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The Endangered Language Alliance

In the realm of K–12 pedagogy, “ELA” stands for English language arts. In New York City, another ELA is worthy of recognition.
The Endangered Language Alliance, a nonprofit founded in 2010 by Daniel Kaufman, Juliette Blevins, and Bob Holman (two linguists and a poet), documents, investigates, and gives voice to Indigenous, minority, and lesser-known languages within and adjacent to the Big Apple. The organization’s wide-ranging projects stem from relationships cultivated with communities and speakers of languages—hundreds of them—that have gained a foothold in “the most linguistically diverse urban center of the world” (Perlin et al., 2021).

Now co-directed by Kaufman and Ross Perlin, a linguist, writer and translator, the alliance partners with local organizations, language activist groups, and individuals to amplify the voices and needs of Indigenous and immigrant communities in the five boroughs and their neighboring counties. Recent initiatives have spanned global languages and channels of dissemination. There is a podcast in Nahuatl, a series of storybooks in five Pamiri languages (spoken in regions of Tajikistan, Afghanistan, China, and Pakistan), and the publication of “Languages of New York City”: an urban language map. First issued in 2019 in printed poster format, the map migrated to the web in 2021. The digital platform invites visitors to explore the nitty-gritty of some 700 languages and acknowledges that its map occupies the traditional Lenape-speaking territory, where the Munsee version of Lenape was the predominant form of communication. The ELA does not relegate languages to dots on a map; it aims to elevate them in the spirit of revitalization and public education. Case in point: in 2017 and 2018, the organization hosted weekly classes in Lenape in Lower Manhattan with Lenape language keeper Karen Hunter.

Not as Easy as ABC: Counting Languages and the People Who Speak Them

UNESCO’s World Atlas of Languages identifies 8,324 languages and estimates that 7,000 are still in use across the globe. The tally includes spoken languages as well as signed langauges, which are expressed by movements of the hand and face. On the ELA’s map, American Sign Language and Puerto Rican Sign Language are linked to St. Elizabeth’s Deaf Church on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

In the US, language data has typically been captured and disseminated by the Census Bureau. According to Perlin et al. (2021), the standard approach is both reductive and piecemeal: “One question asked in a problematic way to a particular set of people.” The ELA’s co-directors and colleagues argue that “indigenous, minority, and primarily oral languages are systematically undercounted for both historical reasons and on account of implicit biases of the survey instrument itself,” giving short shrift to smaller-sized language communities that exist in large cities.

The “language spoken at home” question first appeared on the Census of 1890 and was transferred to the American Community Study in 2005, when it replaced the census long form sent out every ten years.

(United States Census Bureau, n.d. “Question as it appears on the form”)

According to the Census Bureau website, the purpose of the three-part question is “to create statistics about language and the ability to speak English.” One result is the “People That Speak English Less than ‘Very Well’ in the United States” data visualization, searchable by county and census tract. It identifies the Queens neighborhood of College Point, just east of LaGuardia Airport —census tract 929—as having 55.4% of inhabitants who speak English “less than very well.” The “Languages of New York City” map depicts the same area as fertile ground for Columbian Spanish, Austrian German, Tatar, Macedonian, and Friulian (from the north-easternmost region of Italy).

The ELA’s methodology relies on longstanding collaborations between linguists and communities as well as ongoing conversations between academics and speakers of endangered languages. On the map, the findings from these sustained efforts are tethered to physical spaces of linguistic convergence. Houses of worship, eating places, and community halls mark the spots where lower-incidence languages reverberate. For example, Tamang, a language that comes from Himalayan regions of Nepal and northern India, Bhutan, and Tibet, is represented by a red dot at the site of the Tamang Society of America in Woodside, Queens. In a linked video, a native speaker describes the language and community.

Scrolling south on the map to the northeastern section of Staten Island, a viewer will encounter a cluster of purple dots (denoting languages of West African origin) representing the polyglot nature of the inhabitants of “Little Liberia,” who fled decades of civil wars, poverty, and disease in their homelands between 1989 and 2004. The map informs viewers that “Most Liberians speak both Liberian English as well as a mother tongue such as Bassa, Kissi, Kru, Krahn, Kpelle, Gio, Gola, Loma, Mano, Mandingo, and Vai”. Near the flush of violet dots, a tiny green circle stands for Italian, a red one represents Sri Lankan Malay or Melayu, and dark blue dots indicate the presence of American Sign Language and African-American English (or Black English). The description of the latter is linked to the free Black settlement of Sandy Ground at the southern tip of Staten Island and the Wu Tang Clan, the local hip-hop group that took root in the area 30 years ago and became synonymous with its home borough.

Toward a Cartography of Care

The work of the ELA has woven itself into the work of several city agencies. Perlin credits activist-minded civil servants determined to expand the reach of services. The Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs’ annual report (2020) mentioned Indigenous languages by name:
“In 2019, MOIA expanded its linguistic reach to New Yorkers who speak languages of limited diffusion, such as Quechua, Kichwa, Nahuatl, Mixteco, Wolof, Kyrgyz, Tajik, Soninke, and Gujarati.” (p. 48)

Its “Demographic Snapshot: NYC’s Latinx Immigrant Population” (2021) included a dedicated section on “linguistic diversity,” offering mention of Indigenous languages and a disclaimer:

“However, many New Yorkers of indigenous ancestry from Latin America who may report as ‘Hispanic’ speak non-colonial languages such as Nahuatl, Mixtec, Kʼiche/Quiche, Mam, Kichwa, Quechua, Aymara and others. These languages are often difficult to capture in surveys.” (p. 9)

The Department of Consumer Affairs lists the languages in which its 20-page Workers’ Bill of Rights can be downloaded: English, Español (Spanish),العربية (Arabic), বাংলা (Bengali), 中文 (Chinese), Français (French), Kreyòl Ayisyen (Haitian Creole), हिन्दी (Hindi), 한국어 (Korean), Język Polski (Polish), Português (Portuguese), ਪੰਜਾਬੀ ਦੇ (Punjabi), Русский (Russian), Tagalog (Tagalog), andردو (Urdu). It also makes the document available via audio files in five Indigenous languages of the Americas: Garifuna, K’iche, Kichwa, Mixteco, and Nahuatl.
On the international scene, the right to speak one’s own language is a primary tenet of the UN Decade of Indigenous Languages, 2022–32. Yet in some New York City public schools, it remains an aspiration.

Our Languages, Ourselves

The New York City Department of Education’s Language Access Policy names English, Spanish, Chinese, Bengali, Russian, Urdu, Arabic, Haitian Creole, Korean, and French as “covered languages.” The Parents’ Bill of Rights, a four-page, text-heavy document, states that “Parents have the right to: Feel welcomed, respected, and supported in their school communities.” The document is available in the ten languages listed above, plus Polish.

No audio recordings of the document in minority languages seem to be available, but the department is equipped to provide interpretation to families in more than 150 languages. Employees can access the Language Line around the clock through a dedicated 1-800 phone number. For families and guardians of school-aged children, the New York City Public Schools Speak Your Language web page can be rendered in any language available on Google Translate. It greets visitors with “hello” in ten languages, but figuring out how to initiate a call that requires language interpretation can be challenging for a speaker of any language:

If you or someone you know needs help receiving information or communicating with a staff member at their school or Department of Education (DOE) office in their language, please tell your school’s principal or parent coordinator, call the DOE at (718) 935-2013 or email [email protected].

