COURSE TITLE: ESL Beginning Communication - 1 hr, 2hr, 3hr
GRADE LEVEL: 9-12
CODE: LAA301, LAA303, LAA304,
COURSE LENGTH: 36 weeks
Major Concepts/Content: The English as a Second Language Beginning Communication course is designed to develop and increase English language proficiency and academic skills for students whose primary language is not English and who are at a level one English proficiency. This course actively involves students in developing the skills of understanding, listening, speaking, viewing, reading and writing to support the student’s mastery of DoDEA’s general education content standards. Emphasis is placed on the acquisition of basic interpersonal communication skills related to meeting everyday needs and participating in the American school cultural, and on the cognitive academic language needed for success in the general education classroom. The content includes the development of both social and academic listening and speaking skills through dialogues, conversations, chants, role-playing, and oral reporting. The content also includes the development of reading strategies, in both fiction and nonfiction, previewing, determining main idea and details, inferring, analyzing, and evaluating written material; and the development of writing, both factual and creative, at all stages of the writing process including prewriting, drafting, responding to peer writing, revising, editing, and publishing. Vocabulary and syntax are presented and developed in context and in authentic situations using the language of the general education content classes. The development of critical thinking and study skills, and sociocultural knowledge is emphasized throughout the learning process.
Major Instructional Activities: Instructional activities will be provided in individual, small group, and whole class settings. Student activities will include, but will not be limited to, improving speaking and listening skills through listening to material for information and response, following oral directions, participating in conversations and discussions, responding to information, oral reading and reporting, pronunciation practice, and language games. Activities to develop and improve comprehension of written English, both fiction and nonfiction, will include, but will not be limited to, previewing reading selections; decoding vocabulary from context; and shared/paired reading. Writing activities include sentence, paragraph, and letter writing; note-taking; and creative writing of dialogues, stories, plays, and poetry. Instructional activities to support the student in mastering the general content standards will include, but not limited to, pre-teaching the language or vocabulary, activating prior knowledge, and building background knowledge of the content class material.
Major Evaluation Techniques: Students will be evaluated on skill growth in the comprehending and creating of written and spoken English. Evaluation instruments include both summative and formative assessments such as: interdisciplinary activities, projects, diagnostic testing, content-based tests, and both teacher- and textbook-created assessments.
Essential Objectives: Upon completion of the English as a Second Language Beginning Communication course, students should be able to:
- Demonstrate confidence in social interactions
- Use English in socially and culturally appropriate ways
- Participate in conversations and discussions for both social and academic purposes
- Speak with comprehensible English pronunciation
- Understand and follow oral and written directions competence
- Comprehend written material, and respond to and evaluate it orally and in writing
- Create a variety of print and non-print documents to communicate information and/or stories
- Write accurate English sentences and paragraphs
- Actively participate in the general education content classroom
Last Revised: May 18th, 2009 at 1:58 pm.