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Spanish Valor


With prices dropping, Daniel Ward can’t find any reasons to put off a study trip to Spain

Up until 25 years ago, Spain’s popularity as a tourist destination among other Europeans owed much to the low cost of vacationing there. Since then, prices have increased but the world has woken up to Spain’s history, culture, gastronomy, and natural beauty thus enabling it to remain one of the world’s top tourist destinations. And recently, costs have dropped, making it much more affordable for students.

Spain has been hit particularly hard by the recession, which has led to the stagnation and even reduction of some prices, particularly rents as there is an excess of property on the market in some areas. This combined with the recent gains by the dollar against the euro (€) has made the country particularly attractive to American students.

In terms of basic articles (such as food, toiletries), Spain is one of the cheapest countries in Western Europe. If the average price in Europe is 100, the cost in Spain is 88.

Spain is also one of the European countries with the lowest price variation. The difference in price for the same food or toiletry product between the most expensive and the cheapest retail outlet is 19 percent. In Norway, however, the difference can be as high as 57 percent, in Sweden 47 percent, and in Italy and Portugal up to 41 percent.

For a university student, the comparative advantage of studying in Spain is considerable in financial terms. The average cost of tuition fees charged by universities in the U.S. ($30,000) would cover the entire cost of living in Spain for a year (a university residence in Madrid, including accommodation and meals, costs less than $1,000 per month, and average tuition fees in a private university are around $9,000).

For European Union (EU) students, enrollment fees for bachelor’s degrees (grado) at public universities in Spain vary between $750 and $1,600 per academic year. These fees are established officially by the education authorities in the Autonomous Communities (the regional governments). The amount to be paid each year is fixed by the Autonomous Community itself, within the limits proposed by the Conferencia General de Politica Universitaria (the General Assembly for University Policy) and set by the central government. The cost of official postgraduate studies (master’s and doctoral degrees) taught at both public and private universities is established by the education authorities. However, education in Spain comes under the jurisdiction of the regional governments, which are allowed to increase the amounts set by the central government for universities inside their territories.

Students from outside the EU generally have to pay more than double the EU fees but this is still very reasonable for Americans. For example, the University of Valladolid charges non-EU students 54€ ($71) per credit. Most undergraduate degree programs are based on 240 credits over four years so a year’s tuition works out at only $4,250.

At private universities, the registration fee alone for bachelor’s degrees studies varies between $750 and $1,500 per academic year, depending on the degree, the institution, and the student’s academic performance. The fees at private universities are established by the university itself.

Both at public and private universities, the amount that students pay varies according to the number of credits for which they enroll, the degree course chosen, and their academic performance (students repeating subjects must pay an extra charge when they enroll for the second time).

The fees for official master’s and doctoral degrees at public and private universities are regulated by the government. In the 2011-2012 academic year, the fees are within a range set between $20 and $40 per credit. Therefore, a master’s course comprising 60 credits would cost an EU national between $1,250 and $2,250.

Of course, fees for Spanish language programs at private schools and universities vary but are generally much cheaper than for comparable programs in the U.S.

Rents are estimated to be about a third of prices in the U.S. but expect to pay considerably more in the cool areas of popular cities like Barcelona and Madrid where the cost of living can work out to be double that of less well-known cities like Valencia, Salamanca, or Valladolid.

A recent study found that grocery prices in Spain were about 25 percent lower than in the U.S. but you may have to adjust your consumption habits to really save money. Eating fresh vegetables and fish like the locals works out to be much cheaper than steak and fries. Wine and beer are often cheaper than sodas.

Return flights to Spain can be found for as little as $600 (from New York) and last year, Iberia resumed its direct service from Los Angeles to Madrid (from $850 return). From the end of May until the end of October, Delta is offering direct flights from New York to Valencia.

Studying in Spain is the experience of a lifetime and well worth whatever price you have to pay. But, it’s always nice to get a bargain.

<strong>Daniel Ward</strong> studied at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.

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Making Spanish Work

 

Michelle Buehring offers advice on instituting a workplace Spanish program
A direct outgrowth of diversity training in the workplace, the desire to learn Spanish for work is slowly finding its way into the corporate psyche. The benefits of workplace Spanish seem to be well worth the effort since efficient communication on the job is critical with Spanish-speaking employees or clients who have difficulty communicating in English.

Of course, workplace English classes help bridge the communication gap tremendously, too, and many businesses are choosing to incorporate English language instruction on the job. However, far less examination of language training has been placed at the other end of the communication spectrum: learning Spanish to communicate back.

The benefits are surprising, starting with the sense of camaraderie that is fostered when employees learning Spanish finally realize how difficult it must be for their fellow English learners. Employees are suddenly less frustrated by the extra time it takes a company employee to explain something. In addition, employees learning Spanish begin to develop a new sense of excitement and curiosity towards their Spanish-speaking co-workers. The sense of fear or disengagement when communicating with employees who don’t speak English very well is no longer.

For company employees learning Spanish, a heightened affinity for understanding another’s culture also begins to emerge. In fact, a whole new feeling of confidence, teamwork and trust begins to develop among workers — a great asset for any company looking to increase work quality and worker productivity.