Talking Points, a texting app from the eponymous educational technology nonprofit, provides two-way translated communication in 100 languages, including Azerbaijani, Gujarati, Pashto, and Ukrainian. The Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs’ “Resource Guide for Immigrant New Yorkers” is another resource that can help bridge gaps in communication and build trust with students and families. The guide is available in 34 languages (all of which appear on the ELA’s map), from Albanian to Uzbek.

Acknowledging and bolstering students’ multilingual competencies as part of classroom lessons can uplift students, families, and entire communities. As reported in Pass the Mic, when Alyssa Harris, a senior at Massachusetts’ Mashpee High School, became the first student to qualify for a Seal of Biliteracy in English and Wampanoag, her accomplishment was considered a success (Cooper, 2021). It marked a communal milestone for a language whose reclamation movement took root in the early 1990s after 150 years of dormancy ushered in by settler colonialism.

Administrators and school district leaders can design opportunities to engage in intentional listening sessions, centering speakers of low-incidence languages (via interpreters, as needed). In “The Listening Project: Fostering Connection and Curiosity in Middle School Classrooms,” Way and Nelson (2018) detail a process of transformative interviewing focused on building understanding of how an interlocutor experiences the world. Carving out designated times for listening to families can begin a process of authentic communication and signal a willingness to challenge the existing power dynamics between dominant and nondominant languages.

Texts about multilingual communities can be used as curricular extension activities, mentor texts, or the focal point of a lesson. Current events articles adapted for student audiences at diverse Lexile levels are available on Newsela.com. The New York Public Library collections include titles in and about Quechua, Twi, and Wolof, along with a digital list of materials available in Indigenous languages. The ELA’s interactive “Languages of New York City” map invites exploration, study, and analysis for students of all ages—and doubles as a rallying cry.
“The hope is that people will understand that linguistic diversity is as much a part of the health of our whole planet as biological and botanical [diversity] are and that they’re all very connected,” explains Perlin. “It’s all about the health of society.”

Resources

References
American Community Survey (n.d.) “Why We Ask Questions about… Language Spoken at Home.” United States Census Bureau. www.census.gov/acs/www/about/why-we-ask-each-question/language
Cooper, A. (2022) “Reclaiming Wôpanâak language.” Language Magazine. www.languagemagazine.com/2022/01/16/reclaiming-wopanaak-language
Endangered Language Alliance (2016). “Mother Tongues and Queens.” In Solnit, R. and Jelly-Schapiro, J. (eds.), Nonstop Metropolis: A New York City Atlas (pp. 192–3). Oakland, CA: University of California Press.
https://viewing.nyc/media/7160e299652b73e4b1d9f2a985907bd1
International Decade of Indigenous Languages 2022–2032 (n.d.). UNESCO. https://idil2022-2032.org
Kaufman, D., and Perlin, R. (2019). “Surveying Indigenous Latin American Languages in NYC: A report to the NYC Department of Health.” https://54.80.248.249/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Surveying-Indigenous-Latin-American-Languages-in-NYC.pdf
New York City Department of Education (2022). “Language Access Policy.” www.schools.nyc.gov/about-us/policies/language-access-policy
New York City Department of Consumer Affairs (2022). “Workers’ Bill of Rights.” www1.nyc.gov/site/dca/workers/workersrights/know-your-worker-rights.page
Indigenous Peoples of the Americas Epi Research Report Workgroup (2021). “Health of Indigenous Peoples of the Americas Living in New York City.” New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. www1.nyc.gov/assets/doh/downloads/pdf/episrv/indigenous-peoples-health-2021.pdf
New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (2020). State of Our Immigrant City: MOIA Annual Report for Calendar Year 2019. ​www1.nyc.gov/assets/immigrants/downloads/pdf/MOIA-Annual-Report-for-2019.pdf
New York City Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (2021). “A Demographic Snapshot: NYC’s Latinx immigrant population.” www1.nyc.gov/assets/immigrants/downloads/pdf/Hispanic-Immigrant-Fact-Sheet.pdf
Perlin, R., Kaufman, D., Turin, M., Daurio, M., Craig, S. and Lampel, J. (2021). Mapping Urban Linguistic Diversity in New York City: Motives, methods, tools, and outcomes. Language Documentation and Conservation 15, 458–490. https://scholarspace.manoa.hawaii.edu/bitstream/10125/74664/Perlinetal.pdf
Treuer, A. (2020). The Language Warrior’s Manifesto: How to Keep Our Languages Alive No Matter the Odds. St. Paul, MN: Minnesota Historical Society.
United States Census Bureau (2020). “People That Speak English Less than ‘Very Well’ in the United States.” www.census.gov/library/visualizations/interactive/people-that-speak-english-less-than-very-well.html
Way, N., and Nelson, J. D. (2018). “The Listening Project: Fostering curiosity and connection in middle schools.” In Noguera, P., Gilligan, C., Ali, A., and Way, N. (eds.) The Crisis of Connection: Roots, Consequences, and Solutions (pp. 274–297). New York: NYU Press.

Laura Silver is a teacher of multilingual learners and team leader at a Title I middle school in her native New York City. She earned an MS in TESOL at The City College of New York and an MFA in poetry from Brooklyn College and is the author of Knish: In Search of the Jewish Soul Food (Brandeis).

South Africa Classifies Afrikaans as ‘Foreign’

South Africa’s government has touched off a storm after it moved to classify native Afrikaans as a “foreign language.” For clarity’s sake, here is a hypothesis: this move would be similar to the US secretary of education suddenly waking up and classifying English as a foreign language in America’s school curriculum.

Afrikaans is a locally constructed dialect of the original European Dutch language. White colonial settlers of Dutch, Germanic, and French origins constructed Afrikaans on landing in South Africa in the 1600s. Their descendants number four million today in South Africa. Black South Africans make up roughly 47 million out of the nation’s 60-million-strong population.

“Afrikaans has a sensitively contested history as the language of Black enslavement and racist apartheid law enforcement in South Africa. For Black South Africans, Afrikaans is a scene of a colonial crime,” says Kudakwashe Magezi, a sociologist and immigration rights activist in South Africa.

“For example, on 16 June 1976, thousands of Black South African kids in Soweto township, South Africa, marched against the colonial government’s initiative to impose Afrikaans as the exclusive classroom language of instruction and force Black students to recite the Lord’s Prayer. Between 400 to 700 ‘rebellious’ Black students were murdered by White Afrikaans policemen in a day.”

Language of Instruction
Since the end of racist apartheid rule in South Africa, Afrikaans has been one of the country’s eight official languages and is the third most spoken language in the country. But as Black South African postcolonial nationalism takes root, there have been gradual efforts to dismantle the use of Afrikaans as part of a mission to revive marginalized Black South African languages.

So, in October 2020, Mr. Blade Nzimande, the South African minister of education, proposed an education bill that seeks to force South Africa’s universities to designate more studies in previously marginalized Black South African languages and address the linguistic injustices of European colonialism in the country. Afrikaans was quickly designated a ‘foreign’ European language whose use in South Africa’s universities’ faculties must be discouraged.

Outcry
Leaders of the White Afrikaans-speaking minority community in South Africa, who are essentially descendants of Dutch colonists, have hauled South Africa’s government before courts and the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization over the attempt to reclassify Afrikaans as a foreign language.

