Supporting English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D) students

Summary

The video script emphasizes the importance of oracy as the foundation for literacy in early language learning stages. It suggests using oracy games to provide context and encourage listening and speaking. Teachers are advised to model sentence structures and build word banks categorized by subject to support EAL/D students in acquiring academic vocabulary and grammar. The script highlights the need for explicit teaching of curriculum literacies, including subject-specific vocabulary, grammar, and text organization, to facilitate EAL/D learners' language development.

Takeaways

• 🗣️ Oracy is essential in the initial stages of language learning, emphasizing the importance of listening, understanding, and speaking for children.
• 🎲 Utilizing oracy games provides a contextual and enjoyable environment for language acquisition and practice.
• 📝 Joint construction of texts from oral language is a method to transition from spoken to written language, with teacher modeling.
• 📚 Meaningful literacy activities, such as comprehension and writing, can be built around texts that children have helped create.
• 📐 Sentence frames are useful tools for teaching grammar and reinforcing learning area vocabulary.
• 🔬 In science and other subjects, specific sentence structures can help students understand and use academic vocabulary effectively.
• 🌐 Developing and consolidating phases require EAL/D students to learn new academic vocabulary along with corresponding grammar.
• 🏛️ Teachers should create and organize word banks categorized by subject to build academic language proficiency.
• 🔍 Explicitly modeling text types and analyzing language features of different subject areas is crucial for EAL/D students' success.
• 📈 Curriculum literacies involve understanding how language functions in various subject areas, including vocabulary, grammar, and text organization.
• 🛠️ Knowing the language behaviors in different subject areas allows educators to focus on language development and support EAL/D learners throughout their language learning journey.

Q & A

Why is oracy considered the foundation of reading and writing in the early stages of language learning?

Oracy is the foundation of reading and writing because it involves the ability to listen, understand, and use language, which are essential skills for literacy development. It provides a context for new language acquisition and encourages children to engage actively with the language through games and conversations.

What is the purpose of using oracy games in language learning?

Oracy games serve as a fun and engaging way for children to listen and speak in the new language, providing a context for them to practice and internalize the language in a meaningful way.

How can joint construction of a text enhance language learning?

Joint construction of a text allows children to use the oral language from their conversations and experiences. It helps them see how oral language can be represented in written form, which is crucial for literacy activities.

What role do meaningful literacy activities play in language learning?

Meaningful literacy activities, such as reading comprehension and writing, build upon familiar and meaningful texts that children have helped create. This reinforces the language they have learned and encourages them to apply it in different contexts.

Why is it important for teachers to model sentence structures using sentence frames?

Modeling sentence structures with sentence frames helps students understand the grammar specific to the learning area. It also helps to cement the learning area vocabulary by providing a structured way to insert appropriate content.

How can teachers support EAL/D students in learning new academic vocabulary?

Teachers can support EAL/D students by building word banks categorized by topic or subject area. This helps students to organize and retrieve academic language effectively, and to build upon the vocabulary they have learned.

What is the significance of explicitly teaching the language features of different subject areas?

Explicitly teaching the language features, such as vocabulary, grammar, and text organization, is vital for students to succeed academically. It helps them understand how language behaves in different subject areas, which is known as curriculum literacies.

How can the organization of knowledge in subject areas impact language learning?

The way knowledge is organized in subject areas influences the language used. Understanding the specific grammar, vocabulary, and text structures of each subject helps students to communicate effectively within those areas.

What is the term used to describe the language behaviors in different subject areas, and why is it important?

The term is 'curriculum literacies.' It is important because it helps students recognize and adapt to the specific language requirements of each subject area, enabling them to engage more effectively with the curriculum.

How can the understanding of language at the vocabulary, grammar, and genre levels benefit EAL/D learners?

Understanding language at these levels allows EAL/D learners to focus on the specific language needed for each subject area. This targeted approach helps them progress through the phases of language learning more effectively.

What strategies can teachers employ to help EAL/D students with the word order in noun groups?

Teachers can explicitly teach the word order for describing words in noun groups and provide examples. They can also use activities that require students to construct noun groups, reinforcing the correct order through practice.