MODELS OF INSTRUCTION FOR LEP STUDENTS

1. Limited English Proficient (LEP) Students

The “Limited English Proficient” (LEP) student is an individual who:
a) Was not born in the United States or whose native language is a language other
than English;
b) Comes from environments where a language other than English is dominant;
c) Has significant amount of difficulty speaking, reading, writing, or understanding
the English language.
Limited English Proficient (LEP) students are similar in most ways to students whose
heritage language is English. They learn at different rates, have various interests and
characteristics and different personalities and bring vast differences in background
knowledge and experiences to the learning situation. All are unique. However, language
and culture add other dimensions to their uniqueness. Problems may surface because
these learners may use another language at home as they are learning English at
school. Many cultural references, idiomatic expressions and multiple meanings or words
that are known to most literate English-speaking students may be foreign to LEP
students.
1.1. Characteristics of a beginning LEP student:
The student may:
 Remain silent
 Be actively listening as he/she silently translates
 Not following directions
 Depend on body language, gestures or paralanguage (words or phrases such
as “huh?” “unh-unh,” and “uh-oh” usually accompanied by a facial expression
and/or a gesture)
 Misinterpret body language or gestures
 Begin to imitate the verbalization of others by using single words or simple
phrases
 Have limited school experiences
 Exhibit extremes of behavior: frustration, nervousness, fear, and self-
consciousness
 Construct meaning from text primarily through non-print features (e.g.,
illustrations, graphs, maps, tables)
 Be able to generate simple texts that reflect their knowledge level of syntax
(these texts may include a significant amount of non-conventional features,
such as invented spelling, some grammatical inaccuracies, pictorial
representations, surface features and rhetorical patterns of the native
language)

Characteristics of an intermediate LEP student:

The student may:
 Make unsystematic and random language errors that may lead to
misunderstanding
 Exhibit social language skills in English that exceed language abilities
necessary for academic success
 Generate language to ask and answer questions without being able to
expand or explain
 Exhibit limited but continuing progress in vocabulary, control of sentence
structure, ability to read with comprehension and the ability to express
ideas
 Require an extended period of time to translate information
 Require some repetition
 Characteristics of an advanced LEP student:
The student may:
 Frequently choose to use more than one language to communicate
 Exhibit oral fluency but still lack higher level, content-specific language and
writing skills
 Begin to apply reading and writing skills to acquire information in academic
areas and real-life situations
 Read independently, but may have occasional comprehension problems,
especially when concepts are presented in a decontextualized manner, when
the sentences make inaccurate inferences from cultural, linguistic, and
intellectual experiences
 Have difficulty understanding and using some idioms, figures of speech, and
words with multiple meanings

Program models for LEP Students

ESL programs (rather than bilingual programs) are likely to be used in districts where the
language minority population is very diverse and represents many different languages.
ESL programs can accommodate students from different language backgrounds in the
same class, and teachers do not need to be proficient in the home language(s) of their
students.

ESL pull-out
This is generally used in elementary school settings. Students spend part of the
school day in a mainstream classroom, but are pulled out for a portion of each day to
receive instruction in English as a second language.

ESL class period

This is generally used in middle school settings. Students receive ESL instruction
during a regular class period and usually receive course credit. They may be grouped for
instruction according to their level of English proficiency

The ESL resource center

This is a variation of the pull-out design, bringing students together from several
classrooms or schools. The resource center concentrates ESL materials and staff in one
location and is usually staffed by at least one full-time ESL teacher.

Bilingual program models

All bilingual program models use the students' home language, in addition to
English, for instruction. These programs are most easily implemented in districts with a
large number of students from the same language background. Students in bilingual
programs are grouped according to their first language, and teachers must be proficient
in both English and the students' home language.

Early-exit bilingual programs

These are designed to help children acquire the English skills required to
succeed in an English-only mainstream classroom. These programs provide some initial
instruction in the students' first language, primarily for the introduction of reading, but
also for clarification. Instruction in the first language is phased out rapidly, with most
students mainstreamed by the end of first or second grade.

