California Teachers of English Learners (CTEL)

Module One, Domain 1

Language and Language
Development
(CTEL, Chapter 1)
Jeffery Heil
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs)

See pages 3 – 7
Notice that each domain is cross-referenced
to a page number in the participant guide
Page 8 gives the test structure of the first
three subtests
Page 9: Rationale for Module 1
Domain 1: Language Structure and Use

001–Phonology & Morphology

002–Syntax & Semantics
003–Language Functions & Variation
004–Discourse
005–Pragmatics
 Domain 2: First and Second Language
Development

(And their relationship to Academic Achievement)

006–Theories, Processes & Stages of Language
Acquisition
007–Theories, Models, and Processes of Second-
Language Acquisition
008–Cognitive, Linguistic, and Physical Factors
Affecting Language Development
009–Affective Factors Affecting Language
Development
010–Sociocultural and Political Factors Affecting
Language Development
Rate Your Knowledge

Complete page 10: Rate your

prior knowledge of the linguistic
terminology we will encounter
Look at page 11 and predict
what the three major subheadings
of the nature of language.
 Page 11

Communicative Competence
Structure
Four Linguistic subsystems that
are necessary to understand how
language is formed:
Phonology
Semantics
Morphology
Syntax
Function
Two Major
subheadings:
Discourse
Speaking and writing only
Pragmatics
Verbal and non-verbal
communication (everything non-
discourse and non-structure)
 Variation
This is the different
styles/registers we use to
communicate depending on the
context of a communicative act
in terms of subject matter,
audience, and occasion
Purpose-Formal & Informal
Subsystems of Language
Structure

Phonology (page 12)

CTEL Ch1 13-20
Morphology (page 13)
CTEL Ch1 20-23
Syntax (page 14)
CTEL 23-25
Semantics (page 15)
CTEL 26-30
Pragmatics (17 - 27)
CTEL 39-43
 Phonology

Phonology- It is the study of the sound system of a

language; the way in which speech sounds form
patterns.
A phoneme is the sound that makes up a langue, the
smallest unit of sound.
EX: cat, /c/ /a/ /t/ has three phonemes.
Minimal pairs
Phonemic Sequence – permissible ways in which
phonems can be combined in a language
Describing Phonemes: place, manner of
articulation, voice (b/p distinction, Arabic doesn’t
distinguish voice)
 Phonology - Stress

Characteristics of language
beyond phonemes:
Stress
Pitch/tone
intonation
 Phonology - stress
Stress – amount of volume a speaker gives to a
particular sound
Stress can occur at the word or sentence level (a property of
syllables)
Word level
Ex: désert noun, “dry region”
Ex: dessért noun, “sweet foods”
Sentence level
Kímberly walked home.
Kimberly wálked home.
Kimberly walked hóme.
 Phonology – pitch & rythym
Pitch -serves to distinguish meaning within a sentence. It can
have a high or low pitch depending on what the speaker is trying to
convey.
You are going to school! Vs. You are going to school?
Prosody – the underlying rhythm of the language (interaction of
pitch and word stress) CTEL, pg17
Problem-pronouncing all words with equal emphasis (Ben Stein

