SLPSTESOL ExcELLence

Issue 7March, 2015

Inside This Issue
1 / ACCESS 2.O FIELD TEST
1 / SLPS PROMOTION AND RETENTION POLICY FOR ELLs
2 / WE TEACH IN CHINA
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2 / NCNAA WINNERS OF ART FAIR AT STL ZOO
SOLDAN HS ACCREDITATION
ESOL BLOG UPDATES
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4 / UNLOCK ESSENTIAL LEARNING WITH MEANINGFUL INTERACTION
CONGRATULATIONS ON PUBLICATION
“ESOL ON THE GO”

5 CALENDAR OF MONTHLY EVENTS


UNLOCK ELLs’ ESSENTIALLEARNING WITH MEANINGFUL AND INTENTIONAL INTERACTION

Interaction is key to creating a classroom in which students are actively engaged with content, therefore promoting diverse opportunities for students to develop oral language. Research suggests that interactive instructional approaches in which student-talk and teacher-talk are more balanced,are a more effective means of fostering meaningful language learning opportunities for English learners (Cazden, 2001; Saunders & Goldenberg, 2010; Walqui, 2006).Echevarría, Vogt and Short (2013, p. 145) also highlight seven learner benefits resulting from learning through engagement and student interaction.

1)Interaction promotes deeper understanding of texts and resources

Conversations promote new and deeper understanding of presented materials (MacIntyre et al., 2010) because they invite students to question, explain, and interact with content. A key strategy teachers might use to promote meaningful interaction in the classroom is using guided questions that explore texts, encourage students to go beyond surface-level facts, or plot points that advance students’ more in-depth and creative thinking through a text or passage.

2)Interaction promotes oral language development

Paired or group work in the classroom allows student interaction among varying language backgrounds and levels of English proficiency. By encouraging structured and meaningful interaction opportunities in your classroom, teachers support students’ practice and development of speaking skills by allowing them to learn from each other.

3)Interaction promotes brain stimulation

Providing interactive and engaging activities like discussions, plays, or group work, not only promotes in-depth content learning, it also triggers more pleasure structures in the brain, resulting in more activate cognitive engagement (Jenson, 2008; Poldrack et al., 2001)

4)Interaction promotes increased motivation in students

Research has shown that interaction, particularly in reading instruction, plays an important role in the learning process, which not only increases content comprehension, but also student motivation (Gutherie & Ozgungor, 2002).

5)Interaction reduces the feeling of risk in the classroom

Students, especially ELs, can often feel intimidated or nervous when they are called on to answer questions aloud to the rest of the class, particularly when they have not had the opportunity to prepare an answer, respond, or ask questions. By allowing students to work in pairs or small groups, teachers lower “the risk” students may feel while both asking and answering questions.

6)Interaction provides students with more processing time.

Paired or group work gives students more time to process content presented in both oral and written form. Interactive methods also allow students the time to develop the questions and find answers that assist in comprehension of language and content.

7)Interactive techniques increase student attention.

Paired or group work also functionally diversify instruction, therefore providing students with opportunities to both speak, as well as listen to each other while collectively working through assignments.

There are many benefits of incorporating interactive methods into your instruction. Student interaction also creates an environment that helps all students use and develop their language skills!

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Calendar of Events

Date / Event / Time / Location
Thursday, March 5 / ESOL Parent Committee / 3:30PM-4:30 PM / ESOL Office, Building 1
Thursday, March 12 / ESOL PD Committee Meeting / 3:30PM-4:30 PM / ESOL Office, Building 1
Thursday, March 26 / ESOL Community Outreach Committee / 3:30PM-4:30 PM / ESOL Office, Building 1
Wednesday, March 4 / ESOL HS Parent Conference / 5:30-7:00PM / ESOL Office, Building 4
Thursday, March 12 and Friday , March 13 / Parent Teachers Conference / School Sites
March 16-March 22 / SPRING BREAK
Tuesday, March 24-March 28 / TESOL CONFERENCE 2015 / Toronto, Canada

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