Assignments Fall 2003

Papers

Readings

Research

Workshop

FIELDTRIP INFORMATION

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Seminar Week 1

Questions and topics of discussion around Baron's Growing Up with Language

* Does Baron have a behaviorist, an innatist or an in-between approach to first language acquisition? Which passages support your answer?

* Brown in A First Language. The Early Stages (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1973) describes five stages in the acquisition of language during the first five years of life. (Two word, emergence of grammar morphemes such as Ðing, plural, etc., sentence modalities, development of sentence combining, development of sound system). Which stages can be described from Baron's book? Are those stages very discrete or overlapping?

* Indicate passages from the book that refer to pre-linguistic interaction. What is the value of such interaction? Include a discussion around the topic "baby-talk"?

* In Structure and Strategies in Learning to Talk (Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development 38(1-2) Serial N¼ 149), Katherine Nelson describes different strategies in linguistic performance, some revealing high linguistic maturity (productive comprehensive, questioning, functional definition, i.e. referential and expressive), and others (i.e., repetition and imitation) demonstrating lower linguistic maturity. Does Baron refer to these strategies?

* Which environmental features can promote linguistic development and which ones can delay it?

* Baron describes the process of first language acquisition. Which passages could be applied to second language acquisition as well?

* In one paragraph, draft a conclusion about the process of first language acquisition drawing from your reading of Baron's text and lectures.

 

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Seminar Week 2

Questions provided by seminar leaders: Katherine Fraser and Miles Thoma


Hakuta and Bialystok's In Other Words

Focusing on the Language, Mind, and Self chapters.
Language:

Self:

Mind:

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Seminar Week 3

Grosjean's Life with Two Languages Chapters 4,5,6
Seminar leaders: Cassandra Close, Evan Ragland and Lauren Trantham

1. Given the information discussed in the last three weeks, what can we now conclude about the relationship between L1 and L2 acquisition?
2. What are the psychosocial effects on bilingual speakers?
3. Grosjean states that bilingualism is not determined by fluency alone but in how and when a bilingual uses his or her language. Do you agree or disagree? Discuss.
4. Baron, Hakuta, and Grosjean have all mentioned the debate of a "critical period". Given their evidence, what conclusions can be drawn?
5. Green states: "What is necessary is some kind of neurological switch which is called a specifier, that has the responsibility of selecting which language to be used". (Hakuta, p. 116). Macnamara mentions an input output switch. Do these processes relate to code switching? And how?
6. Volterra and Taeschner propose a three-stage model of language development in the bilingual child. Does this model correspond with Paridis’ three-storage model of the organization of languages in the brain?
7. Discuss the pros and cons of bilingualism referring to Katchan and other readings.

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Seminar Week 4

Grosjean’s Life with two languages. Chapters 1, 2 and 3. Fishman, Joshua A. "Bilingualism and Biculturism as Individual and as Societal Phenomena."
Gutiérrez, Fernando José. "Bicultural Personality Development: a Process Model."
Helms, Janet E. A Race is a Nice Thing to Have: A Guide to Being a White Person.
Seminar leaders: Victoria Croskrey,, Shara Cunningham and Jackie Schlendwein.

Please take 15 minutes to write your response to Race is a Nice Thing to Have: A Guide to Being a White Person. You can choose to share your writing or not.

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Seminar Week 5

McKay and Wong’s New Immigrants in the United States
Leaders: Sean Maung, Bacchus Taylor and Nicole Laib

During the first half of class each group is to focus on one of the groups discussed in the reading (Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Central Americans, and Vietnamese). For that group, discuss the following questions paying particular attention to incorporating ideas from earlier readings.

What methods of language maintenance are being employed effectively? What areas could be improved?
How has the means and expectation upon arrival affected the language?
How has the social environment determined language acquisition of both English and the mother tongue?

Also bring back a question to discuss in the larger group in regards to how your group compares to the others being discussed.
For the second half of the class the groups will come together and discuss their findings before contrasting the groups.

