FIS English as a Second Language (ESL) Curriculum
Document
Philosophy and Objectives
The
The
FIS serves primarily the international community of
The
school offers challenging programs in academics, information technology, sports
and fine arts. At the FIS education goes
beyond the acquisition of knowledge. It
encourages curiosity and creativity. It
stresses inquiry and self-discovery, the development and strengthening of
individual talents, and the appreciation of democratic structures. It fosters open-mindedness, respect and
sensitivity toward the feelings of others, and the development of a sense of
fairness and integrity.
The
Educates students from all over the world regardless
of race, sex, religion, nationality, or ethnic background, and helps them to
reach their fullest potential intellectually, socially, and physically.
Provides highly qualified,
motivated, caring teachers who support the school's philosophy and objectives.
Offers a structured program based on a curriculum
which ensures that the students acquire the skills and techniques necessary to
cope with the challenges of the future.
Provides
appropriate resources in a safe, challenging, adaptable and supportive
environment in which the student is an active participant.
Builds a team atmosphere, in which students,
teachers, parents and administrators are partners
in the learning and growing process.
Promotes a positive and reciprocal relationship with the host
nation at the local, regional and national levels, which takes advantage of the
educational opportunities of living in
Continues
to grow with its students by adding a grade level each year, and will
ultimately (2009) offer the opportunity for graduation with the International
Baccalaureate diploma.
English as a Second Language (ESL)
The ESL programme at the FIS strives to support ESL students until they
are able to function independently, both academically and socially, in the
mainstream classroom. We believe that ESL students should be integrated in
mainstream classes as soon as possible. To this end, a supportive environment
is provided in both ESL and mainstream classes to encourage students to take
risks in their language learning and increase their self-confidence. Language
is taught and practised within natural contexts and meaningful situations, and
the acquisition of language is stressed over simply “learning” language.
Maintenance and valuing the students’ native language and culture are
important, and we are committed to the support of parents in working with their
children at home. Lastly, in addition to
supporting ESL students, the ESL programme is committed to assisting classroom
teachers in their efforts to help ESL students to participate in the mainstream
programme.
Aims
As the social and academic integration of the students into the
mainstream classroom is the overall goal of the ESL programme, ESL students
need to achieve a sufficient level of English to allow a full and successful
transition into the FIS academic programme. In order to help the students achieve
this level, we have goals in the following areas:
Content:
-
reinforce and pre-teach the concepts from mainstream
classroom subjects (Social Studies, Science, Maths)
-
enable independent learning
through the correct use of resources (pictionaries,
dictionaries, computers, media)
-
develop thinking
skills and study strategies
-
develop an awareness of English language cultural
norms
Skills: Listening, Reading, Speaking, Writing
Students should develop:
-
the ability to
understand ordinary spoken English statements, questions and instructions and
to respond to significant variations in the spoken language.
-
the ability to
produce the sounds of English and achieve international intelligibility in the
construction of well-formed statements, questions and instructions in
conversation with others.
-
the ability to
comprehend written English, taking into account each student’s reading level.
-
the ability to
construct well-formed sentences and coherent paragraphs in written English.
Attitude:
-
encourage risk taking and view mistakes as a learning
opportunity
-
build self-confidence
-
instill a positive
attitude towards new language and culture
-
value their native language and cultural background
-
value language as a means of understanding and
communicating with the world around us
-
instill patience with
themselves and others in the language acquisition process
-
encourage students to persevere
In addition to the above mentioned aims for ESL
students, the ESL programme strives to support mainstream teachers and parents
in their child’s education. It is
critical for parents and all FIS staff who deal with non-native English
speakers to understand the nature of second language learning for academic
purposes. With this in mind, the ESL department:
-
educates staff about the
ESL programme and needs of non-native English speaking students in the school.
-
informs parents about the
ESL programme and the nature of second language acquisition.
The teaching objectives for the ESL program at the
It should be stressed that
language acquisition process is unique for each child and it is possible that
some students may make more progress in some skill areas than others. Therefore, it is possible that a student may
advance to the next level of proficiency based on their strengths in some skill
areas, but still need practice in other skills at a lower level.
