MODULE 11

A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW YORKSTATE

ENGLISH AS A SEC0ND LANGUAGE (ESL) LEARNING STANDARDS

Introduction:

The New York State Education Department Office of Bilingual Education recently published The Teaching of Language Arts to Limited English Proficient/English Language Learners: Learning Standards for English as a Second Language. * This publication presents the five learning standards for ESL programs, performance indicators, and sample classroom tasks. Although the ESL standards closely parallel the State’s four English Language Arts (ELA) Standards, the five ESL standards are specifically geared to limited English proficient (ESL) students and serve as the basis for the new New York State ESL Achievement Test (NYSESLAT) which is now administered, annually, to every ESL student in the State.

Q. Why is it important for classroom and content area teachers to be aware of the New York State ESL Standards, and how are these standards different from the English Language Arts standards for all students?

A. The five learning standards for ESL differ from the New York State English Language arts (ELA) (and content area) standards in several ways:

  • They serve as a springboard to content area standards (e.g., math, science, social studies..), for ESL students;
  • They provide the language knowledge and skills development necessary for high achievement of ESL students in their content classrooms where this is no support from an ESL teacher;
  • They include learning and self-monitoring strategies as performance indicators for ESL students;
  • They are arranged in five goals areas, and draw upon the rich cultural and linguistic backgrounds of the ESL students;
  • They encourage the use of the student’s native language as a means to support growth in English and attainment of all of the content area standards; and,
  • They represent an alignment between the New York State English Language Arts Standards and the ESL standards developed by the national association of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL).

*For information on obtaining a copy, contact the New York State Education Department Office of Bilingual Education, at (518)474-8775.

OH 11.1

New YorkState Learning Standards for

English as a Second Language

ESL Standard 1: Students will listen, speak, read and write in English for information and understanding.

ESL Standard 2: Students will listen, speak, read and write in English for literary response, enjoyment and expression,

ESL Standard 3: Students will listen, speak, read and write in English for critical analysis and evaluation

ESL Standard 4: Students will listen, speak, read and write in English for classroom and social interaction.

ESL Standard 5: Students will demonstrate cross-cultural knowledge and understanding.

Notes:

The ESL standards were designed primarily to assist ESL and bilingual teachers,and curriculum developers, in providing rigorous and challenging instruction, including content-based ESL instruction, for ESL students. The ESL standards document provides these, and all educators, with key ideas, performance indicators, sample classroom tasks and suggested assessment strategies.

Q.How can classroom (and content area) teachers best use the ESL Standards document? (Display OH 11.2: All teachers can use…)

A. All teachers can use the ESL standards document in the following ways:

Design authentic learning experiences for ESL students in all subject

areas

Link the ESL student’s developing English language skills to content

areas

Assess ESL student performance in the content areas using a wide variety of techniques (see TAT Pack module on testing and assessment

Design performance tasks that interweave all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing

Design tasks at all levels of English language proficiency, from beginning to advance

Provide purposes for language use

Design staff development

Prepare ESL students for New YorkState assessments in the content areas

OH 11.2

All teachers can use the ESL standards document in the following ways:

Design authentic learning experiences

Link language to content areas

Assess ESL student performance using a wide variety of techniques

Design performance tasks that interweave all four language skills (listening, speaking, reading and writing)

Design tasks at all levels of language proficiency, from beginning to advanced

Provide purposes for language use

Design staff development

Prepare ESL students for New YorkState assessments in the content areas