literacy intensive Literacy intensive
WHY IS A COLLEGE-BOUND PATH NECESSARY? Traditional path of upward mobility First Second generation Third generation generation Labor Skilled Professional Minimal language and literacy requirements Language intensive Language intensive Not literacy intensive Literacy intensive
WHY IS A COLLEGE-BOUND PATH NECESSARY? Traditional path of upward mobility First Second generation Third generation generation Labor Skilled Professional Minimal language and literacy requirements Language intensive Language intensive Not literacy intensive Literacy intensive
STUDENT LANGUAGE Native-like English Juan 1 Juan 2 Standard Dialect Community Dialect Juan 3 Juan 4 Learner-like English
STUDENT LANGUAGE Native-like English Juan 1: Mainstream native speaker Arrived before critical period Exposure to standard native speakers Probably bilingual But may have forgotten Spanish Standard Community Dialect Dialect Learner-like English
STUDENT LANGUAGE Native-like English Juan 2: Chicano English speaker U.S.-born English monolingual; doesn t speak Spanish Language features look like ESL but aren t Standard Community Dialect Dialect Learner-like English
STUDENT LANGUAGE Native-like English Standard Community Dialect Dialect Juan 3: Late arrival immigrant Lacks oral fluency Non-idiomatic English Non-colloquial English Highly variable ESL errors Juan 4: Early arrival immigrant So-called Generation 1.5 Mixture of ESL and dialect features Learner-like English
STUDENT LANGUAGE Native-like English Standar Commu nity Dialect d Dialect Juan 4: Early arrival immigrant So-called Generation 1.5 Began learning English after critical period Fluent (but not accurate) in English Mixture of ESL and dialect features Learner-like English
GENERATION 1.5 1st Generation Generation 1.5 2nd Generation Adult immigrants Foreign-born Children of immigrants US-born Childhood immigrants Foreign-born Foreign-educated L1-dominant US-educated English-dominant Partially foreign- educated Partially US-educated L1- or English-dominant
GENERATION 1.5 Pre-School Arrival Age Elementary Arrival Age Middle School Arrival Age High School Arrival Age College Arrival Age
LEARNING ACADEMIC ENGLISH Early arrival immigrants: Generation 1.5 Pre-School Arrival Age Elementary Arrival Age Middle School Arrival Age High School Arrival Age College Arrival Age
INFORMAL LANGUAGE LEARNING Generation 1.5 1. Aural (listening) learners: Grammatical structures that are difficult to hear may be missing from their linguistic repertoire. 2. Oral learners: They may have well- developed communicative strategies that compensate for grammatical problems. 3. Fossilized learners: Their pattern of errors get stuck at a certain stage and become resistant to change.
INFORMAL LANGUAGE LEARNING Generation 1.5 1. Their language may be influenced by other language learners. 2. Their language may be influenced by multiple ethnic dialects. 3. They may have features in their speech and writing that look like learner errors but aren t.
LEARNING ENGLISH IN SCHOOL Generation 1.5 1. Many have had inconsistent instruction a merry-go- round of placements, pedagogies, teaching practices. 2. Many have been misdiagnosed premature mainstreaming, ESL tracking, repeated re- designation. 3. Many have been in remedial classes where there s a low level of linguistic input and output.
LEARNING ENGLISH IN SCHOOL Language input in 2 class environments Honors English Remedial/Low-track English More student talk Less student talk Complex verbal interaction IRE, imperatives, silence More whole class work and individual work More group work Active behaviors rewarded Passive behaviors rewarded Complex reading & writing tasks Mechanical reading & writing tasks Reading-writing-listening-speaking connections Isolated activities
ACQUIRING READING AND WRITING SKILLS Generation 1.5 immigrants' difficulties as second language readers and writers 1. Typical second language reading and writing difficulties 2. Special generation 1.5 difficulties: Acquisition of second language literacy without first language literacy
ACADEMIC LITERACY Generation 1.5 by the end of high school Stronger ORAL English Weaker ACADEMIC English Inexperienced readers and writers (so-called Basic Writers, Developmental writers ) Oral composers, oral editors, speech-based writers.
WAN There are different ways language can be use in communication. The language I use in school, family, and friends are all different. In school, I use English to talk to my instructors and fellow classmates. At home, I speak three different languages. I speak English to my brothers and sister, while speaking Mandarin to my parents and speaking Laotian with my brother-in-law. With all these different languages I use in my daily life, I find I am most comfortable with the language I use with my friends.
WAN When I speak to my friends, I always use English. Even if some of my friends are Chinese and can speak the same language as I can, I have never spoke Chinese with any of my friends. I find myself to communicate better in English than my own language. When I speak to my friends, I don't pay attention to my grammars. We often talk to each other using slangs, that others might find it weird. But to us, it's fun because instead of saying one complete word, we tend to say a short cut of the word. Although I find myself speaking English, my best language, to my friends, it has somewhat affected me in my grammars.