Late-exit programs
These differ from early-exit programs "primarily in the amount and duration that
English is used for instruction as well as the length of time students are to participate in
each program" (Ramirez, Yuen, & Ramey, 1991). Students remain in late-exit programs
throughout elementary school and continue to receive 40% or more of their instruction in
their first language, even when they have been reclassified as fluent-English-proficient.
 Two-way bilingual programs
Also called developmental bilingual programs, these group language minority
students from a single language background in the same classroom with language
majority (English-speaking) students. Ideally, there is a nearly 50/50 balance between
language minority and language majority students. Instruction is provided in both English
and the minority language. Students serve as native-speaker role models for their peers.
Two-way bilingual classes may be taught by a single teacher who is proficient in both
languages or by two teachers, one of whom is bilingual.

Other program models

Some programs provide neither instruction in the native language nor direct
instruction in ESL. However, instruction is adapted to meet the needs of students who
are not proficient in English.

Sheltered English or content-based programs

These group language minority students from different language backgrounds
together in classes where teachers use English as the medium for providing content
area instruction, adapting their language to the proficiency level of the students. They
may also use gestures and visual aids to help students understand. Although the
acquisition of English is one of the goals of sheltered English and content-based
programs, instruction focuses on content rather than language.

Structured immersion programs

These use only English, but there is no explicit ESL instruction. As in sheltered
English and content-based programs, English is taught through the content areas.
Structured immersion teachers have strong receptive skills in their students' first
language and have a bilingual education or ESL teaching credential. The teacher's use
of the children's first language is limited primarily to clarification of English instruction.
Most students are mainstreamed after 2 or 3 years.

EFFECTIVE PRACTICES AND APPROPRIATE CURRICULUM FOR LEP STUDENTS

Methods for Effectively Serving LEP Students in Targeted Assistance Schools

According to the law, a targeted assistance school program must:
 use the program’s resources to the participating children
 meet state student performance standards;
 be based on effective means for improving student achievement;
 ensure that planning for students sewed under this part be incorporated into existing
school planning;
 use effective instructional strategies (give primary consideration to providing extended
learning time, and provide an accelerated, high quality curriculum, and minimize
removing children from the regular classroom during regular school hours);
 coordinate with and support the regular instructional program (counseling, mentoring,
and other pupil services; college and career awareness and preparation; services to
prepare students for the transition from school to work; services to assist preschool
children in transition from early childhood programs to elementary school programs);
 provide instruction by highly qualified staff; provide opportunities for professional
development; and
 include strategies to increase parental involvement.

In addition, schools conducting targeted assistance programs must assist children to

meet the State’s proficient and advanced levels of performance by the coordination of
resources and by reviewing on an ongoing task the progress of participating children and
revising the targeted assistance program, if necessary, to provide additional assistance to
enable such children to meet the state’s challenging student performance standards

Although many practices that are effective for all students also apply to LEP students,
there are a variety of practices that LEP Students are especially important for these
students. For example, in creating a challenging and responsive learning environment.
 Teachers ensure that students’ daily work is at a level that challenges them to learn and
grow yet provides an experience of success. The provision of challenging work is especially
important for these learners because many of them continue to receive instruction in English
or remedial instruction that is not conceptually challenging. This is because teachers tend to
match their curriculum to what they perceive to be students’ linguistic inadequacies.

Recently a growing number of educators and researchers have argued that all students,
including English language learners, benefit from a challenging curriculum. Teachers
manage and monitor the multiple and varied schedules of their students. (In many
instances, one class or group of English language learners will be involved in multiple and
diverse activities and settings.) This entails communicating with various staff members who
work with their students to make sure that everyone is addressing student needs in an
integrated and coherent way. Teachers support the life experiences and languages of all
students.

