Book’s Blog 4

Chapter 1   Understanding Who Needs Academic Language

                               

This chapter starts with 3 abbreviations; ELLS which stands for English Language learners, ESL which stands for English as a Second Language, and LEP which stands for Limited English Proficient.  Then, it talks about Cummins’s BICS which stands for Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills, communicative competence in English, and Cummins’s CALP which stands for Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency, academic English competence. 

I like how the book distinguishes between academic English. This terms lead to talk about problems in the American schools and growing poverty. Then, it discusses the concerns about many students who struggle academically & fail high-stakes standardized tests. These demographic trends help to identify types of learners who need academic language instruction.

This chapter focuses on the types of students who need help with academic language and encourages teachers to honor what they bring to the classroom and learn more about their interests. The Freemans describe three types of learners: a) newly arrived with adequate formal schooling, b) newly arrived with limited or interrupted formal schooling, and c) long-term English Learners.  The schools need to identify these types. It is a surprise that ELLs are “economically, ethnically, and linguistically isolated from mainstream students” (p. 3) and some English speakers are struggling learners too, particularly whose dialects are not nonstandard and whose home languages differ in structure and form from standard academic English.  

I like how the Freemans represent these learners by examples, two examples for Long-term English learner (LTELs) and another two for limited formal schooling (LFS). They analyze and show what they have and what they need. Then, they use the Ogbu’s classification of minority students into ‘’immigrant minorities,” who are not influenced by the mainstream society and measure their success by the standard of their homeland, & “involuntary minorities,” who are influenced by majority-group attitude and values and measure success by mainstream standards.  There is a detailed description of both minorities (pp.10-12). For Standard English learners (SELs), there are two examples and the same for adequate formal schooling.

From their analysis, LFS who are in schools for an extended time may also be referred to as  LTELs who are students who have been in the U.S. for a long time, but who have not become proficient in English. They often face different sets of obstacles and issues than more recent newcomers. To meet the needs of LTELs, teachers may require a somewhat different approach. LTEL's face challenges because as they began to acquire English, they have lost proficiency in their native language. Although LTELs typically have developed conversational skills, because of the "social distance" between immigrant communities and mainstream communities, many have had minimal exposure to the English in their communities and little reason to learn or use it.

All in all, these analyses, descriptions, and examples are to show the differences, needs, backgrounds, …etc between these types of learners.  I like how they compare these types and show their advantages & disadvantages. Moreover, they use figures and tables to demonstrate their arguments. The learners are certainly not all alike, and they have different experiences. Many SELs and ELLs with limited formal schooling and LTELs struggle to develop academic language proficiency. There are differences and need different kinds of support although they face a challenge.

The Freemans end the chapter by including some reading tasks to prepare the students such as:

-        Retrieving information.

-        Developing an interpretation.

-        Reflecting on the content and structure of texts.