Some suggested questions in addition to those brought back by the groups:
What factors contribute to the quicker acquisition of language amongst more recent immigrants than that of immigrants of past generations? Why is this process being completed even more quickly in recent Asian immigrants than in Hispanics?

On page 109, the concept of languages being altered through their acquisition in a bilingual setting is discussed. Which of these groups are more likely to experience this concept? How can this process be avoided, and should it?

 

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Seminar Week 6

McKay and Wong’s New Immigrants in the United States

Leaders: Pamela Morgan, Aimee Richardson and Veronica Jayne.

First 45 mins.
In the large group: For each group discussed in Mckay and Wong, identify the factors that are most important to language acquisition (both positive and negative aspects). After identifying these factors, determine what is the main factor responsible for language maintenance/ and or shift in each group.
In small seminar groups:
Answer the following questions under the topic assigned to your group.
School System
- List the characteristics of high and low Tracking as described in "New Immigrants"
- What are the implications of high and low track systems in regards to students and curriculum. (Use examples from To Greet the Dawn With Open Eyes and New Immigrants)
- How does teacher attitude and behavior play a role in tracking (from the above readings)
Policies
-Which policies support language acquisition, bilingual and multicultural education?
- What teaching methods and orientations (as described in New Immigrants and Rehyner article) are suggested by these policies?
- How does teacher attitude and behavior factor into a learner’s experiences (or enforce these policies)
Culture

- Examine the Push and Pull factors (McKay and Wong p.138) of the various groups from New Immigrants. How do different communities develop culturally in the U.S.?
- To what degree do these communities acculturate?
- How does pre-migration exposure to U.S. or post-industrial culture affect their situation in the U.S.?
- How does acculturation effect language maintence in the different groups?
- Relate this issues to family, community and religious structures in each groups.

 

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Seminar Week 7

Facilitation and Questions for Forked Tongue by Rosalie Pedalino Porter
Leaders: Kendra Scheuerlein and Kevin Weyer

15 min group organization, explanation of seminar and receiving of questions
45 min. preparation of arguments
1+ hr. small break and return for debate
45 min. large group, reaction to debate, wrapping up

BASE ALL INFORMATION AND POINTS OF CONTENTION FROM THE BOOKDEBATE QUESTIONS
1. Author calls pro-bilingual educators’ fear of native language loss "unfounded" (p83), agree or disagree. What effect does the validity of this statement have on educational policy, mainstream societal views, etc.?
(ideas pgs. 110-114 pg. 193, pg.116-117)

2. Porter calls the preservation of native language and culture an "upper-class intellectual romanticism" (p 178) is this the case or not? What are the effects on policy, ideas of need of such programs?

3. Does institutionalizing maintenance of native language and culture "reinforce existing inequality?" (pg 189).

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Seminar Week 8

Corson's Language Diversity and Education and Genesee's Educating Second Language Children

Leaders: Lily Martin, Allen Thomas and Kevin Moore

Part One: Language Diversity and Education
We will divide the class into groups of three students and assign each group a question from Language Diversity and Education.
The questions are at the end of each chapter.

Ý Chapter one: questions 2, 4, and 7
Ý Chapter two: questions 2 and 6
Ý Chapter three: questions 4, 5, and 7
Ý Chapter four: question: 5
Ý Chapter five: questions: 2, 4 and 7

Groups will have about 15-20 minutes depending on amount of time needed to discuss the questions and write up on the board some of the conclusions, answers or further questions they came up with.
We will then begin going around the room with each group reading their question and talking about their findings. Each group will be allowed five minutes. Other students are encouraged to add information after the group has finished speaking.
As time allows, we will address the remaining questions particularly from chapters four and five as an open discussion with the class. We will be ending with question seven in Chapter five.
A short 10-15 minute break will be allowed for stretching, refocusing, napping or breakfast. We will revenue and transition into the second book.