Sheltered Instruction is a series of methods and techniques that teachers can use to
help second language learners more easily understand and acquire English and content
area knowledge and skills. Use a series of methods and techniques to assist learners:

1. Use various questioning strategies to promote higher order thinking skills;

2. Provide sufficient wait time for student responses;
3. Emphasize key words;
4. Use appropriate vocabulary for students' proficiency level;
5. Speak at a rate appropriate for students' proficiency level;
6. Exaggerate intonation and gestures for the visual and kinesthetic effect;
7. Pace the lesson appropriately to the students' ability level.
8. Use short, simple sentences rather than complex ones;
9. Avoid pausing before the end of sentences;
10. Provide frequent opportunities for interaction among students and between teacher and
student;
11. Repeat sentences, without using too many different expressions and idioms.
12. Explain idioms and use cognates.

KEY COMPONENTS OF EFFECTIVE CURRICULUM FOR LEP STUDENTS

OBJECTIVES
Modifying objectives, teachers should determine what is reasonable for a particular
student at the student’s level of language acquisition. For example, if the student is still in the
“silent period,” (they receive language but are not ready to speak) it is not realistic to expect that
student to give a speech to the class.

INSTRUCTION/ METHODS AND STRATEGIES

1. Calmly and slowly speak to an LEP student. Make sure the student can see your mouth
when speaking.
2. If you have a novice LEP student, partner this student with a stronger LEP student. The
stronger LEP student can summarize information covered in class and help the novice
student while developing a better understanding of the concept he is explaining. Another
strategy is to assign peer buddies or place students in a cooperative learning group
where students are willing to assist him/her.
3. Use visuals, chalk talk and concrete examples. Tape record lectures and other oral
presentations so the LEP students can listen later.
4. Always introduce new vocabulary in meaningful ways before beginning a new lesson.
Don’t use dictionary activities to introduce new vocabulary. Use pictures and actions to
introduce new vocabulary. Limit the number of vocabulary introduced at any one time to
4 to 7 words/concepts. Preview vocabulary and encourage LEP students to look up
words in their bilingual dictionaries prior to reading.
5. Always use a graphic organizer when students are involved in critical thinking activities.
Graphic organizers help LEP students see the connection between ideas and concepts
(It helps them see the skill).

ASSESSMENT

Modifications in assessment/evaluation may include the use of literal level

questions until the student is able to handle more complex language, the assignment of
open book tests, oral assessment, teacher-made rather than publisher evaluations, the
use of projects over papers.
As students learn English as a second language, written or oral evaluations
should focus on the communication of ideas and process rather than on technical
exactness.
High expectations are important; students should set goals and teachers should
set tasks that are slightly higher than what seems possible without penalizing students if
they are not able to meet these expectations. Just as students should reach and take
risks, teachers should give credit for attempts even though they may fall short of what
non-LEP students can do.
The progress of these students should be measured over time.

ENVIRONMENT

A negative affective filter will delay the progress of language and literacy
learning. Limited English Proficient students need a supportive environment in which
they feel free to take risks to learn the second language.
 The National Teachers College
Quiapo, Manila
School of Advanced Studies and Research
Master of Arts in Education

Course Subject: ENG 306 The Teaching of English

Topics: Models of Instruction for LEP Students

Effective Practices and Appropriate Curriculum for LEP Students
The Key Concept of Effective Curriculum for LEP Students

Members (Group 2) PANEL DISCUSSION

 Alvarado, Carl Christopher P.

 Arellano, Grecilna B.
 De Roxas, Catherene C.
 Evangelista, Ruby Ann G.
 Caballero, Luzviminda M.
 Pagaran, Ian E.
 Palicte, Maria Kim Jea D.
 Quiling, Mary Rosary Ann M.
 Robles, Shastine Dharyll P.

Date of Presentation: January 5, 2019

Criteria
I. Discussion of concepts – (25 points)
II. Oral Skill – (15 points)
III. Creativity – (5 points)
IV. Technical/Audio/Visual – (5 points)