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(Amended 12.12.11)

This module focuses on meeting the needs of English language learners in relation to the reading and writing standards for years 1–8.

Ko te reo te tuariki. Language is my identity.

Ko te reo tōku ahurei. Language is my uniqueness.

Ko te reo te ora. Language is my life.

Meeting the Needs of English Language Learners is one of a set of professional development modules designed to support school leaders as they lead professional learning about the National Standards for years 1–8 within The New Zealand Curriculum. The modules are suitable for use during the cycles of professional inquiry that leaders and teachers engage in to improve outcomes for their students.

Introduction to the module

Focus of this module

This module focuses on the decisions that schools need to make, and the systems and processes that they use, as they work with the National Standards and the English Language Learning Progressions (ELLP) to support English language learners. These decisions include:

  • which tools, processes, and information are appropriate for the school to refer to in making overall teacher judgments about English language learners’ progress and achievement in relation to the National Standards
  • how best to engage with and report progress and achievement to the students, parents, families, whānau, and communities of the school’s English language learners.

Structure of the module

This module has three main sections.

Key outcome of the module, which:

  • states what the module aims to help school leaders and teachers achieve
  • lists indicators that show what to look for as evidence that they have achieved the outcome
  • provides a rationale for the key outcome.

Reflective questions for school leaders and teachers, which:

  • helps determine the professional learning needs of leaders, syndicates, and individuals
  • can be used within activities for leaders and teachers.

Leading shifts in practice through focused activities, which:

  • relates to the reflective questions
  • draws on existing resources and professional development opportunities
  • can be used flexibly to help meet identified needs.

A final section, Resources and references, lists texts that are cited or quoted in the module along with resources that include useful information about meeting the needs of English language learners.

How to use this module

School leaders can use this module to identify and explore what they and their school need to know about their English language learners as they work with the National Standards. Leaders can then identify what they and their school need to do to build this knowledge.

Teachers can use the reflective questions and/or activities to guide them through any changes they might need to make as they work with the National Standards.

Key outcome of the module

Schools recognise the diversity of English language learners and provide them with the language learning support needed to enable them to access the New Zealand Curriculum at year-appropriate levels as soon as possible. This is achieved through policies, processes, teaching and assessment practices, professional development, the equitable use of resources, and effective communications with families.

Indicators

Indicators that this outcome is being achieved include the following:

  • School leaders and teachers understand and use suitable processes for enrolling or identifying English language learners.
  • Schools consistently use the Ministry of Education guidelines for reading and writing, and the guidelines for mathematics, when reporting progress and achievement for English language learners in relation to the National Standards.
  • Schools use appropriate assessment tools and processes to effectively gather, interpret, and analyse data about English language learners to inform teaching, learning, assessment, overall teacher judgments, and reporting practices.
  • Schools use interpreters, translations, and other supports as needed to ensure that boards of trustees, families, whānau, and students are well informed about how English language learners are enrolled or identified and about the ways in which their progress and achievement are being monitored and communicated.
  • Boards of trustees, families, whānau, and students understand how progress can be reported using the English Language Learning Progressions (ELLP) and how progress and achievement is reported in relation to the National Standards.
  • School leaders identify and address teachers’ professional learning needs (such as the need for knowledge of additional language acquisition and/or for knowledge of their English language learners) through a strategic professional learning plan.

See also relevant indicators, reflective questions, and activities in other modules in this series. These can help school leaders and teachers to address the needs of English language learners and their families ad whānau.

Rationale for the key outcome

It is crucial that English language learners are provided with the language learning support needed to enable them to access curriculum content at year-appropriate levels as soon as possible. To do this, they need to make more than one year’s progress every year in order to reach the changing levels of their native-speaking peer cohort.

Students who are learning English as an additional language are over-represented in the group of students who are not achieving at expected levels.

New Zealand schools include large numbers of English language learners from diverse backgrounds.

  • There are more than 27 000 ESOL-funded primary and intermediate students. (The Ministry of Education provides targeted funding for English language learners who meet the criteria in the ESOL Funding Assessment Guidelines.)
  • 1124 state or state-integrated primary and intermediate schools have learners whose English language learning needs attract Ministry of Education ESOL funding.
  • Identified English language learners represent 163 different ethnic groups, from 164 different countries of birth, speaking 115 different languages.

