Background+on+Adolescent+English+Learners

=Who are Adolescent English Language Learners? =

 They are a **very diverse group** of students who bring to U. S. schools **a large variety of languages, cultures, school and life experiences**. They have a **wide range of proficiencies** in both English and their natives languages. Their **knowledge in the content areas also vary** considerably.  At one end of the spectrum, some English Learners (ELs) arrive in school with a **strong academic background** and they are **literate in their native language** (s). At the other end, some immigrants have **limited or interrupted formal education** due to a war in their native country for instance; these students have **weak literacy skills in their first language** and are most at risk of failure (SIOP, p.7). The variability of the students' backgrounds has implications on instruction design.

=**What challenges do ELs face at the Secondary Level?** =

 1. Acquiring **English Academic Literacy**: reading, writing, listening, and speaking for school. Such skills takes **4 to 7 years** to develop (Collier, 1987)  2. **Mastering complex content** in math, science, language arts, and social studies while **acquiring English literacy** and with **fewer years** to do it.  3. **Adjusting to the culture** of U. S. high schools where they are likely to experience **social** and **linguistic segregation**.

 THEY HAVE TO DO **DOUBLE THE WORK** IN THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME AS THEIR ENGLISH-SPEAKING PEERS. =How to Address the Needs of Secondary ELs? = =Some Components of the SIOP Model =
 * A curriculum that promotes **language and content learning concurrently**
 * **Sheltered Instruction:** an approach that integrates content and language objectives in every lesson
 * **SIOP**= **Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol** - an explicit model of effective sheltered practices (Echevarria, Vogt, & Short, 2001)
 * http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty3n07UaFU
 * Build **Background Knowledge**
 * Provide **Comprehensible Input**
 * <span style="color: #000080; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Promote **High Level Thinking**

**Reference:** Echevarria, J., Vogt, M. E., & Short D. (2008). Making Content Comprehensible for English Learners: The SIOP Model (3rd ed.) Boston: Allyn & Bacon