ESL Level 1- Beginning Communication in English


This course builds on students’ previous education and language knowledge to introduce basic literacy skills and help students adjust to their new cultural environment. Students will develop the ability to use oral and written English for daily needs, acquire basic conversation skills and vocabulary, and use simple sentence patterns. Students will also acquire basic orientation information related to their needs as newcomers.

Oral and Visual Communication

By the end of this course, students will:

• participate in oral learning tasks and engage in social interaction in the classroom;
• use high-frequency words and simple sentence patterns to communicate meaning;
• demonstrate some awareness of different levels of formality in social interaction;
• obtain key information from media works.

Specific Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

• demonstrate an understanding of classroom directions and activities, and of key vocabulary;
• understand and respond to a short, simple story, either told or read aloud (e.g., retell key events, ask questions, express opinions and preferences);
• give and respond to straightforward directions and instructions;
• describe personal experiences;
• participate in conversations by responding to specific questions, using short phrases;
• use some major forms of non-verbal communication, common courtesies, and variations in tone of voice in English.

Developing Accuracy in Oral Communication

By the end of this course, students will:

• use basic conversational vocabulary in the school and community environment (e.g., frequently used verbs; names of articles of clothing, foods, places in the community);
• use subject-predicate (noun-verb) word order, the verb to be, simple verb tenses, negatives, questions, plurals, pronouns, and common contractions;
• express feelings in a variety of contexts, using suitable vocabulary (e.g., express likes and dislikes);
• imitate some key English stress and intonation patterns (e.g., rising intonation at the end of a question).

Using English in Socially and Culturally Appropriate Ways

By the end of this course, students will:

• respond to teachers and peers with an appropriate degree of formality in most classroom situations;
• use gestures and facial expressions to bridge gaps in English- language knowledge;
• use polite forms for greetings and leave-takings in formal and informal situations;
• obtain a teacher’s attention in a courteous manner;
• use an appropriate speech volume in different settings (e.g., in a library or gymnasium, in small-group discussions);
• take turns in conversations and classroom discussions.

Developing Technology Knowledge and Skills

By the end of this course, students will:

• view, listen to, and read media works to obtain information and to complete assigned tasks (e.g., report the weather as forecast on television; compile sports scores from the newspaper; obtain geographical data about The USA from an online database);
• follow teacher presentations on overhead transparencies or power point;
• retell key events from films that have little or no dialogue or narration.

New York State Learning Standards for ESL (Standard: Performance Indicator)

• 1:2 – Students will listen, discuss, interpret information from various sources such as video, audio, maps, charts, graphs, and media presentations.
• 1:3 – Students will use anecdotes and personal experiences
• 1:5 – Students will formulate, ask, and respond to various questions.
• 1:6 – Students will present information using appropriate vocabulary and relevant details.
• 1:12 – Students will convey information using appropriate grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, and intonation.
• 1:13 – Students will engage in collaborative activities through a variety of groupings to share, discuss, and present information.
• 1:16 – Apply learning strategies to acquire information including but not limited to using prior knowledge, questioning, exploring cognates, applying ideas to new setting and experiences.
• 4:2 – Describe and recommend a favorite activity, book, song, etc to appropriate audience.
• 4:4 – Listen, take turns speaking, and build on others’ ideas when engaged in pair and group discussions.
• 4:6 – Use oral communication strategies such as request for clarification and repairing miscommunication.
• 4:7 – Follow oral and written directions to participate in classroom activities.
• 4:8 – Negotiate and manage classroom interactions.
• 4:12 – Apply self-monitoring and self-correcting strategies such as starting over, rephrasing, and exploring alternative pronunciation and wording.
• 5:2 – Demonstrate a range of U.S. cultural referents such as holidays, customs, and schooling.
• 5:3 – Share cross-cultural experiences.
• 5:4 – Interpret nonverbal communication cues such as gestures, body language, and intonation.

Activities & Differentiated Instruction Applications

• Teachers College Workshop Model adaptations – reading out loud by the teacher, point to the pictures, turn-and-talk, accountable talk;
• teacher directed and group discussions;
• Conversation starters and choral repetition;
• Rossetta Stone software to help label the environment and improve pronunciation;
• Listen to the news pod casts;
• Watch documentaries;
• Make oral presentations on geography;
• Listen to teacher’s media presentations;
• Students, grouped by ability, will engage in different skill mastery exercises such as role playing, interviews, mock phone conversations, etc.

Reading

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

• read and respond to short passages from fiction and non-fiction texts designed or adapted for beginning learners of English, with teacher guidance;
• use some reading strategies to acquire key English vocabulary from simple texts for classroom studies, with teacher guidance;
• use some key reading strategies for decoding and comprehension, with teacher guidance;
• find specific information in straightforward reference materials, with teacher guidance.

Specific Expectations

Reading & Responding

By the end of this course, students will:

• read language-experience stories composed by the class, and identify or read aloud specific words or sentences;
• follow simple written instructions (e.g., fill in the blanks; circle the correct answers);
• extract information from signs, advertisements, notices, timetables, and maps relating to the school and community environment;
• read and retell simple stories, using a variety of strategies (e.g., picture sequencing, sentence combining, dramatization);
• select, read, and respond to abridged and modified material (e.g., write a personal response to a story);
• use classroom and school libraries to find suitable reading material for personal enjoyment.

