Practical Approaches to Teaching Multilingual Learners
Beyond Sheltered English Immersion
Beyond Sheltered English Immersion is designed for K-6 teachers, paraprofessionals, instructional coaches, and other school-based leaders. Educators will explore practices for affirming multilingual learners. They will identify practices that validate the assets and support the potential of multilingual learners in varied classroom contexts, including SEI, dual language, and small group interventions.听听
Inclusive classrooms value linguistic diversity
Classrooms throughout the nation continue to be enriched with linguistic diversity. We need to move beyond sheltered English Immersion classrooms, recognizing the value of multilingual learners and inclusive environments.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this workshop, learners will:
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Challenge metalinguistics misconceptions to understand its impact and importance on multilingual and monolingual learners鈥� educational experiences.
Plan, design and implement activities connected to literacy research that enhance multilingual learners' understanding of phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics in their native languages and English through vocabulary instruction.
Plan, design, and implement activities based on translanguaging practices that enhance multilingual and monolingual learners鈥� abilities to engage in academic concepts, build background knowledge, and express prior knowledge.
Plan, design, and implement activities that enhance multilingual and monolingual learners鈥� expressive language abilities while fostering rich peer-to-peer discussion.
Plan, design, and implement activities that enhance multilingual and monolingual learners鈥� expressive language abilities and capitalize on students鈥� entire language repertoire while fostering higher quality, audience-conscious writing.
At a Glance
Structure and Topics
This 15-hour professional development workshop kicks off with a 1.5-hour synchronous session where learners will learn more about the workshop format and its focus.听From there, participants will learn about practical approaches to teaching multilingual learners through instructional videos and materials, self-study, and opportunities for feedback from an expert facilitator. These practical approaches will cover three main categories: metalinguistic awareness, translanguaging, and expressive language development.
Metalinguistic Awareness
Presents teachers with the importance of metalinguistic awareness; they'll learn strategies and activities that allow students to explore the phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and pragmatics of language and make connections within and across languages using a variety of strategies.
Translanguaging
This topic presents teachers with information on how bilingual brains work, to create a classroom environment that allows students to use their entire brains to interact with lesson concepts and academic tasks. Strategies could include: multilingual note taking, multilingual & multimodal research.
Expressive Language Development
This topic prepares participants to develop their students' expressive language in research-supported ways. Strategies include using mentor texts, audience awareness in presentation (challenging academic language), selection of 鈥渏uicy questions鈥� to structure units, amongst others.
Our Program
K-6 teachers, paraprofessionals, instructional coaches, and other school based leaders who work with multilingual learners.
Beyond Sheltered English Immersion is a 15-hour hybrid workshop, combining both synchronous and asynchronous sessions. The workshop includes:听
- One 1.5-hour kick off session
- Three 3.5-hour sections on practical application in vocabulary, peer-to-peer discussion, and writing
- 1.5 hours for final reflection
- One 1.5-hour concluding session
The sessions can be organized in a variety of ways to fit the structure of your听 professional development hours. In collaboration with members of our team, you can create a professional development arc for your staff that can be built into common planning time, grade-level meeting time, department meeting times, or half-day PDs.听
As an approved professional development point provider with the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, PCE is excited to offer 15 professional development points for this workshop.
In order to earn PDPs, learners must:
- Attend all synchronous sessions
- Complete all required assignments in a satisfactory manner, based on the standards for the class and the facilitator鈥檚 expectations
- Submit the end-of-PD evaluation听
After successfully completing all required components, learners will receive their PDP certificate through Canvas within 3 weeks of the workshop end date. For more information on PDPs, contact lynchschoolpce@bc.edu.听
Program Developers
C. Patrick Proctor
Department Chair, Teaching, Curriculum, and Society
Professor
Questions?
If you are interested in bringing听Beyond Sheltered English Immersion听to your school or school district, or if you have questions about the program, email lynchschoolpce@bc.edu.