Classroom-based assessment of oral language proficiency of young ELLs in ESL contexts.

With increasing numbers of young English language learners (ELLs) entering schools in English-speaking countries, assessment of their English language proficiency has become important for screening, placement, and diagnostic purposes, as well as for ongoing formative and summative assessment. A key assessment event for many teachers in New Zealand schools, particularly those with large numbers of ELLs, is the twice-yearly ‘ELLP Assessment’, in which ELLs’ language skills are rated against descriptors in the English Language Learning Progressions (ELLP) (Ministry of Education, 2008). This assessment is high stakes because the results determine whether a school receives Ministry of Education funding for additional support of ELLs. As ELLs are placed in mainstream classrooms in New Zealand schools, it is important that mainstream teachers, who generally have no specialist training for working with ELLs, are equipped with strategies and tools for completing ELLP assessment effectively, in order to accurately assess ELLs’ language skills. For practicality, assessment strategies and tools also need to be appropriate for classroom-based assessment. This paper reviews the literature regards as being the use of, and issues associated with, classroom-ase oral language assessment of ELLs in ESL contexts. It then describes a number of guidelines, strategies, and tools from several English-speaking countries that have been designed to facilitate teacher assessment of ELLs’ oral language proficiency. Finally, the paper discusses the potential usefulness of these assessment guidelines or tools for teachers in the New Zealand context who are required to complete ELLP assessment

Assessing ELLs in New Zealand primary schools: Gaps between the literature, policy, and practice

In February 2015, all New Zealand schools moved to assessing English Language Learners (ELLs) using the English Language Learning Progressions (ELLP) to determine eligibility for additional funding to support these learners. This paper firstly provides the background to the current assessment situation, and summarises the literature regarding key principles of assessment. It then describes key guidelines made available to schools by the Ministry of Education for using the new assessment system, particularly the use of Overall Teacher Judgements (OTJs). The paper then presents findings from interviews with three primary school English language specialist teachers regarding their experiences with using the new system, known as ‘ELLP assessment’. The gaps that exist between the literature, Ministry guidelines, and ESOL teacher practice are described, and recommendations are made for bridging these gaps. Currently little is known regarding teacher practice in regard to ELLP assessment, so this study fills a gap in the literature relating to the assessment of young ELLs in the New Zealand context

Gendercide and the Cultural Context of Sex Trafficking in China

This paper discusses the interconnection of historic, legal, and cultural contexts that result in the perpetuation of discrimination against women in Chinese society. The contextual analysis attempts to explain the causes for an increase in trafficking of women and the deplorable human rights violations perpetrated upon women in China today. The remedies to eliminate trafficking proposed in this paper are not easily implemented. The OCP must be revised to provide more incentives to rational family planning rather than harsh punishments and coercion. China needs to reverse a long-standing cultural tradition of male son preference and discrimination against women. We know that laws, if implemented, can change society. Therefore, we are recommending revision of the OCP and zealous enforcement of the Chinese and international civil rights treaties and trafficking laws that do provide protection for women and foster gender parity

New TESOL graduates’ employment experiences and views of teacher education: Report to the Wintec Research Committee following poster presentation at the 9th Community Languages and ESOL (CLESOL) conference, 24—27 September, 2004, Christchurch

In 2003 a new 12-week full time Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) programme called Certificate in English Language Teaching (Cert ELT) was offered by the Department of Education at the Waikato Institute of Technology (Wintec) for the first time. While other TESOL programmes offered by Wintec are for trained teachers and teacher-aides, the new Cert ELT programme is for those with little or no previous teaching experience. The curriculum development and delivery of Wintec’s TESOL programmes are informed by a constructivist view of learning which has held a prominent focus in educational literature since the late 1980s. This theory of learning sees learners as active participants in the processes of incorporating, synthesising and constructing knowledge within their previous experience (Arlidge, 2000; Zepke, Nugent & Leach 2003). Of particular relevance within TESOL literature is the social constructivist view which claims that a key element in the learning process is that knowledge is socially constructed through dialogue and interaction with others (Randall & Thornton, 2001; Malderez & Bodoczky, 1999; James, 2001). Also relevant is the reflective model of TESOL teacher education as outlined by Wallace (1993) in which trainees participate in a continuous cycle of teaching, observation, reflection and discussion in order to become reflective practitioners. A lack of information concerning what happens to the Cert ELT students once they graduate from the programme motivated the research discussed in this paper. Data collection included a questionnaire and individual interviews. The questionnaire gathered information concerning the graduates' employment destinations, and the interviews focussed on the graduates' retrospective views of those components of the programme associated with a social constructivist view of learning. These components included experiential learning, reflective practice and collaborative practice. It is expected that insights gained from this project will be of interest to other TESOL professionals and teacher educators