Developing Vocabulary

By the end of this course, students will:

• demonstrate comprehension of the vocabulary and phrases common in the print environment of the school and community (e.g., choose words or phrases to label objects or locations; complete a sentence; provide a caption for a photograph or an illustration);
• determine the meaning of unfamiliar words, using pictures and illustrations;
• use dictionaries to clarify word meanings (e.g., bilingual, pictorial, and monolingual learner dictionaries);
• include key conceptual vocabulary in personal word lists for classroom study.


Using Reading Strategies for Comprehension

By the end of this course, students will:

• identify the letters of the Roman alphabet in both print and script;
• decipher new words, using phonics and simple sound patterns as aids;
• use alphabetical order in tasks such as searching the telephone book and learner dictionaries;
• demonstrate comprehension of some simple language forms or patterns used in texts, such as simple verb tenses, adjectives, question forms, negatives, plurals, common contractions, and basic prepositions of location and direction (e.g., provide a missing word in a predictable pattern such as noun-verb-adverb);
• use punctuation and capitalization to determine meaning (e.g., recognize proper nouns).

Developing Research Skills

By the end of this course, students will:

• locate key information in maps, and monolingual learner and bilingual dictionaries, encyclopedias, reference charts;
• locate key facts in informational texts designed or adapted for beginning learners of English.

New York State Learning Standards for ESL (Standard: Performance Indicator)

• 1.1 – Use structural and context (picture) clues, understand letter-sound relationships to decode difficult words to make the text comprehensible and meaningful.
• 1.2 – Read non-fiction books for young adults, reference books, online magazines, textbooks related to cross-content areas.
• 1.14 – Consult print and non-print resources in the native language when needed.
• 1.16 – Apply Learning strategies to make comprehensible and meaningful including the use of reference materials, context clues, graphic organizers, and exploring cognates and root words.
• 2.1 – Read and Listen to poems, myths, fables, and novels in modified form including the works of American popular culture.
• 2.5 – Summarize, make predictions, and inferences.
• 2.6 – Read aloud with some confidence and fluency to demonstrate comprehension.
• 3.5 – Recognize how structural features such as organization and visuals affect readers’ understanding of the text.
• 3.8 – Apply self-correcting strategies such as starting over to effectively evaluate the text.
• 3.9 – Use context clues, graphic organizers, prior knowledge, root words and cognates to interpret and synthesize printed materials.

Activities & Differentiated Instruction Applications

• Rossetta Stone Software – Reading Component Level One Curriculum – matching vocabulary, picture and audio support, use of context clues.
• Beginner non-fiction textbook – level one – basic vocabulary, cloze activities, new context vocabulary use, basic comprehension questions, higher order thinking skills such as inference, author’s purpose, main idea, and making connections.
• Leveled classroom library with high interest/low reading level picture books, adaptations of novels, native language resources.
• A compellation of online resources at www.umitserin.com available to individualize reading instruction based on reading level (as determined by Scrantron) and the rate of progress (as determined by the teacher’s progress assessments and portfolios).

Writing


Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

• write in a variety of forms, with teacher guidance;
• use some simple sentence patterns and key conventions of standard English to write about classroom topics and activities.


Specific Expectations

Relating Purpose to Form

By the end of this course, students will:

• create individual and group language-experience stories (e.g., sequence and provide captions for a series of pictures/photographs);
• write short, structured compositions of personal relevance (e.g., follow a model to produce a simple journal entry);
• write basic personal information on simple forms;
• compose short messages (e.g., write simple questions, notes, and greetings).

Developing Accuracy in Written Communication

By the end of this course, students will:

• write legibly, using the Roman alphabet, in cursive and printed form;
• write simple assertive, interrogative, and imperative sentences;
• use simple verb tenses, plurals, pronouns, count nouns, adjectives, and basic prepositions, with teacher guidance;
• use the negative construction in simple sentences;
• use capitals at the beginning of sentences and for frequently occurring proper nouns (e.g., names, countries, months);
• use periods and question marks at the end of sentences, and apostrophes in commonly used contractions;
• spell frequently used words from classroom and personal word lists;
• confirm spellings, using learner, bilingual, and pictorial dictionaries and classroom charts;
• use some notebook conventions and formats appropriate to other subject areas (e.g., headings, titles, dates).

New York State Learning Standards for ESL (Standard: Performance Indicator)

• 1.3 - Students will write selecting information appropriate to the topic using facts, examples, and personal experiences.
• 1.5 - Respond to questions to clarify and extend meaning.
• 1.7 – Present information clearly in such forms as paraphrases, summaries, charts, posters, and other graphics.
• 1.8 – Select a focus and organization for written presentations.
• 1.9 – Convey information using details and illustrations in chronological order.
• 1.11 – Use the process of prewriting, drafting, and revising.
• 1.12 – Convey information and ideas using appropriate grammar and writing conventions.
• 1.15 – Apply self-correcting strategies for accurate language production in written presentation of information.
• 1.16 – Apply learning strategies to make writing more comprehensible and meaningful. Such strategies include using prior knowledge, graphic organizers, reference materials, and applying ideas to new settings and experiences.
• 2.8 – Create stories and sketches using basic features of a literary genre such as basic plot or simple rhymes.
• 3.1 – Develop and justify the rationale for positions such as using persuasive language.
• 3.5 – Recognize the effect of organization and vocabulary on the reader.
• 4.1 – Use notes to self, electronic messages, and diary entrees applying the conventions of social writing.
• 4.2 - Describe and/or recommend a favorite book, sport, etc. to a specific audience.
• 4.7 – Provide directions to peers in selected interactions.
• 4.9 – Use appropriate vocabulary for the given intents and purposes.
• 5.5 – Compare and contrast traditions, norms of behavior, and universal cultural themes.
• 5.6 – Recognize and demonstrate an appreciation of some commonalities and distinctions across cultures and groups, including students’ own.