Part Two: Educating Second Language Children.At this time posted on the board will be the quote:
"Empowerment can thus be regarded as the collaborative creation of power insofar as it constitutes the process whereby students and educators collaboratively create knowledge and identity through action focused on personal and socials transformation" (Richards 55).
Students will then be asked to free-write for fifteen minutes on the subject of empowerment.
Students will be asked to share their ideas with the class and everyone is encouraged to speak.
We will follow with the discussion:

Ý In your classroom observations at Lester Elementary School, were the students being empowered? Why or why not? (Use examples from Educating Second Language Children, suggestion of pages: 40-44).
As time allows, here are some other questions:
Ý Review the sections: THE CULTURE OF THE SCHOOL, SHIFTS OF POWER IN THE FAMILY AND CULTURAL CONFLICT BETWEEN HOME AND SCHOOL. (PAGES 310-312)

Brainstorm ideas with your group about cultures you are familiar and how they differ significantly from the American teaching style. How does this create a problem in the classroom? What are some possible solutions for teachers to be more culturally sensitive?Ý The section "Variation in language use" talks about dialects and accents. (Reference pages 18-20).
What is the problem with accents? (Is there are problem?) What do you think when you hear a non-native speaker talking? Have you been the non-native speaker before with the accent? How did you feel? How do we begin to break these discriminations based on the way people communicate?

Ý Open floor for comments, complaints, conclusions, and closure.

 

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Seminar Week 10

Ovando and Collier’s Bilingual and ESL Classrooms
Leaders:John Bolton, Jenny Booher and Nicole Trantham

9:00 - 10:30
People will split up into groups according to interest. The groups will be: Mathematics and Science, Social Studies, Assessment, Bilingual Special Education, and School and Community.
The groups will answer the questions as follows and ask themselves "How can you implement this into your community hours next quarter?"

Math and Science
pg 273 #3
"Review the discussions about content ESL and sheltered English instruction in Chapters Two and Four. Select a topic or concept in math or science. How would you shelter your instruction to make the topic meaningful and comprehensible to English language learners."

Social Studies
pg319 #7
"What are some effective social studies instructional strategies that teachers can use with English language learners ? How would you use these strategies in your own classroom?"

Assessment
pg 356 # 6
"What steps will you take to learn more about developing valid and reliable assessments for English language learners?"Bilingual Special Education
"How could you make Special Education class open and beneficial to ELL?"

School and community
pg438 #2
"Why do the authors argue that educators should develop a community portrait of the area served by their particular school? How would you write such a portrait? What characteristics would you include in your community portrait?"

10:30 - 12:00
Each group will have 15 minutes to bring back conclusions about question in book, ideas about implementation in individual community work, and Questions/comments for seminar discussion.

 

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Subjects for presentations and research papers.

You should turn in a brief paragraph stating your selected topic by Thursday, October 23. The paragraph should include a sentence or two defining the specific theme on which you will focus, and another few sentences about your initial approach. Some hints to help you in your selection:

 

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First Response Paper: Language and the individual

Due date: Thursday, October 23.

Subject: The goal of this paper is to demonstrate your understanding of language acquisition and the role of the individual and the environment in accomplishing such task. Describe briefly the most relevant aspects present in L1, L2, and bilingual acquisition (e.g., the relationship between cognitive development and language acquisition). What do L1, L2, and bilingual acquisition have in common and which are the most important aspects necessary to understanding each mode of acquisition?

You may consider applying two of the perspectives (e.g., psychological, sociological, etc.) presented in In other words, or you may prefer to approach your account through a combination of all perspectives. If you decide to analyze a particular theory or theories in relation to the language acquisition process, be sure to clearly establish the reasonsbehind your choice. If you present conflicting theories, be specific about the elements you are using from each approach and why.

The paper should not be longer than five pages. Since you will not be able to be exhaustive in your discussion, you should select those issues that appear more relevant and present them succinctly but coherently.

