classroom resources and activities
(Be sure to check in the Phonology, Morphology, Syntax, Semantics, and Pragmatics pages for specific links for those areas!)
For more ideas and activities for the classroom, check out these sites and articles:
For more ideas and activities for the classroom, check out these sites and articles:
- Jazz Chants are a great way to teach and practice different linguistic concepts, from phonological awareness to grammar. Here are some helpful sites that offer examples and teach you how to make your own jazz chants:
http://www.teachingvillage.org/2010/05/23/how-to-create-a-jazz-chant-by-carolyn-graham/: This article explains how to make a jazz chant, using techniques from the originator of Jazz Chants, Carolyn Graham.
http://www.onestopenglish.com/skills/listening/jazz-chants/: This page offers ideas for how to present jazz chants to students and, using the link at the bottom of the page, connects you to lots of jazz chant examples and MP3s to use in your classroom. - Kagan Online Kagan structures help to get students talking to each other, providing ELLs lots of opportunities to hear and practice all areas of English language. The following PDF explains how to pick appropriate Kagan structures based on the linguistic development of ELLs in your classroom: http://www.dese.mo.gov/qs/me/documents/kagan_structures.pdf
- Reading Rockets This great website offers background and practical information and activities about reading development for teachers, parents, administrative staff, and other professionals. Using the search button, you can find articles on phonemic awareness to strategies to help teach syntax.
- CAL Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) The SIOP model for classroom instruction of ELLs supports both their academic and linguistic needs through comprehensive lessons and instructional strategies. This site offers information on accessing professional development opportunities and learning more about SIOP.
- World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment (WIDA) WIDA is a leading national organization that offers assessments, research, and professional development opportunities for educators and school systems. The WIDA ACCESS for ELLs is used in 27 states nationwide to assess ELLs English Language Proficiency (ELP). This link to the Standards and Instruction page of the WIDA website takes you to the most useful section for educators, where it provides free downloadable copies of the WIDA Can Do Descriptors that lay out what ELLs can do in listening, speaking, reading, and writing English at their different English Language Proficiency(ELP) levels.
More Background
For more background information on English Linguistics, check out these pages:
- Phonetics: The Sounds of Spoken Language This site helps you to hear and see the sounds of American English, German, and Spanish, with visuals (cross-sections of the vocal system and videos of people saying sounds) and audio for different sounds of each language. It can be a great tool to compare sounds across languages, as well as better understand and show students how sounds are made.
- Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) This website and organization offers both background information and academic research on linguistics and practical research and application ideas for the classroom.
- Do you speak American? This page on PBS.org explores American English and all of the wonderful varieties, social perspectives, new words, and more. There is a page for educators with student activities for high school and up, word tracker database to learn history of words, and more.
- National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) This link goes directly to the English Language Learners section of the NCTE website, where it provides links for professional development, journals, current issues in educational policy, and lesson plans.