Welcome!

 

Welcome to our online EAL resource centre!

The resources contained in this site are designed to support English language learners and the teachers of EAL students in the content-areas.

Please click on the content-area page on the left to view the individual content-area resource pages.

The 'EAL Tips of the Week' are archived as blog posts down the left-hand side of the page, under the content-area pages.

If you discover a great online resource that has helped you with the EAL students in your course, please share the link and we will add it to our site.

UD: in praise of white space and bigger font

My daughter has recently started to enjoy chapter books. I have noticed that even though she is a strong reader, she will make instant judgment calls about which books are 'too hard' and which ones are 'just right' when we go to the library. Books with text that is 'too small' she often quickly dismisses, even though she is fully capable of understanding the text. Watching Tatum choose her reading material makes me think about the students we teach. How often do our students have a hard time 'buying in' when we offer text that is at an appropriate reading level, but not designed in a reader-friendly way?

'Universal Design' is a design concept that has recently been adopted by educational professionals. 'Universal' meaning design that benefits everyone- not just individuals with particular needs. The basic principles of UD (The Center for Universal Design) demand that design is simple and intuitive, that information is perceptible and that little physical effort is required for access.

Here are a couple of simple UD concepts that can make a big difference for all your students (including English language learners):

White space is not 'nothing'.

White space is the space between letters, words, paragraphs, columns, headings and graphics. It is an essential part of every page that you hand out to your students. If a page has not enough white space, it becomes crowded and may overwhelm the reader. It is hard to differentiate what is important from what is not really that important. A cluttered page offers nowhere for the student to jot personal responses to the text. It tires the eyes.

If the page has adequate white space and this space is used appropriately, the design is clean and the message is clear. Readability is improved. Generous margins, shorter lines of text, and distinct separations between headings, graphics and paragraphs can all help to improve navigation through a text.

Size matters.

Font size, that is. 12 point font is required by MLA, APA and the University of Chicago writing standards. We demand this of our students when they produce essays and research projects. Smaller font is more tiresome to read and can give an impression to the reader that the content is more complex than it actually is.

Headings and subheadings also enhance comprehension. Bold face highlights key words. When our eyes see something on a page that is larger, our brain naturally gets the message that it is more important. Note: many designers also suggest using a contrasting font for headings and subheadings.

 Please take two seconds to view the attached file below:

Article sample- UD-friendly version.

 There, you will find a sample of an article that has been copied directly from the Winnipeg Free Press (online version).

The original is in 9 point font, single spaced.

The second is the same article, however the font is 12 point and the line space between words is 1.5 spaces. Breaks were added between paragraphs. A few key concepts were bold faced. A few subheadings were inserted to draw attention to main ideas. These changes took no longer than 5 minutes of my time, however the adapted text is less intimidating, easier to navigate and friendlier to all.

One minute strategies-zero prep

 1 minute strategies to adapt for EAL learners that take zero prep time

This semester I am teaching a grade 11 chemistry class. There is an EAL student in my class whose language skills are fairly low. I’ll call him Y. There are several very quick strategies that I have used specifically with him in the last two weeks to support his learning. There are also some things I do during whole-class instruction to make things easier for him and to support the learning of all students in my class.

I hope you will find these quick and easy tips helpful, and I encourage you to choose a couple that you will try out in your classroom.

Quick strategies I use specifically with the EAL student in my class:

-When I circulate as students are working each day, I always stop and ask Y a specific question about the lesson to check for his understanding. Please make a point of talking to the EAL students in your class and asking them questions. They are often too shy to ask for help or tell you they don’t understand something.

-When I give a notes handout, I highlight key words on his page that I want him to look up in his translator. He writes the translation for the words above the English word.

- When I give a reading handout (eg. from a textbook), I highlight the important sentences and ask him to focus on reading those. I usually highlight 10-20% of the text.

- My students completed their first lab activity last week. He didn’t have a partner, so I placed him with another student who seems friendly and understands the material fairly well.

-Last week my students wrote their first quiz. I adapted the quiz for Y in the following ways: (this took me about 2-3 minutes in total)

- For calculation questions I included a completed example for each type of question (eg. The instruction said “convert each number into scientific notation”, I added the completed example: 0.036 = 3.6 x 10^-2. That way he could still understand what to do even if he couldn’t understand the written instructions.)

- For a word problem with calculations, I underlined the known and unknown variables in the question so they were clear.

- I crossed off the multiple choice questions about the states of matter. He didn’t complete them (too much reading for him).

- I added a question where he showed understanding of the states of matter by drawing them.

- I added a word bank to the question about labeling phase changes.

-Prior to the quiz, I gave Y a specific list of exactly what would be on the quiz.

Whole-class strategies I use that benefit all learners (including EAL learners).

-Speak slowly. Pause after important information. Paraphrase important information in simpler terms. Tell students if something you’re about to say is particularly important so they can focus on it.

