Teachers Values

EQUITY FOR ALL- Emergent Bilingual Students (EBS)

Objective: Learners will list 5 strategies for working with EBS students that would be appropriate for the content area/grade level.

Emergent Bilingual Students (also known as English Language Learners – ELLs)  are those students who indicate that English is not the language predominately used in their home. You may also see the term ESL (English as a Second Language) associated with these students, as many times it is used interchangeably. The ability to make sure these students are successful in your classroom is a very important element of lesson planning and delivery for ALL TEACHERS. 
On your certification exams, expect to see multiple questions/scenarios that require knowledge and understanding of emergent bilingual students. Know that TEA has several resources to help you be successful with all special learners.

NEA Priority Schools. (2012, January 20). English Language Learners: Culture, Equity, and Language. . Retrieved from

The Texas Education Agency houses all the legal and curriculum requirements for working with emergent bilingual students. Click on this link to see the resources that are available:

ELA title III Part A 

The Textbook also has some great tips on working with EBS / ELLs.

Go to your text, First Year Teachers Survival Guide > Review “Students Who Are Not Native Speakers of English” pp. 212-213.  

Quick Tips and Reminders for Teachers Working with Emergent Bilingual Students (ELLs)

Research has shown that emergent bilingual students benefit from

· content area instruction accommodated to their need for comprehensible input

· academic language integrated into content-area instruction

· programs that hold high expectations for students’ academic success.

How do we make ensure that emergent bilingual students understand the key content concepts?

· Ensure you have a baseline assessment of the student in Reading and Math, so you know where they are in their learning.

· Post content and language objectives

· Explicit vocabulary instruction

· Use a variety of techniques to make content comprehensible

· Have students practice reading and writing in academic English

· High level of student interaction focusing on lesson concepts

· Have instructional interventions for emergent bilingual students 

Stages of Language Acquisition

adapted from TEA: ELLs Texas 2018.

The state has identified four stages of second language acquisition called Proficiency Level Descriptors (PLDs).   These levels are measured through a TELPAS Assessment.  Take a few minutes to read about this important evaluation process:

TELPAS Overview.pdf
:

TELPAS FAQ.PDF
:

The four proficiency levels are beginning, intermediate, advanced, and advanced high.

There are separate PLDs for listening, speaking, reading, and writing.

The listening and speaking assessments are based on ongoing classroom observations and student performance in daily interactions while referencing the PLDs.

The PLDs describe how well EBSs at each proficiency level can understand and use English to engage in grade-appropriate academic instruction.  They serve as a road map to help teachers tailor instruction to emergent bilingual students’ linguistic needs.  

You will want to access these Proficiency Level Descriptors (PLDs) and save them to your Canvas Tool Box Folder for future reference. These charts will be handy when preparing for your certification exams. 

As a teacher, you will be expected to know the various levels of proficiency and what it may look like in your classroom.  You will need to use research based instructional strategies to provide opportunities for  students to practice their language and demonstrate proficiency while removing barriers to their understandings.  

ELPS-TELPAS
–

Here is a brief summary of the emergent bilingual student proficiency levels that may be a handy reminder to use in your classroom. When fully assessing students in your class, teachers should reference the unabridged version attached above.

Quick Version of EBS / ELL Proficiency Levels Descriptors

Retrieved from:

Retrieved from: 

Here are two sample questions pertaining to proficiency levels.   

Sample Questions and Analysis:

Carol, a teacher in Texas, has a beginning emergent bilingual student in her class this year. All of these expectations are appropriate in regard to the student except:

· Student needs to learn to speak English.

· Student needs to learn to understand English

· Student will reach an advanced-high level if he/she works hard.

· Student needs to learn to read and write in English.

Mauricio is a student from Guatemala. When it comes to speaking, he can participate in conversations although, at times, he needs to pause to find a word/expression that conveys what he wants to say. Mauricio has an accent but he is not difficult to understand. He uses appropriate tenses although he makes a few mistakes here and there. Mauricio’s level in speaking, according to the ‘Texas English Language Proficiency Standards’ (ELPS), is:

· Advanced

· Advanced-high

· Beginning

· Intermediate

For this assignment, refer back to your LPG.  In section 
12. Academic Supports for Students, share five strategies you would use for the emergent bilingual students supporting that lesson’s instructional strategies and content/skills aligned to your objective.  There is no submission for this assignment.  Just add to your LPG.