Tri Fold Brochure
Tri Fold Brochure
Tri Fold Brochure
Myth #1: Students can learn English quickly by being exposed to and surrounded by native language speakers. Fact: Mere exposure to the target language is insufficient to ensure native language proficiency, particularly academic language proficiency. Myth #2: The ability to converse comfortably in English signals proficiency and means the student should be achieving academically. Fact: It is easy to confuse conversational competence with academic competence in a language (Baker, 1995). Proficiency in social language interaction in English is not the most important factor in school success (Collier, 1989). Spoken practice in English may not be necessary for development of English proficiency.
Myth #3: Students should learn English before attempting to study an academic subject in that language. Fact: While pull-out or beginning ELL classes may provide comfort to ELL students, much of the "survival English" taught in these classes focuses on the language of social interaction. This, in fact, does little to assist the student in learning an academic discipline. Academic disciplines have their own vocabularies and their own expectations for satisfactory performance and these are rarely taught outside the subject area, other than perhaps in sheltered content courses. Academic strategies (e.g. for completing assignments, even with incomplete comprehension) need to be learned in connection with studying the discipline itself so that the student develops concepts rather than simply coping mechanisms.
Myth #4: ELL students should stop speaking their native language and concentrate on speaking English.
Fact: Full proficiency in the native language facilitates second language development and academic achievement is significantly enhanced when ELL students are able to use their native languages to learn in school (TESOL, 1999). Collier (1989) found that second language students who achieved the greatest academic success were enrolled in bilingual programs that provided solid cognitive academic instruction in both the first and second language.
Areas of Language Use Students must gain competence in several important areas when learning English as a second language. Cummins (1979) labeled the first two areas of language use, or the language required for success in academic disciplines as Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS), or the language of social interaction, and Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) BICS is the language of the playground: talking with one's friends, shopping, etc. and will usually be acquired in informal settings such as the playground, school corridors, or with friends. CALP requires specific and direct teaching. According to Adamson (1993), students can gain a basic understanding of academic material by accessing three kinds of knowledge: universal pragmatic knowledge (basic-level concepts, image schemas), language proficiency (including the features of academic English, reading and listening comprehension) and background knowledge (knowledge of a specific content area as well as scripts for school). Academic competence is necessary for students to achieve at higher levels of cognition, and in order for students to think critically, a large degree of subject-specific background knowledge is necessary.
RESOURCES: http://www.tesol.org http://web.cortland.edu/flteach/esl/ESL-Terminology.html English Language Learners: A Policy Research Brief. (2008). National Council of Teachers of English. http://www.state.gov/m/a/os/44038.htm