Foundations of Second Language Education

Hello group!

For fair warning, I write too much. Read with caution.

So, I couldn't find the article on the class site, but I goodsearched it and found it at: http://njrp.tamu.edu/2004/PDFs/Collier.pdf.

Anyway, the article was about some research regarding bilingual schools and their marked success in closing the gap of ELL students to their nonELL peers over the course of six to eight years. I've learned to be careful to trust the "research" I read in education. Truth is, I believe that pretty much any teaching method can be "proved" successful and worthy with the right, twisted research. Even so, the research conducted here sounds fairly sound and longitudinal. I like that. My only question is: Where is the data comparing the ELLs to the nonELLs in these bilingual programs? How are native English speakers from other programs comparing to the nonELLs in these bilingual programs? I believe the programs are working well for the ELLs and would assume for the native English speakers, but the data didn't seem to be there (just a comment about the nonELLs in Maine). I just wonder how the nonELLs fare in more programs. I would assume that they would also benefit greatly from learning a second language and culture. That much seems obvious. However, in talking to people whose children have attended bilingual programs, one complained that her son's needs regarding his learning disability were not well met because of the school's focus on helping ELLs, of which he was not. I know that is just one person's unfortunate experience and not something necessarily happening in more schools, but it keeps me thinking.

I can also understand how the dual immersion program can prove to be so successful with such dedication from parents, teachers, and principals. I would think it incredibly valuable for ELL parents to enroll their children into a school where the staff speak their language! Assuming both the ELL and nonELL students graduate from the sixth or eighth year scoring high in both their native and second languages, I'd say it's something more schools ought to strive for. Of course, in cities such as the Twin Cities, with languages so diverse, things become more complicated. Still, the research analyzed in the article showed some promise for these schools. It's nice to see something work!

Hello ladies!
I couldn't find the article using the school site, either. I did a google and found it that way. Anyway, I enjoyed this article and the results truly are "astounding!"
Colleen - I totally understand how you would be a little cautious about the results of the research, as I suppose you can make anything sound successful if you really want to. However, the numbers are so high that I've got to believe something amazing is going on in these programs for these learners.

The idea of a Dual Language Model makes perfect sense to me. By teaching students mainstream curriculum in their L1, they are receiving comprehensible input and therefore feel welcome, valued, and successful. By testing them in this L1 as well, we are truly getting a pretty accurate assessment of what these students know. Then, they are also getting English in small doses, as well - gradually working it in. This model seems to make so much more sense than what we usually do in schools right now: Throw the ELL's into regular classes and give them a little ESL and expect them to get it. No wonder we have behavior issues and low scores - there's little comprehensible input for these students.
I also like the idea of inviting native English speakers into the class in order to resolve some of the sociocultural concerns that result from segregated bilingual classrooms. The article did state that one-way and two-way enrichment dual language programs ave closed the gap for ELL's in Houston. That's a terrific indicator of it's effectiveness for these students.
In Maine, the students scored well above grade level after 4 years in a dual language program. I was very surprised by this. I was even more surprised to hear that one-way and two-way bilingual programs lead to grade level and above grade-level achievement in the L2! Kids scoring in the 70th percentile by 11th grade? This is higher than native English speakers! These dual language programs truly seem to close the gap among ELL's and native English speakers.
Is there a model like this here in the Twin Cities? I'd love to observe one and see how it works. I think of one of the schools I teach in, which has a high number of native spanish speakers in pull-out ESL programs. When they come to my class and I start speaking spanish, their eyes light up, because for the first time that day, they really understood what someone said to them. Just think if I could teach them the curriculum in Spanish - how successful they would be!

The Lightbown and Spada chapter 7 made me take a good look at the Spanish program in our district and I now realize how ineffective it really is. I see the students at one school once a week for 30 minutes. How are they going to learn spanish with only that much time? At the other school, I see them once a week for 30 and once a week for 20, for a total of 50 minutes a week. No wonder they aren't retaining a lot from year to year! Also, we teach Spanish in our district from K-4 and they can't take Spanish again until 8th grade. Does this make sense to anyone?

I used to believe the myth that younger is better when learning a language, but now I see that that only applies to immersion programs, really. Teaching kinders spanish once a week for 30 minutes seems kind of pointless! Well, I'll keep trying my best, I suppose. But I would really like to observe dual-language models in the Twin Cities area, as well as Spanish immersion models. Could anyone direct me as to where to find these? Thanks!

Hi Colleen and our group members,

I could not log in the website Colleen gave us and therefore, I didn’t have chance to read the article that colleen mentioned. Now I would like to raise a question of how to teach language learner vocabulary. I agree with the opinion that communicative competence: vocabulary, pragmatics, and pronunciation are very important components in learning L2 besides the acquisition of morphology and syntax in the second language. Lightbown and Spada have given very detailed discussion in charter 4 starting p96.