Modulation is the process that words, phrases, and sentences

go through to change the tonal center from one place to another. The
purpose is to help give language structure, direction, and variety. (going
down for authority, up for engagement/interest)
 Phonology – intonation
patterns
Intonation Patterns are variations in the
pronunciation of phrases or sentences that follow certain
patterns, changes in the pitch of the voice, length, and
speech rhythm to modify sentence meaning.
Most English sentences combine accented and unaccented
syllables in an undulating rhythm until just before the end of
the sentence, at which time the pitch rises and then drops
briefly.
Problem: when a tonal language, like Cantonese, uses
intonation variation at the word level, the output could be
considered harsh.
Contrastive Analysis vs. Error
Analysis
 Phonology
How Can Phonology Inhibit Communication?
When a student’s primary language sound
system differs from the English Sound system:
It’s difficult to transfer what is not in the system
When speaking and making different sounds to
a word, meaning could change (short i, b/v, l/r,
etc.)
When a student struggles to master
pronunciation, intonation, and stress
 Morphology
Morphology–the study of meaning units (words) in a
language.
Morpheme - is the smallest unit (in the word) in the
building blocks of meaning.
Ex: dog=1 morpheme dogs (dog + s)=2 [dog = root/free ]
Ex: unhappiness = un + happy + ness (no necessary link
between spelling & morphemes) [happy=root, un &
ness=affix]
Deer (singular) = one morpheme Deer (plural) = two
morphemes
Two lexical morphemes are also called compound words.
The word is made from two free morphemes (basket + ball
= basketball)
 Morphology
Inflectional Endings-all are suffixes (eight total): -s,-es,
-s, -ing, -ed, -en, -er, -est
Inflectional morphemes do not change meaning or grammatical
class of the word
Derrivational Morphemes – the use of affixes to
morphemes
These do change either the meaning or grammatical class of the
word
Cognates are words in related languages that developed
from the same ancestral root such as English “father”
and Latin “pater”.
How can morphology inhibit communication?
When a plural is irregular, such as mouse (singular) and mice
(plural), an EL will over generalize and say mouses, since s/he
learned that houses is house in the plural form.
Syntax
Syntax is the study of the structure of
sentences and the rules that govern
the correctness of a sentence.
(not to be confused with grammar) “I ain’t got a
pen” is sytactically correct, but not grammatically
Standard English usage
Classes:
Noun-names person, place, or thing
Preposition-links pronouns and nouns
to the rest of the sentence
Syntax

Syntactic rules are pattern

relations that govern the way the words in a
sentence come together
Sentence patterns are various
ways of expressing a complete thought from
simple sentences (S & V) to compound,
complex sentences
Syntax

Implication:
Students need to be exposed to
different sentence patterns from
simple to complex in oral and written
form in order to acquire the patterns.
They can be taught after the acquisition
process in order for students to monitor
their language development.
 Semantics
Semantics is the study of meanings of individual words
and of larger units such as phrases or sentences.

Difficulties w/Semantics:
Multiple Meanings -words can have multiple meanings and
connotations (tire, tire)
False Cognates- there can be false cognates (library,
librería, embarrassed/embarazada) CTEL, pg 27
Idioms-are a group of words that have a single meaning and
is not to be interpreted literally (It’s raining cats & dogs)
Language Ambiguities-are when words, phrases, or
sentences have multiple meanings
 Semantics
Semantics is the study of meanings of individual words
and of larger units such as phrases or sentences.

Difficulties w/Semantics:
Multiple Meanings -words can have multiple meanings and
connotations (tire, tire)
False Cognates- there can be false cognates (library,
librería, embarrassed/embarazada) CTEL, pg 27
Idioms-are a group of words that have a single meaning and
is not to be interpreted literally (It’s raining cats & dogs)
Language Ambiguities-are when words, phrases, or
sentences have multiple meanings
Semantics
Acquiring Vocabulary (Nation), page
28
Spoken form
Written form
Grammatical behavior
Colocational behavior (what words are frequently found
next to the work)
Frequency
Stylistic register (formal/informal context)
Conceptual meaning
Word associations (connotation)
Importance of Academic Vocabulary
(CALP)
Lexicon
Lexicon is the sum total of the
meanings that an individual holds. It is
knowledge of how to use the words correctly
and how words are formed to create new
meanings. It entails different semantic
properties such as synonyms, antonyms,
homonymns, and idioms
Relationship Among Language
Structures

See page 16
How does primary language affect acquisition of
second language in each area of the chart?
Importance of Contrastive Analysis!!!!
Contrastive Analysis – describing the
characteristic differences between languages
Again, this helps for predicting kinds of syntax
errors students might make, but in no ways
supplants direct instruction with rich authentic
exposure to English discourse (using written and
oral examples)
 Contrastive Analysis
Phonology
No short vowel sounds in Spanish
Morphology
Los libros de Juan éstan pesados. There are no
apostrophes to show possessives in Spanish.
Syntax
El gato negro. The adjective follows the noun in
Spanish
Semantics
Cognates: profesor, professor
False Cognates: librería, library
Read the poem: The English Language
 Seven Functions of Language
Halliday (pg 30):
Instrumental (getting needs met)
Regulatory (controlling others’ behavior)
Informative (communicating information)
Interactional (establishing social relationships)
Personal (expressing individuality)
Heuristic (investigating & acquiring knowledge)
Imaginative (expressing fantasy or possibility)
See Best Practice, page 31
Social Functions of Language
(BICS)

