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Accelerate your child's reading, spelling and writing with Fast-track Phonics!

07/01/2024

Grammar is not boring for English Language Learners (ELLs)

Why do people think grammar is boring? It can open up new pathways for ELLs. I once tried to learn Cantonese. I was teaching English in a Cantonese speaking school. I went to Cantonese lessons where I learnt ‘communicative English’ in a fun way - basically ‘expressions’. I didn’t last as just memorising expressions was too difficult. At the school where I was teaching, I was immersed in Cantonese every day. It was overwhelming. Students and colleagues also taught me ‘expressions’. There was no correlation to English and I made little progress. However, using memorisation, I did develop some survival language. I was able to give taxi drivers instructions and shop in the markets and malls using Cantonese, but little else.

After 5 years of this I decided to have private lessons. My tutor used the traditional ‘grammar-translation’ method. I was instructed to learn syntax and memorise vocabulary (not expressions)! Wow – what a difference! After a few months my listening comprehension developed markedly. I understood topics of conversations in the staffroom; I knew what people were talking about on their mobile phones, on buses and trains. Once I understood even simple things about the structure of such a different language it opened a whole new world of understanding. DON’T UNDERSESTIMATE THE VALUE OF LEARNING OR TEACHING GRAMMAR. But make sure you learn or teach it in a systematic, cumulative way.

27/11/2023

The new coalition government has committed to a strong focus on lifting educational performance with the proviso that ‘every class will undertake an hour a day each of reading, writing and maths’. Although not specifically in the coalition agreement, National in its manifesto referenced the ‘proven structured literacy approach’ as the tool for improved reading skills, adding that ‘mountains of evidence shows that structured literacy is the most effective method to equip children with strong reading skills’. In its fiscal plan, the party committed a budget of $61 million to achieve this over a 4-year period. This also includes short phonics checks for year 2 students, intervention for learners needing extra support and extensive teacher training.

This is indeed good news for the primary ESOL sector, especially the promise of intervention for learners needing extra support, many of whom would be ELLs. Structured literacy approaches have been scientifically proven to benefit all students learning to read and write and most ESOL teachers would welcome extra time allocation to work with their students, along with improved resourcing. But why phonics checks for only year 2 students? Surely these checks should occur in Year 1 and beyond Year 2, as happens in other countries - bearing in mind the main purpose of these checks is to use the results to plan ongoing teaching.

What of the secondary ESOL sector? What about new arrivals with limited English language skills trying to cope in secondary mainstream classrooms? What about the needs of longer-term ELLs still struggling? In many cases the language needs of secondary ELLs are similar to those of primary learners. Surely secondary ELLs would also benefit from ongoing intervention using structured literacy approaches, if not already doing so. The resourcing that goes with this would also be beneficial. The secondary ESOL (and presumably ‘special needs’) sectors also need a bite of the same pie.

20/11/2023

THEMATIC APPROACH WITH EXTRA FOCUS ON LANGUAGE – SUITABLE FOR ELLs
In Kenya, in the Grade 1 (age 6) English curriculum reading, writing, listening and speaking and grammar are explored through 15 themes to facilitate the learning of English in context. Although the learning situation is different for NZ ELLs, the focus of the Kenya English curriculum could provide a valuable source of reference for ESOL teachers and could be used for any age group.
Themes include greetings and familiar contexts such as home, family, school, friends and weather; and issues like safety, technology and conservation. Each theme has a suggested vocabulary list of around 14 words.
The ‘Language Use’ component is progressive and spans the 4 skills. It covers, in order: present tense forms of the verb ‘to be’; subject-verb agreement in statements and questions; use of pronouns ‘I’ and ‘you’ in short sentences and dialogues; singular and plural nouns; present and present continuous tense applications; simple past tense – adding -ed and -d; use of demonstrative; prepositions; use of possessives; identifying and responding to Yes/No questions using can, may and will; and adverbs of place. These are applied in the context of the 15 themes.

17/11/2023

A SOURCE OF REFERENCE FOR ESOL TEACHERS?
In Kenya, a new ‘Competency Based Curriculum’ was introduced in 2017. English is taught as a second language and is used as a medium of instruction in schools from Grade 4 (Age 9 ) onwards. Although the learning situation is different for NZ ELLs, the focus of the Kenya English curriculum could provide a valuable source of reference for ESOL teachers and could be used by any age group.
Pre-primary education (ages 4-5) has synthetic phonics as a foundation for reading. By age 6, English language learners are expected to: listen and respond appropriately in a variety of contexts; confidently use language structures and vocabulary to interact with others; accurately read and comprehend short texts of about 200 words for information and pleasure; and write simple sentences to express feelings and ideas using simple language structures and basic punctuation for effective communication. (Ref: page viii – Early years curriculum Design, Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, July 2021)
Curriculum guidelines for ongoing year groups follow structured literacy approaches. Content includes a systematic, cumulative, explicit, needs-based and multi-sensory approach to reading, writing, listening and speaking strands (including assessment). Guidelines also include extra emphasis on vocabulary development, synthetic phonics and language use. (To be continued)

16/11/2023

SPECIAL PATHWAY FOR ELLs IN NEW ZEALAND?
Do English Language Learners (ELLs) in New Zealand need their own pathway to achieve English language proficiency? If so, this component MUST be included in the upcoming new or ‘refreshed’ curriculum. We could start by looking at successful international precedents, such as in Kenya, where English functions as an official language and a new ‘Competency Based Curriculum’ was introduced in 2017. (To be continued)

14/11/2023

We are offering in-person WORKSHOPS and RESOURCES for primary, intermediate, secondary and tertiary ESOL teachers and teacher aides.

13/11/2023

We have a new government pending with the promise of a new curriculum and a focus on structured literacy approaches for the teaching of early reading, spelling, writing and intervention. How will this benefit ELLs? Do they have needs additional to those of first language English learners when it comes to reading, spelling, writing and intervention? There has been limited research nationally and internationally targeting this aspect. Could contestable government funding be made available to the ESOL sector to (a) explore this fundamental issue and (b) address the results? What do people think? Should we be alert to research openings and possibilities for this as the new government seeks to make its mark?

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Paraparaumu
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