Activities & Differentiated Instruction Applications

• Respond to basic comprehension and critical thinking questions after reading the text.
• Write basic personal information such as the address, directions, other personal information.
• Use pre-writing, drafting, and editing process following the teacher’s model.
• Give physical description of a person, place, or a thing using a variety of adjectives.
• Follow the format of written response to literature following the teacher’s model and prompts.
• Create wordlists for challenging vocabulary.
• Create postcards, advertisement posters, collaborative charts, and blog entrees with specific audience in mind.
• Make personal response journal entrees such as small moment writings using prior knowledge and pre-taught vocabulary.
• Fill out graphic organizers such as KWL, t-charts, Venn Diagram, sun chart.
• Write personal response journal entrees such as autobiography, biography of friends and family members.
• Write a basic position paper defending an opinion.
• Write a basic comparison essay using comparative and superlative verbs.

Please, note that Beginner writing is a Differentiated activity by default. Second Language Acquisition theory stipulates that stages of language learning cannot be rearranged, omitted, or accelerated. Only language immersion can provide a strong foundation for language learning. Therefore, ESL classroom is a differentiated environment, where a teacher is a small group facilitator, not a lecturer.

ESL Level 2 - Intermediate

This course expands students’ essential English communication skills and cultural knowledge and introduces the language of classroom studies. Students will develop oral classroom skills and reading strategies, expand their vocabulary, and use more complex sentence patterns. Students will also learn how to use some school and community resources.
Furthermore, the second half of this course is designed to improve students’ accuracy in using English in classroom situations, and to help them understand the changing world around them. Students will study and interpret a range of texts and produce a variety of forms of writing. Activities will also help students to develop their oral presentation skills and acquire study skills (including note-taking and summarizing skills) that will enhance their ability to learn in all subjects.
Students in this class will not attend a mainstream English classroom. ESL instruction will emphasize ELA content as identified by the New York State ELA 9-12 Standards as well as cross-curricular academic skills.

Oral and Visual Communication

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

• participate in conversations on familiar topics in some social situations;
• recognize and respond appropriately to body language, pauses, and common stress and intonation patterns in English speech;
• understand and use some key subject-specific vocabulary in classroom discussions when visual aids are used;
• communicate orally, using accepted word order, common tenses, and other features of English grammar with some accuracy and consistency;
• use appropriately some features of language that indicate different levels of formality in English;
• demonstrate comprehension of key information from media works.
• initiate and take part in conversations, participate in classroom discussions, and make short oral presentations, with teacher guidance, using a variety of subject-specific words and expressions;
• create and analyze a variety of media works.

Specific Expectations

Developing Fluency in Oral Communication

By the end of this course, students will:

• maintain face-to-face conversations on familiar topics;
• determine meaning by requesting clarification and restating information when necessary;
• listen to others and stay on topic in group discussions;
• offer and respond to greetings, introductions, invitations, farewells, compliments, and apologies;
• use short sentences and phrases to tell stories, recount events, provide directions or instructions, and give opinions;
• use tone of voice, gestures, and other non-verbal cues to help clarify meaning when describing events, telling stories, and stating opinions;
• use the customary stress and intonation patterns of English speech to emphasize meaning or to express feelings (e.g., add emphasis to certain words; use intonation to express surprise).
• use tone of voice and gestures to clarify meaning in conversations (e.g., stress key content words to specify meaning);
• participate in group work, cooperative games, and teamwork;
• use a variety of strategies to participate in small-group discussions (e.g., ask questions to clarify a point; elaborate and/or modify statements to find a basis for agreement);

Developing Accuracy in Oral Communication

By the end of this course, students will:

• use, in simple contexts, some key vocabulary learned in other subject areas (e.g., explain how to solve a mathematics problem);
• restate important information from presentations that include visual aids (e.g., pictures, charts, models);
• use common tenses, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions, common idioms, some two-word verbs, and some interrogative and negative constructions appropriately and with some consistency.
• use common grammatical patterns with a degree of accuracy (e.g., make subject and verb agree; make verb tenses consistent; make possessive pronouns agree with antecedents);
• use some transition words and phrases to link ideas (e.g., to show sequence, to compare and contrast).


Using English in Socially and Culturally Appropriate Ways

By the end of this course, students will:

• exchange information about cultural variations in non-verbal communication (e.g., discuss the gestures, facial expressions, or conventions of eye contact of various cultures);
• demonstrate knowledge of appropriate verbal behavior in a variety of contexts (e.g., conventions for making requests, interrupting, leave-taking).
• determine appropriate language use in a variety of social contexts (e.g., at a school assembly, on the sports field...);
• rehearse language in a variety of social contexts (e.g., role- play different styles of greetings and apologies to peers or teachers; role-play a telephone conversation making an appointment with a friend, a school counselor, or a prospective employer);
• recognize and begin to use the style of language appropriate to formal meetings.