Acquiring a basic vocabulary is a significant when language learner starts to learn a L2/foreing language. What is the best way for language learner to acquire this skill? As language educators, how can we teach our students to recognize the words? I especially think “Teachers should not assume that students will always recognize borrowed words or cognate words in their second language.� {p99}A lot of English words were from Ancient Greek and Roman mythology. Let’s take an example of muse (1)/Muse(2). Muse(2) (in Greek and Roman mythology) represents each of nine goddesses who inspire poetry, music, drama, etc; however muse (1) means ponder, reflect. If we, as educator, tell the students the difference, I believe that they will master this new word easily. What do you think?

Hi All,

Interesting conversation so far. I also had a hard time finding the article we were to read. For some reason Colleen's link didn't work, but I was reading some of the other discussions on our site and came across another link that did. Lilian, you might want to check out the other discussions, or Google the article as Marina did if you still haven't been able to find it.

As far as the Collier and Thomas article goes, I was amazed at by the evidence they give for the effectiveness of one-way and two-way dual language enrichment programs to close the achievement gap between ELLs and native-English speakers. I've always believed that there were many benefits of two-way bilingual education programs, but I guess I never thought about how effective they could be at closing the gap.

However, I have to agree with Colleen that the article seemed a bit skewed, or bias. I am a firm believer in the concept that just because the pendulum has swung too far one way in the past it does not mean that it is okay for it to swing too far in the other direction. For example, I don't like how the authors say that in two-way bilingual programs the native-English speakers are "invited...to join their bilingual and ELL peers in an integrated bilingual classroom". To me that sounds like they the native-English speakers are seen as less important to/in the two-way bilingual programs than the ELLs. Although, maybe I'm being too harsh since the authors do say that, "Two-way classes can and should include all students who wish to enroll". Still, I was taken aback when I first read the first quote I mentioned, and I would like to hear how you feel.

Finally, as Marina noted, I too would be interested in observing a one or two-way bilingual class. I have heard that there is no a two-way bilingual immersion Spanish program here in the Cities, but I do not know if that is true. However, I have also heard that CARLA (Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition) here at the U has a database that lists all of the immersion programs in the United States. I'll check it out and let you know in class tomorrow what programs there are in the Cities so we can explore some of them.

On another topic, I was happy to see in Chapter 7 of the Lighbown and Spada book that they included their conclusions concerning the questions asked at the beginning of the book. Too many times when I read a text book I feel like I get a good overview of theory without any conclusions being presented by the authors. One point that stood out for me was point number 7, "the best way to learn new vocabulary is through reading". We have been reading about and discussing this topic in CI 5656 Reading and Writing in a Second Language, another class that I am taking. In a discussion board for that class I raised the question as to whether or not vocabulary should be overtly taught to beginning language learners at first so that they can begin acquiring vocabulary through reading later since they must understand at least 90% of a text to get meaning. No definite conclusion was reached on the discussion board, but Lightbown and Spada hold that some form of vocabulary instruction is needed before beginning learners can acquire vocabulary through texts. My question now is what is the most effective way to teach that vocabulary? Is it okay to encourage rote memorization of words, or do we just need to provide a vast amount of comprehensible input and hope that they pick it up. Lightbown and Spada suggest that we help our students "develop good strategies for learning and remembering words", but how do we do that? I would love to hear your ideas.
--Kirsten

As Marina did, I did google and found in that way. I am not astounded after reading this article because dual language education in Beijing, China, is very popular and effective. I totally understand Colleen’s caution; however, I would like to answer the question of whether dual language program would work well for native English speakers by giving example from China’s Dual language Education. The answer is positive.

Beijing, as an international and metropolis city, attracts a lot of foreign Politician and Business people with their children, to live there. How can these foreign children receive education in China? Dual language education—Chinese and English is becoming very popular and acceptable, which we call them international schools in China. Those schools teach the curricular mainstream through English and Chinese. I need to point out that the programs in Beijing are two –way dual language education. Not only foreign but also Chinese parents send their children to those schools. The students from both backgrounds are proved to be so successful and they make tremendous achievements in their academic studies and enjoy different cultures. I can see how hard dual language education would be in the U.S. First, bilingual education is so unpopular with the American public? Second, the diverse of languages make dual language education more complicated. In China, English is dominant foreign language and required to be taken by every Chinese student. That is the major reason why dual language (Chinese and English) education is so successful.