Importance of PURPOSE: we talk,

listen, read and write when we have a
purpose for doing it!
To amuse: tell a joke, etc.
To inform: read report
To control: command “sit down now”
To persuade: telemarketer telling
you how to vote
Academic Functions of
Language (CALP)
Academic language has a place in all content areas.
There are many purposes in using language in
subject matter.
Academic Language Functions/Phrases: (pg 31)
Indicate cause & effect
Provide examples
Comparing
Emphasizing
Indicating sequence
summarizing
What are some of the differences between
academic and social functions of language??
Teachers should try to use academic language in
context!!
Types of Language Variation CTEL
43-48

Dialect:
A distinct form of a language that differs from
other forms of that language in specific
linguistic features
Types of Language Variation

Historical Variation:
Historical records go back thousands of years
and indicate that language changes across
time and context

Social Language
Language varies in the social context with the
purpose to communicate.
Types of Language Variation
Academic Language:
Language can be content-specific (academic areas,
military, law, etc)

language variation
Why does

evolve?
Time
Travel
Economics/war
Factors that influence a speaker’s or
writer’s choice of language…

Imagine you are trying to persuade

(orally, in person) an elderly woman to
participate in a community center. She
came w/her son from a the Appalachia.
She has been a housewife and has taken
care of her son’s child. More Social or
Academic Variation?
Now, what would a written brochure look
like that is attempting to persuade her?
How would it differ? More Social or
Academic change?
Factors that influence a speaker’s or
writer’s choice of language…

Now, select a purpose and

setting, oral or written, to
accomplish a mode of
communication.
How do the factors change?
What does this say about our
ability to use language?
Analyzing Oral and Written
Discourse
Two volunteer read script please.
Now, read the written discourse
“Explanation of a math workshop”
What are the differences and similarities
between these samples of oral and written
discourse?
Conversations are fluid, text is fixed
Do our students tend to write like they talk?
If so, what are the implications for us?
We need to explicitly teach appropriate
discourse forms in writing!!!
Promoting Communicative
Competence in Social and Academic
Settings

Using the top-half of the Venn diagram, identify

similarities and differences between language
structures used in spoken and in written English.
In the bottom-half, brainstorm strategies you can use
to teach oral and written discourse in English (Imagine
you are teaching non-native speakers of English;
although, the strategies would apply to English-only
too).
Promoting Communicative
Competence in Social and Academic
Settings

Spoken: Written
Sentence frame Rule: more linear
More informal Fewer use of
More idiomatic idioms

Guided by
the topic,
theme, idea

Top Half
Promoting Communicative
Competence in Social and Academic
Settings

Spoken: Written
Ask for clarification Formal
paraphrase syntax
“hamburger”

Formal or
informal
Transition
al words

Bottom Half
 The Hamburger & the Taco
(to accompany pg 22)

Hamburger Taco
Represents the organized Has a cover, the tortilla
composition, narrative semi-rolled with
or essay. Top bun is lettuce and meat, but
intro; layers of food no specific order.
are the body/content;
and the bottom bun is Creative
the conclusion. writing:
Five-paragraph ingredients with no
specific order
composition
Analyzing Text Structure

At your tables, read the three

examples aloud and analyze the text
based on the matrix.
Examples are from 8th grade social-
studies, secondary geometry text,
and a 4th grade science text.
What stands out to you about this
analysis?
Pragmatic Features of Oral and
Written Language

Gestures:
“OK” gesture obscene (Brazil/Turkey)
“Come Here” (w/finger) is the way to call
dog/prostitute in some cultures
We must explicitly teach our gestures & be
careful about which gestures to use!
Facial Expressions:
Americans are often perceived by others as
being superficial for so much smiling!!
Pragmatic Features of Oral and
Written Language

Eye Contact:
Lack of eye contact = respect in some
cultures
In North America, it is a sign of
disrespect/defiance
Proxemics:
North America = arm’s length
Latin America = much closer
Pragmatic Features of Oral and
Written Language