Developing Media Knowledge and Skills

By the end of this course, students will:

• view, read, and listen to media works to obtain information and complete assigned tasks (e.g., school announcements, television and radio news, newspaper advertisements, short geography documentaries on the USA, CD-ROMs, online databases with information on and images of the USA).
• respond through discussion to a variety of media works;
• compare information about current events and issues from more than one media source (e.g., television and newspaper accounts of the same event);
• create moving image/audio original presentations.

New York State Learning Standards for ESL (Standard: Performance Indicator)

In addition to the standards and performance indicators identified in the Beginners Course, the following standards will be addressed in the ESL Intermediate course.

• 1.1 – Students will listen for specific purpose or selectively for main ideas and details to make information more comprehensible and meaningful.
• 1.7 – Present information in opal form in form of a summary or a presentation.
• 1.8 – Select a focus and point of view for an oral presentation.
• 1.15 – Apply self-monitoring and self-correcting strategies for accurate language production in oral presentation.
• 2.2 – Apply listening strategies to make literary text meaningful.
• 2.9 – Engage in collaborative activities through a variety pair and group activities to create and respond to literature.
• 2.10 – Discuss and respond to literary work using appropriate and effective vocabulary
• 2.11 – Apply self-monitoring and self-correcting strategies such as asking questions, starting over rephrasing in response to literary texts and essays.
• 4.1 – Develop and present clear interpretations and evaluations and ideas and experiences using persuasive and argumentative language and tone.
• 3.6 – Speak using the convention and features of American English to argue the position using the precise vocabulary, intonation, and pronunciation.
• 4.3 – Request and provide information orally for personal, social, and academic purposes.
• 4.5 – Explain actions, choices, and decisions in social and academic situations.
• 4.9 – Use socially appropriate vocabulary for various audiences, purposes, and routines.
• 5.1 – Demonstrate and understanding of cultural and language patterns and norms of American English such as formality, slang, humor, idioms, etc.
• 5.6 – Recognize and demonstrate appreciation of some commonalities and distinctions across cultures.

Activities & Differentiated Instruction Applications

• Teachers College Workshop Model adaptations – reading out loud by the teacher, point to the pictures, turn-and-talk, accountable talk;
• teacher directed and group discussions;
• Recital of poetry and choral repetition;
• Rossetta Stone software to help enhance the vocabulary and improve pronunciation;
• Listen to the news pod casts;
• Watch documentaries;
• Make oral presentations in defense of position;
• Listen to teacher’s media presentations;
• Record own voice in the original presentations;
• Students, grouped by ability, will engage in different skill mastery exercises such as role playing, interviews, mock phone conversations, etc.

Reading


Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

• respond to a range of short fiction and non-fiction texts, using a variety of strategies;
• choose reading materials for study and personal enjoyment, with teacher guidance;
• demonstrate knowledge of English vocabulary related to classroom studies;
• read texts with familiar content or vocabulary, using a variety of reading strategies;
• choose appropriate resources from preselected materials for use in teacher-directed assignments.
• choose and read books at the appropriate reading level for a variety of purposes;
• demonstrate knowledge of subject-specific terms;
• read for specific purposes, with teacher guidance;
• locate and evaluate resource materials for guided research and career exploration, with teacher guidance.


Specific Expectations

Reading and Responding

By the end of this course, students will:

• demonstrate understanding of fiction and non-fiction texts designed or adapted for second-language learners (e.g., by completing graphic organizers, participating in teacher-led discussions, retelling content, relating information to background knowledge, and making a personal response);
• use classroom, school, and local libraries to find reading materials for study and personal enjoyment.
• read and respond to a variety of fiction and non-fiction materials selected for study and pleasure (e.g., participate in literature study groups; give short book talks; write book reports);
• identify a writer’s or character’s point of view in short novels;
• describe the function of various story elements in short works of fiction (e.g., character, plot, setting);
• identify elements of style appropriate to various text forms (e.g., salutations and closings in letters, summaries in short reports, dialogue in narratives).

Developing Vocabulary

By the end of this course, students will:

• use context and familiar vocabulary in texts to infer the meaning of new words;
• use vocabulary-acquisition strategies (e.g., check learner dictionaries; recognize common prefixes, suffixes, and word families; use knowledge of common sound-symbol relationships and dictionary pronunciation guides to aid in pronouncing new words);
• maintain a vocabulary notebook or list for various subject areas (e.g., “Words for Science”, “Words for Mathematics”).
• demonstrate knowledge of some key specialized terms in different subject areas (e.g., photosynthesis, osmosis, membrane in biology);
• use dictionaries and a thesaurus to build vocabulary.

Using Reading Strategies for Comprehension

By the end of this course, students will:

• extract information from specific features of text (e.g., headings, margin notes, glossaries, charts, diagrams, photos);
• demonstrate comprehension of teacher-prepared texts and summaries (e.g., through completion of cloze passages related to the content of text);
• state the main idea of individual passages that contain familiar vocabulary;
• skim text with familiar vocabulary or content for overall comprehension (e.g., find the main idea; determine the author’s purpose);
• scan text with familiar vocabulary or content for specific information (e.g., locate key information in a mathematics problem expressed in narrative form);
• extract information from specific features/sections of grade-level texts (e.g., footnotes, chapter summaries, tables, illustrated figures);
• recognize patterns of word structure and derivation and use them to determine meaning (e.g., origin/original/originate);
• demonstrate comprehension of passages containing complex verb forms, with teacher guidance (e.g., sections of grade-level texts containing possessives, verb phrases, comparatives, progressive tenses, and conjunctions, the past-perfect tense, passive verbs, or conditional structures).