Beginner
By the end of this level, the student should be able to:
-
Reading - identify numbers, as well as the letters and
sounds of the alphabet; construct meaning from non-print features
(illustrations, graphs, maps, tables, etc.), as well as from simple words and
sentences; track text from top to bottom, left to right; use a picture
dictionary to identify everyday objects.
-
Writing - generate numbers, the letters of the
alphabet and simple texts which reflect knowledge of basic spelling, vocabulary
and syntax and which may contain pictorial representations to convey meaning.
-
Speaking - ask basic questions and make statements,
using non-verbal communication, single words or simple phrases, to express
simple needs, feelings and desires, or to respond to stories, pictures, etc;
begin to use English spontaneously.
-
Listening - understand and respond to basic requests,
questions and statements.
Intermediate:
By the end of this level, the student should be able to:
- Reading - understand simplified and levelled texts (200-1700 words)
for which they have background knowledge; use various reading strategies
(prediction, context, pictures, etc.) to construct meaning from unfamiliar
texts; use a simple dictionary or other reference source to identify unfamiliar
words.
- Writing - generate more complex texts, a wider variety of texts and
more coherent texts than beginners; generate texts which reflect a growing
command of English spelling, vocabulary and syntax conventions.
- Speaking - use simple sentences to express thoughts which are
comprehensible and appropriate; show increasing command of vocabulary and
syntax; use English spontaneously.
- Listening - understand stock vocabulary words and phrases covering
many daily situations; begin to understand more complex sentence structures and
academic language.
Advanced:
By the end of this level, the student should be able to:
-
-
Writing - produce texts independently for personal and
academic purposes; produce texts in which the structures, vocabulary and
overall organisation approximate those of native speakers, with minimal errors.
-
Speaking - use more complex sentences for daily
communication needs; use English spontaneously in new or unfamiliar settings.
-
Listening - understand most day-to-day conversations,
academic language and many complex sentence structures; begin to understand
idioms, figures of speech, words with multiple meanings and abstract academic
concepts.
1) The language
program is a balanced one in which all four skills (listening, speaking,
reading, writing) are equally emphasized and
integrated with one another (as opposed to taught in isolation).
2) Language teaching
is linked to other areas of the curriculum through theme-based topics and/or
content work from the mainstream classroom.
Since the main goal of the ESL program is the academic and social
integration of the ESL student into mainstream classroom, it is important that
the language objectives are taught through
the content and attitude goals set forth in this document (i.e. mainstream
topics, culture awareness and language learning strategies) so ESL students
have the same background knowledge, skills, strategies and concepts as their
peers in the mainstream classroom.
3) Each child is
treated as an individual who progresses at his/her own pace and who has an
individual learning style. A variety of
methods and materials are used to meet different language learning styles of
children, including visual learners, auditory learners and kinesthetic
learners. These include, but are not
limited to:
-
Art projects
(crafts, drawing, painting)
-
Communicative
activities (whole group and pair work, discussion, games)
-
Drama and
movement (role-plays, dialogues, skits, Total Physical Response, pantomime)
-
Music (songs,
instruments)
-
Repetition,
oral-aural drills, worksheets
-
Literature
(rhymes, stories, poems, reading aloud, questions, writing activities)
-
Real life
experiences (field trips, speakers, student-led interests and projects)
-
Media
(magazines, newspapers, audio and video cassettes, Internet websites, CD-ROMS,
computer programs word processing, website building, etc.)
-
Realia (board games,
pictures, puppets, maps, sensory-related objects)
Program Structure
The current ESL program is structured to meet the individual
developmental needs of students at each grade level. Therefore, while ESL classes are based on the
grade level of the students, teachers differentiate work within the class to
meet students’ individual needs. As the
program grows, it will be necessary to divide classes along proficiency levels
within the grades.
The ESL teachers support ESL students through both ‘push-in’ and
‘pull-out’ classes. In both cases, ESL teachers coordinate
closely with mainstream teachers to provide appropriate content information for
students, as well as information about individual student needs.