You should draw information and examples from all the readings and discussions, and organize them to provide a clear picture of your understanding of the process of language acquisition. You should record your sources properly, using consistently the citation style of your choice (MLA, Harvard, etc.).

Due date: Thursday, October 23.

 

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Fall-Winter Project Description

This assignment is due in my faculty mailbox (Sem 3127) on Monday, November 24. The more background and general information you acquire, the easier it will be to specifically establish the core of your work and determine the extent of your interest.

Description
The description of your project should be at least 250 words clearly stating the major theme and/or activity, with related and relevant issues.
Here are some useful hints for writing your description, extracted from the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers :

o Select a subject and/or an activity that interests you and that you can develop within the assigned limits of time and space.
o Determine the purpose of your project. What do you want to achieve through your research, interviews, community-based work, etc?
o Gather your ideas and information in a preliminary list, eliminating anything that seems out of the scope of the specific focus of your project.
o Arrange materials in an order appropriate to the aims of your project and decide on the method or methods you will use to develop it.
o Be realistic: schedule carefully the steps of your work, keeping some flexibility in time for particular problems that may arise.

The description should include:

* Title (straightforward and brief)
* Significance and aims of the project
* Conception and definition of the project (basic ideas or questions to be explored)
* Plan of work and methodology

Bibliography

If there are numerous sources on your subject, you may consider to narrow it by choosing a relevant aspect or topic characteristic, or, in the case of scarce material, you may conduct your bibliographical research on more than one subject.
The bibliography should be in alphabetical order, and you can divide it into sections such as general reference works, books and articles, or according to themes covered. The citations should comply with the MLA format.
Try to include in your bibliography only those titles that directly apply to your topic, for which you should have physical contact with the book or article, or possibly know of its contents by reading indexes or abstracts. You may proceed in your library work by first consulting general reference books that will lead you to more specialized material on the subject; in any case you should have first-hand knowledge of your sources.
You should have a minimum of 8 entries.

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Research Progress Oral Report

Students who have started to conduct research in different topics related to bilingualism and bilingual education will present a summary of their project and future directions.
I have made a tentative schedule for the presentations. Each student will talk for a minimum of 10 minutes to a maximum of 20 including questions.

Monday, December 1
Indian Communities: language, culture and education
12:30-12:50 Jackie Schlendwein "Japanese-Americans in the United States"
12:50 -1:10 Miles Thomas, Acculturation
1:10- 1:30 Lily Martin, "Identity and Biculturalism"
1:30-1;50 John Bolton, "Bicultural Lives"
1:50-2:00 Break
Language, Culture and Teaching: Programs and methods
2:00-2:20 Nicole Laib, "English Acquisition Programs in Washington State"
2:20-2:40 Cassandra Close and Toby de Lucca, Bilingual Education: Success Stories
2:40- 3:00 Kasi Rodriguez, "Current Indian Education and Progress Throughout"
3:00-3:20 Pamela Margon, "Race Relations in Bilingual Classrooms and Communities"
3:20-3:30 Katrina Stern, "Deaf Culture and Education".

 

Wednesday, December 3
Bilingualism and Special education
10:00 -10:20 Katie Fraser, "Language Minority Children with Disabilities"
Language Acquisition
10:20-10:50 Cristina Estenes: "Language in the Brain and Language on the Page"
10:50- 11:10 Allen Thomas, "Effects of Mass Media and Music on Education and 11:10- 11:20 Break
Literacy and Bilingualism
11:20-11:40 Aimee Richardson, "Literacy as a Tool for Early Childhood Language Acquisition Development"
11:40-11:50 Megan Guimon, "Native Language Literacy and Adults: agendas, rationales and programs."
11:50-12:00 Verónica Jaynes, "Teaching Critical Literacy to Promote Empowerment".
12:00-12:10 Kara Herschleb, "ESL Literacy Development: Defining The Role of the Native Language."
Language and Policy
12:10-12:30 Ely Hines, Jenny Booher, Sean Maung and Keving Moore, "Policy and Immigration".
12:30-12:50 Shara Cunningham, Bacchus Taylor, Kevin Weyer, "Language Policy in the United States.
12:50-1:10 Lauren Nicole Trantham, "The Privatization of Predominately Hispanic Populated High Schools in Southern Mexico."