<strong>So what’s the best way to start conducting Spanish classes at your workplace?</strong>
First, get an interested group of employees together. Set up a time — twice a week is recommended; lunchtime seems extremely conducive to avoid interfering with everyone’s work schedule. Find an instructor or staff trainer to lead the class. Lastly, use a Spanish textbook written specifically for the workplace — preferably not one that asks you to memorize sentences in the hope that those will be the exact sentences you need. Instead, find a textbook that approaches learning from a second/foreign language point of view; one that allows you to create your own sentences based on helpful vocabulary and minimal grammar hints.

<strong>Which Workplace Spanish Program is Best?</strong>
Along with this rising interest in workplace Spanish come several options to contemplate for the type of training program that best suits your company.

A training provider is probably the most well-known option for businesses seeking customized, on-site training in Spanish. These companies offer a wide range of job-specific training (Spanish for Law Enforcement, Spanish for Tax Preparers, and Medical Spanish). However popular, these courses can be quite costly. Not only that, many offer instruction based on the drill method, or memorization of sample sentences. If this is the case, recommendations are to look for a training company that offers a basic Spanish course, specifically for the workplace, with well-rounded language basics in terms of useful grammar, pertinent vocabulary, and contextual conversation practice. Only a communicative course will allow employees to generate their own sentences in Spanish for any given scenario in which they may have to communicate.

A somewhat less familiar, but perhaps more practical, option for workplace Spanish training is the local community college. Most community colleges offer customized training in all sorts of subjects, and their prices are generally lower than private training providers and consultants. The college contracts a campus instructor who will hold classes at your company site. Envision a company in the community contracting with a community college. “Community helping community.” It’s an inspiring match. For a workplace Spanish course, the college instructor should be able to adapt language basics, vocabulary, and contextual scenarios to the specific needs of your business. Again, those rote sentences will not leave you with enough grasp of the language to continue speaking in Spanish when the lessons are over. So be sure the course offers well-rounded material for real and continuous communication to take place. With your specific needs and time frame, you can contact Workforce Development, the division that specifically deals with customized training for businesses in the community. Colleges may also list training under Contract Education or Corporate Training.

Probably the least utilized and least costly option for Spanish training in the workplace is right in your own backyard. If your company has a staff trainer who is bilingual or fluent in Spanish, she probably already serves as a tremendous in-house resource for the kinds of communication situations managers and supervisors experience on the job with Spanish-speaking employees or clients. Needless to say, such a staff trainer may require specific training to teach language but the cost of developing one trainer is dramatically lower than the previous options. Furthermore, because the trainer is also an employee, she is an immediate fit to the company’s philosophy and framework. If no existing employees fit the bill, consider hiring an experienced teacher whose classroom experience will bring a wealth of skills to your operation. With a good workplace Spanish program that includes a teacher’s guide, a company can save a sizeable amount of money with “in-house instructor” training and reap the course benefits, too.

Whichever option your company chooses, learning Spanish in the workplace has been proven to encourage better communication among employees, advance teamwork and trust, all of which strengthen company profitability. It is a great return on investment for all who participate.

<strong>Michelle Buehring</strong> is a veteran ESL teacher of over 30 years, presently teaching at and writing curriculum for the Foreign Language Training Center in Ft. Lewis, Washington. She is also the author of two ESL textbooks (A Different Angle and The Talking Edge, JAG Publications) and a workplace Spanish text (Work into Spanish, Work into Spanish Publications).

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Tools for Teaching English

Language Magazine’s selection of products
that incorporate technology into the ESL classroom

Alloy Multimedia
ESL ReadingSmart is a web-based English language learning environment
founded on a unique instructional design. It is easily implemented
as a student-centered, stand-alone application or a blended learning
environment, integrating online student work and classroom instruction.
The program offers individualized, content-based instruction to
develop English language proficiency with emphasis on literacy and
cross-curricular vocabulary development for newcomers, beginners,
intermediate, early advanced, and advanced English learners.
It monitors student progress, and tracks students’ readability and
grade gains based on The Lexile Framework for Reading, providing
daily, weekly, and on-demand student reports. Tracking is at individual,
class, school and district level.
Several independent studies have shown that ESL ReadingSmart is
an effective intervention program that raises students’ reading and language
scores. This year’s independent study was presented in the
National Forum of Teacher Education Journal in April. The authors stated,
“by working with culturally appropriate text at their functional reading
level, students were able to demonstrate gains while experiencing
literature that may not otherwise have been available to them.”
The program’s user friendly interface is backed by a team of professionals
always available to answer questions and provide support.
New content is regularly added so students and teachers are never
saddled with static software.

Califone
Podcasts provide new ways for students to interact with the content
matter as well as to demonstrate their learning. By creating podcasts,
students can display and extend their creativity using audio as a
means of self-expression. In addition, teachers can use podcasts to
communicate regularly with parents by posting school updates on their
web site. They can also publish lesson guides in a podcast format to
help students who many have missed sections, or who simply need
reinforcement when completing homework assignments.
MP3 players are especially useful in language learning and ELL
classrooms, where students may need additional reinforcement or
teacher guidance outside the classroom. Recording a podcast in a
language learning environment can illustrate to the teacher how well a
student’s pronunciation, diction and understanding have progressed
over time. Plus, it allows teachers to keep a digital file of each student’s
progress, which is helpful for long-term assessment.
The easy-to-use MP3 player includes a built-in microphone and
dual headphone jacks — both industry firsts — making it ideal for
learning centers, language labs and libraries. The playback volume is
also capped at 85dB for hearing safety.