“This is disgusting reverse racism,” says Leon Schreiber, a White Afrikaans-speaking lawmaker of Dutch ethnicity. Mr. Schreiber accuses the Black postcolonial South African government of bigotry and hatred of Afrikaans culture and language.

“White Afrikaans-speaking students are restricted to only 5% of places in medical schools, they are effectively stood down in army, post office, police, banking jobs in favor of Black interns. The South Africa education minister openly hates the Afrikaans language,” says Mr. Schreiber.

The Afrikaans-speaking community in South Africa is asking why the language is suddenly being classified as foreign in the country while English, another colonial European language, remains untouched.

“This is the height of myopic discrimination. Afrikaans is invented in South Africa, not in Europe in Holland,” fumes Alana Bailey of Afriforum, a White foundation that works to advance Afrikaans speakers’ language, education, and community rights in South Africa. In May 2021, Afriforum sued the University of South Africa for discrimination because it had removed Afrikaans as the language of instruction at the university. Afriforum won the case in September, when the South Africa Supreme Court declared that the designation of English as the only official language of instruction at the University of South Africa was unconstitutional. The court further affirmed that students of all ethnicities in South Africa have a right to be instructed in their mother languages rather than being subjected to English.

“It was a glorious judgment,” says Bailey. “The racist attempt to marginalize Afrikaans language in postcolonial South Africa is simply that—racist and shameful.”

Reverse Racism
Supporters insist that Afrikaans, an off-shoot of the European Dutch language, has roots (similes, verbs, accents, cues) constructed in South Africa over 400 years.

“This reclassification of the Afrikaans language as foreign is a pattern of the reverse racism currently endured by White Afrikaans South Africa citizens,” adds Bailey.

However, Mr. Nzimande insists that he harbors no prejudice against the Afrikaans language: “The White right wing is over-occupied with the supremacy of Afrikaans language only and thus ignoring the nine other languages in postcolonial South Africa. We are now a diverse, democratic South Africa, and Afrikaans has no special lead over other languages.”

How My Midwestern Neighborhood Became ‘Mi Barrio’

When I found out that I was pregnant with my first child in the US and I realized that my baby would be born in this country, I immediately experienced a strong feeling of nostalgia for my mother, my father, and my neighborhood friends. They live in an ancient downtown street in a small city by the Mediterranean Sea. I was born and raised in a very close-knit small town near Valencia, Spain, where neighbors more often than not become family.

Will my baby be surrounded by this type of Spanish neighborhood closeness? Will I get to enjoy the supportive network of neighbors that my parents enjoyed while raising three children? Will my husband and I be able to pursue our careers and still raise a healthy, happy, and bilingual child? My mind was spinning and spinning until I forced it to stop. “We will work it out. It has to work out,” I told myself.
At the moment, I am an associate professor of Spanish at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. My husband is an English-monolingual musician from Dayton, Ohio. He spends an average of six months a year traveling around the US and Canada with his band. We had our daughter before our careers actually took off. Soon after we had her, I got pregnant with our son. We didn’t have much financial stability, but at least we managed to buy a small house in a family-friendly neighborhood and adopt a very loyal shelter dog. We didn’t want to give up anything. We wanted it all: family, careers, stability, and personal time. Why not? While my parents, siblings, and friends are in Spain, my husband’s parents and one of his siblings are relatively close to us, in Ohio. We used to live in Austin, Texas, before I got pregnant with my daughter, but when I was offered a college tenure-track position in Pittsburgh, we made the decision to support my career as a language professor and move close to my in-laws. That way, they could help with the baby and I could focus on my research.

I wanted to raise a baby who would be bilingual. I wanted to move to Pittsburgh to start my tenure-track position. I also wanted to buy a house, meet new friends, go out, live new experiences, enjoy nature, and travel as much as I could. Except for a career in teaching, my husband wanted the same things. His world is playing music. He had finished his masters in jazz studies at the University of Texas, and he was excited to play music and continue a career as a performing artist. We agreed that moving from Austin to Pittsburgh was the right thing to do at that moment. We moved to a city where we had never been before, and we bought a house in an unknown neighborhood where we knew nobody. The houses were old, charming, small, and somewhat affordable. There were a lot of trees in the neighborhood and shaded brick streets. There was a city park right in front of our house. It was not the street with the apartment buildings and a big inviting plaza where I grew up, but it was close to my work and not too far from an airport, so my husband could easily fly in and out. The neighbors were very friendly and always willing to help.

Very soon we discovered that our neighborhood was extremely monolingual. Back in 2012 when we arrived, everybody’s first language on our street was English. I knew that moving from Austin to Pittsburgh was not going to be helpful for my children’s bilingualism, but I hadn’t expected it to be as difficult as it was. I was sad and disappointed with the situation. In Austin, Spanish is heard on every corner. Finding Spanish-speaking families in Austin is as easy as going out for a walk. To find Spanish-speaking families in Pittsburgh, I had to travel several miles to a different neighborhood, where some Latino families had settled, opened a couple stores, and attracted other Latino families. With the Midwest weather and the city geography (many extreme hills), Pittsburgh is not an easy place to travel around with a one-year-old and start conversations with fellow neighbors.

I tried to make connections with my Spanish-speaking colleagues who had children, but the ages of their children didn’t align very well with mine and neither did our schedules. I connected with a public school in Pittsburgh with a high percentage of Spanish-speaking kids to work with them for a community engagement project for one of my Advanced Spanish classes. Still, it was not enough for own my children to playfully connect with kids they didn’t see regularly. Our trips to Spain were the only time when my children were constantly exposed to Spanish. We went to Spain every 18 months to see my family and friends, and it really helped my kids with their language development, at least with their listening skills. However, soon after landing back in the States, they would go back to near-constant English despite my efforts to speak only Spanish with them. I just could not make it happen alone. My kids were growing up monolingual.

Years went by and our professional needs became more pressing. My husband’s traveling schedule became more hectic, and I had to focus on my research and service to prepare my tenure portfolio. My neighborhood was still young and friendly, and my children became good friends with many of the local kids. In order for me to teach and work when my husband was traveling, we had to share a nanny with a family near us. My son and my neighbor’s daughter spent days and days together under the watch of a caring and professional nanny. Sometimes they would be at my house, other times at my neighbor’s house. Soon after we started the nanny share, a neighborhood family from Finland also wanted to bring their one-year-old to our nanny share. I was very happy that Finnish was our new friend’s first language and our kids were being exposed to it, even if it was just a tiny bit. It was the first time that I noticed another language enriching our street. Every spring and summer, children would play outside and make friends, and that meant that the parents also chatted outside, had a drink or a coffee in the corner park, and naturally developed friendships. Gradually, the families started to connect and bond. With the bond came the dinner parties, the excursions, the concerts, the sleepovers, the care, the love, and most importantly the emotional and physical support. I kept on speaking Spanish to my kids, but it didn’t seem to be enough. They were still incredibly monolingual.

Inadvertently, we all became each other’s family and began to trust each other (sometimes more than we trusted our own families). We were always there to help each other. For instance, when a mom had to deliver her second child at 11:00 p.m., some of us went to her home to stay with her first child, who was happily asleep. To this day, we water each other’s plants, walk each other’s dogs, share clothes, cars, food, meds, tools, dinners, camping trips, vacation spots, happy stories, and sad and painful stories. When a storm comes and the power is out, we all go to the house where there is some power and we hang out and wait. When the pandemic hit, we self-isolated, but we were all emotionally there for each other every day. The group of families has become so tight and empathetic with each other that it is hard to imagine our careers and family lives without this resilient network.

