Enriching Classes for ESOL StudentsMeeting 2: Culture, Part A

Welcome!

Agenda

Mix and Match Warm-Up ActivitySpeaking without WordsSurface and Deep CultureCard GameCultural Vignettes ActivityWalking Review of Key ConceptsQuiz

Activity One Mix-and-Match Warm-Up

Instructions

Take one card that has either the name of a state or a capital city on it.Roam around the room simply exchanging cards with one another while reintroducing yourself.When “match” is called, find the state or capital that goes with your card.

Mix-and-Match Discussion

How can this activity be used in your classroom to reinforce basic concepts of the subject(s) you teach?

How does it promote positive interdependence and individual accountability?

Activity TwoSpeaking without Words

Instructions

Divide into two groups—Group A and B.Cards will be distributed to each group. Do not reveal your directions!Find a partner from the other group and interact based on the directions on your card.

Speaking without Words Discussion

How did this activity make you feel?What does it reveal about culture?What were the rules of Group A? What is “normal”?

Activity ThreeSurface and Deep Culture

Culture is Like an Iceberg

Language Holidays

Arts History Food Folklore

Communication Beliefs

Attitudes Values

PerceptionsImage by: Ralph Clevenger

Activity FourCard Game

Image by: George Derville Rowlandson

InstructionsChoose a card and without looking at its face, stick it on your forehead.Walk around the room and interact with others following the following rules:

Group 1: Cards 2, 3, 4, and 5 (if needed) – You do not want to talk to these people, they have nothing to offer you; you are uncomfortable with them, and you try to get away from them with as little interaction as possible.

Group 2: Cards 7, 8, 9 – You moderately enjoy talking to these people, but you don’t go overboard. You talk to them briefly and then move on.

Group 3: Cards Jack, Queen, King – You really enjoy these people and seek them out; you try to do things that will encourage them to like you.

Ace: You would give anything if these people would be your friends; you make every effort to have them like you.

Card Game Discussion

Do NOT look at your card!What group do you think you were in? Why? (#1--Cards 2-5, #2--Cards 7-9, #3--Face Cards, Aces)How did Group 1 members feel? Group 2? Group 3? Aces?What are the implications for teaching and learning?

Language Acquisition for SchoolSource: Virginia Collier

CognitiveDevelopment

AcademicDevelopment

Social andCultural

Processes

LanguageDevelopment

Activity FiveCultural Vignettes

Culture and School QuestionsWhat are some potential problems for ESOL students who completely assimilate to the dominant U.S. culture in terms of language, dress, diet, etc.? Why do some ESOL students act ashamed of their original culture and claim they cannot speak their native language? What kinds of school experiences may encourage ESOL students to reject their original culture?

Instructions

Number off 1-5.Read the corresponding vignette on S.G. p. 88.Write a journal entry from the student’s point of view.Exchange your entry with someone with a different vignette.Respond as a caring teacher and return.Share key points of vignettes and entries.

Interactive Journal Use Discussion

What are some limitations on using journals?What are some ways to cope with these limitations on journal use?What are interactive journals a good format for language development?

Activity SixWalking Review

Your quiz follows!

Instructions

Join fellow group members at the chart paper with your assigned topic.Discuss the topic and identify key points.Write the key points on the chart.Rotate clockwise and repeat the process with the other topics.Upon returning to your original topic, review the comments and share key points with the whole group.

1. Three Principles for Designing Effective Lessons for Second Language Learners

2. Social Language (BICS) vs. Academic Language Language (CALP)

3. Language Dimensions: High/Low Cognitive Demand and High/Low Contextual Support

4. Krashen’s Five Hypotheses5. Stages of Language Development6. Cultural Assimilation, Acculturation, and

Pluralism

Topics

Activity SevenQuiz and Review of Quiz Answers

True-False1. Teach the Text Backwards is a strategy that

culminates with a hands-on activity. False

False

False

3. There are similarities between first language acquisition and second language acquisition, but the differences outweigh the similarities

2. The Consent Decree established several new educational rights for ESOL students.

4. Lowering the affective filter means screening out complex sentence structures used in explanations.False

True

True

6. The basic goal of the content teacher is to teach important content concepts in comprehensible English to ESOL students.

5. Academic language is difficult because it tends to have little contextual support and high levels of cognitive demand.

7. Social language is learned in about 2 years; academic language takes longer, about 3-4 years. False

True

True

9. ESOL students in the early production stage of second language development should be given language tasks that require one or two word answers.

8. Modeling correct English is a good way to respond to grammatical errors.

10. Many ESOL students benefit from support in their home languages even when all of their classes are in English.True

True

False

12.Silent reading is a good way to start a content lesson because it gives ESOL students a chance to read more slowly.

11.Content teachers should simplify the working of questions, while maintaining higher order thinking skills.

13. People from different cultures often misunderstand each other because they unconsciously assume that behaviors mean the same everywhere.

True

True

False

15.Bilingual aids should be instructed to speak only English to ESOL students while working on academic activities to speed the acquisition of English.

14.The social and cultural environment of the school has a strong effect on ESOL students’ self-esteem and motivation.

Short Answers1. List the Three Principles for designing effective

lessons for ESOL students in content classes.

Increase Comprehensibility, Increase Interaction, and Increase Higher Order Thinking Skills

2. Name three ways teachers can make their lessons more comprehensible for ESOL students.

Hands-on activities; illustrations, pictures, realia; gestures, body language, slower rate of speech

3. Explain how Numbered Heads Together foster positive interdependence and individual accountability.Numbered Heads Together fosters positive interdependence because participants are asked to put their “heads together” in order come up with the correct answer. In other words, participants are expected to rely on one another to ensure that they have the right answer. Individual accountability is fostered because participants do not know whether or not they will be called on. As such, participants make sure they know the answer should they be called on.

4. Describe the difference between cultural assimilation and cultural pluralism.

Cultural assimilation is a one-way process whereby cultural pluralism is a two-way process. Cultural assimilation implies that members of an ethnic group give up their original culture and become absorbed into the core culture. Cultural pluralism, on the other hand, implies that when two or more cultural groups come into contact, both groups adopt certain cultural traits while maintaining unique cultural characteristics.

5. Place the tasks in the appropriate quadrant.

Low Cognitive Demand High Cognitive Demand

High Context

Low Context

I.Art classMusic classFace-to-face conversation

III.Grocery List on fridgeSocial telephone conversationSpelling lists

II.AV-assisted content lessonsSS lesson with maps/photosScience demonstration

IV.Written directions for new taskMath word problemsSAT testsAcademic lessons without props