Developing Research Skills

By the end of this course, students will:

• locate information in subject-specific non-fiction sources (e.g., math posters, natural science series, abridged biographies);
• use a graphic organizer provided by the teacher to extract information from pre-selected texts (e.g., to find examples or supporting details).
• select appropriate materials for research on classroom topics and for career planning (e.g., select the career pamphlets or databases that are most relevant for a particular research purpose);
• compare information from various sources for classroom research (e.g., print and non-print magazines and newspapers, the Internet);
• take notes from a variety of sources, using graphic organizers such as charts and tables as a guide.

New York State Learning Standards for ESL (Standard: Performance Indicator)

• 1.3 – Select information suitable for the purpose of investigation.
• 1.4 – Compare, contrast, and synthesize information.
• 1.6 – Make inferences based on the facts and relevant details.
• 2.2 – Apply reading strategies to make literary text comprehensible and meaningful such as skimming, scanning, and previewing.
• 2.4 – Locate and identify a wide range of literary elements to interpret and compare work such as character, plot, theme, imagery, etc.
• 2.11 – Apply self-monitoring and self-correcting strategies while reading such as asking questions, rephrasing, and starting over.
• 3.2 – Assess, compare, and evaluate texts and visual presentations based on established criteria.
• 5.2 – Read to understand broad range of U.S. cultural and political referents and contrast these with student’s native community.

Activities & Differentiated Instruction Applications

• Read fiction – poetry, short stories, novel excerpts, young adult novels, classic works adaptations. Abundant materials are in the classroom library, the textbooks, and online.
• Non-fiction – information articles, opinionated editorials, online magazines, textbooks with language enrichment exercises.
• Peer-edit other students’ writing based on the established criteria for evaluation.
• Take notes for non-fiction and fiction summaries.
• Maintain an independent reading journal.
• Conduct independent research about US holidays and traditions.

Writing


Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

• write in a variety of forms for various purposes and audiences;
• use some elements of the writing process, with teacher guidance, with an emphasis on prewriting activities;
• use a variety of simple sentence patterns and basic conventions of standard English with some accuracy in written work.
• use the writing process, with teacher guidance, with an emphasis on peer and independent review of content and organization;
• arrange ideas in logical order and present them in linked sentences and simple paragraphs;
• use a variety of sentence patterns and conventions of standard English with some accuracy in written work.

Specific Expectations

Relating Purpose to Form

By the end of this course, students will:

• write short journal entries, notes, dialogues, narratives, autobiographies, reports, personal responses, and letters, with teacher guidance;
• respond appropriately to written questions based on familiar academic content (e.g., by writing short sentences or phrases; by completing graphic organizers).
• make notes in some detail as preparation for writing on familiar topics;
• compose stories, poems, and dialogues;
• write expository paragraphs related to classroom assignments or on topics of personal interest;

Applying the Writing Process

By the end of this course, students will:

• generate and organize ideas for writing, using graphic organizers provided by the teacher (e.g., charts, webs, and timelines);
• compose a first draft of a simple composition;
• use graphics to format and embellish pieces of writing.
• revise first drafts to clarify ideas and improve organization;
• link simple paragraphs about a central idea, using common transition words (e.g., first, next, then, both) to indicate relationships such as sequence of events or points of comparison;
• edit their own writing, with attention to specific language features identified by the teacher (e.g., tense consistency, subject-verb agreement, use of articles);
• use word-processing software to compose and edit their writing;


Developing Accuracy in Written Communication

By the end of this course, students will:
• use common tenses and verb phrases, adjectives, adverbs, and some conjunctions in their writing;
• use a variety of simple sentence patterns in their writing;
• use vocabulary-acquisition strategies to spell words correctly (e.g., knowledge of prefixes, suffixes, and word families);
• check spelling, using a variety of resources (e.g., learner dictionaries, word lists, spell checkers);
• use capitals for proper nouns, commas to separate items in lists, and quotation marks for direct speech, with some consistency.
• use a variety of simple, compound, and complex sentences in their writing
• use passive voice, conditionals, and adverb and adjective phrases in some written work;
• use correct spelling and punctuation for common abbreviations;

New York State Learning Standards for ESL (Standard: Performance Indicator)


• 1.4 – Compare, contrast, and synthesize information, and identify complexities of issues.
• 1.10 – Distinguish between fact and opinion, and relevant and irrelevant information in written presentations.
• 1.13 – Engage in collaborative writing activities to analyze, synthesize, and present information.
• 2.1 – Write to discuss a variety of texts from a wide range of authors, genres, and subjects.
• 2.4 – Begin to locate and explain the significance of use of literary elements in a work of literature and contrast the work to other works and student’s own experience.
• 2.7 – Compose responses to and interpretations of published literary works and the work of peers referring to details and features of the text.
• 2.9 – Engage in collaborative writing projects.
• 3.2 – Recognize multiple points of view within and among groups.
• 3.6 – Write using the conventions and features of American English to influence the audience (persuade, negotiate, argue).
• 4.5 – Explain actions, choices, and decisions in social and academic situations.
• 5.2 – Recognize and share cross-cultural experiences.