Source: Ministry of Education, 2009 ESOL database

English language learners include, but are not limited to:

  • ESOL-funded students, who may be migrants, refugees, or New Zealand born
  • previously funded ESOL students
  • international fee-paying students
  • students from homes where a language other than English is spoken
  • students transitioning from Māori-medium to English-medium learning environments
  • students from bilingual education settings
  • some students with specific, identified language learning needs.

Reporting progress and achievement for English language learners in relation to the NZC reading and writing standards

The NZC reading and writing standards for years 1-8 set benchmarks of progress for all students.

English language learners’ progress and achievement in learning to read and write in English will be tracked, monitored, and reported on to parents, families, whānau, and communities using the reading and writing standards.

It is also recommended that schools use the English Language Learning Progressions (ELLP) to report progress towards meeting the standards.

As many English language learners will initially be below the expectations of National Standards, assessing progress in relation to the English Language Learning Progressions will help parents see that their child is making progress towards meeting the reading and writing standards. Teachers will be better able to support students' language learning and therefore English language learners will be more likely to make accelerated progress towards meeting the expectations of the National Standards.

Schools and teachers will need to decide whether to report each English language learner's progress and achievement using ELLP as well as in relation to the National Standards.

English language learners need to have appropriate levels of English language proficiency before information on them is drawn from assessment tools that have been normed for native speakers of English. If overall teacher judgments include data from such tools, they may not be reliable judgments about English language learners' cognitive ability, but, rather, judgments about their ability to function in English-medium classrooms.

The process for making an overall teacher judgment is similar for all students. However, the data, and the analysis of that data, may be different for English language learners.

Guidelines for reading and writing

In years 1–4

Students working within Foundation Stage and Stage 1 of the English Language Learning Progressions (ELLP) should be tracked and monitored, and have their progress reported to parents and students, using the progressions (ELLP) as well as in relation to the National Standards.

In years 5–8

Students working within Foundation Stage, Stage 1, or Stage 2 of the progressions (ELLP) should be tracked and monitored, and have their progress reported to parents and students, using the progressions (ELLP) as well as in relation to the National Standards.

When students move to a higher stage than that described in the guidelines above, they are getting closer to cohort level but the progressions (ELLP) will continue to be a helpful tool for informing teacher practice.

For further information see the English Language Learners Fact Sheet

At all primary school levels

Teachers will need to decide whether to report each English language learner’s progress and achievement in relation to the progressions (ELLP) or to the National Standards.

However, for all English language learners in years 1–8, it is critical that the National Standards, which are signposts for age-appropriate achievement, are kept in view. The progressions (ELLP) are viewed as a pathway towards meeting the expectations of the National Standards.

English language learners need to have appropriate levels of English language proficiency before information on them is drawn from assessment tools that have been normed for native speakers of English. If overall teacher judgments include data from such tools, they may not be reliable judgments about English language learners’ cognitive ability, but, rather, judgments about their ability to function in English-medium classrooms. (Refer to the ESOL Progress Assessment Guidelines for information about appropriate assessment tools for English language learners.)

The process for making an overall teacher judgment is similar for all students. However, the data, and the analysis of that data, may be different for English language learners.

Overall teacher judgments for English language learners involve decisions about when it is appropriate to track, monitor, and report progress using the progressions (ELLP). When students move to a higher stage than that described in these guidelines, they are getting closer to cohort level and may be assessed in relation to the National Standards. However, the English Language Learning Progressions will continue to be a helpful tool for informing teacher practice.

Reporting progress and achievement for English language learners in relation to the mathematics standards

Guidelines for mathematics

English language learners’ progress and achievement in mathematics will be reported in relation to the NZC mathematics standards for years 1-8. Students learn mathematics through language and, to a great extent, display their knowledge and understanding of mathematics through language. Teachers need to be aware of their English language learners’ levels of English language proficiency and of the implications of this for how their students display their knowledge and understanding of mathematics.

Reflective questions for school leaders and teachers

The following questions are designed to help school leaders and teachers examine their school’s current practices in relation to English language learners. They can then make decisions about any changes that may be needed to better support these students in relation to the National Standards.