Touching:
Very personal & intimate in some cultures,
while in others it is commonplace. Head
patting is very taboo in many cultures.
Styles/Registers (CTEL, pg
41, table 1.15):
How you talk depends on your audience .
.boss, store clerk, students, etc.
Students need to know how and when it is
appropriate to switch registers
Pragmatic Features of Oral and
Written Language

Dialect:
There is a variation among speakers of the
same language. “I’m stuffed” (US=I’m full) vs.
(Australia=I’m pregnant!”)
Speakers of certain dialects may be viewed
differently (less intelligent, low SES, etc.)
Figures of Speech:
“Y’all come back now” (said to Japanese
businessmen caused them to get off a bus!)
Use fewer idioms with beginning level Els and
ALWAYS explain them!
Pragmatic Features of Oral and
Written Language

Silence:
Silence differs dramatically across cultures.
In the U.S., it is interpreted as expressing
embarrassment, regret or sorrow. In Asian
cultures, it is a token of respect.
Quickwrite (page 26)

Describe one discourse

setting/context (classroom, social
event, store, types of
correspondence) and identify key
features appropriate to the setting
Share some ideas with the class
Factors that affect a speaker’s or
writer’s choice of pragmatic features

Cultural Norms:
Student’s upbringing will influence how s/he
responds and uses pragmatic features
(touching, eye contact)

Social:
When engaged in communicating for social
purposes, gestures, and facial expressions,
will be more commonly used
Factors that affect a speaker’s or
writer’s choice of pragmatic features

Setting:
If the setting is in the classroom, the
teacher/student register will be in place
Goals:
Direct vs. indirect communication

Purpose:
Communication (oral/written) is with intent

Subject Matter:
Language is content-specific
Factors that affect a speaker’s
or writer’s choice of pragmatic
featuresAudience Purpose Context
Oral Administrator Inform: School
Students ask
Example Principal to (informal)
include after
school
programs

Written Administrator/ Persuade:

Parents write a
Home
Example or perhaps letter to (formal)
principal
school board requesting
What are some Difficulties
sports after
school

ELs have with respect to

Review of Linguistic
Knowledge
Return to page 10 and re-rate your
knowledge of the linguistic terminology
from this section. Add any pertinent
information on pages 28-30
Page 31 - Rubric to Evaluate ELD
Program. Evaluate Yourself
Write evidence found in each item.
Remember to consider: listening,
speaking, reading and writing.
Module 1, Domain
2
First and Second-Language
Development and Their
Relationship to Academic
Readings from CTEL Handbook

Read Page 32 “ Contemporary

Theories (of Language
Acquisition)” to familiarize yourselves
with two major theories,
Constructivism & Cognitivism,
and the other theories aligned with them.
Summarize the theories on page
33
For this test, you will need to know

theories, not theorists!!

Contemporary Theories of Language
Acquisition
Constructivism- Cognitivism-
we construct our knowledge is
knowledge based viewed as
on individual symbolic, mental
experience and constructions in
schema. the mind of
Social Interactionist individuals.
Social-cultural Metacognition
Interactionist CALLA
Interlanguage
1st Language Acquisition
Stages

Babbling: from 6mo - 1yr during

which a child imitates the sounds of human
language

Holophrastic: child uses one word

to mean a whole statement (“holo”= complete
or undivided, is a one word = one sentence
stage.) For example, dog is a whole sentence.
1st Language Acquisition
Stages

Two-Word: this state emerges when

a child reaches approximately 2yrs and
begins to produce two-word utterances such
as “car go.”
Telegraphic: state of stringing more
than two words together. Children often
sound as if there are reading a Western Union
message, as in “Cathy build house.”
2nd Language Proficiency
Levels
Beginning:
Minimal receptive/productive skills
Begin to recognize some basic groups of related words
Write some isolated English words

Early Intermediate:
Describe a picture/object using common vocabulary
Match simple vocabulary words to pictures
Write sentences appropriate to prompt
2nd Language Proficiency Levels
Intermediate:
Respond to a prompt using difficult vocabulary in a relevant
complete sentence
Read a story and recall details and answer literal questions
Write simple sentences appropriate to prompt or write story
by listing events or ideas