#1 LEARN ABOUT YOUR STUDENTS Use beginning-of-semester info sheets or surveys to find out about your students language and literacy backgrounds. Sample questions: Do you enjoy reading for school? Do you enjoy reading for pleasure? If so, what kinds of things do you like to read? How would you rate your reading ability?: very good /good /OK How would you rate your writing ability?: very good /good /OK Do you know any languages other than English? Can you read/write in any other languages? Do you think you might need/want tutoring this semester? If so, why? *
#2 MULTIMODAL PRESENTATION Students need see texts, images, and visuals of all sorts in addition to just listening. Build in redundancy. Use the board. Use handouts. Use an overhead projector or PowerPoint. Direct students to specific portions of a text. Use a class web site. Use email as a preview or follow-up. Create out-of-class discussion groups that share notes. Create on-line discussion groups that discuss the material.
#3 STRUCTURED PARTICIPATION Students need many structured opportunities to interact in class and they need to be given the tools to participate. Make your expectations explicit in the course description. Talk about what counts as good participation. Use both whole-class and small-group activities. Model the skills and the language students may need for the activity. Design the small group activities so that everyone has to participate: Assign tasks or roles, e.g. reporter, a note-taker.
#4 OPPORTUNITIES FOR PLANNING Students need opportunities for planning their writing. This capitalizes on their oral proficiency. Brainstorming and planning for the essay #2: Argumentative essay Discuss the following with your group: For your introduction: Opener What interesting fact/quote/statistic/question/statement are you going to use to introduce the topic and catch readers' attention? Does your group thinks it s interest-catching? Background information What do readers need to know before they hear the pro/con positions? Does your group think that s enough background info? Statement of the two positions: What are the two sides? Does your group think you describe the 2 positions clearly? What's your thesis? (Remember it must state your point of view clearly and show where you're going in the essay; it's like a roadmap.)
#5 TEACHING PROOFREADING AND EDITING Students need specific instructions and training in proofreading and editing, as well as time to edit and proofread. Make your expectations explicit. Model proofreading and editing strategies using a sample paper, possibly on an overhead projector. Teach and model questioning strategies for proofreading. Example Is this past only or true always? Give students a proofreading checklist. On the day they re going to hand in their papers, give students time to do peer editing or a last minute proofreading. Have students do a separate proofreading draft that they mark up. Show your work.
#6 GRAMMAR INTERVENTIONS Save grammar instruction until students have a draft in hand. Focus on content, organization, and development first; work on grammar at the final stage of the writing process. Since you can't assume that generation 1.5" learners have knowledge of grammar terms and rules, make basic grammar information succinct and accessible. Teach grammar points as rules of thumb (things that students can actually do to their essay) rather than as abstract conceptual systems. Example Circle the subject and underline the verb.
MORPHEMESOFTENDISAPPEARFOR 1.5S Only 8 Inflectional Morphemes that can cause much trouble! -s bird-s -ing crying -ed landed -s sleep-s -en fallen -er higher -est highest
#7 INDIVIDUALIZED GRAMMAR INSTRUCTION Have students create their own reference materials: Grammar reference cards w/rules in their own words Vocabulary cards w/example sentences An editing/proofreading/grammar log If you re working one-on-one with a student, have the student write an individualized action plan.
9. COVERMEMOFORFINALDRAFT Directions: When you turn in your essay, make sure that you include a cover memo in which you discuss: 1. what you liked/disliked about this unit, the readings, and the essay assignment; 2. what you found easy/difficult about this unit, the readings, and the essay assignment; 3. a brief description of how your paper changed and developed as you revised it; 4. a summary of advice that your peer reviewers gave you during peer response and a brief discussion about how you used that advice; 5. a brief discussion of the current strengths of your paper; 6. a brief discussion of things you would work on more, if you had more time; 7. a list of grammar points that you focused on during proofreading and a description of the proofreading techniques that you used to work on them; 8. any other questions that you have for me about this assignment or anything else in the course. Note: The cover memo is 10% of the final paper grade.
10. HANDOUTFORGRADINGRUBRIC Name: ________________________ Essay #2 Grading Criteria Content/Fulfilling the assignment __ You have clearly focused on a topic and stated a point from the reading about this topic. __ You have provided an explanation, with details and information, about how the reading supports your point. __ You have illustrated this point by a description of a personal experience (your own or someone else s). __ Your description of this experience is well written with clear details. You explain ideas and information thoroughly. __ You have made clear connections between the point related to the reading and your personal example. __ You successfully tie your ideas together in the introduction and conclusion.
GRADINGRUBRIC (CONTINUED) Grammar and Editing __ You accurately use the following grammar structures. For structures circled below, be sure to follow the editing guide for that structure next time and mark your next editing/proofreading draft appropriately. articles/nouns word forms subject verb agreement sentence structure (fragments, run-ons) verb tenses __ You demonstrate that you re working on developing a system for editing by identifying, analyzing, and correcting errors. Mechanics __ The spelling, punctuation, and capitalization errors are minimal in your paper Summative Comments on what went well & what needs more work