Use the reflective questions to identify areas for further exploration through the activities that follow.

1. Are the English language learners in our school able to meet the demands of the curriculum at year-appropriate expectations?

  • Do teachers maintain and make explicit the same learning outcomes for English language learners as for English-speaking students at the appropriate curriculum levels?
  • Are teachers using the progressions (ELLP) effectively to identify specific language needs and to support teaching and learning for English language learners?
  • Do teachers understand when and how to use the progressions (ELLP) in conjunction with the reading and writing standards?

2. What enrolment and identification policies and procedures do we have? How effectively are they used to help teachers build the necessary knowledge of their students? How do we track, monitor, and report on each English language learner’s progress and achievement?

  • How do we ensure that enrolment procedures enable teachers to build up extensive and accurate information about the student, their family, and their language background? Who enrols the student?
  • When and how do we make decisions about applying for Ministry of Education funding?
  • How do we record, store, and share information about English language learners?
  • What steps do we take when we have identified a student as an English language learner? Are our school processes for English language learners recorded in policy and/or procedure documents?
  • What systems does our school use to track, monitor, and report on English language learners’ progress and achievement in relation to the National Standards and if chosen, the progressions (ELLP)?

3. Are we confident that we as teachers know and can use the assessment tools and processes that are most appropriate for English language learners?

  • How do teachers decide which tools and processes to use and when for English language learners?
  • How do we make overall teacher judgments about the progress and achievement of English language learners? How do we make them about native English speakers? Is the process different, and if so, why?

4. Do we know our English language learners well enough to make informed decisions to support their learning? Do we have the knowledge and skills to support students who are acquiring English as an additional language?

  • How do we as teachers find out about the English language learners in our classes? How do we find out about our learners’ academic expertise, their language background (the home language and literacy practices), their language proficiency, and their life experiences? Where do we record this information?
  • What do we as teachers know about language acquisition (in particular, acquisition of the academic language necessary to access the New Zealand Curriculum) in order to help our English language learners develop?
  • Do we as teachers have sufficient knowledge of how English language learners can meet the expectations outlined in the mathematics standards?
  • How familiar are we as teachers with the typical patterns of progress for English language learners, as contained in the progressions (ELLP)?

5. Are our English language learners well supported by strong, active partnerships between parents, schools, teachers and the wider community and by regular reports on their progress provided in a way that their parents can understand?

  • How do we inform parents and boards of trustees about the progressions (ELLP) so that they understand their purpose?
  • How do we make sure that students, families, and whānau understand the way our school monitors, tracks, and reports progress using the progressions (ELLP) and the National Standards?
  • Are all reports comprehensible to parents? Do our systems for reporting include the use of plain English, translated documents, and interpreters as needed?
  • To what extent does our school use effective strategies to build partnerships with families and the wider community? Effective strategies may include accessing interpreters, using local migrant and refugee support services, and tapping into community relationships, groups, and expertise. (See the English Language Learning Progressions facilitation manual, pages 8 and 9. Also refer to the translated enrolment forms from the Ministry of Education website, and the telephone interpreting service Language Line.)
  • Are there groups of parents for whom our existing reporting system is not suitable? If so, what are the barriers? How will we overcome these barriers?
  • Are we meeting the requirements of NAG 2a, reporting in writing, in plain language to parents and students, a minimum of twice per year.

Use the understandings gained from discussing the reflective questions above to identify the shifts in practice and/or professional learning that may be required in the school. Select from the following activities to support these shifts as part of your professional learning plan.

Leading shifts in practice through focused activities

Select activities that will help deepen understandings of English language learners and their teaching and learning needs. Further exploration may be needed to reach the outcome of this module. For example, discussions may reveal a need to explore the ways in which teachers use the progressions (ELLP) as they plan for teaching and assessment tasks.

School leaders and teachers may also wish to draw on activities from other modules in this series in order to focus on one aspect, such as strengthening partnerships or engaging students with texts.

The activities can be used in a variety of ways for whole-staff, syndicate, group, or individual inquiry. For example, an activity that relates to mathematics may be carried out differently from the same activity that relates to reading and writing. Teachers working with years 1–3 may also carry out some activities differently from those working with years 4–8.

