Introduction
With the percentage of students who are English language learners (ELLs) increasing exponentially over the past 10 years, Texas classrooms are filled with students who speak many different languages and come from diverse backgrounds. These students are faced with a dual challenge: learn social English to participate in conversations with friends and family and master academic language to be successful in each foundation content area in their classes at school.
At the center of these challenges is the content area teacher who is responsible for teaching the required curriculum, differentiating instruction for all learners, and ensuring students are prepared for state assessments, graduation, and higher education. In addition, the teacher must address the social and academic English needs of ELLs. In order to accomplish this, the teacher must consider three key areas—affective, linguistic, and cognitive—when planning and delivering instruction.
The ELL instructional videos that follow show teachers using strategies from each of the three key areas in authentic classroom settings. Before viewing the videos, download the handout below and preview the questions. You may use the handout and/or the "think about" tool provided within this course to reflect on the strategies demonstrated. These professional development videos highlight specific cognitive, linguistic, and affective teaching strategies that use language as the means through which content is taught.
Affective Learning Environment
As described in 19 Texas Administrative Code (TAC) §89.1210(c)(1), the affective learning environment provides ELLs with instruction that "instills confidence, self-assurance, and a positive identity with their cultural heritage. The program shall address the affective needs by incorporating history and cultural heritage associated with both the students' home language and the United States." Meeting the affective needs within a classroom environment consists of promoting a positive classroom climate that embraces all student cultures and creating a safe, welcoming, and supportive classroom environment for students to share about their culture.
Watch the video below to see how one teacher creates a positive classroom environment using a strategy introduced by Gretchen Bernabei in Crunchtime (2009).
Linguistic Learning Environment
The linguistic learning environment provides ELLs with instruction in the skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The increasing diversity of ELLs and their various academic needs means that teachers must consistently deliver second language acquisition support by providing linguistically accommodated instruction that is research based and meaningful and targets students' level of proficiency. As required by TAC §89.1210(c)(2), “The content area instruction in both languages shall be structured to ensure that the students master the required essential knowledge and skills and higher-order thinking skills in all subjects."
Cognitive Learning Environment
The cognitive learning environment provides ELLs with instruction in English language arts and reading, mathematics, science, and social studies. The instruction in academic content areas “shall be structured to ensure that the students master the required essential knowledge and skills as well as higher-order thinking skills in all subjects” (19 TAC §89.1210(c)(3)). The cognitive learning environment focuses on instructional practices for the teacher to use to help students develop the critical thinking skills needed to achieve academic success.
Watch the video below to see how one teacher uses a self-assessment activity to help students evaluate their progress in meeting learning objectives.