Early Advanced:
Understand and follow difficult instructions/delivery in an
academic context
Read involving processes such as: sequencing, generalization,
drawing conclusions, and making predictions
Writing contains fluent sentences, paragraphs, well-organized
ideas, and accurate transitions
2nd Language Proficiency Levels

Advanced:
Understand and follow more complex
instructions/delivery in an academic context
Read more complex narrative and expository
texts and answer increasingly difficult
questions that involve sequencing,
generalizing, drawing conclusions, and
predictions
Writing contains fluent sentences and
paragraphs with well organized ideas,
accurate transitions, vivid vocabulary, and no
significant grammatical errors
Relationship of 1st & 2nd Language
Acquisition
Specific to L1
(Left) Informal
Immersed in “parent-talk”
language Long silent period
Whole to part Time to develop
Natural babbling concrete things
Building concepts One-to-one
Praise/reinforce w/many clues
Relationship of 1st & 2nd Language
Acquisition
Specific to L2
(Right) Fear of error/high
Fragmented anxiety
Part to whole Formal
Shorter silent period
Planned language
Pressed for time
instruction Abstract concepts
No babbling Group/class
Enrichment or translating
requirement(depe concepts/knowledge
nding on person)
Relationship of 1st & 2nd Language
Acquisition
Commonalities
Across L1 & L2
(center) Motivation to
Universals
understand
Sounds
Stages
Repetition
Building concepts Gestures
Knowledge in L1 Non-verbal
facilitates L2
development Survival
modeling
 Krashen’s 5 Hypotheses on Second
Language Acquisition (The Monitor
Model)

CTEL Handbook, Ch2, pages 62-64

Hypotheses:
Acquisition-Learning
Monitor
Natural Order
Input
Affective Filter
Acquisition-Learning
Hypothesis

Acquisition vs.
Learning
Subconscious Conscious
Similar to L1 Know the rules
Long, active Having formal
listening period; knowledge of
speaking emerges language
in stages Errors corrected
Error accepted Correction is
Correction is overt
modeled
Monitor Hypothesis
Editor (allows for error self-correction)
To work properly, a person needs:

Time (conversations vs. writing a ¶)

Focus on form
Know the rule
Monitor can be successful for language tests & writing
 “The 'monitor' acts in a planning, editing and correcting function when three
specific conditions are met: that is, the second language learner has sufficient
time at his/her disposal, he/she focuses on form or thinks about correctness,
and he/she knows the rule.”
Natural Order Hypothesis

We acquire grammatical

structures in a fairly
predictable order, but
cannot teach to that order.
We must focus on
meaningful messages.
Input Hypothesis

We acquire language when

we understand what is said to
us
i + 1 (known to the unknown,
combine familiar with something new)
Affective Filter Hypothesis
Self confidence
Motivation
Level of anxiety
A high affective filter impedes the
reception of comprehensible input
Cummins’ BICS, CALP, CUP
CTEL pg. 64
L1 L2

BICS BICS

CALP CALP

CUP
Cummins’ Quadrants

Many Few
Clues Clues
Cummins’ Quadrant Activity

Look at the Quadrant Activity on

page 40
Try to determine in which quadrant
each of the items would be placed
Remember: there doesn’t have to be a right
answer, some may be able to be placed in more than
one!! This is designed to simply get you thinking about
the issue
Cummins’ Quadrants
Cognitive & Social Strategies
Learners Use in Developing a
Second Language

Repetition Self-
Memorizatio Monitoring
Appeal for
n
Formulaic Assistance
Request for
expression
Clarification
Elaboration
Role-play
ELD Lesson Intro
The following is a sample ELD lesson
intro
“Last week we finished learning about
land transportation and today we are
going to start our new lesson about air
transportation. What do we know about
types of transportation that we see in
the sky?”
(Teacher writes students’ responses)
[expressive skills]
ELD Lesson Intro
“Let’s have someone volunteer to read what you told
me and I wrote about the different types of
transportation.” (A few students can read the list)
“Has anyone else remembered some more types of
transportation?” (while students are listening to
teacher’s questions, they may come up with additional
answers) Teacher asks student(s) to approach chart
paper and write it down. [receptive skills]
ELD Lesson Intro
“Now, we are going to think about
what else we want to learn about
transportation. . .
What is the importance of this
sample of an intro ELD lesson?
Why is integrating the four language
domains (listening, speaking,
reading, and writing) important?
What do we mean by “language is
acquired in a natural process?”
Schooling for Language Minority
Students
1. English Proficiency, Academic Achievement,
Positive Self-Concept
2. False
3. BICS & CALP
4. A: BICS B: CALP
5. Social conversation, playground, everyday
conversation, family talk, friend talk
6. Higher order thinking, abstract thinking,
academic language, test skill, problem
solving
Schooling for Language Minority
Students

