English Language Development Standards Transcript
Note to presenters: The section headings in bold here are the same items found in the MENU as you view the module. When it is time to skip a section, you can use the MENU to choose the section you would like to view. I have included all section headings here; the ones you skip are in strikethrough font. I have only included the full transcript for sections that you will present. Please note that the last section, Closing Activity, is optional. Items included in the cloze activity are underlined, with the answers in bold. All of my notes in this transcript are in italics. ~Leticia
Welcome
The North Carolina Essential Standards for English language learners, also known as the English Language Development Standards, are the WIDA English Language Proficiency Standards.
North Carolina joined the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) Consortium in 2008 and adopted the WIDA English Language Proficiency Standards beginning in the 2008-09 school year.
(1) The North Carolina English Language Development (ELD) Standards are for all teachers of English language learners (ELLs).
(2) Content teachers as well as ESL teachers are responsible for integrating these standards into daily instruction.
Learner Expectations
By the end of the English Language Development (ELD) section of the module, you will agree with the following statements:
· I can distinguish academic language that is critical for English Language Learners to learn in my class.
· I can use WIDA MPIs to create or adapt lesson objectives for ELLs at various proficiency levels.
Why WIDA for North Carolina ELD Standards?
The WIDA Consortium, was created in response to No Child Left Behind’s requirement that all states must have language development standards for English language learners. WIDA brings together a number of states using the same standards and assessments. Currently, 27 states and the District of Columbia are members of the WIDA Consortium. WIDA provides extensive research based tools, professional development and technical support.
The previous English Language Development Standard Course of Study (SCS) was developed specifically for North Carolina and correlated only with NC’s Language Arts SCS, K-12.
(3) The WIDA standards focus on the development of the student’s social and academic language proficiency over time and are designed to be used for instruction of ELLs in all content areas.
WIDA Consortium Website
Click on theWIDAlink on your screen. Take a few minutes to explore the WIDA website.
(The WIDA website – www.wida.us - is listed at the bottom of the last page of the handout)
Click on different topics on the left side navigation bar. For example, click on Standards to learn more about the research-based WIDA standards or click on Professional Development to see the training WIDA has to offer.
When you finish exploring the site, click to return to the module.
WIDA ELP Standards
Standard 1 , English language learners communicate for SOCIAL AND INSTRUCTIONAL purposes within the school setting .
Teaching social and instructional language has always been a part of ESL curricula. The WIDA Standards expand the focus to academic language in core content areas.
WIDA ELP Standards (cont.)
English as a Second Language teachers, along with content teachers, are responsible for teaching students to communicate
· in the language of language arts,
· In the language of mathematics,
· In the language of science and
· In the language social studies.
(4) The focus of the standards is teaching students to use academic language. (5) The WIDA Standards are the bridge which connects language to content thereby making content accessible to English language learners.
Academic language includes the vocabulary and structures that students need to discuss, read or write in the content area. This language crosses over grade levels and content areas. Some examples are words and phrases for comparing and contrasting . Such words are commonly found on EOGs and EOCs. This is important because unfamiliar language prevents ELLs from demonstrating their content knowledge. Often ELLs understand content, but are unable to understand the questions on the state tests because of words that surround the content vocabulary.
English Language Proficiency Levels
WIDA utilizes a proficiency scale which describes what a student can do in English at different stages of language development. The scales help teachers and students set language learning goals, evaluate progress and know when a goal has been achieved. The levels are: Level 1 Entering, Level 2 Beginning, Level 3 Developing, Level 4 Expanding, Level 5 Bridging and Level 6 Reaching.
Several tools discussed in this section will deepen your understanding of how proficiency levels are used for instruction and assessment.
For now, it is important to understand that: (6) the extent to which an English language learner can express understanding and communicate in English is very limited at Level 1 Entering and Level 2 Beginning. As the ELL’s proficiency level increases, so do reading, writing, listening and speaking skills.
Reaching describes the English language ability of ELLs at the highest level of proficiency.
ELLs Require Different Teaching
Academic expectations may be illustrated as a vertical continuum. In this continuum the focus is on content in the Common Core State Standards and NC Essential Standards.
English language proficiency levels demonstrate a horizontal progression of gradual acquisition of the English language within a grade level. ELLs follow a continuum of language development as described by the six levels of English language proficiency.
In order to navigate these two progressions (7) ELLs must move forward in learning grade level content, while at the same time developing academic language proficiency. It is critical to accelerate ELLs learning and minimize foundational gaps by ensuring they have access to content.
------à SKIP TO “Model Performance Indicators” ß------
Performance Definitions
Academic Language
Learning Academic Language
Common Lesson Objectives
Language of Science
Language of Math
Language of Social Studies
Language of ELA
ELP Standard 3: The Language of Mathematics
--àModel Performance Indicators
MPIs are tools WIDA provides to help teachers apply the WIDA standards to all content. MPIs align with the progressive levels of English Language proficiency; Entering, Beginning, Developing, Expanding and Bridging.
They are divided into the 4 domains, listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Each domain strand includes MPIs that are structured around the example topic. On the Grade 6-8 MPI chart, the topic for the listening strand is Resources and Supplies. The MPIs demonstrate what students should do at each proficiency level.
Remember, MPIs are models. As the topic changes, the MPIs are formed based on the language function, topic , and support format. For an actual lesson, a MPI in the chart above would be adapted to the topic, applying appropriate language functions and supports for each proficiency level.
Click to downloada pdf of this chart for our next activity.
Investigation and Reflection Activity
Please use the document you just downloaded to answer the following questions.
· What should a student be able to do at the Level 3 developing based on this set of MPIs?
· If the topic for the Reading Strand were School Life, how might the MPI be adjusted for this student?
· Why do you think WIDA only offers models instead a full set of performance indicators?
When you have finished, click next to continue through the module.
CAN DO Descriptors
The Can Do Descriptors are another resource for lesson planning. The CAN DO Descriptors build upon the Performance Definitions by describing what students can do at each proficiency level by domain and grade cluster.
The Can Do descriptors are on the WIDA web site, in the ESL tool kit and on the ESL web site. This version of the Can Do Descriptors has spaces for student names. This allows the teacher to plan for what students in their class can do at their current proficiency levels for listening, speaking, reading and writing, as well as what is expected in subsequent proficiency levels.
Click onthis linkto access this planning tool for all grade clusters located on the NC DPI ESL web site.
Roles of Teachers
(8) Content teachers should use the WIDA standards documents to guide lesson planning and expectations for ELLs in their classrooms. (9) ESL teachers should teach the language of the content – not the content. ESL teachers must be selective as it is impossible to teach the academic language of every lesson in every content area. However, if the ESL teacher is teaching general academic language, such as cause and effect, sequence, compare and contrast, the lesson crosses over all content areas and grade levels.
In this way, the ESL teacher can focus on language that is used in all content areas to help students access academic content.
NC DPI ESL Toolkit
Please see the NC DPI ESL Toolkit for more resources.Click herefor the Toolkit.
Quote
“Good literacy teaching isn’t something added to an already crowded curriculum: it isn’t the icing on the cake, but the ingredients of it!” -Pauline Gibbons
Development of academic language and academic content knowledge are inter-related processes.
Teachers should focus on all language domains to ensure academic language proficiency.
(10) Collaboration between ESL teachers and classroom teachers must occur to effectively integrate academic language and content.
Closing Activity **OPTIONAL**
Think of the students in your classes. How will using the WIDA standards with a focus on academic language increase student achievement for ELLs and all students? Share with a partner or respond using a journal entry.
What's Next?
Leticia M. Trower, Gaston County Schools