The activities in all the modules, including this one, are based on the core resources listed in the Overview. Refer to these as appropriate when exploring practice through the activities.

Activity 1: Identifying the needs of English language learners

Are the English language learners in our school able to meet the demands of the curriculum at year-appropriate expectations?

Read and discuss the following scenarios.

Scenario 1

Yu Wen was born in New Zealand and speaks Mandarin at home. She had some preschool experiences and started school in New Zealand on her fifth birthday. She has had nine months at school. She is at Foundation Stage in oral language and Stage 1 in writing and reading.

Scenario 2

Sione started school in New Zealand in year 4 after his family arrived from Sāmoa. He speaks fluent Samoan, but has minimal English, especially in reading and writing. He is at Stage 1 in oral language and Foundation Stage in reading and writing.

In Scenario 1, note that Yu Wen’s written language is more developed than her oral language. This is a typical pattern of progress for some English language learners. At home, Yu Wen’s family encourage and support her to practise the reading and writing skills she is learning at school. For example, they listen to her read (in English) the books her teacher sends home, and they discuss the ideas in the stories with her (in Mandarin). Her family is less able to support Yu Wen’s English oral-language development because of the levels of their own English language proficiency. The use of the progressions (ELLP) will be a useful tool for ensuring that Yu Wen continues to make progress, especially in oral language.

In Scenario 2, Sione's teacher has definitely decided to use ELLP in conjunction with the standards as he is working at the Foundation Stage and Stage 1 during his first year at a New Zealand school. This will ensure that his teacher is able to monitor his progress in relation to the year 4 curriculum expectations. Sione's teachers will continue to do over the following period of time until Sione is well established at Stage 2.

Consider the following questions:

  • What other factors may have influenced Yu Wen’s pattern of progress in learning English?
  • What are the implications of this in terms of designing an appropriate teaching and learning programme?

After discussing one or both scenarios, use the guidelines for reading and writing to:

  • prepare a detailed description of these English language learners' learning needs in reading, writing, speaking, and listening considering how they will move towards relevant curriculum expectations
  • identify the English language learners in your school or class who would benefit from being tracked, monitored and reported to parents, family, whānau, and communities using the progressions (ELLP) as well as the National Standards.

Activity 2: Knowing our English language learners

What enrolment and identification policies and procedures do we have?

Do we know our English language learners well enough to make informed decisions to support their learning, including using information from the students themselves?

With teachers, use the English Language Learning Progressions Facilitation Manual, resource 1C, page 9.

  • Look through our school records such as enrolment forms, student management systems, and student profiles.
  • Discuss whether there is enough information when compared with the list in resource 1C.
  • Identify what is missing and make changes to information-gathering procedures as necessary.

Refer to the English Language Learning Progressions introductory booklet and Facilitation Manual.

  • Discuss the advantages of using the progressions (ELLP) for tracking, monitoring, and reporting on English language learners’ progress and achievement.
  • Discuss how we will communicate these advantages to parents, families, whānau, and communities.

Activity 3: Assessment tools and processes for English language learners

Are we confident that we as teachers know and can use the assessment tools and processes that are most appropriate for English language learners?

  • Examine the assessment tools and processes that we currently use with our English language learners. Refer to the ESOL Progress Assessment Guidelines.
  • For each tool or process, identify the potential difficulties for English language learners.
  • Discuss the identified difficulties and consider what changes we may need to make for assessing English language learners appropriately and in a way that acknowledges and includes their current expertise and their language learning needs.

It is possible for teachers to inaccurately diagnose the cause of errors and to therefore make inappropriate teaching decisions. Information relating to this can be found in The English Language Learning Progressions introductory booklet (page 5). The ESOL Progress Assessment Guidelines also contain information that may be helpful to schools when choosing assessment tools for English language learners.

Activity 4: Supporting English language learners

Do we have the knowledge and skills to support students who are acquiring English as an additional language?

Are our English language learners well supported by strong, active partnerships between parents, schools, teachers, other students, and the wider community?

1. Use resource 2B (Mind Map) from The English Language Learning Progressions Facilitation Manual, pages 14–15, to explore understandings about the process of acquiring an additional language.

