ESL Teacher Language (Teacher Talk) For Effective Classroom Interactions

ESL Teacher Language (Teacher Talk) For Effective Classroom Interactions Independent Study Course For Teachers of Adult English as a Second Language April 2008 Objectives o Understand the importance and impact of teacher/learner interaction in creating a supportive environment for purposeful learning o Identify categories of teacher language or teacher talk in classroom instruction o Identify common problems or concerns for each category of teacher talk o Identify classroom strategies that encourage effective, meaningful interactions o Practice the identified strategies in at least three application activities o Reflect on personal teacher talk to acknowledge strengths and identify areas of needed improvement o Keep a sense of humor through it all! Kathleen Santopietro Weddel Northern Colorado Professional Development Center ncpdc@stvrain.k12.co.us 303 702-7912

Course Purpose The Independent Study Course is approved and accepted by the Colorado Department of Education, Office of Adult Education and Family Literacy for the purpose of professional development in the field of teaching English as a Second Language to adult learners. The course can be used to fulfill requirements of the Colorado Professional Development System or toward renewal of the Literacy Instruction. The course falls under Strand #1 Self Study and merits 5PD hours. It is estimated that the course will require approximately 8 clock hours to complete including inclass time with the selected application activities. The Audience This Independent Study Course is designed for adult ESL practitioners including novice and experienced classroom teachers. Volunteer tutors and small group instructors may also find the contents valuable for self reflection. How to Use the Study Course 1. The beginning section of the course includes an introduction and background. After reading this section, note resources for further reading. 2. The next section of the course includes classroom strategies that encourage effective teacher-learner interactions. The strategies are described in tables that include sample teacher language and lists of activities and ideas. Read through each table and make note where you may recognize your own voice in the samples. In each table there is a space to note other strategies that you are currently using in your instructional setting. 3. The last section of the course includes Application Activities. You may want to complete two or more activities that are appropriate for your instructional setting or personal needs. Select only the activities that meet your individual needs. 4. If you are using the course to meet PD requirements, share the evaluation form with your program director and discuss the outcome of the Application Activities. Evaluation Page The purpose of the Evaluation Page is to provide AEFLA Program Directors with an instrument to discuss the effectiveness of the course and verify staff participation in the PD activity. Directors should record the teacher s PD hours in the Annual Professional Development Activity Record. K.S. Weddel 7-07 Permission needed to reproduce 1

Introduction For over thirty years I have worked in Adult English as a Second Language in Colorado. Over half of those years have been devoted to staff development endeavors at program, state and national levels. Therefore, I have had the opportunity to observe over 100 teachers in a variety of instructional environments with the following variables. Delivery of instruction included one-to-one lab or tutoring as well as classroom instruction involving from 6 to 50 learners with the same or different cultural backgrounds in leveled or multi-leveled settings. Locations varied including schools, libraries, community colleges, universities, workplaces, prisons, jails, church basements, and even beet fields. Locations varied from Ft. Collins to Trinidad, from Grand Junction to Holyoke, from Cortez to Sterling and from Craig to Lamar. Other observations took place in San Francisco, Boston, St. Louis and Chicago. Teachers were experienced and inexperienced, trained and untrained with educational backgrounds from H.S. diplomas to master s degrees to university professors. Observation times varied from 15 minutes to 2 hours. As you might guess, I learned a great deal from teachers about ESL instruction and am grateful for their dedicated commitment to adult learning. In all of the observations, I listened to, watched for and recorded learner reaction to activities, exercises, and presentations of teachers. The primary focus of observations was the learner not the teacher. I watched for indicators of learner involvement, comfort, and understanding. I watched for language learning. The information shared in this independent study course is based on notes from a sampling of the observations. Purpose In all of the situations, locations, and scenarios listed above, I have found a common topic in post-observation discussions with teachers. Almost everyone wants to talk about teacher talk. There seem to be several common problems or concerns surrounding teacher-learner interactions in classroom and lab settings. The purpose of this course is to identify those problems and to offer classroom strategies that facilitate effective teacher-learner interactions. Mary Ann Cunningham Flores (2001) conducted a series of focus groups with ESOL students at beginning levels from Falls Church, Virginia. She summarized the learners advice to their teachers in an article for Focus on Basics. One piece of advice given by the students was to, Watch your teacher talk. The learners said that teachers used very complicated language that distracted or confused them. Teachers need to be aware of the vocabulary and language structures that they use to prevent and even fill the time in and around lessons. K.S. Weddel 7-07 Permission needed to reproduce 2