Activities & Differentiated Instruction Applications


• Write essays to compare and contrast personal preferences, literary characters, or current issues.
• Edit work to omit superfluous information and add significant details.
• Maintain an independent reading journal to respond to and interpret published literary works.
• Create collaborative posters to respond to and interpret the meaning, summarize, or show comprehension of literary element use within the text.
• Re-write fiction from another character’s point of view.
• Write editorials and persuasive essays on a variety of topics.
• Write personal narratives that explain choices and decision-making process in different situations.
• Write personal narratives to demonstrate and share cross-cultural experiences.

ESL Level 3- Advanced

This course prepares students to use English with increasing accuracy in most classroom and social situations. Students will develop the reading, writing, and oral presentation skills required for success in all subjects. Students will study and interpret a variety of grade-level texts, develop oral communication skills through participation in informal debates and seminars, and extend their range of research skills.

Furthermore, this course prepares students for secondary school English and other courses at the college and university preparation levels. Students will be encouraged to develop independence in reading literary works and academic texts, in writing essays and narratives, and in applying learning strategies and research skills effectively. Students will also learn to respond critically to print and media works.

As a mixed grade environment, this course will differentiate along the lines of ELA Regents preparation assistance and the NYSESLAT prep with heavy emphasis on grade appropriate content and skill instruction. The overall objective is for the advanced students to achieve native speakers’ proficiency in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Such proficiency is determined by the NYSESLAT administered once a year in April.

Please, note that the Advanced ESL instruction builds on the foundation the previous courses. Although, not a pre-requisite class, Intermediate ESL and its NYS Learning Standards are assumed to have been mastered. However, the instruction will not be limited to the Performance Indicators outlined below for reasons of different (to be differentiated by definition) pace and sequence of second language acquisition among the students.

Oral and Visual Communication

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

• communicate orally, using patterns of English grammar and pronunciation with the accuracy necessary for continued success in subject classrooms;
• use the elements of English grammar with increasing accuracy in speech;
• use appropriate language and non-verbal communication strategies in a variety of situations;
• initiate, sustain, and conclude conversations and discussions on a wide variety of topics of personal, social, and academic interest;
• analyze a variety of social contexts to determine the appropriate style of language and non-verbal behavior to use in them;
• create and analyze a variety of media works in forms appropriate for different purposes and audiences.


Specific Expectations

Developing Fluency in Oral Communication

By the end of this course, students will:

• respond to and use some implicit commands and messages such as indirect requests.
• recognize and use a variety of conversational strategies such as opening formulas, attention-getting phrases, turn-taking signals, and closing formulas.
• use a variety of communication strategies to bridge gaps in their English-language knowledge (e.g., ask for clarification; paraphrase; use facial expressions and gestures to convey meaning);
• use the pronunciation, stress, rhythm, and intonation patterns of spoken English with accuracy;
• participate in classroom discussions and oral presentations;
• provide a summary of a group discussion or an activity;
• use a variety of transition words and phrases in classroom discussions and oral presentations to express relationships such as comparison, contrast, sequence, and cause and effect;
• follow complex sequences of instructions;
• take notes from classroom presentations, using a written outline or graphic organizer as a guide;
• use formal speech for oral classroom presentations.
• make effective presentations on classroom topics, with some teacher guidance;
• express, support, and elaborate a point of view in sustained discussions about classroom topics (e.g., present and defend a position);
• communicate orally for a variety of education- and career-related purposes (e.g., understand and participate in discussions and presentations on postsecondary educational choices; role-play job interviews, and analyze and evaluate their performance);
• negotiate solutions to problems, interpersonal misunderstandings, and disputes.

Developing Accuracy in Oral Communication


By the end of this course, students will:

• use important elements of English grammar with increasing accuracy (e.g., verb tenses, negatives, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, articles, and prepositions of time, direction, and location);
• correct some common grammatical errors in their own speech (e.g., inconsistent verb tenses, unclear pronoun reference).
• use conventions of oral language appropriately (e.g., transition words and phrases for coherence; repetition for emphasis; pause, stress, and intonation for effect).


Using English in Socially and Culturally Appropriate Ways

By the end of this course, students will:

• recognize and respond appropriately to verbal and non-verbal cues (e.g., identify inappropriate aspects of language and behavior in comedy);
• use some idioms and slang where appropriate (e.g., Off the top of my head; Run that by me again);
• discuss and analyze instances of miscommunication (e.g., in classroom interaction; in film and video clips).

Developing Knowledge of Technology and Skills

By the end of this course, students will:

• respond to a wide variety of media works through discussion and comparison of their own and others’ reactions to the works (e.g., advertisements, news programs, dramatic presentations);
• identify strategies used in different media to influence specific audiences (e.g., figurative language, provocative visual images, youth-oriented music);
• analyze media productions to identify different media perspectives on social and cultural issues (e.g., how newspapers and television companies select and present facts, images, and opinions on issues related to race, gender, and age);
• explain some of the causes and consequences of local, national, and international current events (e.g., explain the causes and consequences of some forms of pollution);
• analyze media productions to explain how language can be used to de-emphasize or exaggerate the importance of information (e.g., in television commercials, press releases, election campaign literature);
• create media works for different purposes.

