Connecting Literacy and Science to Increase Achievement for English Language Learners

Giving students a purpose and a passion for sharing their thinking through authentic learning experiences and giving them tools for writing through which they can risk new vocabulary, new language, and new thought is critical for the linguistic and cognitive development of students. Furthermore, students develop a deep understanding of content they have heard and read when given time to process information through writing and speaking. This article describes one teacher’s quest to identify and implement effective research-based instructional strategies that she could use to successfully support her kindergarten ELL students during science instruction.     

Using Music to Support the Literacy Development of Young English Language Learners

Integrating experiences with music in the early childhood classroom supports English language learners’ literacy development (Peregoy and Boyle, Reading, writing, and learning in ESL. Pearson, Boston, 2008; Saricoban and Metin, Songs, verse and games for teaching grammar. Internet TESL J, 2000). This article describes the benefits of incorporating musical experiences into daily instruction and provides practical activities for classroom implementation, e.g., reading, writing, and singing songs for language skill development, reading fluency, and writing progress. Despite a teacher’s level of aesthetic appreciation and musical training, the value of fostering creativity and enhancing literacy instruction through music is vital in today’s diverse early childhood classrooms. Music can transform classrooms into positive learning environments where children thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Providing children with structured and open-ended musical activities, creating an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect, and sharing the joy of creativity with each other all are foundational to bases for the growth and development of the early childhood learner.     

Meeting the Challenges of English Learners by Pairing Science and Language Educators

Research in Science Education - Learners of English as a new language and the teachers who find these young people in their classrooms face many challenges. For secondary science educators, this is...     

Culturally Appropriate Context: Unlocking the Potential of Response to Intervention for English Language Learners

The number of young children whose home language is not English continues to increase every year in the United States. Challenges for English language learners (ELL) involve low academic achievement related to low expectations and inappropriate instruction, and inappropriate assessment instruments or procedures resulting in overrepresentation of ELL students in higher incidence disabilities. In addition, the lack of effective instructional strategies for teaching ELL students often lead to behavioral problems and poor social interaction skills. The purpose of this article is to examine the learning context of young ELLs relative to culturally and linguistically responsive intervention. Components and potentials of response to intervention model were investigated. Essential factors involved in culturally and linguistically responsive intervention were identified. Finally, challenges in preparing culturally appropriate context were discussed.     

二语习得语境中的语言知识

语言知识是一个具有多义性的复杂概念.理解二语习得语境中语言知识概念的重要角度是语言的认知过程.在这一范畴中,语言知识是心理的,是大脑中的记忆内容.从形态表征角度可分类为显性知识与隐性知识.语言知识的内容则包括语法知识、语用知识以及对二语习得过程具有显性化与体系化作用的元语言知识.     

Listening to the Language of Constructing Science Knowledge

The study explores students' use of language in the process of making sense of genetics concepts. It aims to analyze primary and secondary discourses, and examine the relationship between social practices and discourses. Sixth-grade students were interviewed before and during four weeks instruction on genetics. General trends were detected regarding border crossing between discourse communities and the difficulties and ease of moving among informal experience, social practices, primary discourse of family, friends and community, and secondary discourse of science and school instruction. Two comprehensive case summaries – Debbie and Sam – are presented in the paper. Debbie took what she experienced in her social life as criteria to discuss how people resembled one another. However, the language practiced in the classroom was different from Debbie's familiar language. Debbie thus experienced a conflict between primary and secondary discourses. Sam's school education and home environment provided an aligned social context with rich scientific ties that nurtured his use of secondary discourse practices in thinking and learning science. We recommend that science instruction needs to build a learning community where students' discourses will be recognized and border crossings between discourses facilitated in the process of learning science. An erratum to this article can be found at     

二语习得语境中的语言知识

语言知识是一个具有多义性的复杂概念。理解二语习得语境中语言知识概念的重要角度是语言的认知过程。在这一范畴中,语言知识是心理的,是大脑中的记忆内容。从形态表征角度可分类为显性知识与隐性知识。语言知识的内容则包括语法知识、语用知识以及对二语习得过程具有显性化与体系化作用的元语言知识。     

Teaching English Language Learners At Risk for Reading Disabilities to Read: Putting Research into Practice

The purpose of this article is to describe features of interventions that are empirically validated for use with first‐grade students at risk for reading disabilities who are English language learners (ELLs) and whose home language is Spanish. The empirical evidence supporting these interventions is summarized. Interventions for improving oral language and reading abilities with struggling readers who are ELLs taught in either Spanish or English are described as a means to assist school districts and teachers in defining and implementing effective interventions for ELLs at risk for reading difficulties. The interventions described may be useful to educators seeking information about Response to Intervention as a means of identifying ELLs who require services for learning disabilities.     