The language that teachers use in class, or teacher talk, can have a tremendous impact on the success of interactions they have with students. -- Parrish p.175 According to Parrish (2004) teacher language or teacher talk falls into these categories: Warm-up chats Direct Instruction Giving Directions Giving Feedback Making Transitions Checking understanding Parrish says that all these interactions are appropriate in an ESL class if they employ language that is understood by learners. TESOL Standards for Teachers of Adult Learners (2002) Standard 2: Instructing Teachers create supportive environments that engage all learners in purposeful learning and that promote respectful interactions among learners and between learners and their teachers. Performance Indicators: 2.14 provide corrective feedback 2.15 model natural language use Standard 6: Learning Teachers draw on knowledge of adult language learning to understand the processes by which learners acquire a new language in and out of classrooms. Performance Indicators: 6.5 adjust teacher talk to the English language level of the learner 6.7 serve as English language models for learners A teacher s voice is her essential realia. As with any other piece of valuable realia, it needs to be authentic, meaningful, engaging, and appropriate for adult learners. Santopietro Weddel K.S. Weddel 7-07 Permission needed to reproduce 3

Framework Are you listening to your teacher talk? Maybe you ve heard yourself say things like: Please, get up and wander around. Would you mind passing out the textbooks? Let s start out the day with a nice pair activity. In this independent study course, we ll use the categories listed by Parrish to identify common problems with teacher-learner interactions; we ll call the problems syndromes for lack of a better term. For each syndrome, classroom strategies will be suggested to cure the teacher talk ailments. Hopefully, this approach will help us keep a sense of humor when listening to ourselves a very important skill! After learning about strategies for effective teacher-learner interactions, there are five application activities. The activities facilitate practice in listening to teacher talk from classroom observations and listening to your own voice. In addition to my own ideas, the strategies are taken directly form the resources listed below. Some information is directly quoted and other information is summarized or paraphrased. For further reading about teacher-learner interactions in ESL classrooms, please refer to the resources on page 15. Learners struggle so much to get even the gist of what is being said that they have no attentional resources left over to process any form. Even hearing something over and over again may not help. But when there is simplification of input, the comprehension burden can be eased. Input can be simplified in a number of ways, among which are using shorter sentences, using more common or known vocabulary and by repeating something. -- Van Patten p.38 K.S. Weddel 7-07 Permission needed to reproduce 4

Strategies for Effective Teacher-Learner Interactions Teacher Talk Syndrome Category of Teacher Talk Classroom Strategies Warm Up Chats Ice Breaker Freeze-up Activity Syndrome T: How is everybody on this fine day? Okay. T: Well, uh well, Marta, would you mind telling the rest of the class about something you did over the weekend. Maybe something that happened while you were babysitting your grandchildren. You did baby sit your grandchildren, as usual, yesterday afternoon, right? Marta: Que dice? Warm-up chats may not be appropriate for pre-beginning level learners. Take care not to expect chatting in English until learners have adequate proficiency. Simplify warm-up language. For example: Can anyone tell me about the weather this past weekend? vs. How was the weather Saturday? Use previously learned structures and vocabulary in warm-up questions to review and practice known language. Use planned, practical warm-up questions and write them in lesson plans to insure simplicity. Ask individual learners to begin warm-up chats using their own questions. Warm-up doesn t have to begin with a question, try an activity that is easy to demonstrate. Try to omit open-ended questions that begin with difficult language such as, Who can tell me or Can anyone tell me about Other: K.S. Weddel 7-07 Permission needed to reproduce 5