English Computerized Learning
Pronunciation Power
Pronunciation Power products are user- friendly, interactive programs
for beginner to advanced English learners of all ages. They are excellent
tools for students to learn correct English pronunciation. The easy,
effective design has numerous lessons and exercises for practice using
visual and auditory feedback.
Pronunciation Power 1 and 2 include lessons for individual sound
work and speech recognition. The lessons include animated, graphic
side views to teach how each sound is made. There are extensive
practice exercises in: listening, comparative words, and in word and
sentence pronunciation including intonation for syllable or word stress.
The 8 in 1 Interactive English Dictionary teaches the meaning and
pronunciation of words using pictures and sentences and has several
unique searches, such as “search by word ending.”
All instructions and lessons for both programs are available in 12
different languages.
Pronunciation Power also offers: Introductory English Grammar and
Vocabulary with Color Key. This program uses a unique Color Key to
help you learn and remember the English grammar and vocabulary
that need for basic communication in English. After completing the
Lesson, you can test yourself by trying the exercises for the lesson.
Their score is automatically given when you complete the exercise.
The Idiom program uses memorable and unique pictures and exercises
to aid the student in remembering idioms.
All products are available by CD, download or online membership.

ETA/Cuisenaire
SunSprouts Interactive
Delightful characters, funny stories, and fascinating leveled nonfiction
give K-3 students compelling reasons to read, write and explore text
with SunSprouts Interactive, the literacy software system from
ETA/Cuisenaire. Whether the child is new to English or fluent in the language,
this interactive CD-ROM offers targeted activities that require little
preparation by the teacher, and make it easy to tailor instruction to
proficiency levels. The flexible and engaging program creates a complete
interactive literacy learning station with activities for building comprehension,
fluency, vocabulary skills, and writing. SunSprouts
Interactive focuses on aspects of the English language that are often
difficult for children reading in a second language, including development
of vocabulary awareness, grammatical forms, and idiomatic
expressions. The lessons are filled with alliteration, rhymes, and other
repetitive structures that familiarize ESL students with English.
The program immerses students in developing sight-word recognition
and vocabulary as they follow along while text is read aloud, then
record their own oral reading and play it back to hear their voices.
SunSprouts Interactive also allows students to create and illustrate
original texts that can be “published” and shared. The software
records students’ scores for teacher review, and assessments track
development of literal, inferential, and visual comprehension skills.
Reports can be generated by student or for the entire class. The flexibility
of this program allows teachers to assign specific individual lessons,
or group students with similar skills and needs. SunSprouts
Interactive can be used as a supplemental resource with any reading
program to reinforce skills and track progress.

Franklin Electronic Publishers
12 Language Speaking Global Translator
The Speaking Global Translator contains over 450,000 words (including
335,000 inflections) and 12,000 phrases, and speaks 115,000
words in recorded human voice. Students can translate to and from
English into Chinese (Mandarin), Dutch, French, German, Italian,
Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, and Spanish.
Students just enter a word in their native language and the device will
speak and show the translation in their language and English. A voice
recording feature allows users to record custom words and phrases.
The spell correction feature finds even misspelled words, and the
seven line screen aids visibility.
Features Include:
■ An MP3 Player to download and play MP3 files to enjoy music and
more while looking up words and phrases
■ Chinese, Japanese and Korean are displayed phonetically using the
Roman alphabet and in Asian characters
■ Organizer, local/world clock, calculator, currency and metric converter
■ Five games
■ USB connection

Global Language Education Services
Online Mini-Courses for Language Teachers
Global Language Education Services (GLES) offers a suite of online
mini-courses that introduce language teachers to innovative instructional
techniques. Each technique is designed to employ authentic materials
in ways that are both engaging and effective. Currently available
mini-courses cover “Movie Talk,” a technique for employing featurelength
movies in beginning and low-intermediate language classrooms;
“Co-Author,” a cyclic pattern of interaction in which a language teacher
guides intermediate students toward more proficient writing in their second
language; and “Reading Club,” a multi-faceted technique for using
authentic materials to boost the reading proficiency of intermediate language
students. All of the techniques covered in GLES mini-courses
are research-based and have been extensively field-tested.
The GLES online mini-courses include discussion boards and optional
hands-on activities that develop mastery of the techniques. Participants
can choose to take these courses in audit mode, which provides access
to materials and discussion boards but no instructor feedback, or graded
mode, which (for an additional fee) offers feedback, evaluation, and certificates
for Continuing Education Units. The mini-courses are offered every
month, and there are special group rates for cohorts.
The GLES online mini-courses were created by Dr. Ashley Hastings,
Professor Emeritus of TESOL (Shenandoah University). Dr. Hastings is
known internationally as the originator of the FOCAL SKILLS approach
to language teaching, and has been a pioneer in the development of
online language teacher training.