 

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Workshop 1

Please answer the following questions as precisely and clearly as you can.

1) Did you study a language other than English? Which one? How proficient are you in that language?

2) Why did you study another language? How did the knowledge of a language other than English benefit you?

3) How was your experience as a second/foreign language learner? Describe context, aims, and results.

4) Are you planing to use your second/foreign language in the future? How? Would you like to teach, to translate, to travel, etc.?

5) Have you had any experience teaching language? Explain.

6) Would you like to be a language teacher of children or adults? Describe the ideal situation, the ideal audience, the ideal environment for your teaching.

7) List the most important external and internal factors that a teacher and a learner should take into consideration when approaching second/foreign language instruction?

8) List the principal five characteristics that teachers and learners of a second/foreign language should have to be successful.

For the third week, you will revise some of your answers according to the information received around second language acquisition from lectures, readings, and the first chapters of Shrum and Glisan's and Celce-MurciaÕs texts. How much of your own experience can you relate to the processes and methods described?

Interview a student of a second or foreign language about their experience as learners. If you have time, try to decide which methodological approach will suit the needs of such learner.

 

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Workshop 2: Language, context and culture.

(Check http://thandbook.heinle.com/ for great supplemental materials)

1) Focus the discussion around Part one of Episode One in Teacher's Handbook (p. 37). Take approximately 20 minutes to draw general conclusions.

2) Now, establish the most likely situation in which you will be teaching in the near future. Choose one of the themes suggested in Part Two of Episode One (p.37) and develop your scenario (i.e., "series of learner-centered activities based on a specific theme and integrated so that one activity is the basis for the next" (Describe briefly the level of language proficiency and the cultural stage (tourist, survivor, immigrant, citizen) that best characterize your group of learners. Explain if your approach is top-down or bottom-up and the reason of your choice. (This part should be typed and kept in your notebook for future references as we continue developing teaching strategies).

3) For next week, revise your questionnaires and include the revisions in your notebooks. Identify a language class that you would like to observe between week 3 and 4. It can be a language class that you are currently attending.

 

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Workshop 3: Teaching approaches, methods and techniques

(Check http://thandbook.heinle.com/ for great supplemental materials)
1) Last week, you were preparing a scenario for a particular group of learners.

 

2) Develop guidelines for your class observation. Make sure that you establish the goals of your observation with precision.

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Workshop 4: Speaking-Listening.

This week, you and your group will start designing a mini-lesson to be delivered to your classmates during week 8. Use the same group of learners that you described in week 2 of the quarter.

Your lessons should focus on speaking-listening skills. Use the Interpersonal and Presentational Modes and plan a cooperative learning and/or interactive activities (follow some of the ideas of Teacher's Handbook or create your own or some of the suggestions in Celce-Murcia 106-110). You could also draw models from "Planning Lessons" by Jensen (pp. 403-413 of Celce-Murcia)

Make sure that your lesson is well sequenced and properly tailored to your students' level and needs. First establish your objectives clearly, and then proceed to design the activity or activities according to those objectives. Your "lesson" could take more than one class period.

Describe feedback strategies and possible assessment mechanisms for the skills and concepts covered in your lesson.

During your planning, make sure that you respond to the 8 principles listed in page 140 of Celce-Murcia if your are working with young learners in ESL or foreign language classes. Some of them may be applicable to adult classes as well.

You will have 15-20 minutes to present your lesson (or part of it) to the class, followed by a brief explanation of the comprehension and communicative strategies that you applied in its design and presentation.