Teacher Talk Syndrome Category of Teacher Talk Classroom Strategies Direct Instruction Can You Hear Me Now? or Trading Compassions Syndrome T: Now, listen, and repeat the word. Let s practice pronunciation. Are you ready? S: silence T: f a th er fffff aaa ththth ererer S: ffff aaa ththth ererer! T: No dr, th th th th S: dr dr dr dr When new language (vocabulary or structures) is presented use visuals or gestures to convey meaning. A teacher s voice is her essential realia. As with any effective realia it must be comprehensible and authentic. Use authentic pronunciation. We can slow our language without making it unreal. Because speaking slower and louder doesn t equal perfect pronunciation, speak at normal tone when introducing new vocabulary or structures. Keep modeling simple and clear. Don t overload the chalkboard with too much or disorganized text. Don t overload learners; strike a balance between elements that are familiar and mastered and those that are new. One could spend 2 full hours teaching names of body parts, is this beneficial for learners? Don t fall into a vocabulary rut; many learners feel that teachers spend more time on words than how they are used. Maximize learner involvement by getting them to determine meaning of vocabulary items rather than by countless repetitions. Input theory suggests that speed, difficulty, visual clues, gestures and cultural dynamics can surface affective filters (barriers or blocks to learning). Consider Lucy and Ethel at the chocolate factory Other: K.S. Weddel 7-07 Permission needed to reproduce 6

Teacher Talk Syndrome Category of Teacher Talk Classroom Strategies A Lot of Things Mean Little Syndrome T: Okay, now I d like you to work with a partner, two people together for this activity. One person in the activity points to the picture and says, Who is this? and the partner, the other person responds to the question. Two people working together in a pair. Do you understand? S: Yes T: Let s try it. S: Let s try it. T: Any questions? Do you understand? This person points and this person answers. Who is this? S: translation, confusion, silence T: Everybody practice, okay? Okay, I ll help you find a partner. Giving Directions Little Things Mean A Lot Demonstrate or do an example with one learner rather than explaining how to complete a task. The fewer words, the better. Use zero language when possible, just point and/or model a task or activity. Identify steps to an activity and demonstrate each step, one at a time. Steps can be given in one or two word verbs. Use level-appropriate grammar and vocabulary in the language of directions. For low beginning which direction line is more appropriate? What do you see in the picture on page 27? or What s in the picture? or What s this? When in doubt, check course syllabus for targeted grammar or vocabulary for each level. Teach simple classroom imperatives using visuals repeat, read, write, listen, point etc. Post the visuals around room for continued use and add new words as they are introduced. Sketch the activity procedures on the board, labeling students and materials, using numbers and arrows as appropriate. Teach clarification phrases such as: Please repeat. or I don t understand. or Please speak slowly. These phrases can be posted on classroom walls so that students can continually refer to them. Other: S: silence K.S. Weddel 7-07 Permission needed to reproduce 7

Teacher Talk Syndrome Category of Teacher Talk Classroom Strategies That s absolutely magnificent English, excellent pronunciation, perfect usage and very well done. Wish everyone could be as good as you. Syndrome T: Na, you were getting ready to move on Saturday. Tell us about it. Na: Go to the restaurant. Red Lobster in the dinner. I don t know call, my parents with my father and mother-in-law. After this go to see my Father s house and then back home. T: That s great! Na: Go back home and I watch TV and go to bed. T: You have a great memory, Na. I m sure that you study at home. If I could reward everyone who studied at home, I would. Great job, Na! Be honest. Giving Feedback Be positive but don t offer empty praise. Tell why learner performance was good. Use nonverbal feedback i.e., a smile, a gesture, a motion. If incorrect pronunciation or form is used in a learner response to a question, model the correction instead of talking about it. Celebrate success, individually and as a group. Teach vocabulary appropriate for teacher feedback such as good, excellent, need practice, okay etc. Use pictures to portray meaning of the targeted feedback. Try not to compare one learner to another. Comment on the parts of a learner s response that was good and suggest improvements on parts that need improvement. Your pronunciation is good. Let s work on grammar. Other: K.S. Weddel 7-07 Permission needed to reproduce 8

Teacher Talk Syndrome Category of Teacher Talk Classroom Strategies Making Transitions Between Activities Transition slowly, allow for quiet times silence. Moving Right Along Syndrome Show learners when you are transitioning using a large posted picture outline like the one below. Point to activities as you move from one to another. 1. new words T: Okay, well now let me see where we are. I m sorry Graciela, but we don t have time for your response. Graciela: Yes, teacher. T: And maybe, Jorge and Lorena, but we have to move on now. We need to move on because we have to start a new unit today. So, let me begin by showing you a picture. listening speaking reading writing 2. conversation Watch for learners who aren t ready to move on and when appropriate, ask if learners are ready to transition. Teach transition words through modeling and/or pointing to icons on textbook pages. First, listen. Next, read. If the agenda for the night is posted or reviewed, make note when one activity is complete and another begins. For example: -- Review vocabulary -- Conversation -- Reading Practice -- Writing Practice Other: K.S. Weddel 7-07 Permission needed to reproduce 9