Recently, a new family from Colombia moved onto the street, with two very young children and two grandparents. The young parents are pediatric doctors at a children’s hospital with crazy irregular schedules. When the caregiving grandparents are overwhelmed with their grandchildren, they ask for help. The parents’ unpredictable schedules do not really help with the routine that young kids crave. They speak Spanish, and I see in them and in their relationships the togetherness and tightness that to this day I still miss from my street in Spain. Ever since the Colombian family moved in, things just started to change for the better on so many levels. My children became close friends with their children, and they spend time with the Colombian grandparents, playing, eating, watching TV, caring for gardens, and making mischief. Spanish is spoken naturally in that household. Consequently, when they are hanging out outside, it is also spoken in their front yard and the corner park. Grandma doesn’t understand English very well, so when my children need to communicate with her, they are forced to speak Spanish. If they need a snack from her or need to tattletale, they have to do it in Spanish. Otherwise, it doesn’t happen.
Soon after the Colombian family moved in, our good friends in the nanny share moved to Puerto Rico for work reasons. Initially, they were going to work there for just one year after the Hurricane María tragedy, but work there moved very slowly, and they ended up staying two consecutive years. Their young children, now five and three, returned from the Puerto Rico stay with pretty advanced Spanish, especially their listening skills. After their Puerto Rican experience, their parents had also improved their Spanish and understood most everything. Not only did the parents’ language skills improve, but so did their motivation to learn about foreign languages and foreign cultures. When they returned to the neighborhood from their stay in Puerto Rico, this family brought a different spin to our close community of friends. They brought awareness and initiative toward Spanish and the beautiful Spanish-speaking countries. Since they have returned, two other families have also jumped on the Spanish train and registered their children in a school where Spanish is valued and taught. In addition, the parents have even made modest efforts to learn Spanish themselves.

Ten years after we first moved onto a street where neighbors were mostly monolingual, it is apparent that things have changed for the better. I am not sure if it was luck, destiny, a combination of unique conditions, or a little bit of everything. When I look back at my initial worry and disappointment about raising children in a mainly monolingual neighborhood, I just smile and tell myself, “I am glad I persisted. Language and culture, as I constantly share with my students, are fluid, dynamic, and always evolving.” People, homes, and neighborhoods are all in the same boat. My neighborhood evolved, not only toward foreign language awareness and cultural diversity but also toward connection and closeness. It became a type of barrio where you find the support to raise well-rounded children, pursue your career goals, and still enjoy good dinners with friends in a bilingual and bicultural way.

Lucía Osa-Melero, from Valencia (Spain) is an associate professor at Duquesne University where she teaches community-engaged Spanish classes. She has published textbooks centered on the learning of Spanish within the community. Her research focuses on cooperative practices in the language classroom; pre-reading activities, inductive teaching, and language learning through community engagement.

What We Say and How We Say It

Even behind masks or through a screen, the language that educators use is one of the most powerful tools available to build a relationship with students, support their identities, and scaffold their learning.

Like our breath, our teacher language is always with us and has a significant effect on how we self-regulate and exchange energy with our classes. That might sound lofty or ethereal, but it’s fundamentally true. Most of us rarely think about our breath, but science and experience tell us that when we control our breath, we can better manage our emotions, health, and relationships (Walter et al., 2020). Similarly, the spoken and nonverbal language we choose to use in our classrooms and with our school communities can guide our connections with others. Being aware of our language is the first step in making sure the words we use have the outcomes we intend.

Teacher Language Is a Powerful Tool
Consider your own educational experience. Do you recall something a teacher said to you? Was it positive or negative? Many of us recall things said to us from long ago—or even recently—and those recollections are often accompanied by emotions.

In her book The Power of Our Words, Paula Denton explains how the language used in any learning environment can impact a student:
Language is one of the most powerful tools available to teachers. It permeates every aspect of teaching and learning. We cannot engage children in learning, welcome a child into the room, or handle a classroom conflict without using words. Children cannot do a science observation or reading assignment or learn a classroom routine without listening to and interpreting their teacher’s words. And what they hear and interpret—the message they get from their teacher—has a huge impact on how they think and act, and ultimately how they learn. (2016, p. 1)

Because language, both verbal and nonverbal, can be so influential, we need to consider our intentions, choices, and delivery. Our language can shape students’ learning, identity, and behaviors in the moment and over time. All humans have a need to feel a sense of belonging and significance. When we use specific language that tells a child we see them and we value them, it lays the foundation for the sense both of belonging and of significance. When our language is encouraging, respectful, and genuine, and when we combine that with patience and trust, the message to students is that they matter. When we add specific feedback to our language repertoire, we help students see their strengths and learn from mistakes, rather than seek our approval or fear criticism. Ultimately, this language can lead to growth and healthy development. Effective teacher language is a model of firm faithfulness that encourages and promotes students’ best efforts and growth.

Characteristics of Positive Teacher Language
Positive teacher language has five main characteristics that may sound deceptively simple. These characteristics are aspirational; with practice, they become habits of our engagement with students and colleagues, but they take time and sustained effort to develop. These traits can serve as guidelines as you consider what to say and how to say it.

Be direct and genuine. One way we can be direct and genuine is to ensure that our body language—gestures, postures, and facial expressions—matches our words. When a teacher’s words are not true to their intentions, their body language is likely to give them away. For example, a teacher saying “Let’s all calm down!” in a loud, high-pitched voice while wringing her hands does not convey a sense of calm.
Another way educators can be direct and genuine is to use statements, not questions. Teachers often try to soften commands or directions by phrasing them as questions in the hopes of making them seem more respectful. It’s disingenuous for me to ask my twelve-year-old son “Can you take out the trash?,” as it leads him to believe he has a choice. I can be clearer and more honest by saying simply and directly, “James, take out the trash.”

Convey faith. This is perhaps the most accessible and impactful way to use positive language. When a teacher notices the positives and comments on the things students do, they convey faith in the students’ abilities. For example: “You’re trying lots of different strategies for solving that problem. That takes persistence,” or “You finished cleaning up in less than five minutes today!”

Our language can be a buffer to the self-doubt and fear of risk or failure many students carry. Our verbal and nonverbal language can help them see and hear that our faith is greater than their doubt. Small gains and steps can be readily acknowledged and celebrated and lead to bigger gains down the road.

Focus on action. One way to do this with teacher language is to connect abstract terms to concrete actions that stress the deed, not the doer. Focusing on action is a place to be specific and provides explicit feedback to students. Rather than saying “Be respectful,” try a statement focused on action: “When you talk with your partner, make sure each of you has time to share your ideas.”

Keep it brief. It’s difficult for students to follow long strings of words. Students understand more when adults speak less. For some of us, this is a tricky pattern to unwind and change! One way to keep it brief is to leave out warnings. It can be tempting to warn students what will happen if they don’t heed reminders and directions. For example, “If this kind of playing around continues, we may have to use recess time to review and practice the rules.” Such warnings often come across as threats. Threats tell students that teachers think they are unlikely to behave well. Threats emphasize that teachers have the power to get children in trouble rather than students having the power to take care of themselves. Threats make the fixing of mistakes feel like a punishment and something to avoid rather than a positive way to learn and grow.

