VERONICA SANDOVAL UNIT 2 ASSIGNMENT 2.

Unit 2 Assignment 2.1

Teaching ELLs Academic Content and Language Skills
Veronica Sandoval
National University

This paper was prepared for

MAT 670 the Theory of Research-Based Best Practice Instruction
Professor: Connie Wallace
December 3, 2014

VERONICA SANDOVAL UNIT 2 ASSIGNMENT 2.1

This assignment compares an article on teaching English learners in academic content

and language skills to Hunters ideas on Teaching for Transfer

Sheltered Instruction
Emphasizing key
vocabulary within a
lesson are great aspects of
differentiated instruction
Hands on practice
Including content and
language objectives in all
lessons.
Emphasis for considering
students background
experiences within the
teaching and learning
process
Design lessons to increase
students academic
linguistic competencies
students must acquire
language to produce it
rather than simply
learning it in a
memorized way
Establish a framework
helping teacher apply
strategies for real-world
application in the
classroom.
Reinforcement through
context reinforcing new
vocabulary knowledge in
other ways, such as regular
classroom games
Write definitions of terms
using their own words -- in
English or in their home
language.
Create a "word / wall

Comparison
Labeling the
generalization
being used,
language is a
powerful variable
in transfer even
for learners with
language deficit.
Ells may use their
first language as a
tool to be able to
comprehend.
Look for past
experiences that
will drive present
learning.
Teach in a way
where the content
and language are
acquired.
Allowing students
background
knowledge to
better
comprehend a
lesson.

Teaching for Transfer

Association of two
learnings
Degree of original
learning
Identify the essential
elements of
generalization.
Much what it is taught is
half way learned.
Poorly learned material
is either not transferred
or inappropriately
transferred
(positive/negative
transfer)
Identification of
similarities (environment
actions, and feelings)
The ability to categorize
Identification of critical
attributes.
Predifferentiation
training when the task to
learn is a complex one.
Labeling the
generalization being
used, making explicit the
attributes that guide the
student.

VERONICA SANDOVAL UNIT 2 ASSIGNMENT 2.1

chart

In Hunters model of teaching for transfer it is highly important that students acquired
and complete one learning to a desirable degree before moving to a next one. To accomplish this
the teacher may have to return to a concept many times and apply it in different situations before
it is well understood and transfer to other situations. Research indicates that time devoted to
successful learning on an easier task will yield better transfer to the accomplishment of a related
difficult task than the same amount of time spent only on the difficult task (Hunter, Teach for
Transfer,1971 ).
On the other hand, Sheltered Instruction through the SIOP model requires teachers to
plan language objectives for all lessons and make them clear to students. As we know English
language learners have diverse backgrounds, language and education profile, and in many ways
the sheltered education techniques help students comprehend content.
This two models may differ on some ways of teaching for transfer but have the same
goal. For example, Hunter focuses on relating two items in terms of similarities, emotions,
feeling or situations. The SIOP model as well as Hunter, recommends to always look for
knowledge in past experiences that will propel present learning (pg. 93).When a teacher is
presenting a lesson about the U.S Civil war. She may activate prior knowledge or build
background knowledge for ELLs, even though these students may not have studied about the U.S
Civil War in their own country. They may have studied about other wars or even experienced a
military conflict. By digging into what students know about such conflict the teacher can set the
context for teaching this lesson. Hunter and the SIOP model of Echevarra agree that students
should use their first language to learn and understand new concepts in the second language.

VERONICA SANDOVAL UNIT 2 ASSIGNMENT 2.1

Some other factors of the shelter instruction is that requires visual tools to support learning, these
tools may be in the form of graphic organizers or hands on activities, slower speech and clear
enunciation.

VERONICA SANDOVAL UNIT 2 ASSIGNMENT 2.1

Reference
Hunter, M. (1971). Teach for Transfer (Madeline Hunter Collection Series). Thousand Oaks, CA:
Corwin Press.
Jana Echevarra, MaryEllen Vogt, and Deborah J. Short (2012) Making Content Comprehensible
for English Learners: The SIOP Model (4th Edition) Pearson Education, Inc.