Teacher Talk Syndrome Category of Teacher Talk Classroom Strategies Capisce? Capisco. Do you understand? Syndrome T: Maria and Nu are looking at pictures. (teacher reading dialogue) Maria: How old are your children? Nu: My son is six. My daughter is eight. T: Do you understand? S: Yes. T: How old is Nu s daughter? S: silence T: How old is Nu s son? S: son Checking Understanding Why do students say they understand when in fact they may not? Learners believe that they have understood. In some cultures they want to show respect for the teacher. They want to save face (as we all do). -- Parrish Ask learners to complete a task that demonstrates understanding. It s hot in here. Please open the window. Use YES/NO or +/- cards or 1 finger = yes, 2 fingers = no. Ask learners to paraphrase or restate. Ask a question that demonstrates understanding i.e., We don t have childcare at this school. Where can you take your children? Don t always expect learners to volunteer answers to your questions. Use questioning techniques that are not intimidating. Allow for plenty of wait time. It can take many seconds (10-15) to retrieve the information from our memories and then produce a response. Some students may come from cultures where students do not question teachers. Teach phrases asking for clarification, repetition, or simplification i.e., Excuse me. Please repeat. Remember that questions must be comprehensible themselves, use learned language to form questions. Other: K.S. Weddel 7-07 Permission needed to reproduce 10

Application Activity 1 The teacher language given below in the before column is taken from actual classroom observations. Simplify the language for levels indicated in the after column. Remember, Little things mean a lot! Use grammar and vocabulary that are level-appropriate. If needed, use a separate sheet of paper for your revision. Before It s time to learn some new vocabulary words. I d like you to listen first, and then repeat after me. Are you ready? After Low Beginning ESL (SPL 2) Can anyone tell me how you spent the weekend? Who can tell me about a good weekend? High Beginning ESL (SPL 3) Now in small groups, please talk about what you read in the paragraph. Gather in groups of four persons. Answer the questions at the bottom of the page together. When you are finished, you ll report your answers to the whole class. We re going to interview each other. Use the grid to ask three different people, three different questions. Walk around; get out of your seat. You ll record responses in the boxes under the questions. You have about 10 minutes to ask three questions of three people. At this point, we ll need to go to the next exercise on page 37 in your textbook. It s time to practice using the irregular verbs from page 36 in questions about the characters in the story on page 37. As we move to this part of the lesson, remember to use your dictionaries when needed. Low Intermediate ESL (SPL 4) High Intermediate ESL (SPL 5) Low Intermediate ESL (SPL 4) Application Activity #2 Permission Granted to Reproduce 5-08 K.S. Weddel 7-07 Permission needed to reproduce 10

Sometimes ESL textbooks use language for directions to activities that exceed the learners proficiency level. Read the direction lines from each of the books. Should the lines be simplified for the identified level? If yes, write alternative lines. Also summarize how you would demonstrate meaning for learners before they complete the activities. If needed use a separate sheet. Textbook Target Level Taking Off Beginning English Pre-Beginning English, No Problem Book 1 High Beginning Direction Line Who do you see on this page? What s the problem in the picture? Think or talk with a partner. Revision and Demonstration Take Charge 1 Pre-Beginning Read the story on page 134. Write about yourself. Answer questions 1-6 above. Read your story to the class. Read All About It Book 1 High Beginning Read the sentences. Look at the reading to find which sentence is correct. Circle a or b. Check your answers with a partner. Stand Out Book 4 High Intermediate Application #3 With a team, you will solve a company problem in an action committee and create a handout for the class. 1. Form a human resources action committee with four or five students. Choose positions for each member of your team. With your group, carefully read the problem below. 2. Use the steps for making an ethical decision on page 130 to go through each possible solution. 3. Make a final decision. Create a handout explaining the process you went through to come up with your decision. 4. Report your final decision to the class. Permission granted to reproduce 5-08 K.S. Weddel 7-07 Permission needed to reproduce 11

