Meeting the Needs of English Language Learners and Preserving Native Languages

Graciela Italiano-Thomas, Centro de la Familia de Utah

Graciela Italiano-Thomas is Chief Executive Officer of Centro de la Familia de Utah, which focuses on strengthening Hispanic families by promoting self-sufficiency. The agency serves some 2,500 families each year through several Federal, state, and county-funded programs; it also administers the Migrant Head Start program in Utah. Italiano-Thomas held assistant professorships in bilingual and multicultural education at Weber State University and at California State Polytechnic University. She founded and directed a foreign language school and consulting service to school districts and other agencies. Her clients included school districts in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Texas, and California, as well as the School Library Journal and the Scholastic Children’s Books Division. For five years, Italiano-Thomas taught elementary school at the Uruguayan-American School in Montevideo, Uruguay. Later, she spent three years as the school’s principal. Among other honors, she has received the Utah Governor’s Award for contributions to the Hispanic community and the Outstanding Contributions Award from the Latino/Chicano/Hispanic Area Council of Weber State University.

"Head Start is the perfect place to empower parents to believe that bilingualism and biculturalism is the best thing for their child."

— Graciela Italiano-Thomas

Presentation Highlights

The development of native language in Early Head Start and Head Start programs must begin as a partnership between the family and the program. Spanish-speaking parents often want Head Start staff to teach their children English in hopes of avoiding linguistic discrimination. However, Head Start provides the setting to empower parents to understand the benefits of bilingualism and biculturalism. This presentation specifically addresses Latino/Hispanic immigrant families in the United States.

Language Acquisition Theory

Understanding language acquisition theory and its methodologies is critical to the education of parents and the ability of programs to use a simultaneous bilingualism approach. For example, it is important to note that whatever concept/cognitive development a child masters in the native language is transferred to the second language.

Environments that promote early language acquisition should:

• Focus on communication—"Iceberg Metaphor" (refer to handout on following pages);
• Provide a variety of printed and visual materials; and
• Utilize materials that reflect the culture and language of children represented in the classroom.

Four Stages of Second Language Acquisition–

1. Pre-Production Stage: The Silent Period

Characteristics of this stage:

• This stage lasts from several months to more than a year of instruction.
• This stage is a time for receptive language acquisition.
• Learners in this stage develop listening skills and show comprehension by using gestures.
• During this stage, it is not necessary for learners to speak - speech production should not be forced.

Characteristics of the learner:

• The learner is a non-English speaker.
• The learner may have some understanding, but does not speak yet.

2. Early Production Stage: Period of Limited Production

Characteristics of this stage:

• This stage lasts from a few months to two years.
• Progress during this stage will vary.

Characteristics of the learner:

• The learner has limited understanding.
• The learner can produce single words within a known context.

Natural progression of learner includes:

• Yes and No responses;
• One word answers;
• Name words in lists;
• Short phrases; and
• Simple sentences.

3. Speech Emergence Stage: Period of Expanded Production

Characteristics of this stage:

• This stage may last from two to four years.
• Progress during this stage will vary.
• Error correction should be limited to modeling and expansion of teacher’s language.

Characteristics of the learner:

• The learner has less hesitation to speak.
• The learner understands more, but is still dependent on context.

Natural progression of learner includes:

• More complex, longer phrases;
• Complete sentences;
• More extensive vocabulary;
• Correctness level improves;
• More frequent open dialog;
• Extended discourse; and
• Narrative.

4. Second Language Literacy Instruction: Period of
Creative Expanded Production

Characteristics of this stage:

• Literacy instruction during this stage should follow oral activities for learners with well developed primary language skills.
• This stage is considered the Intermediate Fluency Stage.
• There is continued vocabulary expansion during this stage to develop higher levels of language use in content areas.
• During this stage, more reading and writing activities should be incorporated into lessons.

Characteristics of the learner:

• The learner has limited or no hesitancy to speak.
• The learner has attained high levels of Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) in primary language.
• The learner understanding has expanded beyond communicative competence.
• Second language literacy will probably be delayed for students lacking primary language literacy skills.

Natural progression of learner includes an ability:

• To produce fluent speech (connected narrative);
• To participate in academic and problem solving discussions;
• To debate; and
• To participate in extensive dialogs.

Presentation Handout

Print version of Graciela Italiano-Thomas' 3-page Handout

Environments that promote early language acquisition should:

• Focus on communication
• Extend children's language
• Have variety of printed and visual materials
• Have materials that reflect culture's language of children in classroom.

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Figure 1. The "Iceberg Metaphor"/BICS-CALP

By Dr. Jim Cummins

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Figure 4. The "Dual Iceberg" Representation of Bilingual Proficiency

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Presentation Highlights

Presentation Handout

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