Making Language and Learning Work 2: Integrating language and learning in secondary English and Social Sciences follows the 2006 / 2007 Making Language and Learning Work 1: Integrating language and learning in secondary Maths and Science. During 2008 a third DVD, with a primary focus, will be produced by the Ministry of Education.
The materials support teachers to meet recommendations in a number of documents which provide guidelines for teaching students from diverse language backgrounds in mainstream classes:
The materials also exemplify the application of the English Language Intensive Programme Years 7 to 13 (Ministry of Education, 2003) and Effective Literacy Strategies In Years 9 to 13 (Ministry of Education, 2004).
The DVDs show how a range of teachers in different subject areas scaffold language and content area learning. The materials model how to personalise learning in a manageable way. Such materials are available overseas but this is the first comprehensive series of New Zealand materials.
This set of notes supports on-going English and Social Sciences department or faculty-based professional learning. The DVD does not attempt to show all aspects of the lesson sequences, nor does it aim to provide step-by-step guidance in how to teach particular units in 2 English or the Social Sciences. It depicts approaches, selected from a series of lessons, which could be incorporated into a wide variety of learning contexts across the curriculum.
The notes are also available from the home page of ESOL Online with links to full explanations of each of the strategies/approaches. Additional support material can be accessed from links on the English and online community.
Know the learner
Begin with context embedded tasks which make the abstract concrete
Provide multiple opportunities for authentic language use with a focus on learners using academic language
Ensure a balance between receptive and productive language
Help students achieve the same explicit learning outcomes using differentiated levels of support
The following two principles are not listed separately but are implicit throughout the DVD.
Identify the learning outcomes including the language demands of the topic
Include opportunities for monitoring and self-evaluation
These notes follow the “Play by Subject” sequences. The notes are sequential. Chapter headings may appear differently on different players, so instead of giving chapter headings for each of the reflective sequences, the principle and the strand are cited. For example – English, Year 9, Know the learner: Finding out the learner’s language and schooling background.
We suggest you initially approach the DVD by zooming in on one or two small snapshots in a focussed faculty meeting. In future meetings during the rest of the year you can return to look at other aspects of the DVD. Each snapshot is linked to a principle of effective teaching for learners from diverse language and cultural backgrounds.
Details of how to use each strategy or approach, the purposes of each strategy or approach, and examples, are available from the strategy section of ESOL Online.
Overview of the notes
A generic reflection template for use at all times when viewing and discussing.
This covers:
Specific templates tailored to particular sequences that model the strategies/ approaches used.
Prompts the facilitator to other items of interest.
Supplementary resources.
Whenever you choose an approach or select a teaching/learning strategy:
Learning is much more likely to be retained and transferred to new situations when this happens.
Learning outcome and language focus
How explicit or implicit is the language focus? What would you infer the language focus to be?
What the teacher does
What is the strategy/approach? What is the teacher planning to achieve? Does the teacher explain why the strategy/approach is being used?
How is strategy use modelled? Consider – instructions to students, content knowledge and language the students will need to complete the task, reflection on how well the strategy worked.
At what point in the lesson cycle is this sequence being used? What other tasks prepared the students for this task?
What the students do
Are the students clear about the purpose for using the strategy? In what ways could it help them learn?
Are the students working individually or collaboratively? If collaboratively, what role does each student have?
Links to The New Zealand Curriculum (2007)
How could you use these approaches/strategies to facilitate the implementation of the new curriculum in your subject area?
Consider the Achievement Objectives, the Key Competencies and Values.
What you would do differently? Why?
Consider your context, your students.
Finding out about learners’ language and schooling backgrounds
Prompt: What does the Afghan student say about what she finds difficult in English?
Finding out about learners’ prior knowledge
Question to ask before viewing the Hot Potato strategy:
Generic template to observe the Hot Potato strategy.
Prompt: What reasons does the teacher give for circulating around the groups as they work?
Using approaches that build on prior knowledge
Prompt: Note how the teacher amplifies her language when giving task instructions. (Try and visualise, try and make a picture in your mind).