-Keep test dates or due dates for assignments written on the board.

-Incorporate visuals into your lesson (find them on google images, sketch a picture or diagram, refer to actual objects).

-Give instructions (oral and written) in clear, simple sentences.

-Review material often and in a variety of ways.

Important registration information

There is very important information in the 2 attachments below that I hope you will find to be useful. All advocacy teachers should print these attachments and read them to see which information is pertinent to the EAL students in your advocacy class. You may need to use this information as you complete registration in the coming weeks.



The registration attachment includes information on OPC (out of province credits) and special language exam. You will need to consider these as you are counting the number of credits students have earned.

EAL-important registration information for 2013-2014



The post-secondary information attachment includes information on English language proficiency requirements for EAL students at U of M, U of W, and Red River. It also has information on academic English programs available at post-secondary institutions for students who need to improve their language level. You may want to make extra copies of this document to give to your EAL advocacy students.

EAL -post-secondary information

A few reading resources

As the new semester begins, I wanted to share with you a few links that I have found to be helpful for EAL students.



1. online magazines that cover current topics over a range of subject areas at a lower readability level

http://www.timeforkids.com/

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids/

http://teachingkidsnews.com/



Although these sites all are designed for 'kids' they cover topics and issues that are pertinent to adolescents as well. The articles use simpler words and sentence structure, which are easier to read for EAL students and other students who have reading difficulties.



2. tumble book cloud junior (this one is especially good for ELA teachers)

http://wpl.winnipeg.ca/library/childrens/funandgames.asp

Click on 'Tumble Book Cloud Junior'

*There is free access to this resource through the Winnipeg Public Library.



This resource offers free audio books online. The texts are read aloud and the words are highlighted as they are read. This is a good resource for students who are both visual and auditory learners. Chapters can be re-read as often as the student wishes. You can also set the text to be a larger font, increase the white space (margins and spaces between words) and the volume. The titles range from classics, graphic novels and modern fiction. There is also a small collection of non-fiction texts- many of which have been produced by the National Geographic Society. The readability level of the books in this resource ranges; the level is usually listed under the title for quick reference. There are many texts here that are at a reading level accessible to our EAL population.

* I have tried this resource with the most reluctant of readers and it was very well -received.

Report Card Writing

The new report card format may be a challenging document to navigate for a newcomer parent whose level of English proficiency is low.



To respond to this, the Manitoba Department of Education has released information packages explaining the new report card in a multitude of languages other than English. This resource has been translated into:

Amharic (the official language of Ethiopia), Arabic, Chinese, Cree, German, Korean, Ojibway, Punjabi, Russian, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Tigrinya (another Ethiopian language) and Vietnamese.


There are many students at GCC whose parents speak one of the above languages.

These resource packages can be found at:

http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/assess/report_cards/resources.html



If you have a student in your advocacy class or in a class that you teach whose parents do not read English well, but who speak one of the languages listed above, it may be helpful to print a copy of the Gr 9-12 resource package and include it with the report card this term. OR if you have email contact with the parent, you could certainly forward the link. If you aren't sure, feel free to ask your students if their parents are comfortable reading in English.  We actually have print copies in several languages now. Please check with us if you would like a copy for your student(s).



On another note, as you begin to think of comments to write on the next set of report cards, please keep in mind that both EAL students and their parents will appreciate and benefit more from comments that are worded in simple terms.

• Keep sentences short (one main idea)

• Avoid the passive voice (is shown, has been demonstrated etc. )

• Choose simple describing words

For example, instead of writing:

Johnny has demonstrated a thorough knowledge of the essential vocabulary pertaining to this course and a consistent effort is shown in his daily assignments.



You could write something like:

Johnny knows the key words for this course. He always does his work in class each day.


Placing one's child in a foreign school system can be a very daunting thing for the parents of EAL students. Some parents express that they feel quite intimidated by the fact that they cannot communicate effectively their concerns about their child's learning with the school staff. Any added efforts to improve communication are certainly appreciated.

Assessment adaptations

Here are some general suggestions for adapting tests/exams. Please consider using some of these:

- Allow the use of bilingual dictionaries

- Check on students after a few minutes to make sure they know what to do

- Give practice tests that have similar types of questions (this will help students feel more confident and comfortable during an actual test)

- Reduce language demands (use sentence starters, fill in the blank, accept point form notes, etc)

- Simplify instructions and wording (avoid the passive voice and tricky words they haven’t seen before in class, make your instructions as clear and direct as possible)

- Reduce the number of questions required

- Reduce the length of answers required

- Allow students to answer some questions orally or through demonstrations.