MindPlay
FLRT — a Fluent Reading Trainer
MindPlay offers educators working with English Language Learners a
solution that will help students enjoy reading by dramatically improving
their reading fluency rate as they become confident in speaking
and reading English. FLRT — a fluent reading trainer works to
increase reading speed while ensuring comprehension in any student
who can decode. Students conduct a number of technology-driven
activities to train their eyes to read more efficiently. One FLRT activity
trains the eyes to move from left to right and to sweep in one movement
enhancing visual memory, silent reading skills, speed and reading
comprehension.
As students move into reading passages, the stories in the program
are either delivered randomly or they can be selected by teachers. Each
passage is designed to be read in six minutes or less, allowing most
students to complete three stories or more in a class period.
Accompanying questions test 18 different reading comprehension skills.
The program aims to keep students challenged while reading at
their own pace by providing assignments that are individualized to
match each student’s unique abilities. It can be used for classroom
instruction or as remedial help.
FLRT also provides teachers and administrators with easy management
and tracking. Reports can gauge a student or an entire class
performance. Success can be broken down by question type,
improvement statistics from initial testing date to current date, effective
words-per-minute rate, and sight/high-frequency words for students
who are struggling. Reports are available in PDF format so they can be
emailed to parents or they can be printed out in color or grayscale for
improved data visualization.

PhonicsTutor
PhonicsTutor is a research proven, multi-sensory reading method for
all ages and reading settings. Its independent instruction in orthography
enables ESL students to learn to read reflexively and spell accurately
at a rate that keeps pace with the vocabulary and comprehension
they are gaining in English. This performance of a reading program
is amazing considering the ambiguous and extensive orthography
of English. Students who complete the program can pronounce,
read, and spell 93 percent of all words in print, e.g., machinery, prodigious,
picturesque, azure. It covers all patterns of English orthography
that occur at least once in a million words in print.
At TESL ’97 in Toronto, PhonicsTutor was one of only four products
(out of 189 products) that received the designation of “Excellent.” This
computerized Orton-Gillingham program is a synthetic-analytic reading
method that is recognized around the world for its efficacy in the remediation
of dyslexia and for its ability to assist both native and nonnative
speakers of English in learning how to read and spell. The
expanded curriculum includes software, coordinated books, and flashcards,
and provides self-teaching instruction so that ESL/EFL learners
are prepared for the vocabulary and reading expectations of college
and professional careers.

Protea Textware
Issues in English 2
Issues in English 2 is an effective, innovative, and comprehensive software
program for English language and literacy learners. With four levels
from beginning to advanced, students learn a wide range of
English language skills within meaningful contexts. The issues —
Sport, Media, Technology, Fame, Education, Immigration, Wilderness,
and Languages — are relevant and engaging.
The program is content-rich, with over 700 interactive exercises
based on the stimulus videos. These include reading and listening
comprehension, grammar and vocabulary, pronunciation, and writing.

Scientific Learning
Scientific Learning develops software products that increase brain
power—exercising areas of the brain to help it process more efficiently,
the way physical workouts train the body to be more fit and strong.
The products are used in thousands of schools nationwide, helping
ELL, struggling readers and at-risk learners in grades PreK-12. The
Fast ForWord program has proven results in schools throughout the
country, where students have made dramatic and enduring gains in
eight to twelve weeks. The products build on cumulative breakthroughs
in neuroscience research revealing that the human brain can
continue to develop and improve the efficiency of its processing
throughout life. Processing efficiency is how the brain functions to support
learning and intellectual activity, including memory, attention, processing
rate, and sequencing. Scientific Learning Reading Assistant
provides guided oral reading using advanced speech recognition technology
with scientifically-based courseware to help students strengthen
fluency, vocabulary and comprehension to become proficient, lifelong
readers. It provides each student with an active one-on-one reading
tutor that acts as a patient, non-judgmental listener and provides
the much needed reading practice that benefits them. Progress
Tracker is an online accountability tool that allows educators to monitor
student progress and results, and Reading Progress Indicator is an
easy-to-use computerized assessment for quick evaluations of student
performance. When students can process more effectively, all other
learning activities get accomplished more efficiently. It is then the dedication
of teachers and the investment in other learning programs yield
better results. Importantly, students are more motivated to learn and
have better self-esteem.

A Day in the Life of a Learner

Ivannia Soto reveals how shadowing learners enables educators to monitor their use of academic language

Academic language has been broadly defined as the language of school, the language of textbooks, and the language of testing. More specifically, scholars such as Krashen and Brown (2007), define academic language development in two parts: (1) Academic language, characterized by complex syntax, academic vocabulary, and a complex discourse style. (2) Academic content, the content of subjects such as algebra, history, literature, etc. These components of language are essential for all students to master, but especially English Language Learners (ELLs), who often do not continue to make progress in language development unless an academic language diet is added early enough as they progress through English language development (ELD) levels.

ELLs Need English Language Development and Academic Language Development

Figure 1: English Language and Academic Language Development Progression
Figure 1 shows the importance of introducing academic language development (ALD) at the mid-range, or intermediate level, of English language development, which is where most ELLs stall out and stop making progress.