Prompt: What does the Afghan student say about the benefit of using her first language (L1)? (Follows the listening task - What I can see and What I can hear).
Recycling the use of the same language in different ways
Generic template.
Prompt: What does RIQ stand for? What is the purpose of the RIQ task?
Using approaches that include listening, reading, viewing, speaking, writing and presenting
Generic template.
Planning the learning tasks so that all learners are actively involved
Generic template.
Use the description of the strategy on ESOL Online as a text for ‘reading in four voices’.
Generic template.
Making the lesson comprehensible to all learners
Generic template.
Prompt: What does the student say about the benefit of wall charts?
Generic template.
Generic template.
Writing frames:
The Year 9 teacher uses the Selections series as her initial text. The Selections series provides appropriate, high-interest, theme-based reading for English language learners in years 7-13 who find the usual classroom reading material more difficult. Audio and teachers’ notes are available.
Other appropriate resources to support English language learners:
Finding out about learners’ language and schooling backgrounds
Prompt: What does the Mandarin speaker say is most difficult for her in English?
Finding out learners’ prior knowledge
Generic template.
Use these words to practise a vocabulary jumble: lexical word, clusters, grammatical word, collocation, receptive vocabulary, modals, auxiliaries, nouns, phrasal verbs, adverbials, tense, active vocabulary, clines, productive vocabulary, frequency
Using approaches that build on prior knowledge
Prompt: What are some of the ways that diverse students can be used as an asset in the classroom?
Giving learners many opportunities to first notice and then use new language
Prompt: What is the purpose of using the words from the vocabulary jumble in a different task?
Recycling the use of the same language in different ways
Prompt: What does the student say about the value of reusing key words in different ways?
Using approaches that include listening, reading, viewing, speaking, writing, and presenting
Generic template.
Generic template.
Prompt: How would you stop individual students dominating in group work?
Prompt: What does the Mandarin speaker say about the value of having time before speaking?
Prompt: What does the student say about the focus on text structure?
Planning the learning tasks so that all learners are actively involved
Prompt: What does the teacher say about the benefit of group work?
Generic template.
Prompt: What do the teacher and student say about the value of reflection at the end of a lesson?
Prompt: If you have watched the whole of the Year 11 sequence, reflect on how the tasks are sequenced to support the outcomes at the end.
English Language Intensive Programme Years 7-13 Resource (ELIP). See Stage 3: Oral Language (4) and Reading (9), for example.
Setting the learning context
Prompt: What does the student say about the value of the story graph?
Generic template.
Giving learners many opportunities to first notice and then use new language
Prompt: What do the students say about what helps them work out word meanings in text?
Reading Overview Grid (a type of advance organiser that clarifies a purpose for reading)
Some other advance organisers:
Prompt: What do the students say about the value of group work?
Generic template.
Recycling the use of the same language in different ways
A double entry journal is used here for... If I had been the teacher I would have...
The teacher says the value of the journal is... In my class I would use it for...
Generic template.
Using approaches that include listening, reading, viewing, speaking, writing, and presenting
Prompt: What does the student say helps him learn?
Generic template.
Planning the learning tasks so that all learners are actively involved
Generic template.
Generic template.
Other appropriate resources to support English language learners
English Language Intensive Programme Years 7-13 Resource (ELIP) See Stage 3: Reading (6) and Writing (12 and 14), for example.
Finding out about learners’ language and schooling backgrounds
Prompt: What does the student say about his role helping newly arrived students?
Prompt: How does the teacher find out about the students’ Social Studies skills and knowledge?
Prompt: What does the teacher say about integrated rather than withdrawal classes for ESOL students?
Finding out learners’ prior knowledge
Prompt: What does the teacher say about the importance of having both a language and content focus?
Prompt: In what ways might the following tasks based on the Pasifika high achievers text be expanded to include the ethnicities of non-Pasifika students in the class?
Generic template.
Prompt: What do you notice about the students’ language when they use the speaking frame? How would you extend your students with a speaking frame?
Using approaches that build on prior knowledge
Generic template.
Giving learners many opportunities to first notice and then use new language
Prompt: What is the role of the concept star in the next step in the sequence?