- Teach test-taking strategies in class

- Be explicit about what students need to do (eg. number of sentences or examples required)

- Remove or explain cultural references that may cause confusion

- Include examples of how to answer a question (eg. If there are 10 matching questions, complete the first one for students to see and they complete the following 9)

- Remove multiple choice questions and replace with T/F or fill in the blank

- Allow more time

- Complete activities and questions in class that are similar to the questions students will see on a test (eg. Don’t ask students to find similarities and differences in class, but then on a test use the words compare and contrast. If you want students to know compare/contrast, use that vocabulary while you are teaching so they can learn it)

- Allow students to demonstrate comprehension in alternate ways (projects, portfolios, demonstration of a skill learned, etc)

Research Projects

Completing a research project can be a very difficult task for all students, but particularly for EAL students. Here are 5 suggestions to help EAL students complete a research project well and without plagiarism, whether it is a project on weather for grade 10 science, STIs for grade 11 phys ed, or Aboriginal Peoples for grade 11 history.

1. Explicitly model/teach the research skills you want students to do (note-taking, organizing info, summarizing, quoting, citing sources). Don’t assume students have learned these skills in another class.

2. Eliminate the need for students to use Google to find information. Find research materials at an appropriate reading level that you want EAL students to use and provide them with a photocopy or printout. Students cannot paraphrase or summarize information that they can’t understand. If the reading level is too difficult, students are forced to copy.

** We I would be happy to help you find resources that would be appropriate for EAL students, please don’t hesitate to ask! **

3. Show an example of what a completed project looks like.

4. Create a checklist of the steps that are needed to complete the project. As students complete each part, check their work to make sure they are on the right track.

5. Have students complete their written work during class time, using paper and pen. I find that when students complete their notes and rough copy by hand they are less likely to copy – it may still happen but it is less likely. Using a computer makes copy/paste so easy and many students will do this if they can.

I’ve included 2 attachments that you might choose to use with students.

1. Research Note-taking and Summary Page (a 1 page handout for students to take notes, write a summary, and complete a citation – I used this with my EAL class when we did research about Aboriginal Peoples)

Research note-taking frame
 

2. Research Organizer (a 1 page handout to show the overall organization for a research paper or essay – students in my grade 12 anthropology class were required to complete and hand this in with their research paper. It’s also a great way to make sure students are on track before they begin writing!)

Vocabulary Builders

Vocabulary is essential to comprehension.

How do we learn new words?

New words are learned both incidentally and directly.

 
Incidental vocabulary acquisition happens as students make sense of new words they hear or read, as they are used in context. Simply reading a word once or hearing it in class in passing is often not enough exposure a word to become part of a student's functioning vocabulary. This is where direct instruction comes into play. By offering students a chance to use the target words in different ways, you are allowing them opportunities to make connections in their brain with the new word and the idea that it represents.

 
The following is a list of a few direct vocabulary instruction activities that I have found to be successful with the second language courses I teach. None of these are complicated to set up nor require fancy supplies.

I encourage you to try out a combination of them whenever your students need to learn a series of new words.

 
1. Match-maker

Have students match the definitions on the left with the target vocabulary on the right.

For English definitions, I would encourage you to use www.learnersdictionary.com, This EAL-friendly online dictionary provides clear, simple definitions for most words that students will encounter in school.

 2. Secret message scramble

Scrambled words reinforce spelling as well as comprehension. I sometimes combine this activity with a matching exercise (ie: unscramble the word, then match it to the correct definition). This activity is more motivating because of the 'secret message' at the end.

Try the 'double puzzle' function at Discovery School Puzzlemaker. It's free and easy to use.

http://www.discoveryeducation.com/free-puzzlemaker/?CFID=1981358&CFTOKEN=75991087)

 
3. Criss cross puzzle

Classic crossword puzzles can be a fun way to review new vocabulary.

Try the 'criss-cross' function at Discovery School Puzzlemaker. It's free and easy to use.

http://www.discoveryeducation.com/free-puzzlemaker/?CFID=1981358&CFTOKEN=75991087

 
4. Three of these things belong together.....

Offer students a series of terms. Three of the terms should have one quality in common. One of the words should be significantly different enough for students to identify that it doesn't belong- but not so obvious that it seems out of place. Ask students to pick which word doesn't belong in the series and explain why.

ex:

tradition ancestor custom ritual

Traditions, customs and rituals are all events or cultural practices that happen on a repeated basis for a specific purpose. An ancestor is a person.

 

5. A picture is worth a thousand words.

You could provide students with a series of images that they will label with the target vocabulary. OR students themselves can either draw images to represent the vocabulary or they can find images on the internet. Students could make flashcards for themselves with these pictures. These pictures could also be posted in the classroom as a word wall.


6. Word cycle

This is a really great higher-level thinking activity. The students are offered a graphic organizer that is a large circle. Attached to the circle are several target words, spaced evenly around the circle and numbered in a clockwise manner.