The lesson plan should be typed and included in your notebook, and it should be followed by a brief reflection on its methodological effectiveness.

 

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Workshop 5: Observing and Listening

(try the following username: worldsite and password: scott to access extra material on the Teachers’ Handbook Website.
You should turn in your portfolios this Friday, at noon. Bring them to my office, Seminar 3113. Thank you.

In small groups, discuss the results of your observations.

 

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Workshop Week 7. Mini-lessons

This week, you and your group will continue designing a mini-lesson that will be delivered to your classmates during week 8. Make sure that your group of learners is well defined and its major characteristics are described clearly.

Your lessons should focus on speaking-listening skills, and include one reading or writing activity, or both. For the reading activity, include concepts such as prediction, schemata, Language Experience Approach, interaction between reading, speaking, writing and listening skills, and explain in two or three sentences the appropriateness of the technique chosen. Make sure you address cultural dimensions as well. If you are using a particular text, consider the pre-reading, while-reading and post- reading phases in your planning.

If you are planning a writing activity, define your task (practical, emotive, etc.), the techniques for getting started (brainstorming, listing, free writing, etc.) and the kind of feedback (focused on form or focused on content, oral or written, peer revision, etc.) and evaluation (holistic, analytic, primary trait) that you will be providing. For ESL or EFL classes, you could use the Process-Writing model (pp. 237-238 of the Teacher's Handbook). If you are teaching EFL in elementary or middle school, consider the story-based language approach (Teacher's Handbook: Chapter 7). In two or three sentences, defined the role that grammar plays in the process and results of your activity.

Your lessons should be 10 minutes long, followed by a brief explanation of the comprehension and communicative strategies that you applied in its design and presentation.

The lesson plan should be typed and included in your notebook, and it should be followed by a brief reflection on its methodological effectiveness.

 

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Field Trip Information

We will be leaving for Lister Elementary School (2106 E. 44th Street, 98404. Phone: (253) 571-2066) on Tuesday, November 18 at 8:45 am. . We will meet at 8:30 am at the bus loop. Please, make sure that you have all the following items:
* If you are one of the drivers, make sure you have obtained the corresponding license from the motor pool office.
.* Notebooks.
* Enthusiasm and any other required element to have a successful and fun field trip.

During our visit to Lister, we will have the opportunity to visit the school and learn about their ESL program. I am providing some ideas/questions to keep in mind or to ask about during the visit.
1) Student Background: How are students selected for the programs? Which assessment tools are used to determine proficiency levels?
2) Class Structure
3) ESL Instruction to LEP students: Is the instruction received in groups or individually? Which subjects are taught in English? Is the language of the students used for instruction? Are there enough basic materials? Is their quality acceptable? What supplementary materials are used? Are there enough supplementary materials? Is their quality acceptable?
4) English Reading: Same questions as in section 3 + Who teaches ESL and English reading to Spanish-dominant students? Is there a relationship between oral and reading lessons in all languages? When do students begin to receive reading instruction in English? How is the reading transition to English made? When does it begin?
5) Paraprofessionals: What are the specific duties of the aide in the classroom or when tutoring individual students?
6) Parent Involvement: How involve are parents and in which ways?
7) Communications: Is the administration sensitive to classroom needs? What kind of relationship exists between ESL program personnel and other administrators and teachers in the school district?

 

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Field Trip to Evergreen Elementary School

We will be leaving for Evergreen Elementary School (900 West Franklin Street, Shelton, WA 98584, 360- 426-8281) on Tuesday, December 2 at 8:30 from the bus loop. Stephen Warner, the school's principal, have informed the teachers about our visit. You will divide in small groups (4-5 people in each).

After the visit, please, write a brief reflection (two-page or so) on both programs that we visit based on your impression, reactions and the material that we covered this quarter (Ovando and Collier’s text should be very useful to inform your report). You could use the same guideline provided for our visit to Lister Elementary School. Please bring your reflection with you to our first workshop meeting in the winter.

 

 

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