ENL Courses
Anderson University will offer a core program of 3 courses specific to teaching ENL and a 3 credit hour practicum course with 45 hours of contact time with English language learners.
Principles of Language Acquisition – In this course students will explore the principles of language learning. Comparisons will be made between first and second language acquisition, child and adult language learning and various theories and research pertaining to language acquisition. Students will learn about different types of proficiency (BICS – Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills and CALP – Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency). Students in this course will also investigate the role of psycholinguistic and sociolinguistic principles, motivation, affective and other factors that can influence language learning.
Instructional and Material Design for Teaching English as a New Language – In this course students will become familiar with the methodology of teaching a second language beginning with a brief exploration of early methods and then focusing on theories that have current day best practice applications in the classroom. Strategies such as building background knowledge (schema), employing pre-reading techniques, providing comprehensible input, and scaffolding lessons will be explored and practiced. This course will focus primarily on the teaching of ENL standards in the pull out setting, but mention will be made of language learning in the content classroom.
Differentiating Instruction for the LEP Student in the Content Class -In this course students will learn specific strategies for working with Limited English Proficient (ESL) students in the mainstream elementary or secondary content classroom beginning with a brief overview of second language acquisition principles. Further, students will learn how to adapt instruction and assessment for students with varying levels of English proficiency. Emphasis will be placed on strategies for sheltered instruction and the SIOP Model - Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (www.siopinstitute.net) will be used to prepare and evaluate lessons in the content area classroom.
Practicum in English as a New Language - This practicum provides supervised field experience for students who are working toward an ENL license. Reflective thought, observation, discussion, and actual teaching will be used to expand participants’ teaching skills. The first 2-4 hours are spent in careful observation of the workings and interactions of the ESL classroom. The remaining hours will be used working with the cooperating teacher and students. Classroom participation includes observation, interaction, record keeping, and analysis of specific strengths and needs of English Language Learners. Practicum students will design strategies and activities to meet the instructional needs of individual students. Participants will also focus on interpreting and recommending curriculum materials and methods to encourage and help English Language Learners become proficient in their new language.