There is typically rapid language progression in the early levels of ELD, when students are learning the basics of English, social language, and forms and functions of the English language. Then, at level 3, or the Intermediate level, if ALD, or more complex vocabulary, syntax, grammar, and the register of language are not introduced, ELLs oftentimes stop making progress and can even begin to regress in language and content. Since academic language development is more cognitively and linguistically demanding, a clear definition of what ALD is and how to teach it is essential for educators to understand, so that ELLs benefit from use of strategies to enhance these components of language.
In this way, Kinsella (2007) suggests that academic language is not natural language and that it must be explicitly taught to students. She defines the essential components of academic language as: 1) vocabulary (academic and high utility words); 2) syntax (word order); 3) grammar (in context to students’ reading and writing); and 4) register (distinctions between social and academic language). In order for students to master each of these components of academic language, teachers must first understand their importance, and then be provided with specific academic language development strategies to close this linguistic and academic gap. Educators can do this by first experiencing a day in the academic language life of an English Language Learner (ELL) via shadowing, and then be taught how to embed and use academic language development strategies. Each of these strategies and approaches must be well supported with time and professional development in order to create the type of instructional change that ELLs deserve.

Figure 2: Demographic Data from ELL Shadowing Form

ELL Shadowing to Monitor and Create Urgency for Academic Language
An eye opening way for systems to see and create urgency around the academic language needs of ELLs is via shadowing, a technique whereby educators spend a day in the life of an ELL, in order to monitor their academic language experiences. After professional development on the specific academic language and active listening needs of ELLs, shadowing participants are given a profile of an ELL with achievement data (grade-level state assessment and language proficiency results), as well as a recent student picture, so that they can identify the ELL once participants enter a classroom.
Although educators have met their ELL on “paper” via the achievement data they have analyzed, including at least two years of progress on state exams and language proficiency scores, they are then asked to triangulate the data by monitoring academic language and active listening at every five-minute interval for at least two hours through ELL shadowing observations. Participants use the ELL shadowing protocol in order to monitor to whom the ELL assigned is speaking and listening.

Figure 3: Academic Speaking and Listening Portion of ELL Shadowing Form

Using the ELL Shadowing Protocol
The top portion of the ELL shadowing form (see figure below) is used for demographic data and to begin to analyze trends in the data set. For example, while transferring information from ELL profiles, the educator may notice that the English Language Development (ELD) level does not match the number of years that a student was in the country, making the ELL a Long Term English Learner (LTEL) because they have been in the system as an ELL for six years or more. Participants may also notice that their ELL has not progressed one English language development level per year, or that they have stalled out at a particular level for several years. These sorts of data talk discussions allow educators to become better acclimated with the specific gaps that ELLs in their own classrooms may be experiencing.

Once participants have reviewed the achievement data for their own ELL, they will learn to use the academic speaking and listening portion of the ELL shadowing form (see figure 3). In the first column, participants will notice that the exact time of the observation is noted at every five-minute interval. It is important that in the second column, only activities that occur at the top of the five-minute interval are documented. Anything else that occurs after the top of the five-minute interval can be added to the comments section. In the third column, observers document when students are speaking using codes 1 through 4. Codes 5 through 7 are for teacher talk only and are intended to capture moments when the student is not speaking. The type of student listening, either one-way (lecture) or two-way (dialogue), are documented in the fourth column. Additionally, modes where ELLs are either reading or writing silently and not listening, are monitored in the fifth column. Lastly, additional comments that cannot be coded by the academic speaking or listening modes are then captured in the final column. Participants proceed to capture data at every five-minute interval for two hours in this manner.

Debriefing the Shadowing Experience
Once all educators within a system have shadowed for a two-hour period of time, they congregate together so that general trends regarding each ELL’s listening and speaking needs can be examined across all of the students who were shadowed. These data should also be compared to the achievement data that were provided for participants during the shadowing training. The observation data often answer the why regarding the trends and patterns in the achievement data. These data also begin to suggest next steps for teachers both personally and within a system, which is often that more structured academic oral language development strategies must be planned for and used often within classrooms. As one teacher in LAUSD District 6, where ELL shadowing began, noted, “The person talking the most is the person learning the most, and I’m doing the most talking!”

Next Steps After ELL Shadowing
ELL shadowing is not a silver bullet. In and of itself, it is meant to create urgency around the needs of ELL students across a system. After shadowing is completed, it is essential that systems develop a systemic plan to create more opportunities for ELLs to produce academic language across content areas. Some of the schools that I work with have chosen to systemically adopt specific strategies that explicitly teach more academic language development across a school day. The three research-based strategies that I suggest are described in depth in the forthcoming ELL Shadowing as an Urgency for Change, published by Corwin Press, which discusses how to use Think-Pair-Share, the Frayer model and Reciprocal Teaching across content areas.

Using the Frayer Model to Explicitly Teach Academic Vocabulary
One way to teach academic vocabulary and create access to content area texts is by utilizing the Frayer model as a systematic way to teach vocabulary. ELLs come to school with a listening vocabulary of 1,000 words, while their native English counterparts come to school with a listening vocabulary of 5,000 to 7,000 words. This is where the literacy gap and the academic gap begin. But how do we teach academic vocabulary in an efficient way so that ELLs are not merely learning one word at a time? The Frayer model is an effective way to teach academic vocabulary in a systematic way, while also associating many words with the target word being taught.