New York State Learning Standards for ESL (Standard: Performance Indicator)


• 1.9 – Convey and organize information, using facts, details, and examples.
• 1.10 – Distinguish between fact and opinion and eliminate nonessential information.
• 2.3 – Identify and explain the distinguishing features of various literary genres, traditions, and interpretations.
• 2.6 – Read aloud with confidence and fluency.
• 2.9 – Engage in collaborative activities to create and respond to literature through literature circles and small groups.
• 2.12 – Apply learning strategies to comprehend, make inferences, analyze literature, and produce literary responses.
• 3. 2 – Assess, compare, and evaluate the quality of spoken texts and visual presentations such as movies, political speeches, and audio books.
• 3.4 – Evaluate own and others’ work based on a variety of criteria such as rubrics.
• 3.6 – Speak using the conventions and features of American English to pursuade and argue.
• 3.7 – Discuss, share, reflect on, develop, and express a variety of experiences and ideas in small and cooperative learning groups.
• 4.10 – Demonstrate appropriate classroom behavior.
• 4.11 – Discover alternative ways of saying things in social and classroom interactions.

Activities & Differentiated Instruction Applications

• Make in-class presentations using digital media such as iMovies, Power Point, and Keynote.
• Participate in class debates.
• Listen to audio recordings of various literary genres and non-fiction texts.
• Participate in book discussions and book report presentations.

Reading

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

• read and respond to literature;
• locate, evaluate, and use information from a variety of sources for academic, social, and career purposes, including guided research projects.
• choose and respond to personal reading material comparable in scope and difficulty to materials chosen by their English- speaking peers;
• extract information from a variety of texts used in subject classrooms;
• demonstrate understanding of the elements of a range of fiction and non-fiction forms of writing;
• use independently a variety of strategies to build vocabulary;
• use a range of research strategies independently to gather information for a variety of purposes.

Specific Expectations

Reading and Responding

By the end of this course, students will:

• identify some common cross-cultural themes in literature (e.g., coming of age, creation of the universe, quests);
• identify and explain literary elements and devices in teacher- selected texts (e.g., theme, character development, plot, setting, simile, metaphor);
• make inferences about a writer’s point of view or a character’s actions;
• choose and respond to personal reading material comparable in scope and difficulty to some materials selected by their English-speaking peers;
• use knowledge of the personal, historical, and cultural backgrounds of authors and audiences to explain themes, situations, and characters represented in texts;
• demonstrate understanding of some cultural references in Western and American literature (e.g., biblical allusions; references to Greek mythology, Native mythology);
• compare the treatment of common literary themes in a range of fiction materials (e.g., themes of a golden age, intergenerational conflict, reconciliation);
• analyze literature and classify it by type and theme (e.g., romance, tragedy, comedy, satire);
• use a variety of methods to demonstrate understanding of their personal reading (e.g., give a book talk; write a diary entry for a character in a novel; explain the point of view of the author of a magazine essay);


Developing Vocabulary

By the end of this course, students will:

• use a variety of strategies to build vocabulary (e.g., check learner dictionaries; keep a personal list of words and phrases; seek opportunities to use new words);
• infer the meaning of many Latin and Greek-based words from context and from prefixes, suffixes, and word roots.
• use a variety of strategies to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words (e.g., consult a dictionary; infer meaning from context; relate unfamiliar words to cognates or word families);
• use a thesaurus to expand vocabulary and explain its use to others;
• take advantage of opportunities to use new words (e.g., in written responses to literature; in classroom discussions).

Using Reading Strategies for Comprehension

By the end of this course, students will:

• recognize the elements and purposes of different forms of texts (e.g., subject-area texts, short stories, magazine articles);
• skim texts for main ideas and overall organization (e.g., skim a section of a reference book to evaluate its relevance for a specific project; skim brochures for career information);
• scan texts for specific information (e.g., locate required information in a reference book; locate information about specific aptitudes or qualifications in a career brochure);
• determine meaning in texts that contain complex grammatical elements (e.g., conditionals, modals, passive verbs);
• recognize transition words and phrases used to indicate definition of terms, classification, sequence, summary, conclusion, comparison and contrast, cause and effect, and hypothesis (e.g., that is, in conclusion, by contrast, as a result, possibly);
• identify facts, opinions, and perspectives in text.
• use a variety of cues to extract meaning from a textbook (e.g., cues such as headings, subheadings, graphics, questions, sidebars, summaries);
• identify characteristic elements of a range of literary genres, including essays, short stories, novels, poetry, and drama (e.g., elements such as imagery, personification, figures of speech);
• use reading strategies effectively before, during, and after reading and explain their use to others (e.g., strategies such as previewing text, predicting main ideas or outcomes, listing unanswered questions while reading);
• analyze how informational texts present facts and ideas (e.g., compare how newspapers and periodicals from around the world present information and use format, layout, titles, and styles of address to appeal to specific audiences);
• record needed information from texts used in classroom subjects (e.g., take point-form notes; fill in graphic organizers).

Developing Research Skills

By the end of this course, students will:

• use knowledge of a variety of conventions of formal texts to locate information (e.g., footnotes, end notes, and lists);
• compare ideas and information from a variety of sources for guided research projects (e.g., sources such as print and non- print magazines and newspapers, CD-ROMs, the Internet);
• summarize main points for guided and independent research projects, using graphic organizers (e.g., charts, tables, Venn diagrams);
• gather information from a variety of sources, including electronic databases, websites, and online libraries;
• synthesize and evaluate the information gathered from a variety of sources for an independent research project;
• prepare a bibliography of print and electronic sources consulted during research;
• acknowledge borrowed information, ideas, and quotations.

