...
There are many reasons why learners may be recommended for language acquisition support. It is important to note that multilingual learners may not qualify for language support if there proficiency assessment rates them near a grade-level native-speaker proficiency. As stated earlier, learners also move through the language acquisition process at different rates and may "test out" or no longer qualify for language support at different times. The care providers of multilingual students who qualify for language support may also refuse formal language support at their discretion. Always check with your cooperating teacher or school site ESL coordinator for information related to supporting the learners in your specific classroom context.
Multilingual Learners: Individuals who have "Languages Beyond English" (LBE)
Once students are identified as eligible for language support through the WIDA proficiency assessment system, there are three further "types" of language learner required to be distinguished and identified for support within Minnesota state education law as identified by current research. A link to policies regarding English Learner Education in Minnesota is provided for you here.
...
2) SLIFE: Students with Limited or Interrupted Formal Education are students who do not have continuous educational experience equivalent to their age/grade level, usually due to refugee or other immigration-related life experiences. Minnesota was the first state to create policies to identify and support SLIFE specifically.
3) *L-TEL: "Long-Term English Learners" are students who have received English language support services for eight or more years within the U.S. school system. (*also abbreviated as LTELLs for "Long Term English Language Learners").
Language Learners' needs, strengths, and challenges can vary dramatically, even within the same classroom or among students from the same background.
...
So, let's continue our example with our context. Let's say our example lesson objective relates an 11th grade Earth Science class and the following MN Science Standard and benchmark. I've pasted this MN Science Standard here so that you can see it in it's original language:
The objective, then, for this lesson with "Tuaha" could be something like: "Students will be able to (SWBAT) gather and synthesize information related to the how climate change impacts one MN American Indian Tribe through the oral presentation of a guest speaker representing the local tribal indigenous community".
For Tuaha and his classmates, I would present the objective as an "I Can" statement using student-friendly language as follows: "I can synthesize the phenomena related to climate change presented by our guest speaker from our (local) tribal community." (See 2.3 Central Focus and Alignment linked here and in this handbook for details on how to create your own "I Can" statements for use with students). I would use this opportunity to familiarize my 11th graders with the term "phenomena", one of the academic language forms they should be able to use when talking about their gathered data.
...
Step Three: Consult What Your Multilingual Student(s) "Can Do"
Refer to WIDA's "Can Do" descriptors, linked for you in 6.5b Academic Language: WIDA Resources for Teaching Multilingual Learners of this handbook and found on the WIDA website under "Resources" or "Recursos En Español."
...
However, I also consider that my guest speaker will not be speaking in statements spaced by large amounts of "wait time", or a slower rate of speech than is normally used for story-telling and extended narration which can best be understood in a paragraph-like format. I then realize that Tuaha may need an accommodation or support to help him keep pace with this oral presentation by our guest speaker.
Next, I will then consult tools like the matrices and charts below to inform my decisions and consider what may help Tuaha navigate this discourse level academic language need.
...
Finally, I consult the scaffolds to support Tuaha in the specific area of Listening using the "Go To Strategies Matrix" provided below. Here is the relative excerpt for "Listening":
I see that strategy recommendations for supports and accommodations include the above "Level 2- Emerging" notations and look to where Tuaha is moving towards in "Level 3- Developing". I see that Level 2 English learners can better understand spoken language that is "patterned or routine", which I note that my guest speaker will most likely not be using. I note that I already decided to model the form or term "phenomena" in my student-friendly lesson objective, which aligns with Tuaha's possible need to have academic language and vocabulary modeled. I note that Level 3 English learners often benefit from frequent comprehension checks and graphic organizers to sequence, along with ample "wait time" between oral utterances.
I decide that I will request our guest speaker to take frequent breaks for questions and to provide "wait time" for Tuaha in chunks. I allow Tuaha to speak to peers in class in order to clarify his understanding in English or his native language during these "Turn and Talk" times (see "Strategy Cards" below) as well as provide an opportunity for Tuaha to possibly share any background connection or deep understanding that he may have regarding our topic and objective. This opportunity to interact and share should assist all students, as well as Tuaha.
...
Finally then, in our example, I consolidate and list my selected supports and accommodations within the UNW Lesson plan under "Academic Language Supports" using something like the following statements:
"Tuaha" will be provided: Listening Level 2.4 Speaking Level 2.6 |
| ||
|---|---|---|---|
| All Students will be provided: |
| ||
More examples of scaffolds, accommodations, and supports that would be helpful for Tuaha are located in the sample "Multilingual Learner Profile" located above and linked again for you HERE for your convenience.
...