teaching esl using graphic organizers

1AmericanPronunciationCoach.com

Peggy Tharpe, AmericanPronunciationCoach.com

AmericanPronunciationCoach.com

Graphic Organizers

Power tools that help ESL and EFL students develop and use language.

1


DO YOU HAVE ESL STUDENTS IN YOUR MAINSTREAM CLASSROOM?By building graphic organizers on the board with students as they talk about a subject matter, teachers give ESL students the time and opportunity to observe the language being used, see the development of relationships between phrases and ideas, and have the chance to experiment with it themselves.


Venn Diagrams: Language of Compare and Contrast1

The language “power tools” used to discuss information in a Venn diagram are terms of comparison and contrast. At the simplest level, students learn to formulate statements using conjunctions like ‘but’ and ‘however’ to describe how the two topics are different, and terms like ‘and’ and ‘both’ to discuss commonalities. Question formats elicited from the Venn information can also focus on comparisons and contrasts.


http://americanpronunciationcoach.com/

Filling in a Venn gives teacher and students lots of opportunities to use the new vocabulary, using the language of comparison and contrast. This first Venn uses language related to weather, climate, precipitation, and numbers. The Amazon Rain Forest receives 175 inches of rain per year, however, the Mojave Desert receives only 2-to-6 inches of rain per year. There is only a small change in temperature in the Rain Forest, but in the Desert, there is a large change in daily temperature. etc.



Compare the Amazon Rain Forest & the Mojave Desert


Develop vocabulary, enter it into Venn, compare and contrast orally, transfer that to writing. Lots of opportunities for numbers, measurement, and scientific terms.


Same topic, easier language


Building graphics organizers as you go is much more interactive, more memorable and more meaningful to students.


GO SLOWLY AND BUILD IT TOGETHERIf you build these graphic organizers in class (instead of using already-made tables and charts), you’ll give ESL students multiple opportunities to hear and process new language as it’s being spoken. ESL students hear teacher and classmates negotiate meaning, paraphrase, summarize, and decide on the the most relevant information to add to the graphic organizer.



Table Charts: Language of Cause and Effect2



Next is an example taken from an American history class. Create student teams and “jigsaw” these laws so that each team member studies a different law and shares their information with their team. They must establish the date, provide a one-sentence clear explanation of it, and describe the reactions by colonists, and enter this information into the team chart.




Law or Tax Date Explanation ResultNavigation Act 1660

Goods imported from Europe, Africa and Asia had to go through Britain before they could come to the colonies.

Many merchants smuggled goods into the colonies.

Sugar Act 1764 Merchants had to pay taxes on sugar and molasses from the West Indies.

Merchants were angry about high taxes; they had to raise prices.

Quartering Act 1765 Colonists had to give British soldiers food and housing.

Colonists were angry and felt the soldiers were there to spy on them.

Stamp Act 1765 For the first time, colonists had to pay a direct tax on 50 items they commonly used.

Newspapers said the tax was unfair. Merchants complained. Colonists assembled to protest.

By having teams develop these charts as a group, they are creating a perfect reference point and study source for your linguistically overwhelmed ESL students.


Bridge from Speaking to Writing3



Use Organizers to Bridge from Speaking to Writing

It’s a short jump from the filled-in chart to a short, factual essay. Read the paragraph below, in italics, about the Navigation Act. It was created using the language from the first row of the chart, with the addition of 3 bolded ’power tools’ for ESL students.

“The British imposed taxes on the colonies. The Navigation Act, imposed in l660, said that goods imported from Europe, Africa, and Asia had to go through Britain before they could come to the colonies. As a result, many merchants smuggled goods into the colonies.”



Assessments Based on Graphic Organizers

4



What About Assessment?

Be sure to assess only what was taught. Assessment for ESL students must be different from assessment for mainstream students, who come with a lifetime of English language experience and background information.

ESL students are just beginning to accumulate language, so test what you’ve taught to them, not what you’ve covered with the whole class of native English speakers.

To see examples of assessments for ESL students’ and read more about how to extend the learning potential of graphic organizers, click here.


https://app.getresponse.com/site2/news_from_american_pronunciation_coach?u=7Aw8&webforms_id=7701604


Graphic organizers are fantastic ways to develop vocabulary, speaking skills, functional terms, writing skills…everything is built right into them. They make language concrete. They help your students feel more in control of their learning. And most importantly, they deepen and strengthen the language your students learn.



Want to read the full pdf this was taken from?

Click here

https://app.getresponse.com/site2/news_from_american_pronunciation_coach?u=7Aw8&webforms_id=7701604

teaching esl using graphic organizers

Education