7. Use primary language to learn and support

learning. Comprehensible input and low
affective filter.
8. There are two separate “areas” where
languages develop. When one language is
“emphasized” the other is reduced. SUP
9. There is one “area” where languages develop
and there is a relationship or connection
between languages. One supports the other in
the form of transferability. CUP
Schooling for Language Minority
Students
10. Yes, most of the skills transfer. If you learn to think in
one language, you do not need to learn to think in
another language. If you learn to read in one language,
you only need to “break the code” in another language.
11. Students receiving instruction in L1 did better in English
than those students who only received instruction in
English language development.
12. Continue to communicate in primary language. Home
context is conducive to developing literacy in an
authentic manner, not school-like manner.
13. Use of realia, gestures, contextualization of lesson
Cognitive, Linguistic, and Physical
Factors that Influence Language
Acquisition

CTEL ed 1: pages 70-74; 77-

80

In table groups, read and

complete page 44 of the study
guide.
Cognitive, Linguistic, and Physical
Factors that Influence Language
Acquisition
Synthesis/Summary
The cognitive and constructive perspectives
stress the importance of viewing the students as
active processors of information from birth and
throughout their lives. These processes occur
through social interaction and mental activity in
which information is internalized and the learner
then constructs meaning based on personal
experience and prior knowledge.
Cognitive, Linguistic, and Physical
Factors that Influence Language
Acquisition
Pedagogical Implications
Assessment
Consider alternative assessment such as
portfolios or performance-based
assessment.
Instruction
Cooperative learning, contextualization
 Affective Factors that Influence
Language Acquisition

CTEL: pages 74-77

In table groups, read and

complete page 45 of the study
guide.
Affective Factors that Influence
Language Acquisition
Synthesis/Summary
There are several affective factors that impact
student learning: self-esteem, motivation, and
attitudes
How the students feels about her/himself can
affect either in a general, or specific to a task
or situation. As for motivation, it can be
attributed to parents, friends, and teachers by
creating a learning environment (not nec.
Physical), which impacts the attitude of the
student toward learning. It is when anxiety
continues to exist that creates a high affective
filter preventing the student from learning.
Affective Factors that Influence
Language Acquisition

Pedagogical
Implications
Work to lower the
affective filter
A variety of groupings:
small, large, dyads, triads
Use L1 to support core
curriculum
Sociocultural and Political Factors
that Influence Language Acquisition
CTEL: pages 81-89 (read and
know!!)

In table groups, read and

complete page 46 of the study
guide.
Sociocultural and Political Factors
that Influence Language Acquisition

Synthesis/Summary:
Culture is the explicit and implicit
patterns for living, the dynamic
system of commonly-agreed-upon
symbols, meanings, knowledge,
beliefs, morals, customs, traditions
Sociocultural and Political Factors
that Influence Language Acquisition

Synthesis/Summary:
For students learning a second language,
success is dependent on such extra-
linguistic factors as:
the pattern of acculturation for their
community;
the status and acceptance of their
culture, which includes their language
Sociocultural and Political Factors
that Influence Language Acquisition

Synthesis/Summary:
There are numerous structures within
schools that affect student learning:
tracking
the curriculum
Pedagogy
the school’s physical structure and disciplinary
policies
the limited roles of both students and teachers
limited parent and community involvement.
Sociocultural and Political Factors that
Influence Language Acquisition

Pedagogical Implications:
The acculturation process
is an additive approach
L1 is accepted
Parents are involved
Assessment/evaluation takes
the whole child into account
Language Acquisition Matching
Game!!

In table groups, match

the description of the
theories or perspectives
to the appropriate term
by numbering them