Students have to create sentences that use each set of adjacent words in context. They need to go all around the circle, making sentences that incorporate both words. * See the image below for a sample.

7. Classic Cloze

The cloze passage is a tried-and-true vocabulary builder. Having students use new words in simple, but deliberately contextualized sentences is a great way for them to show that they understand the meaning. Students could also be given actual sentences from a text they have read or video they have seen in class with key words missing.




8. Scattergories

Categorizing words reinforces word retention and application. For this activity, offer students a jumbled list of vocabulary and have them rewrite the words under different category headings, as they apply to the content of your course. This activity could be followed up with discussion in which students justify their choices of categories.



9. Word search

This is a good calming activity for reinforcement of spelling and word recognition. To make it more challenging, the standard word list could be substituted with contextual clues (like a crossword puzzle). Discovery School Puzzlemaker offers a free word search maker.

http://www.discoveryeducation.com/free-puzzlemaker/?CFID=1981358&CFTOKEN=75991087



10. Sentence scramble

Take sentences that use the target word in context. Scramble up the words and have the students put them back in order. Sometimes I like to do this activity on large pieces of paper and have students physically move the words into place instead of writing them.

ex: YOUR STRONG TO RESUME IMPRESSION FIRST A MAKE NEEDS

Your resumé needs to make a strong first impression.



11. Word weddings

Break words into parts and offer students a scrambled list of these word parts.

Have the students find the matching word parts and join them together, writing the complete words. This activity works particularly well for words that have Latin or Greek prefixes or suffixes or compound words that can be broken into parts. This activity could also be done with word parts written on large pieces of paper- each student having a part and having to find his/her match.

ex:

TUDE   ATOR   LATI    ALTI    TEC   ELE    GEO    TUDE    TONIC    VATION    LONGI TUDE    EQU     GRAPHY

geography latitude tectonic elevation altitude equator longitude



12. Definition race

This activity is wildly popular and gets the students out of their seats. Students are divided into teams and sit in rows. One member of each team stands at the whiteboard, marker in hand and ready to write. The teacher reads aloud the definition of a word. Students must then write the word they think matches the definition on the board as fast as they can. The first team with the correct word wins a point. Every team member must take their turn.

At the end, to even the score and to make it possible for even a weaker team to win, students can elect one team member to represent the team. The teacher gives a really challenging question worth multiple points.

The team with the most points wins.



13. Classic Concentration

Students play in small teams or in pairs. Target words and definitions are written on separate index cards. The cards are shuffled and placed face-down on their table. Students have to choose two cards and try to make a match (word & correct definition or picture of the word). If they don't get a match, they have to turn the cards over and the other team gets a turn. The team with the most matches at the end of the game wins.



if you have any questions about how to implement these strategies with your course content, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Academic Conversations

Have you ever tried to facilitate student conversations within your classroom and had a result like this?

Student A: “So, what do you think about this?”

Student B: “It was OK.... What about you?”

Student A: “I dunno.”

It’s not exactly an example of clear, thoughtful, or meaningful dialogue. How can teachers help students practice speaking skills?

We attended a conference a couple of weeks ago about how to build students’ capacities to use academic language in the classroom, and particularly how to have clear and meaningful academic conversations about their learning.

Jeff Zwiers talked about how to make academic language accessible to students and provided several specific strategies and activities that would be useful across content areas. The strategies that he talked about are very helpful for EAL learners, but also for all learners in your classes. Here are two of the strategies we learned.

1. Quote Activity (useful as a pre-reading strategy)

- The teacher chooses key quotes from a text that students will read (perhaps 6-8 different quotes).

- Copy the different quotes onto coloured strips of paper.

- Students walk around and meet with students who have different quotes (ie different coloured papers) to talk about their predictions about the text. Sample sentence starters for students are:

“My quote is _________”

“I predict the text will be about ______ because _______”

“ Given the clues I have heard so far such as ______, I think the text will be about _____”

- As students meet with multiple other students, they will hear many quotes and can begin to synthesize other quotes and other students’ predictions into their own predictions.

2. Academic Conversation Placemat

- This is a piece of paper that is in front of students as they are having academic conversations during class. Prompts and sentence starters are written on the placemat to remind students of ways to extend and deepen their conversations.

- The placemat has prompts to help students: elaborate, clarify, paraphrase, synthesize key points, build on ideas, and support ideas with examples.

 I got this file from Jeff Zwier’s website. http://www.jeffzwiers.com/

Check out his website- as he has much to offer in terms of strategies to get students talking!

 Giving EAL students specific prompts and sentence starters is a great way to help them develop their language skills (both written and orally). As an example, I’ve recently given my EAL students a compare/contrast essay assignment. I’ve included sentence starters within each paragraph to give them clues about what to write next. This tool has helped them organize their writing. They are learning how to write an essay, so that at some point in the future they can complete an assignment like this without prompts.