Tools To Support Learners In The Bilingual Program

It is a full-time program of instruction in which students identified as English learners are served in both English and Spanish and are prepared to meet reclassification criteria to be successful in English-only education not earlier than six or later than seven years after the student enrolls in school.

Goal
1. To become competent in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in English through the development of literacy and academic skills in the primary language and English.
2. To be academically successful.
3. To participate equitably in school.

In the bilingual program, students listen to a variety of speakers, including teachers, peers, and electronic media, to gain an increasing level of comprehension of newly acquired language in all content areas. Bilingual students may be at the beginning, intermediate, advanced, or advanced high stage of English language acquisition in listening. Language and literacy instruction in both languages focuses on academic and social language development, and transitional bilingual education (TBE) teachers utilize coordinated and explicit strategies for making cross-language connections. 

Accommodations to support English Acquisitions through Listening

• Use total physical response (TPR) to provide linguistic support
• Provide visuals, verbal cues, and gestures for simplified to difficult and or unfamiliar concepts/vocabulary
• Use simple conversations and change the rate of speech to the level of students' understanding 
• Utilize closed captioning
• Teach vocabulary before discussions or lessons 
• Teach and provide opportunities for students to ask for clarification, repetition, and rephrasing
• Allow wait time to process what they just heard
• Allow extra time for students to listen to difficult and unfamiliar academic material
• ELPS integration for content is delivered in English
• Support the development of listening skills in making cross-language connections using the students' primary language as a linguistic accommodation for transitioning students to English. 
  • Utilize instruction in native language feature in Imagine Language and Literacy Program
  • Imagine Espanol has features where students can listen to songs and stories in Spanish
  • RAZ Kids has a collection of books that are read to students in English and Spanish

Students enrolled in a bilingual program may be at different levels of speaking proficiency in speaking: beginning, intermediate, advanced, or advanced high in speaking. In a bilingual program, the students have numerous opportunities to utilize their native language (L1) and English (L2), in formal/informal conversations in the classroom as well as outside the classroom.
To meet grade-level expectations, English and Spanish levels of proficiency in speaking are addressed, and instruction is scaffolded to meet the needs of the students. 

Accommodations to support English Language Acquisition through Speaking

• Provide opportunities to speak with a partner or with others in simple conversations
• Provide a list of vocabulary words for students to use in their conversations
• Model pronunciation of key social and academic vocabulary
• Allow extra time for students to respond 
• Provide sentence stems in English and Spanish with simple to complex sentence structures and tenses (past, present, and future tenses) i.e., In my opinion the story _________ because __________. En mi opinion el cuento _________ porque _________.
• Use proper English. When correcting a student's English, restate the student's answer in a natural and positive manner with correct English usage
• User proper Spanish. Restate the student's answer in a natural and positive manner with correct Spanish usage
• Allow students to discuss concepts or topics in-depth in Spanish and English
• Imagine language and literacy and Imagine Espanol provides opportunities to record student's responses
• Allow students to respond in short phrases

In the bilingual program, students may be at different levels of proficiency in reading: beginning, intermediate, advanced, or advanced high in reading. They are exposed to a variety of texts in their native language (L1) and English (L2). To meet grade-level expectations, English and Spanish levels of proficiency in reading are addressed, and instruction is scaffolded to meet the needs of the students.

Accommodations to support English Language Acquisitions through Reading

• Organize reading texts into small parts
• Provide books and texts in English and Spanish at the student's level of understanding/activities to measure the student's understanding can include drawing, use of native language, and partner discussion
• Practice words used often (high-frequency words) and key vocabulary
• Use visuals, realia, and other linguistic supports (such as closed captioning, reading out loud, anchor charts, and vocabulary)
• Provide dictionaries (ESL, Bilingual, standard English dictionary, monolingual foreign language dictionary, dictionary/thesaurus, picture dictionary, sign language dictionary, Google Translate, etc.)
• Utilize environmental print including but not limited to labels, signs, and logos
• Model reading aloud for correct pronunciation and the use of Spanish and English language structures

Students enrolled in the bilingual program may be at different levels of proficiency in writing: beginning, intermediate, advanced, or advanced high in writing. Students are afforded the opportunity to produce written work for different purposes and a variety of audiences in their native language (L1) and English (L2). To meet grade-level expectations, English and Spanish levels of proficiency in writing are addressed, and instruction is scaffolded to meet the needs of the students. 

Accommodations to support English Language Acquisition through Writing

• Provide a list of key vocabulary in English and Spanish
• Provide a grade-level appropriate writing assignments in accordance with the student's proficiency level (provide assistance if necessary)
• Allow students to use English and Spanish sentence stems in their writing. I.e., In my opinion the story ________  because ________. En mi opinion el cuento es ________ porque ________.
• Provide dictionaries (ESL, Bilingual, standard English dictionary, monolingual foreign language dictionary, dictionary/thesaurus, picture dictionary, sign language dictionary, Google Translate, etc.)
• Use graphic organizers for vocabulary development
• Have a word wall with content vocabulary in English and Spanish as well as high-frequency words
• Use familiar topics to brainstorm before the writing assignment
• Share writing sessions