The figure below shows the five elements of the Frayer model process. First, the target word must be selected from a text being utilized in the classroom. It is important to note here that teachers should be very careful in pre-assessing academic vocabulary words that students, especially ELLs, actually need to learn. Oftentimes, the words that are highlighted in bold in textbooks are not the actual words that ELLs need to know. Once key academic words have been identified, the teacher will then lead students through the four steps of the Frayer model. This strategy is not a worksheet to be given to students to complete individually. Instead, the teacher will need to assist ELLs with building background knowledge (by using pictures, videos or textual examples) around the target word, so that they can complete the following four steps in the process: 1) Examples/Models – words that the student can associate with the target word in the future; 2) Non-examples — words that are not connected to or associated with the target word; 3) Visual/Picture — graphic or visual that will assist the student with remembering the word in the future; 4) Definition — together, the teacher and students create a sentence that demonstrates full comprehension of the word. Words from the examples/model section of the organizer can be used to write the final definition.

Figure 4: Blank Frayer Model Template

There are many other Frayer model methods and organizers that can be used to systematically teach academic vocabulary. For example, the student work sample in figure 5 shows the target word: dawdled. Instead of examples and non-examples, however, students have listed: 1) synonyms—dolly, loiter, and linger; and 2) antonyms — hurry and speed. Either approach—either examples and non-examples or synonyms and antonyms — will be a helpful approach to teaching academic vocabulary, especially when it is associated with building background knowledge around a word, discussing the target word and associated words, and building the definition with the teacher.

Figure 5: Frayer Model Student Sample

Notice in the student sample in figure 5 that the word has been defined as: To take more time than necessary; walking slowly. Additionally, the visual picture shows a student dawdling to school with the same caption below the photo. Notice that with this strategy, ELLs can now associate many more words (dally, loiter, linger, slowly, more time than necessary) with the target word by completing the exercise, which will further expand their vocabulary repertoire. The visual and joint construction of the definition will also allow students to retain the target word due to the explicit scaffolding of the word.

Conclusion
ELL shadowing, then, hand in hand with follow-up professional development on academic language development strategies, can both create the urgency for academic language change in ELL’s instruction, as well as provide teachers with the tools to begin to systemically change instructional practice. On-going support and professional development around each of the ALD strategies need to be provided. As teachers begin to embed ALD strategies into their daily practice, ELL shadowing can then also be used to monitor ALD as teachers begin to systemically elicit more language across a campus.

Dr. Ivannia Soto is Associate Professor of Education at Whittier College, where she specializes in second language acquisition, systemic reform for English language learners (ELLs), and urban education. She is the co-author of The Literacy Gaps: Building Bridges for ELLs and SELs. Her second book with Corwin Press was published in February 2012 and is titled ELL Shadowing as a Catalyst for Change.

References
Kinsella, K. (February 17, 2007). Academic language development presentation for
Mountain View School District. El Monte, CA.

Krashen, S. & Brown, C. L. (2007). “What is academic language proficiency?”
Singapore Tertiary English Teachers Society Journal.

Soto-Hinman, I., & Hetzel, J. (2009). The literacy gaps: Building bridges for English Language learners and Standard English learners. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

$100,000 Grant to Help Improve Chinese Language Instruction in America

Last year, Claudia Ross, immediate past president of the Chinese Language Teachers Association (CLTA), began designing a program to help expand the resources available to Chinese language teachers across America. This summer, after more than a year of planning, Ross and Baozhang He, associate professor of Chinese, in conjunction with CLTA, are ready to launch this initiative.

The 10-day residential workshop, titled “Read On: Training Modules for Literacy in Chinese,” will be held between July 24 and August 4 on the Holy Cross campus. Backed by a $100,000 grant from the federally funded STARTALK 2012 initiative, the program will bring together 16 master teachers of the Chinese language from around the nation.

Over the course of the program, experts in child development and instructors representing grades K-5, 6-8, 9-12, and 13-16 will develop web-based material to be used in Chinese language teacher training programs nationwide.

The workshop’s primary focus will be enhancing literacy among Chinese language students, and the materials developed during the 10-day session will target character recognition and production, and reading comprehension.

“Chinese literacy issues are very complicated because Chinese literacy requires both reading skills and character recognition, says Ross. “Alphabetic languages, including English, and also Russian and Greek, are written using twenty or so letters. But Chinese is written in characters, and there are thousands of characters. You have to learn several thousand characters in order to be able to read basic stories in the newspaper.”

The ability to recognize characters is only part of literacy, however, as students of Chinese then must learn how to read and interpret the characters in a text. The traditional curriculum for teaching Chinese as a Foreign Language focuses on character recognition, typically without providing strategies for efficient memorization, and spends little time on reading strategies. The Read On project aims to address both of these problems.

“There has been little attention to developing and identifying the best practices in teaching people how to read and master characters,” Ross says of the current Chinese language educational landscape. “We are the only STARTALK site that’s doing this kind of work.”

Created by the National Security Language Initiative, STARTALK aims to expand and improve the teaching and learning of strategically important world languages that are not now widely taught in the United States.

The Read On workshop will include lectures and discussion about literacy acquisition and child development, as well as instruction and support in the use of computer-based learning technologies.

Instructors from all four age groups will work as one team for discussion and training sessions to tackle topics like literacy, character storage in the human brain, and software development and usage. The team will also divide into smaller groups to focus on age-specific materials.

Pour toujours, le Canadien!