Prompt: How does the teacher use first language (L1)?
Prompt: How does the teacher use the ideas in this dictogloss in another way at the end?
Generic template.
Making the lesson comprehensible to all learners
Generic template.
Prompt: The students use their mother tongues (L1). What conditions are needed in the classroom for this to happen?
Prompt: How does the teacher provide support to different language speakers?
Generic template.
Using approaches that include listening, reading, viewing, speaking, writing, and presenting
Generic template.
Generic template.
Generic template.
Oral Language in the Introduction and Years 9-13 The English Language Learning Progressions (ELLP)
English Language Intensive Programme Years 7-13 Resource (ELIP)
Finding out about learners’ language and schooling backgrounds
Prompt: What does the Samoan student say about her language background?
Prompt: What does the Chinese student say about his use of dictionaries/friends?
Finding out learners’ prior knowledge
Generic template re how the teacher finds out prior knowledge
Prompt: What does the teacher say about having a language focus?
Note especially:
Using approaches that build on prior knowledge
Generic template.
Planning the learning tasks so that all learners are actively involved
Writing Definitions
Generic template.
Prompt: How does the teacher support the students in doing this?
Prompt: How does the teacher build in reflection at the end of the lesson?
Prompt: What is the role of the bilingual tutor? How would you use a bilingual tutor?
Prompt: What is the purpose of the quick activity the teacher does at the end of each lesson?
Using approaches that include listening, reading, viewing, speaking, writing, and presenting
Explanatory notes:
We are learning to.... (Walt)
What I am looking for...... (Wilf)
Generic template.
The teacher explains the process and writes the verbs on the board, with each verb on a new line. The students retell the process using the verbs as prompts. They then write down the process and compare their version with the original. The benefits are that students focus while listening. They also notice and use correct verb forms and can use the verbs on the board as a scaffold for their writing. The students listen, read, speak, and write. This helps learners tofocus on forms of words.
Generic template.
Generic template.
Prompt: How could the student who asks “[What is] that long word, that ‘c’ word?” be supported more to learn the word well?
Linking learning to real life
Prompt: What does the teacher say about how to sequence a lesson?
Generic template.
Prompt: What does the student say about her role as an expert?
Setting the learning context
Generic template.
Prompt: How does amplifying text (adding another explanation) help English language learners? (harvested - picked)
Generic template.
Note: In the Say It! the student talk is brief. Discuss ways that you could assist students to extend their talk.
(A1) You are the teacher – How might the student talk be extended?
(A2 ) You are the teacher – Why did you use the Say It?
(B1) You are a student – Would you rather use a Say It! in a small group or in the large class?
(B2) You are yourself – In what context could you use this technique in your classroom?
Prompt: On reflection at the end of the sequence of tasks, what does the teacher say she would do another time?
See English Language Intensive Programme Years 7-13 Resource (ELIP), for different types of verb patterns (Stage 2: 3 Oral Language, recount, for example).
Focus On English: English for Science 5 – Weather; English for Science 6 – Conservation
English Language Intensive Programme Years 7–13 Resource (ELIP), Stage 2 Reading: 10 &19 (description), 14 & 20 (explanation); Stage 3: 12 (description), 8 & 16 (explanation).
Finding out about learners’ language and schooling backgrounds
Prompt: What do the students say is difficult?
Finding out learner’s prior knowledge
Generic template.
Prompt: What does the teacher say is the value of prior knowledge?
Prompt: Why (says the student) is it important to make connections from English to the first language (L1)?
Linking learning to real life
Generic Template
Giving learners many opportunities to first notice and then use new language
Generic template.
Guided Writing (statement, explain, example, why it is important)
Generic template.
Setting the learning context
Listening Dictation (Title, axes, lines, label)
Generic template.
Giving learners many opportunities to first notice and then use new language
Generic template.
Using approaches that include listening, reading, viewing, speaking, writing, and presenting
Generic template.
Setting the learning context
Generic template.
Linking learning to real life
Generic template.
English Language Intensive Programme Years 7-13 Resource (ELIP)
Published on: 23 May 2022