Know when to be silent. Skillful use of silence is as meaningful as the use of language itself. Silence allows for thinking time and for students’ voices to be heard. One way teachers use silence is to provide wait time. Pause before responding to a question or before taking a student’s responses. By pausing for even just three to five seconds before calling on students, teachers can raise the quality of classroom conversation. Silence is hard for many of us to sit with, but incorporating micropauses allows everyone time to think and process. It also gives students a way to practice patience and holding space for others to think and respond.

Types of Teacher Language
The skillful use of teacher language has the power to help create and maintain a positive, encouraging, and respectful classroom community. Educators spend most of their days talking and listening to students, so focusing on using positive language can have a significant impact. Every use of teacher language in the classroom can be categorized into one of the four main types of teacher language. Understanding these types of language is the first step to using this tool with skill and accuracy.

Reinforcing language helps students understand that success is about hard work, persistence, and a positive attitude. We can help students focus on their strengths by moving beyond general praise (“Great job”) and instead naming concrete and specific actions that illustrate what students are doing well (“I see you’re checking your work before turning it in”). This allows students to know exactly when they are on the right track and what actions and behaviors are contributing to that (Vincent, 2021).

Reminding language prompts students to remember expectations they’ve learned and to make positive decisions based on those expectations. In addition, reminding language can help students get back on track if they’ve strayed off course. To use reminding language effectively, keep reminders brief and use neutral wording and tone. Consider asking questions that prompt students to think and respond, like “What will you do if you get stuck during our independent work period?” Reminding language is especially effective when used to frontload expectations, so consider using it before an activity, transition, or work period begins (Vincent, 2021; Denton, 2013).

To set a positive tone for future work and engage children in problem solving, use envisioning language. This type of positive language is ideal for conversations around setting goals and solving problems as well as launching new units of study. Envisioning language can be used to motivate and encourage. It is most effective when it connects the matter at hand (a new assignment, a problem at recess, etc.) to something that the students care deeply about in their larger lives and when it gives students the opportunity to fill in the details (Denton, 2013). For instance, you might use envisioning language to help the classroom brainstorm rules or guidelines: “We need to be careful listeners to do our best learning. What do careful listeners do?”

It would be wonderful if we could spend all of our time using reinforcing, reminding, and envisioning language, but every educator knows there are moments when we need to give clear, firm instructions. That’s where redirecting language comes in. Skillful use of redirecting language guides students to stay on track and reassures them that they are safe and supported. To use redirecting language effectively, be direct, specific, and brief. Name the desired behavior calmly and firmly. For instance, replace “Why aren’t you lined up yet?” with a clear redirecting statement like “Line up and face forward.”

Shifting Your Teacher Language
Language is deeply ingrained in our upbringing and lived experiences. It is learned through what we hear, receive, and attend to, and our language patterns develop in ways we are not even aware of. If you are ready to begin making positive changes in your teacher language, consider these subtle yet significant shifts (Gheen, 2021):

Instead of “I like,” try “I notice.” When we start with “I notice,” we are naming specific behaviors students are doing well, rather than imposing our own judgment or pleasure about student behavior or performance. Recognize the specific efforts that led to success: “I noticed you worked for ten minutes without stopping, and you’ve completed your math assignment!”

Use inclusive language. By using inclusive language such as “second graders,” “students,” “math-thinkers,” or “artists,” we are sending the message that everyone belongs. It also builds confidence and self-esteem as we see students as learners across domains and we have faith in their abilities.

Practice nonjudgmental questions. When we convey our faith in students, it builds confidence and skills, which often lead to a deeper engagement and willingness to cooperate. If students feel intimidated or unvalued, they engage more in negative attention-seeking or misbehavior. Open-ended questions such as “What’s your plan for writing?” let students solve their problems with autonomy while leaving room for them to ask questions and accept help.

Practice calm firmness. A neutral tone helps everyone maintain balance, but it is often hard for us if we are feeling frazzled or stressed. When we can use a neutral, respectful, judgment-free tone, we not only foster a positive learning environment and convey trust but also keep our own emotions in check. Taking a deep breath or practicing silence allows us to intentionally use a calm tone of voice and maintains the dignity of students.

Changing our teacher language takes time. The first step is becoming more aware of our patterns, followed by making incremental changes that will last. If you’re ready to make positive changes in your teacher language, consider recording yourself or asking a trusted partner to listen in and provide feedback. Set a goal to add a few phrases to your daily conversations that focus on seeing the positives and conveying your faith in students. Our language is one of our most powerful teaching tools, so the time and effort you put into these positive practices will have a significant impact for your students and their learning.

References:
Denton, P. (2013). The Power of Our Words: Teacher Language That Helps Children Learn. Center for Responsive Schools, Inc.
Gheen, M. (2021). “Shifting Teacher Language to Communicate Effectively and Respectfully.” Journal of Social and Emotional Learning, 3(3), 12–15.
Vincent, K. (2021). Make Learning Meaningful: How to Leverage the Brain’s Natural Learning Cycle in K–8 Classrooms. Center for Responsive Schools, Inc.
Walter, H., Kausch, A., Dorfschmidt, L., Waller, L., Chinichian, N., Veer, I., … and Kruschwitz, J. D. (2020). “Self-control and Interoception: Linking the neural substrates of craving regulation and the prediction of aversive interoceptive states induced by inspiratory breathing restriction.” Neuroimage, 215, 116841.

Lisa Dewey Wells has taught nearly every elementary grade over her almost 30-year teaching career and is currently a consulting teacher for Center for Responsive Schools and a parenting/education coach. She is the co-author of Empowering Educators: A Comprehensive Guide to Teaching Grades K, 1, 2 and a forthcoming book on parenting language, both from Center for Responsive Schools.

Creating a Supportive SEL Forum for English Learner Lesson Contributions


The Need for Re-engaging English Learners Socially and Academically
As K–12 educators transition to in-person instruction after two years of pandemic disruption, careful attention is rightfully being devoted to addressing students’ social–emotional learning (SEL) needs and academic voids. Schools are striving earnestly to provide safe and supportive havens for re-engaging youths who have suffered tremendous learning loss and social isolation. English learners count among the students who have been most victimized by distance education, leaving them at profound risk of intractable learning loss. The prolonged social isolation they experienced interrupted their development of English language, literacy, and subject matter (Sugarman and Lazarín, 2020). English learners have additionally endured high levels of stress and formidable challenges developing meaningful relationships with their peers and teachers (Williams and Marcus, 2021). To foster self- and social awareness, concerned educators are dedicating time at the top of their lessons to noncurriculum-aligned reflection, discussion, and interpersonal skill-building. Resources for writing and discussion prompts linked to the core SEL competencies are readily available from CASEL, the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (https://casel.org). The extensive CASEL SEL reflection prompts can be utilized in whole-class or small-group discussion and provide rich opportunities for learning about peers and strengthening classroom relationships.