2. Gather some school-wide data on the numbers of parents attending meetings or events at the school (such as parent–teacher interviews) that inform parents about English language learners’ progress and achievement.

  • Analyse the data and identify which groups are and are not accessing information about their child.
  • Plan to address any identified barriers. You may wish to consider using interpreters or translations, making personal contact, plain language reporting, and listening to “student voice”.
  • Review current reporting templates and practices. Are they meeting the needs of the parents of our English language learners? Refer to the examples and templates on Assessment Online.

Activity 5: Specific knowledge, strategies, and approaches

1. Depending on the identified professional learning needs, select one or more of the following areas to explore.

  • Are we able to differentiate teaching and scaffold learning for English language learners?
  • Do we have an in-depth knowledge of specific strategies and approaches that enable English language learners to access The New Zealand Curriculum at a year-appropriate level?
  • Do we have specific knowledge of the text features that are likely to enable English language learners to access The New Zealand Curriculum?

Like all teachers, we need in-depth knowledge of specific strategies and approaches, including language learning strategies and scaffolding approaches that enable English language learners to access The New Zealand Curriculum at a year-appropriate level.

We need specific knowledge about text complexity and about the features of texts that English language learners can identify and use at different stages.

We also need to remember that, at the early stages of literacy acquisition, texts may need to reflect a student’s own life experiences. This has implications for our choices and purchases of texts.

Discussion of text features can be found in the reading sections of the English Language Learning Progressions books.

As we work with English language learners, we need to be able to:

  • identify appropriate learning outcomes that take account of the language demands of the learning area
  • provide multiple opportunities for authentic language use
  • begin with context-embedded tasks that make the abstract concrete
  • explicitly teach specific vocabulary items
  • provide opportunities for self-monitoring and evaluation.

Specific guidance for doing these things can be found in several Ministry of Education resources, including Supporting English Language Learning in Primary Schools (SELLIPS) – A Guide for Teachers of Years 1 and 2, 3 and 4, 5 and 6, 7 and 8 (four separate books), Making Language and Learning Work 3 (DVD and teacher workbook), The English Language Intensive Programme Primary Resource (ELIP Primary), The English Language Intensive Programme Years 7–13 Resource (ELIP), and ESOL Online.

2. Consider what professional development we may need in order to strengthen our school’s ability to meet the needs of English language learners. For example, areas for group or individual professional learning could include:

  • understanding and using the progressions (ELLP)
  • assessment processes for English language learners
  • instructional strategies for English language learners
  • designing effective classroom programmes for English language learners, for example, using Supporting English Language Learning in Primary Schools (SELLIPS) and/or the ELIP resources
  • developing effective home–school partnerships with migrant community groups.

Also consider whether further teacher study is required, for example, via literacy scholarships or the TESSOL scholarships available through the Ministry of Education. To access specific advisory support, contact your local school support services.

Resources and references

This section includes details of texts that are cited or quoted in the module and/or that will be helpful to users of this particular module. The full list of core resources is available in the Overview.

  • Gibbons, P. (1991). Learning to Learn in a Second Language. Newton: Primary English Teaching Association.
  • Gibbons, P. (2002). Scaffolding Language and Scaffolding Learning: Teaching Language Learners in the Mainstream Classroom. Portsmouth: Heinemann.
  • Ministry of Education (2003). The English Language Intensive Programme Primary Resource (ELIP). Auckland: Ministry of Education.
  • Ministry of Education (2003). The English Language Intensive Programme Years 7–13 Resource (ELIP). Auckland: Ministry of Education.
  • Ministry of Education (2004). ESOL Funding Guidelines. Wellington: Learning Media.
  • Ministry of Education (2005). ESOL Progress Assessment Guidelines. Wellington: Learning Media.
  • Ministry of Education (2008). Making Language and Learning Work 3: Integrating Language and Learning in Years 5–8. Christchurch: Cognition Consulting, University of Canterbury Education Plus, and Visual Learning. (DVD and teacher workbook).
  • Ministry of Education (2013). Guidance for Reporting on English Language Learners. Wellington.
    This resource provides further guidance for boards with English language learners in years 1-8 that use The New Zealand Curriculum to set their teaching and learning programmes, and includes an optional template for boards to use in their reporting.
     

Updated on: 20 Jun 2013


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