Using polylogues in teaching english at academic lyceums. Exercises

2.3. The utilizing of educational technologies in teaching a dialogic conversation to students.
One of the major challenges that teachers encounter with English Language Learners (ELL) centers on the development of oral language. As teachers we are aware that language begins in infancy and develops continuously throughout one’s life via natural exposure to on a daily basis. For ELLs, however the lack of opportunities to practice a second language, underlines the need for teachers’ attention to their oral language development. Oral language requires proficiency in multiple modes of language, such as speaking and listening skills including both, receptive and expressive abilities. Oral communication is a necessary and essential skill for effective functioning in the classroom. Oral language is a critical tool for children to use when expressing their knowledge, and a tool through which they ultimately gain knowledge about the world in which they live. It is necessary for thinking, learning, and academic proficiency in school. With the growing number of children from immigrant families who speak a language other than English at home, the challenge is real for the classroom teachers in the United States of America. The percentage of public school students in the United States who were English language learners was higher in school year 2012-13 (9.2 percent, or an estimated 4.4 million students) than in 2002-03 (8.7 percent, or an estimated 4.1 million students) and in 2011–12 (9.1 percent, or an estimated 4.4 million students) 2015. It is estimated that students in the USA represent more than 1,000 cultures. During the 2010-2011 school years, 54% of public school students were White and 46% were students of color (Skinner et al, 2010). By the year 2050, the percentage of children in the United States who arrive at K-12 schools speaking a language other than English will reach 40%. Many of these students will also come from backgrounds of poverty, and parents with low levels of education. In 2011, 21% of school-age students lived in poor households with limited English proficiency. National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition, reports that currently more than 10% of the K-12 student population across the United States is comprised of ELLs, which equates to over five million students. In many school districts, more than 100 different languages are used across the district’s students and families. It is easy for a classroom teacher to become overwhelmed by the linguistic diversity in the classroom. As Rajagopal puts it, “A common misconception about culturally responsive teaching teachers subscribe to is that students of different races need to be taught ‘differently’ – the “Asian way” or the “Black way” which can be intimidating due to a large mix of cultures represented in some of today’s classrooms. I don’t teach by race. I teach to their collective culture.” In order to engage urban students, teachers need to know how to use students’ culture and interests as tools to teach them . Teacher training programs do not adequately prepare teachers to address ELL’s needs. Our teacher education programs do not emphasize teaching instructional techniques to work with ELL students. Most general education teachers do not have the training in language and linguistics needed to properly address the diverse linguistic needs of students. Teachers learn the importance of content knowledge in their specific area, yet lack significant pedagogical knowledge to deliver content information through focusing on oral language skills. The pedagogical approach highlighted in this paper, enhances the basic language areas of reading, writing, listening and speaking; all critical for ELL students. Common instructional methods do not effectively aid learning for ELL students. Since many ELL students are unable to learn content material due to limited receptive and expressive vocabulary, using instructional methods to enhance vocabulary will be highlighted in the paper. This paper presents a dialogic teaching approach to promote oral language use that support learning in all content area subjects such as Social Studies, Science, Language Arts, and Math in primary schools. Dialogic teaching is a technique teachers use to help students effectively meet learning goals or accomplish tasks through dialogue. Alexander claimed that “dialogic teaching harnesses the power of talk to stimulate and extend pupils’ thinking and advance their learning and understanding.” He also believes that dialogic teaching is both just any teacher initiated talk such as the question-answer and listens-tell routines, nor the casual conversation. According to Alexander, “in dialogic classrooms children don’t just provide brief factual answers to ʻtestʼ or ʻrecallʼ questions, or merely spot the answer which they think the teacher wants to hear. Instead, when teachers use dialogic teaching, students are guided to narrate, explain, analyses, speculate, imagine, explore, evaluate, discuss, argue, justify, and they ask questions of their own. Gibbsons explained that dialogic teaching promotes students’ exploration of ideas. According to her, “it creates shared understanding and space for students to explore new concepts, clarify understandings, and perceptions, not dominated or controlled by a single person, so that participants address their comments, questions, and statements directly to each other.” Several researchers support this use of exploratory talk occurring in the classroom which they refer to as a dialogic teaching approach⁶. Teachers work with linguistically diverse students at various levels, and observe the impact of oral language on their literacy habits. Noguera (2000) urged teachers to avoid applying stereotypes to ELLs. Students’ use of language demonstrates how oral language has a direct bearing on the mechanics of reading and writing. However, as the rigor of content area grows, teachers have limited time to address oral language issues. It is generally considered the role of the ELL teacher to work on the language aspects of ELL learners. Sometimes teachers skirt language issues due to their own level of discomfort with language instruction. Evidence exists linking oral language to the word recognition aspects of reading and/or the comprehension aspects of the reading model. It is important to consider that “not only are oral language skills linked to the code-related skills that help word reading to develop, but they also provide a foundation for the development of the more-advanced language skills needed for comprehension”⁷. The authors experience of working with diverse students led them to a basic reconsideration of their approach to teaching literacy to one that emphasizes constructivists’ view of oral language, one that was informed by the growing understanding of language, and the perspectives of Pressley 1998, Snow, et al 2007. Through their experience, they have come to the conclusion that oral language has much to offer in terms of literacy and learning especially to teachers and students in primary schools. In this paper, the effect of oral language on literacy development and academic learning are explored. Also, best practices of using a dialogic teaching approach to build ELLs’ oral language skills and enhance their academic learning are described and summarized. The research based dialogic teaching approach discussed in this paper is grounded in constructivists’ view and demonstrates high effects on learning and improving student performance with respect to oral language development. Specific oral language instructional activities using a dialogic teaching approach that enhance the acquisition of oral language skills which promote academic learning presented in the paper include, Picture Description, Talk a Mile a Minute, and Puppet Role Play.