Challenges of Assigning SEL Prompts without Conscientious Preparation
Despite the decided merits of devoting class time to activities with a focus on personal growth and positive relationship-building, English learners all too often remain on the sidelines. CASEL acknowledges the importance of considering students’ cultural and ethnic backgrounds and stresses that more research needs to be conducted to determine modifications that can make SEL lessons more accessible and impactful for different populations (CASEL, 2015). For English learners to participate willingly in a lesson discussion intended to promote a critical SEL competency such as self-awareness, teachers need to offer more than a relevant bell-ringer prompt and quiet journaling time. Equipped solely with a quick write, an English learner is unlikely to feel emboldened to disclose personal experiences and perspectives, whether in a small-group or whole-class context. Similarly, a brief “think–pair–share” interaction with an elbow partner won’t be the deciding factor that entices an otherwise reserved English learner contributor to step up to the plate and volunteer. While it isn’t imperative for every student to share a reflection in an SEL lesson forum, if English learners hardly ever hazard a response, their peers and teachers gain little insight into these linguistically and culturally diverse class members’ attributes, experiences, and perspectives.

Years of supporting English learners in K–12 and college settings have helped me understand the instructional scaffolds that can safely transition a reticent English learner from habitual class discussion spectator to engaged participant and attentive listener. English learners at all proficiency levels benefit from careful attention being devoted to 1) their conceptual and linguistic preparation for contributing to an SEL-focused interaction; 2) opportunities to rehearse with a trusted peer; and 3) facilitation of the ensuing whole-class discussion.

Essential Discussion Scaffolds for English Learners

Assign Initial “Community-Building” Discussion Prompts
Many English learners approach class discussions across the curricula with apprehensions about their grasp of the subject matter and their ability to convey those understandings in a second language with appropriate word choices and sentence structures. Well-intentioned teachers may refrain from calling on English learners out of concern that doing so may cause these vulnerable learners undue stress and elevate their affective filter, thereby blocking cognitive engagement and language acquisition (Krashen, 1986). As an unfortunate consequence, English learners may have a limited track record of positive prior experiences participating in class discussions of any nature.
This is worth noting because SEL-focused topics and prompts can require far greater personal reflection, linguistic agility, and risk-taking than volunteering an answer to a math problem or a key detail in a lesson text.
The SEL framework includes five core competencies: 1) self-awareness;
2) self-management; 3) social awareness; 4) relationship skills; and 5) responsible decision-making (https://casel.org). Each presents a range of opportunities for students to introspect about their own strengths and challenges. Like all students, English learners benefit from a complexity progression, moving from discussion topics that are more accessible and affirming to those that require greater interpersonal exploration and risk-taking.
To initiate English learners to take a more dynamic and accountable role in lesson discussions, begin with daily brief, supported experiences that enable them to share positive things about themselves and gain insights about their peers. Highly scaffolded and routine five- to ten-minute interactions focused on individual attributes, interests, and identity can strengthen classroom relationships. With more promising classroom interaction experiences under their belts, tentative contributors will build confidence and stamina for more complex questions.
In district initiatives and research endeavors, I have witnessed English learners at all grade levels actively engaged in introductory lesson discussions with an aim of building community. Prompts that support self-awareness and relationship skills lend themselves particularly well to forging positive classroom connections. Following are some of the prompts I have used successfully with partner educators in schoolwide efforts to increase the quality and quantity of students’ interactions while improving classroom relations.

Sample Initial Discussion Prompts to Build Community
What are some of your best characteristics?
How do you describe yourself and why?
What is a (book, movie) you would recommend to a peer?
Who is someone you respect in your family or community?
What is something you have done to make your family proud?
What are the benefits of being bilingual?
What are the characteristics of a lesson partner with whom you work effectively?
How does an effective lesson partner demonstrate attentive listening?

Provide Response Frames and Precise Word Banks
To become fluent and confident in academic interactions, English learners must be equipped with appropriate language tools to respond competently. As we usher them into discussion contexts with increasingly complex topics, addressing either SEL or core curricula, English learners are more likely to contribute if they perceive they are up to the task. Educators across disciplines can increase students’ perceptions that they are prepared conceptually and linguistically by providing targeted language support. English learners understandably need a myriad of opportunities throughout the school day, within and outside of the classroom, to interact informally with peers using their natural language resources. However, when critical lesson topics become more challenging and competent communication is paramount, English learners deserve more than encouraging words to confidently enter a lesson forum.

A response frame is a highly effective tool for supporting English learners in responding more willingly and capably during lesson discussions. A response frame resembles a sentence starter in that it launches a response to an authentic, open-ended question that can be completed in a variety of ways. It is not a formative assessment item, with only one correct or desired means of completing the frame. Although a well-crafted response frame invites original content and phrasing, it specifies the grammar and precise vocabulary targets for a competent contribution. This places the teacher in a strategic position for effective modeling, a prerequisite for English-learner language advancement and lesson engagement. Form-focused modeling and explicit guidance help novice English speakers and writers notice language features in meaningful content (Dutro and Kinsella, 2010).

The response frame in Table 1 requires addition of meaningful content, a verb phrase beginning with a strong action word, a base verb that has no inflected ending (e.g., -s, -ed, -ing).
The grammar cue that a base verb is required is the preposition to. Creating a response frame that supports my students in responding more adeptly also enables me to display and explain my model response. This proves to be far more productive than simply modeling aloud a strong response and entrusting comprehension to English learners’ auditory processing and on-the-spot language analysis.
A precise word bank is used in tandem with a response frame to activate word knowledge and demonstrate to students how to move beyond the everyday words that immediately come to mind as they consider a discussion response. An equally vital role is to build background and stimulate idea generation for students who need a conceptual boost. A final function of a precise word bank is to reduce performance anxiety for students when asked to contribute alongside classmates they perceive as more capable.

Structure Partner Interaction Prior to Class Discussion
After assigning a response frame, provide silent and uninterrupted think time for students to consider what they’d like to share and craft their responses in writing. Once students have completed their responses, structure an A/B partner interaction so students have a chance to rehearse their responses and receive feedback prior to the unified class discussion. Assign A/B partners and cue which partner you would like to share first. This will maximize the interaction time, ensure each student contributes, and prevent passive individuals from sitting idle and not reaping the benefits of the lesson activity. Encourage students to each share their response twice: first to rehearse, second with expression. Repeated sharing builds oral fluency and confidence while also promoting more accurate and accountable listening.
Post directions for partner interactions and class discussions with clear guidance for responsible speaking and attentive listening. Visibly displayed directions help English learners understand and remember expectations for more advanced or complex lesson interactions with embedded content and language targets such as accountability for responding in a complete sentence, comparing, and elaborating.

Facilitate Equitable Class Discussion
Recognizing that English learners are likely to approach class discussions with some trepidation, caring educators often invite their contributions but refrain from ever requiring participation. While a degree of empathy is well warranted, if we limit inclusion in class discussions to volunteers, we may spend the entire school year never hearing from many of our linguistically and culturally diverse class members. With a goal of strengthening classroom relationships through SEL prompts and courageous discussion, we must strive to include perspectives and experiences that represent the diversity of the classroom community.
If we build their confidence with community-building discussion prompts, response scaffolds, and partner rehearsal, English learners will have a more productive mindset about contributing within a unified class forum. There are practical classroom-tested strategies educators can use at any grade level to reduce student anxiety and enlist a more eclectic array of responses. To broaden the response pool, don’t rely on “professional participants,” those who habitually raise their hands when you solicit participation. Similarly, refrain from resorting to digital devices, as random selection tools can preoccupy students with whether they will be chosen, preventing attentive listening and authentic engagement.
The four strategies for eliciting responses detailed below have a proven track record in linguistically and culturally diverse classrooms. They strike a balance between preselected, random, and voluntary responses while giving students’ agency to initiate contributions and validate their peers.