1. Read the following teacher talk out loud. Read it quickly, pausing for breath only when necessary. 2. Use a colored pen to simplify the text. Break the text into shorter sentences. Cross out unnecessary words, phrases, and sentences. Replace complex words with simple words of the same meaning. 3. Read the revised teacher talk out loud again. Use appropriate pace, with sufficient pauses. I would like you to have uh I m going to give you a verb list, I have created of the activities, well actually, it s the list that everyone contributed to yesterday when you were talking about a typical weekday activities and each on this list, each pair of verbs on this list shows the present tense and past tense forms of each verb. They are common verbs and they re the ones we studied yesterday. I have also included a little pronunciation guide for the regular verbs on the list. Please take some time to look over the list and then read it to a person sitting next to you. Only take a few minutes, then we ll continue with the lesson. Application #4 Permission granted to reproduce 5-08 K.S. Weddel 7-07 Permission needed to reproduce 12

Consider your own teacher language in each of the categories below. 1) Prepare an audio tape of an entire class session. 2) Then, listen to the tape and fast forward to the parts of the lesson that involve categories listed below. 3) Write exactly what you said in the second column. 4) Choose one or two of the categories that you d like to work on and give examples of alternative teacher talk. 5) Record yourself again at a different class session. Listen for the differences. What do you think? Categories of Teacher Talk Warm-Up Chats What I Said What I d Like to Say Direct Instruction Directions for Activities Transitions Feedback Checking Understanding Application #5 K.S. Weddel 7-07 Permission needed to reproduce 13

1. Ask an experienced teacher that you admire if you can sit in on a class. The observation doesn t need to be for the entire class period, maybe only enough time to listen to one or two of the categories of teacher talk provided by Parrish. 2. Listen to the teacher talk and note reactions of learners. 3. List three or four strategies used for effective teacher-learner interactions. Teacher Observed Date Class Observation Notes Permission granted to reproduce 5-08 K.S. Weddel 7-07 Permission needed to reproduce 14

Resources Burt, Miriam (2002) 10 Strategies for Teaching Adult English Language Learners NCLE Notes. Vol. 10, No. 2, Winter 2001/2002. Accessed 2-13-07 from http://permanent.access.gpo.gov/lps51143/vol10no2/nnotes102.pdf Cunningham Flores, Mary Ann (2001) Beginning ESOL Learners Advice to Their Teachers NCSALL, Focus on Basics, Vol. 5, Issue A. August 2001. Accessed 2-13-07 from: http://www.ncsall.net/?id=279 Fanslow, John (1992) Contrasting Conversations White Plains, NY: Longman Moss, Donna (2001) Teaching for Communicative Competence, Interaction in the ESOL Classroom NCSALL: Focus on Basics, Vol. 7, Issue C, March 2005. Accessed 2-13-07 from: http://www.ncsall.net/?id=739 Parrish, B. (2004) Teaching Adult ESL A Practical Introduction New York, NY: McGraw Hill Scarcella, R. (1992) Providing Culturally Sensitive Feedback. Richard-Amato The multicultural Classroom Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley Van Patten, B. (2003) From Input to Output: A Teacher s Guide to Second Language Acquisition. New York: McGraw-Hill K.S. Weddel 7-07 Permission needed to reproduce 15

ESL Teacher Language (Teacher Talk) For Effective Classroom Interactions Independent Study Course For Teachers of Adult English as a Second Language Evaluation Form Project Directors or Coordinators: 1. Print the evaluation form. 2. Discuss with the teacher/tutor the outcomes of the Independent Study Course. 3. Make notes on the evaluation form. 4. Record the PD hours in the teacher s Annual Professional Development Activity Record. K.S. Weddel 7-07 Permission needed to reproduce 16

Objective Understand the importance and impact of teacher/learner interaction in creating a supportive environment for purposeful learning Teacher demonstrates ability to perform the objective Teacher needs to expand knowledge in order to perform the objective Teacher demonstrates little or no ability to perform the objective Identify categories of teacher language or teacher talk in classroom instruction Identify common problems or concerns for each category of teacher talk Identify classroom strategies that encourage effective, meaningful interactions Practice the identified strategies in at least three application activities Reflect on personal teacher talk to acknowledge strengths and identify areas of needed improvement K.S. Weddel 7-07 Permission needed to reproduce 17