13 th Annual Academic Success Institute Strategic Use of Language Transfer March 14, Presented by Dr. Gracie Guerrero

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1 13 th Annual Academic Success Institute March 14, 2015 Presented by Dr. Gracie Guerrero

2 Often, Sometimes, Never Face challenges when teaching concepts in both English and Spanish Have to translate for students to understand content Focus on development of literacy in only one language Find it difficult to teach students to read in their second language 2

3 Bilingual/ESL Teachers Teachers in bilingual/esl programs: are not simply second-language teachers, nor exclusively literacy teachers are required to develop language skills plus reading, writing and content-area knowledge with language-minority students must apply psycholinguistics theories and principles related to second-language acquisition, along with effective literacy practices. 3

4 ELA/ELD Framework 4

5 Framework Key Themes Meaning Making-Interacting with text Language Development-Learning how English works and using foundational skills Effective Expression-Reciprocal nature of reading, writing, speaking, and listening Content Knowledge-Learning that texts are structured differently Foundational Skills-print concepts, phonological awareness, phonics and word recognition, and fluency 5

6 Group Discussion I find it challenging to teach concepts in both English and Spanish because. Translating for students is because. Development of literacy in the native language. Students have difficulty learning to read in their second language when. 6

7 Language Transfer What do I know? What do I want to know? 7

8 Common Definitions Applying knowledge from one language to another language The transfer of linguistic features between languages The transfer of rules and elements from previously learned languages when acquiring a new language 8

9 Transfer of Learning The application of skills, knowledge, and/or processes learned in one context to another learning situation The influence of prior learning on performance in a new situation we don t start from scratch in every new situation learning situation Language transfer is a type of transfer of learning in a bilingual/biliterate setting 9

10 Transfer of Learning There is a high level of transfer of skills and strategies from the first (L1) to the second (L2) language in reading The greater the similarity in the writing systems of the two languages, the greater the degree of transfer The time and difficulties involved in learning to read the second language are reduced 10

11 What Transfers? Automatic skills and processes Rules, principles, patterns, and categories Problem-solving, abstract thinking, and critical thinking skills 11

12 Metalinguistic Awareness Build on students established & developing L1 to teach L2 Teach how language works to convey meaning Analysis of concepts and principles, not just phonics or grammar rules Facilitate transfer through direct instruction, integrated teaching, and teachable moments 12

13 The Alphabetic Principle Spanish Orthography English Orthography 13

14 Biliteracy in the Classroom Spanish Phonics English Phonics 14

15 Concepts of Print Concept of a word Written words are separated from each other by blank spaces Concept of a sentence Sentences have signals that set them apart when written (capital letters, period, question mark, etc.) 15

16 Morphology Syntax Concepts of Print 16

17 Metalinguistic Aspects Cognates Morphological Patterns Use of Punctuation Conventions Capitalization Rules Structural Differences Articles and Gender Use of Accents 17

18 Metalinguistic Aspects Cultural Differences Prefixes and Suffixes Verb Conjugations Syntax and Grammar Noun-Adjective Order/Agreement Word Families and Parts of Speech 18

19 Classroom Practices Based in student needs Part of the daily instructional time Remain in the language of instruction Discuss the linguistic features Bring the two languages together for instructional purposes Use language and talk about language 19

20 Language Transfer: What Des it Look Like? 20

21 References Jarvis & Pavlenko, Scott & Aneta (2008). Crosslinguistic Influence in Language and Cognition. Abingdon: Routledge. ISBN Mercuri, S. (2014). Supporting Cross-linguistic Transfer in Dual Language Classrooms. Administrative Session: Houston, TX. Mora, J. K. (2014). Teaching for Transfer in Biliteracy Instruction: A Metalinguistic Approach. NABE Conference: San Diego, CA. Odlin, T. (1989). Language transfer: Cross-linguistic influence in language learning. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press. Weinreich, Uriel (1953). Languages in Contact. The Hague: Mouton. ISBN