Strategies for Eliciting a Range of Responses
Preselected Initial Reporters
After assigning a reflection/discussion prompt, monitor independent writing and partner interactions. Preselect two students with somewhat representative, not exceptional, responses to launch the discussion. Advise students early on that you will enlist discussion assistants throughout the year and that they will all have opportunities to be the “discussion jump starter.” Preselecting two initial contributors breaks that awkward silence when no one steps up to volunteer and reduces pressure for teachers and students alike. When preselecting students, speak softly to minimize disruption with brief, neutral phrasing: e.g., I plan to call on you first to share your point of view. As you start the class discussion, acknowledge you have preselected initial reporters with affirming phrasing: I’ve asked Name and

Name to start our discussion. They have (points of view, experiences, examples) you will appreciate.

Student-Selected Reporters
Ask a preselected reporter to select a reporter from a different table or part of the room. Specify that the selector must do so efficiently using an assigned sentence starter: I select Name; I’d like to hear from Name. The selected student contributes and then chooses another classmate. Enlist two or three student-selected contributions before segueing to partner nominations, another productive strategy for engaging students in the reporter selection process.

Partner Nominations
Briefly recap the initial lesson contributions. Invite students to indicate with a raised pen/pencil if their partner shared a different idea. Assign a sentence starter with a citation verb: Name shared with me that . Name pointed out that . Call on a couple of volunteers to report their partners’ ideas and commend their attentive listening. This strategy is more effective when the content is affirming, relevant to many students, and involving less personal risk-taking. Otherwise, the actual contributor should be responsible for sharing if they so desire.

Voluntary Final Reporters
Open the discussion to students who have not yet had an opportunity to contribute. Clarify options for voluntary contributions: 1) your own idea; 2) your partner’s idea (with recognition: I’d like to share my partner Name’s idea). While monitoring writing and partner interactions prior to launching the discussion, invite one or two students with strong or exceptional responses to volunteer using encouraging phrasing: I would really appreciate it if you raised your hand when I call on volunteers. I know your classmates will benefit from hearing your response.

Concluding Thoughts
Developmentally appropriate SEL prompts, response scaffolds, and partner rehearsal will bolster English learners’ confidence, but reticent contributors must also perceive that their teacher is genuinely committed to hearing from a range of students. Varying our strategies for eliciting responses will democratize and enrich discussions while helping teachers and students alike develop greater empathy and appreciation for diversity.

References
CASEL (2015). CASEL Guide: Effective Social and Emotional Learning Programs: Middle and High School Edition. CASEL.
CASEL (2022). “SEL Reflection Prompts.” https://casel.org
Dutro, S. and Kinsella, K. (2010). “English Language Development: Issues and implementation in grades 6–12.” In Improving Education for English Learners: Research-Based Approaches. CA Dept. of Education.
Kinsella, K. (2020). English 3D Language Launch. Teaching Guide. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Krashen, S. (1986). Principles and Practices in Second Language Acquisition. Pergamon Press.
Sugarman, J. and Lazarín, M. (2020). Educating English Learners during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Policy Ideas for States and School Districts. Migration Policy Institute.
Williams, C. P. and Marcus, M. (2021). Pandemic Response to Pandemic Recovery: Helping English Learners Succeed This Fall and Beyond. Century Foundation.

Kate Kinsella, EdD ([email protected]), writes curriculum, conducts K–12 research, and provides professional development addressing evidence-based practices to advance English language and literacy skills for multilingual learners. She is the author of research-informed curricular anchors for English learners, including English 3D, Language Launch, and the Academic Vocabulary Toolkit.

UWorld Grant

UWorld, a provider of online learning to prepare for high-stakes exams, is accepting applications for its AP Success Grant for the 2022-2023 school year. The UWorld AP Success Grant is designed to help schools and districts build equity in their AP programs by providing high-quality teaching and learning tools to support all AP teachers and students. US high schools and K-12 school districts can apply by March 31.

Student performance in AP courses and on exams are indicators of college readiness, according to the Redefining Ready initiative of AASA, the School Superintendents Association. However, 40% of students who take an AP exam do not earn a passing score, and a performance gap persists between white students and their minority counterparts. In the inaugural year of the grant program, UWorld awarded $62,000 in AP instructional resources to schools for the 2021-2022 school year.

“UWorld grants are an extension of the mission we’ve had since our founding: to empower people to achieve their goals through education,” said Chandra S. Pemmasani, M.D., UWorld’s founder and CEO. “At a time when educators, students, and schools are facing significant pandemic-related challenges, the UWorld AP Success Grant can help remove barriers to success and provide critical assistance, and we hope, a little peace of mind.” 

The grant recipients will receive access to UWord’s online Learning Tools for AP Courses for all available AP subjects for the 2022-2023 school year. The Learning Tools make the rigor of AP curriculum understandable for students, manageable for teachers, and provide valuable program insights to administrators. Tools include content for students; assignment tools and progress monitoring for teachers; and assessments and reporting at the student, class, campus, and district levels. Schools will also receive personalized implementation training and ongoing support.

To learn more, visit CollegePrep.UWorld.com/educators or UWorldCares.UWorld.com.

Rebound: Turning Our Attention to Acceleration

Pandemic teaching was hard. It stretched and pulled us. We worried about our students and their well-being. But we did it. We supported students’ learning to the best of our ability and worked hard to ensure that students knew we cared about them. Throughout the experience of remote, distance, hybrid, hyflex, and simultaneous teaching, we did learn a lot. Unfortunately, the narrative does not focus on the unexpected learning that we all experienced. Yes, there is unfinished learning that needs to be addressed, but so many of us (and our students) learned things that we did not expect to learn. When we ask about this, we tend to hear about three main topics: technology, social and emotional learning, and self-care. But we also learned a lot about what works to engage students in learning.

In this article, we will focus on what we learned about accelerating learning. The research evidence pre-dates the pandemic, but we have found it useful to revisit this information as we strive to address unfinished learning. Importantly, we are not focused on remediation, which is deficit-oriented thinking that focuses on gaps and loss and might result in lowered expectations. The surface logic of remediation might be: they didn’t learn what they needed to in 2020–21, so they can’t learn what they need to this year. There’s a long-term danger in this line of thinking, because we’re not just talking about the 2021–22 school year. This faulty logic could be perpetuated for every year that this cohort of students is in school.

Instead, we focus on acceleration. We acknowledge that there is unfinished learning and that we teachers have the power to impact students’ learning. We’ll focus on aspects of acceleration that we can all use to ensure students learn more and better.

Identify skills and concepts that have yet to be learned. We need to assess students to figure out what they already know and what they still need to learn. There is evidence (e.g., Nuthall, 2007) that, on average, 40% of instructional minutes are spent on content students have already mastered. We do not have time to spend on skills and concepts that students already know. But it’s not as simple as cutting out 40% of the stuff we normally teach. Different students know different things, and we need quick tools to identify what they know and what they still need to learn. For example, we could use an A–Z chart for students to identify all the terms they know about a topic before teaching it. Matteo’s list of words about life cycles can be found in Figure 2. These are all the terms he knew before the lessons started. Now imagine if all the students in the class had egg and larva on their charts. We don’t need to teach that. And what if 33% of the students had pupa on their charts? It’s time to design small-group lessons. When considering what students already know and what they need to know, remember that not all the content is critical. As our colleague John Almarode likes to say, “There are things that students need to know and things that would be neat to know.” With your team, identify the nonnegotiable, essential, critical content and focus more time on that. After all, a lot of the content standards cycle and recycle, while deepening.

