English For Speakers of Other Languages

Preparing, training, and recruiting high quality teachers, as directed by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), involves training teachers to successfully teach students who come to school speaking a language other than English. To meet the demands of NCLB, CaseNEX has created a comprehensive solution that combines innovative assessment tools for teachers coupled with research-based, customized professional development.

Click here to see CaseNEX's alignment with the guidelines of the No Child Left Behind Act.

The ESOL Component of the assessment and professional development program is designed to facilitate teachers' journeys toward becoming experts in working with students and families with diverse language and cultural backgrounds. The assessments identify areas of strength and weakness within teachers' skill sets and provide professional development recommendations with respect to four content areas: Multicultural Education, Linguistics, Instructional Strategies, and Methods and Materials. The model is illustrated below.

Two Assessments: Needs Assessment Survey and Knowledge Assessment

The Needs Assessment Survey is designed to expose educators to the terminology and conceptual frameworks behind English as a Second Language instructional practice and to establish criteria from which districts can design initial professional development plans. Examples of Needs Assessment Survey questions are listed below:

1. Can you identify and define common acronyms used to describe students who have a native language other than English?
   
   
1. I cannot identify or define any such acronyms.
   
   
2. I can identify at least two acronyms used to describe students who have a native language other than English; however I can not define them.
   
   
3. I can identify and define at least three acronyms used to describe students who have a native language other than English.
   
   
4. I can identify and define more than five acronyms used to describe students who have a native language other than English. I know which of these are used within my district and state, and feel comfortable describing them to others.
   
   

The Knowledge Assessment is designed to evaluate educator' skills and knowledge in the four critical areas of ESOL instructional practice: Multicultural Education, Linguistics, Instructional Strategies, and Methods and Materials. The Assessment can be taken in its entirety or subdivided into topical areas based upon the needs of the school and district. The Knowledge Assessment produces more detailed information for refining, evaluating, and extending professional development plans, as well as the allocation of funds and resources. Examples of Knowledge Assessment questions are listed below:

1. LEP refers to:
   
   
1. Limited English Program
   
   
2. Limited English Proficient
   
   
3. Language Education Personnel
   
   
4. Language Educator Program
   
   

These assessments are administered in a non-threatening environment, using a computer and web browser. Teachers sign in using a secure account with results known only to the individual teacher and the curriculum planner or principal.

Professional Development

Assessment results suggest specific areas of need, for example, whether educators how to evaluate a student's linguistic competence, or whether they understand how to effectively deliver instruction to speakers of other languages. To address these identified needs, CaseNEX offers a variety of ESOL courses that can be taken individually or in a series. CaseNEX implementation options allow for both targeted, self-guided experiences and collaborative, instructor-facilitated sessions. This approach provides a variety of opportunities to satisfy educators' professional development requirements with built-in flexibility to accommodate busy schedules.

Sample Course Listing: Available in 5, 10, and 45-hour versions

• ESOL and Multicultural Education Issues
  
  
• ESOL: Applied Linguistics
  
  
• ESOL: Instructional Strategies
  
  
• Methods and Materials for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages
  
  

CaseNEX courses include a technologically blended, case-based approach. Participants read cases, view streamed video, and follow links to a virtual library of current research. Multimedia, Web-based cases, or "slices of life," form a bridge between best practices and the complex school environment. CaseNEX courses provide educators opportunities to practice recognizing and solving educational problems through a research-based, five-step method of case analysis.

Educators who can perform these steps in case-based studies are likely to repeat the process when faced with similar situations in their classrooms. The CaseNEX approach enables educators to meet the challenge of NCLB with appropriate skills and methods.

ESOL Course Descriptions

ESOL and Multicultural Education Issues
School systems must meet the needs of students and parents from a wide range of cultures. This course helps educators understand the impact of culture on learning and provides an in-depth discussion of the concept of culture and how it is expressed through communication, belief systems and value orientations, and patterns of thinking and behaving. Participants will gain practical knowledge based on current research about creating and adapting the learning environment, curriculum, and materials for culturally diverse students.   back to course list

ESOL: Applied Linguistics
This course provides an overview of linguistics, the scientific study of language, and of theories of Second Language acquisition. Participants will learn how to evaluate a Limited English Proficient (LEP) student's linguistic competence in terms of phonetics, phonology, morphology, semantics, syntax, discourse/text analysis, and pragmatics/sociolinguistics. A requirement for ESOL endorsement in many states, this course is also helpful for any educator wishing to understand how language is learned.  back to course list

ESOL Instructional Strategies
Teachers and school personnel encounter students who speak many languages other than English and need support in developing appropriate instructional strategies to ensure student success. This course is intended for both classroom and ESOL teachers who will learn a wide range of instructional strategies for supporting ESOL students in content area learning. Participants will use a practical approach with immediate classroom application to address the needs of a diverse student population.   back to course list

Methods and Materials for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
Participants in this course will study, apply, and reflect on knowledge of how language works and is learned. They will explore the relationship of culture to language learning, and to learners' adaptation to new schools and settings. Participants will also examine ways of structuring curricula and instruction and practice strategies for developing the classroom learning community and providing effective language teaching and learning. This course includes practical strategies to implement in today's challenging classroom environment.   back to course list

« back to assessments