In response first to Kirsten, I agree that it seems as though, like the Lightbown and Spada text, few conclusions are reached in second language education (or any part of education, if you ask me.) I chalk this up to the lack of true scientific research. There are too many correlational research projects out there that can easily be interpreted in multiple ways. (For example, does motivation stir children to become good readers or are good readers naturally more motivated?) The whole realm of learning and how the brain processes new information is so complex that sufficient research has not yet been conducted (in my opinion.) That said, I do think that there are many strategies effective for teaching vocabulary. I don't think we should undermine the power of rote memorization either. I think some rote memorization is good exercise for the brain, especially if it is coupled with an understanding of what is memorized. For example, in teaching Spanish vocabulary to English-speakers, you could give some history of the Latin roots that connect the two languages, the cognates, and the "universal language." In addition to the information and understanding, students could brainstorm strategies for remembering some vocabulary that doesn't fit these strategies. (Jugete is a toy because it sounds like "Who get a?" and the students could ask...Who get a toy? It's not correct English, but the experience of brainstorming such things with a group could really impact the memorization of the vocabulary.) Of course, then vocabulary could also be taught and used in context. I don't think it has to be an either/or issue. Just as it is in elementary schools today. It's not either whole language or phonics. It's a balance of both. That's what I think works, but then again, I have not conducted any research to prove myself.

In response to Lilian, boy do I wish I could go to Bejing and visit one of these schools! It sounds as though they've got a good thing going. :o)

P.S. I found a dual-immersion (Spanish-English) school in Madison, Wisconsin. Did anyone find one around here?

Collen, I agree with you that giving some history of the target language roots that connect language 1 and language 2 would be help for students to memorize the vocabulary easily.

Back to teaching Chinese in the U. S., due to increased contact and a greater amount of shared knowlege, Chinese and English --as well as Chinese and American culture in general --seem slowly to be moving closer together, which make learning Chinese easier than it once was. I always think analysing structure of Chinese characters, along with the introduction to Chinese culture related to those new words, would help language learners learn new vocabulary by rote.

Colleen, if you could go to Beijing some day, please let me know. I will arrange several international schools for you to observe dual language classes taught in English and Chinese.

Hi Colleen,

There are 27 questions we should answer for our poster presentation. We
had a quick discussion last night and decided each one to take seven questions and you get the last six questions starting "When students finish this program of L2 learning, do they retain the language?...

If you have any questions, please let us know.

Thanks Lilian. Do any of you have tips for finding this information? Are we supposed to use class readings, outside research, etc.? If you've got some great sites/articles/etc., please share and I'll do the same when I begin looking for answers later today.

Was there anything else from class that I need to know? Thanks for keeping me updated!

As for the readings this week, I read the Donato article about assessing foreign language ablities of children. (I could not find the other Thompson article.) I thought it discussed some critical questions regarding formal assessments for children in general as well as for children learning a foreign language. On the second page, Donato mentions, "The picture to emerge was that assessing the young learner required multiple perspectives and that no single measure or test was capable of providing a profile of achievement or proficiency." In order to get a solid understanding of a child's ability to speak, understand, read, and write in their L2 (or L1 for that matter), I believe one must observe and assess that child's speaking, listening, reading, and writing frequently and in different settings. I've seen a child perform well with a single adult in a quiet room, and then fail to communicate as well when speaking with a young native speaker in a classroom environment. I've found that children's abilities can vary greatly on a day to day basis. This is especially true in the area of writing. A child may have great ideas, write carefully, and enjoy the task of writing one day, but feel tired, out of ideas, and write horribly the next. In my opinion, this author was right on target to assess children in multiple perspectives over time.

The questions that got me thinking are: "What communicative abilities need to be assessed in early learners? Is it possible or desirable to establish descriptions of this performance in a foreign language?" I especially wonder about whether or not it is desirable to establish specific language performance descriptions. In many ways, all education standards and performance descriptions are helpful to teachers as they provide a big picture of what ought to be taught. The assessments provide information about students and what they may need. However, I also often wonder how these same descriptions and standards may limit schools, teachers, and children. I understand a need for continuity and assessment, but what happens to the skills and knowledge that are not assessed? Currently, I teach in a school that is not making AYP. Therefore, I feel the focus is now on teaching the standards, not necessarily the students. When my students want to know more about their Muslim friend's celebration of Eid, we roll through a quick discussion to get back to our lesson on writing personal narratives, working quickly before the bell rings. I would love to read more to them about different religious celebrations, but the pressure is on and the children are scheduled to write narratives. Time is limited, and I have to cover a wide range of topics. I feel as though I'm doing a disservice to my students. They're getting a taste of everything, but not really sitting down to eat a whole meal. From the sound of this article, it can be even more difficult to assess children who are learning a foreign language. How do you assess their progression without limiting what they are taught or capturing only a tiny glimpse of what they can or cannot do? I don't know. Any ideas?

http://www.nadsfl.org/characteristics.htm

This link doesn't help me with my questions, but it might help you with yours. It's based on the goals of foreign language teaching.

Another good site.

http://www.nclrc.org/teaching_materials/links_to_fl_materials/general_resources.html

Here are the national standards for whoever has that question.

http://www.carla.umn.edu/cobaltt/modules/index.html?standards/main.html