Build key aspects of knowledge in advance of instruction. Learning theorists suggest that we go from the known to the new. Background knowledge is important and mediates who learns what. We all learned how to make interactive videos during pandemic teaching, and we can continue to collect or produce these resources for students. When students need background knowledge or vocabulary, we can create videos and load them into our learning management system for students to access. Systems like PlayPosit and EdPuzzle allow students to interact with the content and provide teachers with data about students’ interaction with the videos. Let’s harness the technology learning educators and students have gained and use it during face-to-face instruction. Wide reading also helps build background knowledge and vocabulary, and we need to get more reading materials into students’ hands and support them to read outside of the school day. When we ensure that students develop key aspects of knowledge in advance of instruction, the lessons can move faster and students will acquire deeper understandings.

Increase the relevance of students’ learning. For some students, school is boring. When students do not see relevance in their learning, they are much less likely to self-regulate. And self-regulation is important, as we all want students to focus, set goals for their learning, manage their time, remain on task, and ask for feedback. One key to ensuring that students engage in self-regulation is to guarantee that they see relevance in the learning. We use three clarity questions with students:
What am I learning today?
Why am I learning this?
How will I know that I have learned it?

The first question requires that teachers clearly explain what students will be learning that day. These learning intentions serve to focus the class on the topic at hand but do not necessarily need to be announced at the outset of the lesson. But at some point during the lesson, students should know what they are learning. The second question allows the teacher to discuss the relevance and importance of the learning. Relevance may involve using the learning outside of the class or it may be for something interesting in class. Or it may be an opportunity to learn about yourself and how your brain works. For example, a geometry teacher teaching about midsegments of triangles noted that volcanologists used this information to determine the size of volcanos and later in the lesson noted that props for a play could be measured using this information, and she gave an example. The third question requires that teachers be clear about what success looks like. What does it mean to have learned something? A video of teachers talking about learning intentions and success criteria can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xqBdPjSE–g.

Create active, fast-paced learning experiences. The pace of the lesson is important. In remediation, the temptation is to slow down. That’s the opposite of the acceleration research, which suggests that the lesson needs to be fast-paced and active. This concerns some educators, as they worry that students will be left behind. We are not suggesting rushing through lessons trying to “cover” all of the curriculum, but rather that the pace keep students engaged and moving in their learning. Of course, it’s also important to maintain wait time. There are points in the lesson at which students are provided time to listen, process, perhaps translate, and build the courage to respond. And there are times when the teacher is ensuring that the pace is engaging. Watch a first-grade teacher’s pace with half of the students learning remotely and half in the classroom. Notice the pace and the value of learning intentions and success criteria.

Rebuild student confidence. Some students have a damaged relationship with learning. Not all of them. Many students still love learning and are confident in their progress. And some students did quite well over the past couple of years. But some students are not confident and they do not understand the impact of their efforts on their success. When students do not have a strong sense of agency, they begin to exert less effort. Figure 1 contains a list of ways to build student confidence. In addition, watch as teacher Sarah Ortega meets with one of her students to build agency. Importantly, Ms. Ortega noticed that her student did not realize that what she did impacted her own growth in reading. Ms. Ortega provides details about the actions her student took and attributes the success to those actions.

Our students are where they are. And it’s our turn to accelerate their learning. There is good evidence that we can use to address the unfinished learning that some of our students have as we contribute to the rebound of our learners. As a final note, take pride in the impact you have on students’ learning and social–emotional development. You are making a difference, and students are benefiting as a result of your efforts.

References
Nuthall, G. (2007). The Hidden Lives of Learners. NZCER Press.

Nancy Frey and Doug Fisher are professors of educational leadership at San Diego State University and teacher leaders at Health Sciences High. They are the co-authors of Rebound and How Tutoring Works.

Living Languages – Lenguas Vivas – Línguas Vivas

On International Mother Language Day, the first international, open access, electronic multilingual journal entirely dedicated to the revitalization and sustainability of Indigenous and minoritized languages was launched.


This year marks the first year of the International Indigenous Languages Decade, which will run from 2022 to 2032, as designated by the United Nations. Living Languages was launched in celebration of the decade designation, with the goal of “promoting scholarly work and experience-sharing in the field of language revitalization.” Founding chief editor and University of Oregon associate professor of linguistics Gabriela Pérez Báez explained the concept to the University’s publication, Around the O, “As many of us in Living Languages are Latin American, we do feel the pressure of English taking over the academic publication venues, and we find ourselves often having to publish in English about languages that are spoken in Latin America. By doing so, we’re working against the fair dissemination of information to the very members of the communities we are writing about. So we wanted to make sure we could publish in a variety of languages.”
Victoria Sanchez, of the UO’s College of Arts and Sciences, reports that the primary focus is on bringing together language revitalization practitioners from a diversity of backgrounds, whether they’re steeped in academia or not, within a peer-reviewed publication medium that’s inclusive of a diversity of perspectives and forms of expression.


The journal is not just for academics, so submissions from all language revitalization practitioners are encouraged. It will be published in multiple languages, including the Indigenous languages which are being discussed. The journal’s first volume is now live and can be downloaded in Kaingang and Chikashshanompa’ in addition to Portuguese, Spanish, and English. The journal is open source, so all content is freely available without charge.


“Living Languages is designed to be as inclusive as possible,” Pérez Báez said. “We hope that the way we’ve conceived the journal will invite all of these voices so that these experiences can be shared around the world, because that helps us all learn how to be active in sustaining linguistic diversity around the world.”


https://scholarworks.umass.edu/livinglanguages/

New Mexico Bill Promotes Native Language Education

A bill that would help preserve Native languages and fairly compensate teachers who hold a Native American Language Certificate passed the New Mexico House of Representatives last month with a unanimous vote.

The bill, HB-60, would make teachers who hold certifications in “Native language and cultures” eligible for higher salaries, known as a level two license salary. Level two licensed teachers typically have a starting salary of $50,000 per year. 

The New Mexico bill would also allow tribes and pueblos to create the criteria that determines the “proficiency criteria and renewal procedures” for the certifications. The bill aims to further aid in preserving Indigenous cultures. 

“Without language, culture does not survive. Native languages must be respected, honored and preserved,” bill sponsor Rep. Derrick Lente (D) said in a press release. “Teachers of these languages must receive fair compensation for their important contributions.”  
The bill now moves over to the Senate.

Live at TESOL: Advocating for All: Addressing Social Justice and Linguicism in ELT

Visitors at TESOL should head to the panel by Ayanna Cooper, Ed.D., editor of Language Magazine‘s Pass the Mic Series. The need for social justice in every area of society, including language and education, has become more apparent than ever. This panel discusses ELT from different perspectives, including anti-Blackness, homophobia, and linguicism. The panelists serve as social justice advocates in ELT contexts worldwide. The panel presentation at TESOL is on Friday, March 25th @ 11am. 

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