‘Push-in’: ESL teachers
accompany ESL students into the mainstream classroom to provide assistance with
content work. In addition to supporting ESL students with mainstream work,
push-in classes allow ESL teachers to assess how students are coping with the
content work, to collect information to direct future pull-out teaching and to
observe how ESL students are integrating socially into the mainstream class.
‘Pull-out’: ESL teachers take
students out of the mainstream classroom to provide language instruction in the
ESL classroom, as well as content-area support.
The language instruction should be integrated with content instruction
as much as possible. Content area
support will include pre-teaching and re-enforcing of vocabulary and concepts
taught in the mainstream class.
The number of lessons an ESL student receives per week is based on their
proficiency level. Beginners receive 7-10 lessons per week. Intermediate and advanced level students
receive 2-6 lessons per week, based on their ability level and teacher
discretion. Advanced students are
working toward exiting the ESL program, as demonstrated by their ability to
function independently and successfully in the mainstream, grade-level
classroom.
The purpose of assessment in ESL is
three-fold. First, it allows teachers to
determine what skills and concepts a student has already acquired. This, in turn, informs teacher planning.
Second, it is used to determine if a student is making developmentally
appropriate progress in language. Specifically, it helps to determine if a
student needs remediation or, conversely, a challenge in certain skill
areas. Lastly, assessment provides
feedback to students and parents to help students take part in their own
learning through goal setting.
Recommended Grading Scheme
The following systems are presently used in the
school:
First Quarter and Third Quarter: Parent-Teacher
conferences
Parent-Teacher conferences will be held for
all students. Any parent may request a
conference with their child’s teacher at any other time if they wish.
Progress Reports will be
sent to parents at the end or just following the end of the first and second
semesters. Teaching objectives for each
subject by grade level are listed. The following keys are used to assess each
student’s stage of development towards those objectives:
E -
Exceptional performance exceeding grade level expectations
G -
Good performance exceeding grade level expectations
S -
Satisfactory performance meets grade level expectations
W - Working towards grade level expecations
U -
Unsatisfactory performance at grade level
M -
Modified Program
++ Always meets objectives
+ Often meets objectives
0 Sometimes
meets objectives
- Rarely meets objectives
Each child’s progress is
assessed according to the child’s achievements at the current year level. Assessment is an on going process and is not
reliant on any single testing procedure.
Information is gathered from a variety of formal and informal
activities. Further clarification is obtained by teacher’s written comments on
the report and by discussion during parent-teacher conferences.
Many ESL students will receive the mark 'M' (Modified
Program) for the Language Arts portion of the report card, as well as comments
made by the ESL teacher on their progress in this subject. Depending on the proficiency level of individual
students, the mark 'M' may also appear on some subject area (Social Studies,
Science, Math) portions of their report card.
Assessment Methods:
External Assessment
No standardized language tests will be given to elementary students. In
grades 5-9, students will take the Iowa
Test of Basic Skills at the beginning of each year to provide a benchmark
to compare our school’s performance to that of other schools. ESL
students may or may not take all of this test or portions of it, based on a
decision made by the ESL and homeroom teachers. They will take in to
consideration language and mathematical ability, as well as whether or not the
test would be a positive experience for the ESL student.
Internal Assessment
Initial Assessment of skills
(Reading, Writing/Spelling, Speaking, Listening) is given at the beginning of
the year or the student's entry into the ESL program to help the ESL teacher
place the student in the correct level of instruction and to formulate a
program to address their individual needs. These assessments will vary according
to grade level but may include a writing sample, initial spelling test, reading
fluency and comprehension tests and/or observations about listening/speaking
skills.
After it has been determined
that a child will need ESL, a letter is sent home to parents, informing them
them of the placement, as well as the number of hours of support their child
will receive and the focus of the instruction.
Formulative Assessment is on-going
throughout the school year. This type of assessment can be thought of as a
‘check up’ on how students are progressing.
Results from this assessment will help ESL teachers to adjust their
planning to better facilitate student learning.
In addition, it provides feedback to students and parents about their
progress. Assessment options are discussed below.
Final Assessment is given at the
end of a unit, term and/or school year.
