Levels of Questioning

Even students with limited English can show they understand content if you ask questions that they can comprehend and answer.   It is important to be aware of the hierarchy of questioning so that you can provide scaffolding by matching your ELLs’ ability to handle English before challenging them by moving to the next level:

LEVEL 1:  Ask questions that require only a yes or no answer.  “Was imperialism one of the causes of World War I?”

LEVEL 2:  Ask either/or questions which require only a one word response from students.  “Did the assassination of Archduke Ferdinand lead Austria-Hungary to war with Germany or Serbia?”

LEVEL 3:  Ask questions using where, what, when, who which students can answer with a single word or a partial phrase.  “What alliances caused the conflict to spread in 1914?” “Where did most of the fighting take place in World War I?”

LEVEL 4:  Ask questions that don’t contain any content vocabulary (Tier 3 vocabulary) and that elicit a response in full sentences. “How did several different causes lead to World War I?”  “Are any of the causes of World War I still issues today? Explain.”

Using a linguistically appropriate level of questioning is a good way to differentiate for English Language Learners as we begin to use Small Goal Assessments and other formative assessments to inform our instruction. (The levels of questioning are also a good way to provide scaffolding to your non-ELL students as they become familiar with new concepts and vocabulary.) 

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Remember: The ELL student’s sole limitation is linguistic, and that limitation is temporary. Cognitively, s/he is as unlimited as any other student who walks through your door.

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Levels of Questioning adapted from The More-Than-Just-Surviving Handbook: ESL for Every Classroom Teacher, by Barbara Law and Mary Eckes.

Think Time

Here’s another back-to-basics tip that really pays off for our ELL students:

Increase your wait time after questions from the usual 2-3 seconds to a full 5-7 seconds.  ELLs, who are processing in a second language, need the extra time.  All of your students will benefit from the reflection time.

Kathleen Kenfield says, “I recommend that you call it “Think Time” instead of wait time, that you explain to the students the rationale behind the longer time, and that you forbid them to raise their hands during the think time. Many teachers have reported dramatic improvements in the quality of the responses and decreased blurting by those students who just have to yell out the answer.”

From Kenfield’s website:

Middle school science teacher: “I definitely got more students to participate when I started using wait time.   I would ask a question, ask students to think (no hands up, no blurting, as you suggested), and just what I’d hoped: more ELLs participate, more special ed students participate, fewer blurters–all in all, a very successful idea.”

All previous ELL tips are compiled here: http://rhs-ells.blogspot.com/ 

PLEASE leave some comments on the blog!!

Kathleen Kenfield’s material used with permission.

Remember: The ELL student’s sole limitation is linguistic, and that limitation is temporary. Cognitively, s/he is as unlimited as any other student who walks through your door.

Let ELLs Know What to Expect

Here’s a simple tip from Dr. Kathleen Kenfield, an expert on teaching ELLs:

“Each day, each class, share the class agenda and objectives on the board or on chart paper. If you can, write them out and read them as the students watch.”

As you can see, this is totally consistent with our expected practice for all students.  ELLs will benefit immensely if you take a moment to go over the agenda and objectives – don’t just have them sitting on the board.  They will benefit even more if you pause to reflect with students at the end of class: were the activities successful? did we meet the objectives?

Kenfield is a dynamic and engaging presenter, and I was fortunate enough to attend one of her workshops several years ago. Please let me know if you would like me to meet with you, your department or your PLC to share some of her ideas and activities.

FLASH! Be sure to view the video about Riverside’s ESL program created by ELL Robin Bremer for Mr. Unruhe’s journalism class:

http://riverside.dpsnc.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1803&Itemid=124

Get to know your ELLs

This may seem simple, but it should not be overlooked.  Find out where your English Language Learners are from.  Show a genuine interest in their origins.  All Spanish speakers are NOT from Mexico, and you can really hurt your relationship with a Honduran student (for example) by assuming he is from Mexico.

I usually frame the question something like, “Where is your family from?”  This avoids awkwardness with students who were born in the U.S and whose parents are immigrants. 

More of our ELLs are from Mexico than anywhere else, but they are from numerous different states (Mexico is divided into 31 states and a Federal District.) and I always ask them what state they are from.

If you know something about their country/state, tell them – they will be impressed and you will be building a bond.  If you don’t know anything, ask them to point it out on a map and ask some questions.

Recent immigrants especially enjoy looking up their home towns in Google Images or Google Maps.  If I have a few minutes to spare in the classroom, we do this together and project the image.  I tell the class, “This is Jorge’s home town.”  The ensuing conversation really builds bridges between immigrant and “native” students.

USE COGNATES TO BUILD BACKGROUND

Cognates are words that are the same in two languages.  They may not be spelled exactly them same, but they have the same roots.  English and Spanish have many cognates.  Here are some examples:

English               Spanish

Capital              Capital

Colony              Colonia

Geography        Geografia

Magnetic           Magnético

Cognates can help students learn new content by connecting to what they already know in their first language.

· Point out cognates whenever you are aware of them.

· Teach the word cognate to students and encourage them to identify “new” cognates.

· Consider small rewards for students who independently identify cognates.

Links to English/Spanish cognate lists:

Colorin Colorado (A five-page printable list. Very useful)

Tier 1 vocabulary

Science cognates

Math cognates

There are also some  “False Cognates,”  where the same word has different meanings in each language.  Probably the most famous example is embarazada, which means NOT embarrassed, but pregnant! More closely related to school is:

English               Spanish

Library              Biblioteca

Book Store       Libraria

Check out this link for more:

Brown

Be Aware of Tier 2 Vocabulary

ELL Tip #3:  

Tier 1 vocabulary consists of the most common words: blue, mother, car, run, pencil.  Most ELLs will know these words before they come to your class.

Tier 3 vocabulary is the “academic” terms that you teach all your students: hypotenuse, subduction, alliteration.

Tier 2 vocabulary consists of the words that students need to function academically, but that ELLs may not have mastered yet.  Examples are difference, measure, except, underline, margin and compare.  Tier 2 also includes common words with special meanings, like table (periodic table, table of contents, tabled legislation).

Try to cultivate an awareness of these words and the challenge they pose to ELLs, especially during testing.  Don’t count on the students to ask you about them.  As you become more aware of Tier 2 words – especially terms that you know will appear on tests – stop occasionally to check for understanding and give a quick explanation.  (A systematic approach, like vocabulary journals or word walls, is even better!)  Your ELLs (and maybe some of your other students) will benefit.

Here are some links if want to learn more:

Colorin Colorado

Meggin Mcintosh

If you have suggestions of Tier 2 words that we should focus on, please put them in a comment!  

Paul

Comprehensible Input

Here’s today’s tip for helping the ELLs in your class:

This may sound obvious, but it bears repeating – make sure your students understand you.

· Face the students (not the board) when talking to them. 

· Speak slowly and clearly. 

· Don’t use slang or idioms. (What will an English Language Learner think when his teacher says, “I’m all tore up today.”?)

· Use visuals that reinforce spoken or written words.

· Employ gestures for added emphasis

· Exaggerate intonations at times.

All of this is based in research on Comprehensible Input by Steven Krashen.