New York State Learning Standards for ESL (Standard: Performance Indicator)


• 1.3 – Select information appropriate for the purpose of the investigation.
• 2.10 – Interpret the literary work using appropriate parameters.
• 2.12 – Apply learning strategies to comprehend, make inferences about, and analyze literature such as asking questions, using prior knowledge, context clues, and note taking.
• 3.3 – Recognize personal and multiple points of view within and among groups in evaluating information and make inferences about author’s point of view.
• 3.4 – Read to evaluate own and other students work based on the established criteria for analysis.

Activities & Differentiated Instruction Applications

• Conduct independent and teacher guided research on both free and assigned topic using the established criteria for evaluation such as task, guidelines, and rubric.
• Read most types of genres such as poetry, drama, short stories, grade appropriate novels; non-fiction sources from class textbooks and the Internet.
• Units of study include but are not limited to Author Study, Global Issues, Notable Americans, Thematic literature units, etc.

Writing

Overall Expectations

By the end of this course, students will:

• write in a variety of forms appropriate to different subject areas, personal needs, and career goals, with teacher guidance and independently;
• use the writing process to prepare final drafts, with teacher guidance and independently;
• arrange ideas in logical order and present them in linked paragraphs;
• write in a variety of forms, adopting a voice suitable to the intended audience;
• use the writing process independently to produce a final written or electronic version of an essay or a piece of creative writing;
• organize and link ideas logically and effectively in written texts such as narratives and essays;
• use the sentence patterns and conventions of standard English in their writing with the degree of accuracy necessary for continued success in subject classrooms at the college and/or university preparation level.

Specific Expectations

Relating Purpose to Form

By the end of this course, students will:

• write to carry out assignments in different subject areas (e.g., short reports, outlines, summaries, editorials, notes, essays, examination answers);
• write for career-related purposes (e.g., résumés, covering letters, memos, e-mail messages);
• select and use appropriate forms for personal and creative writing (e.g., diaries, journals, personal letters and e-mail messages, dialogues, poetry, narratives);
• use descriptive words and phrases to convey mood, atmosphere, and emotion;
• use the conventions appropriate to particular forms of writing (e.g., letter salutations and closings, cover pages and headings, bibliographies).
• write creatively in a variety of forms (e.g., plays, narratives, poetry);
• write to analyze, interpret, and evaluate information and ideas (e.g., a short essay introducing, developing, and concluding an argument).

Applying the Writing Process

By the end of this course, students will:

• write a passage of three or more paragraphs to develop a central idea;
• use transition words and a variety of sentence patterns to express relationships such as comparison and contrast (e.g., similarly, on the other hand) and cause and effect (e.g., as a result of);
• produce final drafts, using appropriate writing tools (e.g., dictionaries, editing checklists);
• use graphics software to format and embellish pieces of writing.
• use a variety of connecting words and phrases to express logical relationships between and among ideas (e.g., prior to and subsequently to indicate sequence, however and whereas to indicate contrast);
• use a variety of strategies to proofread, edit, and correct writing, focusing on effective style, relevant and interesting content, accurate spelling, and correct use of conventions (e.g., edit with a checklist; confer with peers and teacher; use electronic dictionaries);
• publish written work, selecting a format suited to the intended audience and using technology such as graphics and desktop publishing software, as appropriate.

Developing Accuracy in Written Communication

By the end of this course, students will:

• spell words accurately in final drafts, including subject- specific terms;
• use periods, commas, apostrophes, quotation marks, colons, and parentheses correctly in final drafts;
• use common tenses and verb phrases, adjectives, adverbs, conjunctions, prepositions of direction and time, and interrogative and negative constructions appropriately and with accuracy most of the time.
• use a variety of spelling strategies, rules, and patterns to spell words correctly;
• use pronoun references correctly;
• use appropriately, and with a high degree of accuracy, complex syntactical structures such as the infinitive and/or the gerund as object (e.g., hope + infinitive: I hope to go; enjoy + gerund: I enjoy going); phrasal verbs (e.g., put on, put off, put up with); and participial phrases (e.g., characters appearing in the first chapter, characters introduced in the first chapter).

New York State Learning Standards for ESL (Standard: Performance Indicator)

• 1.2 - Organize, discuss, and interpret information from various sources such as magazines, textbooks, online databases, charts, graphs, etc.
• 2.3 – Explain the distinguishing features of different literary genres.
• 2.5 – Write to make inferences and predictions of literary meanings such as summarizing and identifying word choice, point of view, and symbols.
• 2.10 – Create and respond to literary work using appropriate and effective vocabulary.
• 3.2 – Evaluate the quality of texts and visual presentations using different criteria related to organization and content.
• 3.8 – Apply self-correcting strategies for effective written presentation to adjust for effectiveness of expression of opinions.


Activities & Differentiated Instruction Applications

• Write independent research papers complete with bibliography on a variety of historical and current events topics.
• Take lecture notes as part of college preparation.
• Write non-fiction text summaries.
• Maintain an independent and/or cross-curricular reading journal with guided responses and literary analysis.
• Write to discuss the effective use of symbolism, word choices, etc. in a work of literature.
• Write poetry, short stories, biographical sketches, and biographies.


Last modified: Monday, 15 December 2008, 06:42 AM