Documenting the presence of English in the expanding circle: Linguistic landscapes of Santiago, Chile

Chile is considered to be within ‘the expanding circle’ – countries where English has no official status, and is used for limited purposes. However, the learning of English has been promoted in Chilean public schools since 2004, and English words and phrases are now seen in the linguistic landscape of Chile – the language of public signage. The research reported in this paper focussed on the linguistic landscapes of major streets in three municipalities within greater Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The research aimed to photograph all public signs within the defined locations, to document the use of English, and to analyse how and where English is used, and by whom. As there have been no previous linguistic landscape studies carried out in Chile, the research is a contribution to the literature surrounding the spread and use of English, as well as language contact and language change

Knowing the learner: What do secondary mainstream teachers know about their English language learners, and why does it matter?

Recent New Zealand Ministry of Education publications regarding the teaching of English language learners (ELLs) have made it clear that mainstream subject teachers in secondary schools are expected to play an increasingly important role in the English language learning of ELLs, rather than this being the concern of specialist English language teachers. The first step for mainstream teachers is to obtain information about their ELLs, and a number of resources have been provided for teachers to use. This paper reports on the results of a survey of the knowledge that secondary mainstream teachers have of their ELLs’ background and their level of English proficiency. The findings showed that secondary mainstream teachers’ knowledge of their ELLs varies, but nearly all of the teachers perceived that knowledge of their ELLs is important, and they reported that they would like to know more. The research has implications for secondary mainstream teachers in general, and for those who train or provide professional development for secondary mainstream teachers

What do New Zealand secondary mainstream teachers know about their English language learners?

Recent New Zealand Ministry of Education publications have made it clear that mainstream subject teachers in secondary schools are expected to play an increasingly important role in the English language learning of English language learners (ELLs), rather than this being the concern of specialist English language teachers. The first step for mainstream teachers is to obtain information about their ELLs, and a number of resources have been provided for teachers to use. This paper reports on the results of a survey of the knowledge that secondary mainstream teachers have of their ELLs’ background and their level of English proficiency. The findings showed that secondary mainstream teachers’ knowledge of their ELLs varies, but nearly all of the teachers perceived that knowledge of their ELLs is important, and they reported that they would like to know more. The research has implications for secondary mainstream teachers in general, and for those who train or provide professional development for secondary mainstream teachers

Atomic age training camp: The historical archaeology of Camp Desert Rock

Located in the southeast corner of the Nevada Test Site, Camp Desert Rock was established in 1951 when U.S. military leaders decided American ground troops needed physical and psychological training in the tactics of atomic warfare. For the next six years, Camp Desert Rock was home for the nearly 60,000 soldiers that participated in military exercises during atmospheric weapons testing. With the end of atmospheric testing the camp was partially dismantled and abandoned; The focus of this thesis was to identify and describe the material remains of Camp Desert Rock and to test the utility of Robert Schuyler\u27s historic ethnographic approach for the investigation of Cold War related archaeological sites. A synthesis of three different yet complementary data sets (archaeological, historical, and anthropological) was employed to develop the appropriate context for interpretation of the camp and define its place in history

Supporting English language learners: New Zealand secondary mainstream teachers’ knowledge and use of recommended teaching resources and strategies

Mainstream teachers in New Zealand secondary schools are expected to be able to support learners from linguistically diverse backgrounds, providing both content instruction and also language support that enables them to access curriculum content. The New Zealand Ministry of Education has produced resources designed to enable mainstream teachers to bring a language focus to their teaching in order to provide support for their English language learners (ELLs). This study investigated mainstream teachers’ knowledge of second language acquisition and their knowledge and use of teaching resources and strategies for supporting ELLs in the mainstream. The eighteen teachers who participated in the study felt that they needed to know more about second language acquisition. They were also not fully aware of, and were not using, the range of resources and strategies available. These findings have implications for the professional development of New Zealand secondary mainstream teachers, and for the education of ELLs