Kristal Bivona charts the ongoing demand for French Canadian and suggests where it can be sated

Students of French looking for an immersion experience should look to our neighbor to the north for language training that can lead to work opportunities in the U.S. French has long been pigeonholed as the language of romance, philosophy, and Paris. However, the Canadian variety enjoys a relatively high demand in many sectors that value their business relationships with Québec and other French Canadian strongholds, including marketers that package and sell products for both the U.S. and Canadian markets. The most obvious manifestations of this demand are the ubiquitous bilingual labels even though French is not widely spoken in the U.S. Shampoo bottles with French and English text, films with French subtitle options, and packaged foods with bilingual labels are evidence of the importance of French in marketing.

Superficially, the two varieties of French seem the same, which calls into question the need for specifically Canadian French localization. Canadian French and European French are mutually intelligible, much like American English and British English. However, there are some variations in vocabulary. For example, Canadians use the verb magasiner to go shopping, while the French say faire du cours. In France, technical terms and vocabulary describing new products and concepts often adopt English words. The European French speakers have embraced words like airbag, firewall, and proxy. In Canada, perhaps due to Francophone Canada’s complex relationship to Anglophone Canada, these words are re-imagined and translated into Canadian French: coussin gonflable, barrière pare-feu, and serveur mandataire. Companies that ignore the Canadian French technical vocabulary and substitute it for the English word, which would be acceptable in France, may offend their Canadian audience and lose out on the market. Language is such a sensitive issue in Canada that many companies translate their product names when they would not in other cultures and countries.

The translation and localization company, Lionbridge, recommends distinct translations targeted at Canadian and European French speakers for many reasons, including each culture’s different puns, idioms, jokes, and references that vary and can be used in advertising. Therefore, a Canadian French speaker on the job market can have an edge over a rival who studied abroad in Paris. Many U.S. based translation companies are headhunting French Canadian translators, while European French translators are not eligible for many projects.

Studying abroad in Canada is the experience of a lifetime. Montréal and Québec City offer urban settings with thousands of college students, eclectic and innovative gastronomy, and landscapes that marry old world architecture with modern design. More and more students flock to Canada each year despite the global economy. U.S. students can travel to and from Canada for much less than a trip to Europe.

“There are three main reasons students choose to study French in Canada,” explained Mark Barber from Languages Canada. “The first being the quality of language education they receive here. The second is the overall positive experience of their time in Canada, everything from welcoming homestay providers to making new friends. Third, we offer a North American experience and access to top-notch education. And for students studying at an accredited Languages Canada member program, the student insurance plan offers a great deal of peace of mind.”

The Languages Canada Quality Assurance Scheme is more demanding than that of Canadian provincial education standards — which is no small feat when Canadian education is considered among the best in the world.

Here are some schools to consider when planning a Canadian French immersion experience:

Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC)
Québec is a great destination for learning French because 80 percent of the population is French-speaking, and the highest concentration is in the Saguenay-Lac-St-Jean region where 99 percent of the 300,000 inhabitants speak French as their first language. This region is breathtakingly picturesque and there you can find the École de langue française et de culture québécoise of UQAC.

This school was founded in 1975 with the mission to offer students quality teaching as well as an in-depth Québecois cultural experience through activities and living with host families. With a satisfaction rate of 99 percent, this method clearly fulfills the expectations and needs of students.

Short, medium, and long-term immersion programs are offered throughout the year with the possibility of an internship. All students are eligible for university credits. For over 30 years, more than 17,000 students from all around the world and of all language levels contributed to its development.

Summer programs welcome a limited number of 275 participants from all over the world and a new 5-week immersion program, French and Music, is available for music students (25 participants).

ILSC Montréal
ILSC, one of Canada’s most reputable French and English language schools, is located in the heart of charming Old Montréal in a state-of-the-art new facility. ILSC teaches a wide range of courses at various levels. Small classes are taught using a ‘student-centered’ approach and communicative methods by highly-qualified instructors. ILSC offers specialty programs: customized groups, summer and winter youth program, DEFL preparation, homestay, private tutoring, and work experience. In addition, they have created a unique teacher training program for French instructors (current or future): CEFLE (Certificat en enseignement du français langue étrangère). This certification uses a communicative approach and has been accredited by l’UQO (Université du Québec en Outaouais).

Académie Linguistique Internationale (ALI)
Since 1993 ALI has been teaching French in the exciting, cosmopolitan city of Montréal, helping students fulfill their life goals and careers. ALI offers dynamic, communicative classes for all levels of learners, from complete beginners to advanced. In addition to core level classes, students can choose among elective classes such as: Business French, DELF and TCFQ preparation, Literature & Writing, and Culture of Quebec.

Additionally, ALI offers specialized programs, including Internships (paid and unpaid), university pathway programs, and a TKT Certificate program.

Students learn standard French as well as informal use, like idioms and slang. There are three different programs to choose from, as well as elective classes which allow each student to choose the learning focus they need. ALI is accredited by Languages Canada and is ideally located in downtown Montréal’s dynamic and lively, shopping and entertainment district. Transportation is very convenient: ALI is less than five minutes away from two subway stations, train stations, and many bus stops.

Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
L’École internationale de français (ÉIF) is a department of the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières offering French language training. Programs are designed to provide students with the ability to communicate effectively in French with an emphasis on written and oral skills, either to prepare for enrollment in another program at l’UQTR or for personal purposes. ÉIF also provides the opportunity to deepen students’ knowledge of contemporary Québec society.