Verse in Action: Performing Poetry to Learners of English as a Second Language in Poland

This article is an account of a project sponsored by the British Council in Poland. Eight students from the Drama department at Exeter University created a poetry show based on poems in English for children and gave performances in schools and teachers' colleges in and around the cities of Torun and Krakow. The initial section describes how the project was born, its aims in bringing a theatre event to the language classroom, in English without the aid of interpreters, and the principles followed in the devising process for making the meaning and drama of each poem clear and exciting for audiences with a limited command of English. The final section of the article highlights key moments from the eight-day tour and specific responses from Polish pupils and the Exeter students to their experience as participants in this cross-cultural event. The project was the first of its type to take place in Poland.     

Constructing Explanations in Science: Informal Formative Assessment Practices Among Science Teachers of English Learners

Research in Science Education - Informal formative assessments (IFAs) are classroom interactions teachers use to gather information about their students’ learning, interpret it, and act on...     

以词汇为例谈语言类型学视角下的英语学习策略

英语学习是我国费时低效的二语学习。英语词汇的繁多和记忆的相对困难,成了很多中国英语习得者学习中的瓶颈。本文以词汇为例,从语言类型学的视角,分析英汉词汇中共性与差异。帮助英语教育者和学习者领会英汉语言学习的迁移,提高英语教与学的有效性。     

Identification of the Most Critical Content Knowledge Base for Middle School Science Teachers

Much has been said about what science content students need to learn (e.g., Benchmarks for Science Literacy, National Science Education Standards). Less has been said about what science content teachers need to know to teach the content students are expected to learn. This study analyzed four standards documents and assessment frameworks to identify core middle school physical science teacher content knowledge. Analysis across all four documents identified critical middle school physical science content and the relative weightings of this content. This parsimonious selection of content synthesized from these major sources provides guidelines researchers, assessment developers, and professional development providers can use in determining how to expend limited time and other resources.     

借鉴内隐学习理论培养英语良好语感

学习新知识的过程可分为内隐学习和外显学习两部分,它们是同时进行的.相比外显学习,内隐学习没有固定的规则与束缚,是人们在无意识中进行的学习.它在英语学习中有十分重要的作用,能够帮助学生形成良好的英语语感.教师在英语教学中应合理借鉴内隐学习理论,让学生在诵、抄、仿、阅的过程中培养良好的语感,提高英语素养.     

构建我国少儿英语远程计算机自适应测验题库的设想

本研究利用建构图设计一套含有六大部分的30道试题。题型包括拼写题、选择题和简答题。共有175名6到14岁儿童参加了此项考试。Rasch分析结果发现题组内局部题目依赖并不严重。信度为0．85。考题的难度和考生能力的配合度相当良好。我们根据建构图来编写考题,因此有一定程度的内容效度。但有9道题的难度稍微与原先预期略有出入。有5道题不大吻合Rasch模式的预期,没有发现在性别上有明显的项目功能差异。考生能力与学习英语的时间有正相关。最后探讨了基于信息通讯技术的远程计算机自适应测验的技术问题。     

激励机制缺失:企业参与职业教育不足的原因分析

激励机制缺失是企业参与职业教育不足的主要原因,这种缺失表现为政府的政策激励不足、职业院校自身激励不足和企业的内在需求不足,破解这一困局的对策是通过加强政府的指导力度,增强政策法规对企业和学校的激励性,通过改善职业院校自身条件,提升学校对企业的吸引力,通过提升企业的社会责任感,引导企业重视社会效益,从而构建一个政府、学校、企业三位一体的人才培养共同体。     

大学英语教师课堂模糊用语的伦理理据分析

教师话语是社会伦理道德传播的重要途径,也是建立学生道德品质较高境界的培养基。作为语言教师,大学英语教师的语言伦理示范作用尤为重要。从伦理学角度分析大学英语教师使用模糊语的伦理内涵、原因、目的及其伦理功能,探究大学英语教师使用模糊语的伦理理据并提出相应的伦理策略,对涉及认知、思维、文化、心灵塑造的英语教学具有十分重要的作用和意义。