It provides information about how much a student has retained over a
period of time. ESL teachers will use
the objectives set out in this document as assessment criteria to determine the
proficiency levels of beginning, intermediate and advanced level students.
Assessment options are discussed below.
Because of the developmental and multi-faceted
nature of language acquisition, it is necessary for ESL teachers to draw on a
collection of different assessment tools used over the year to give an accurate
description of student progress.
Assessment options include:
-
Portfolio reflections (a collection of work done over
the term, chosen and reflected upon by the student)
-
Paper and pencil quizzes and tests
-
Teacher observation and anecdotal notes
-
Rubrics (i.e. for written assignments)
-
Checklists (i.e. for reading skills, grammar)
·
converses easily
with native and non-native speakers in both social/interpersonal and academic
situations
·
expresses feelings, needs and experiences with a
richness of language approximating that of a native-speaking
peer
·
describes a picture, object or person accurately
·
retells a familiar story in a few sentences meeting
grade level expectations
·
gives explanations for vocabulary used in all classes,
for given instructions, as well as for topics related to content classes
·
asks and answers grammatically correct questions
relating to the content of the lesson
·
participates as a speaker in group activities
·
pronunciation and intonation do not interfere with the
listener’s understanding
·
understands all spoken instructions in the school
environment, and responds appropriately to these instructions
·
understands the spoken language sufficiently well to
answer questions detailed in response to teachers´ requests
·
comprehends, responds to and participates in stories,
rhymes, songs, class discussions and conversations with teachers and peers
·
has sufficient academic vocabulary and structures (for
content classes) to understand and be able to participate fully in lessons
·
listens for specific information, e.g. ignoring
redundant material
Vocabulary
·
uses and comprehends a well extended range of
vocabulary confidently and correctly in the four skill areas, approximating
that of a native-speaking peer
·
displays sufficient knowledge and understanding of
vocabulary used in content classes and in mainstream classes to be able to
participate fully in lessons and meet the grade level expectations
satisfactorily
·
comprehends
written materials used in the mainstream curriculum well enough to complete
related learning activities at grade level
·
reads grade
level texts with increasing fluency
·
displays
detailed comprehension of texts at grade level (can answer questions on the
content of a story)
·
performs at grade level, with an appropriate degree of
grammatical accuracy and coherence, written tasks for academic and personal
purposes.
·
implements
punctuation correctly
·
spelling skills
meet grade level expectations
·
Grammar:
-
is able to write
in full sentences
-
displays
knowledge of what a noun, a verb and an adjective is
-
uses
prepositions of place correctly
-
uses verbs in
the simple present correctly
-
uses regular
verb forms of the simple past correctly
-
often uses the
most frequent irregular verb forms of the simple past correctly
ESL Exit Criteria – Grade 2
·
converses easily
with native and non-native speakers in both social/interpersonal and academic
situations
·
expresses feelings, needs and experiences with a
richness of language approximating that of a native-speaking peer
·
describes a picture, object or person accurately
·
retells a familiar story in more than a few sentences
·
gives explanations for vocabulary used in all classes,
for given instructions, as well as for topics related to content classes
·
asks and answers grammatically correct questions
relating to the content of the lesson
·
participates as a speaker in group activities
·
pronunciation and intonation do not interfere with the
listener’s understanding
·
understands all spoken instructions in the school
environment, and responds appropriately to these instructions
·
understands the spoken language sufficiently well to
answer questions in response to teachers´ requests
·
comprehends, responds to and participates in stories,
rhymes, songs, class discussions and conversations with teachers and peers
·
has sufficient academic vocabulary and structures (for
content classes) to understand and be able to participate fully in lessons
·
listens for specific information, e.g. ignoring
redundant material
Vocabulary
·
uses and comprehends a well extended range of vocabulary
confidently and correctly in the four skill areas, approximating that of a
native-speaking peer
·
displays sufficient knowledge and understanding of
vocabulary used in content classes and in mainstream classes to be able to
participate fully in lessons and meet the grade level expectations
satisfactorily
·
comprehends written materials used in the mainstream
curriculum well enough to complete related learning activities at grade level
·
reads grade level texts fluently developing some expression
·