Located on the shore of the St-Lawrence River, Trois-Rivières offers learners a marvelous lesson in history as well as a lovely site for total immersion in French. A diverse sociocultural program helps students become part of the Trois-Rivières community. It is a safe city surrounded by nature.

Pour toujours, les Canadiens! was a 2009 feature film about the Montréal Canadiens ice hockey team’s centennial celebrations.

Le Canadien was a French language newspaper published in the British colony of Lower Canada at the beginning of the 19th century. The newspaper quickly became the voice of the parti canadien in their battle against the government of British Governor James Craig.

On March 17, 1810, the press and the papers of the editorial office were seized by the government. The printer and the paper’s founders were imprisoned based on rumors that the French Canadians and the Americans were plotting against the British. Despite the lack of evidence, the prisoners were not released until a year later without ever facing trial.

Kristal Bivona is assistant editor at Language Magazine.

May 2012

May 2012 Cover

The Secret of Mayan Success
Kristal Bivona catches a glimpse of Mayan language preservation in Quintana Roo, Mexico

Making Spanish Work
Michelle Buehring offers advice on instituting a workplace Spanish program

Interview with Rod Ellis
Answers on the line between research and practice, and task-based teaching

Striking Gold Down Under
Kristal Bivona shares her experience of the English immersion destination that lives up to the promise of its name: The Gold Coast

Travel Guiding
There has never been such a variety of ways to learn away from home, so Language Magazine offers some suggestions

Integrating Immersion Programs
Mark Rentz explains how and why universities should re-align their Intensive English Programs to better serve the long-term goals of students and the university as a whole

Last Writes Richard Lederer and the humanness of language

April 2012

April 2012 Cover

2012 ELL Software Guide
Technology has revolutionized the way that languages are taught and practiced
Tying Cable to Realia
Melissa Conroy and Amy Ferryman explain how SCOLA is working with local cable TV providers to offer low cost international programming for the classroom
A Day in the Life of a Learner
Ivannia Soto reveals how shadowing learners enables educators to monitor their use of academic language
The New Rationale for Dual Immersion
James Crawford and Sharon Adelman Reyes believe that the key to active learning is the approach to curriculum
Pour Toujours, le Canadien!
Kristal Bivona charts the ongoing demand for French Canadian and suggests where it can be sated
Spanish Valor
With prices dropping, Daniel Ward can’t find any reasons to put off a study trip to Spain
Reviews Kara Hunter gives us some historical pronouncements
Last Writes Richard Lederer about a path to self discovery

New Arabic Center in Beijing Symbolizes Chinese-Emirati Exchange

Shaikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emitates (U.A.E.) celebrated the opening of a newly remodeled center for Arabic language and Islamic studies in Beijing, China. The Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Center for Arabic Language and Islamic Studies is the newest addition to the Beijing University of Foreign Studies and will serve as a site of cultural exchange between the China and the U.A.E.

The center was first built in the 1990’s after the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, for whom the center is named, had ordered its construction. In 2009, a renovation of the center was carried out at the behest Shaikh Mohammad. In a speech at the unveiling, Shaikh Mohammad stressed that he hoped the center would bridge Arab and Chinese civilizations and deepen relations and mutual understanding. In addition to funding the renovation, Shaikh Mohammad donated $1.12 million to support the center’s educational programs along with 1,000 books.

In a welcome address, Professor Yang Xueyi, chairman of the Beijing Foreign Studies University Council, praised Shaikh Mohammad for his generosity. Together Professor Xueyi and Shaikh Mohammad planted a tree of friendship in the center’s garden.

Reading Across America

Read Across America week commenced on March 2. This celebration of literacy also commemorated the birthday of Dr. Seuss and promoted his book, The Lorax, which was adapted into a film starring Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, and Danny DeVito. To kick off the event, Efron and DeVito went to the New York Public Library, where they read The Lorax to about 300 children.

In a statement, President Obama proclaimed March 2, 2012 to be Read Across America Day.

“Parents and caregivers can play an essential role in developing fundamental skills by reading aloud regularly, helping children explore new words and concepts, and instilling enthusiasm for language and storytelling,” Obama remarked. “These first lessons help pave the way for a love of reading that can last a lifetime. As children move from the living room to the classroom, teachers, librarians, and families use books to reinforce reading proficiency and build critical thinking skills that provide the foundation for a world-class education.”

This week, schools around the country have shared stories about their promotion of literacy through Read Across America. Many schools have taken the opportunity to foster literacy in languages other in English. In Billings, Montana, high school students read Dr. Seuss to elementary students in English, Spanish, and French. Spanish teachers in Fairfield, Connecticut took part in Read Across America by reading Spanish-language translations of Dr. Seuss books. An elementary school in Santa Ana California invited parents and grandparents to bring in heir favorite children’s books to class to read out loud in English or Spanish.

The National Education Association started the Read Across America program to foster literacy and reading for pleasure in K-12 education. Their website offers lesson plans, classroom decorations, and links to organization that offer free resources to teachers. The NEA provides lists of bilingual books and other texts dealing with multicultural themes, such as Asian-American books and Native American books.

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