Classroom practices

Theory and research on second language acquisition have resulted in principles guiding classroom practices and teaching methodology in ELS classrooms. These include "scaffolding", or finding ways to support language acquisition in the classroom, providing opportunities for students to receive feedback on their communication and acquire self-confidence as their ability to communicate improves.

Students, whether they speak English as a first language or an as an additional language, are learning the vocabulary of the academic discipline as they are learning the course content. Encouraging interaction and attention to specific language patterns and features (e.g. discipline-specific vocabulary and text features of specific academic text types) are also effective methods to support language acquisition with multilingual learners.

References and resources

Book

Shapiro, S., Farrelly, R. & Tomas, Z. (2014 ). Fostering International Student Success in Higher Education. Alexandria, VA: TESOL International Association Press.
UFV Library Catalogue: ABBOTSFORD LB 2375 S43 2014 STACKS

Chapter 3 overview — Applying the principles of second language acquisition

• Suggestions for implementing the principles of SLA (pp. 36-46)
• Scaffolding a lecture (pp. 36-41)
• Facilitating class discussion (pp. 41-43)
• Specific strategies for supporting multilingual learners and helping them join the discussion (p. 41 in the text box)
• Class readings (pp. 43-46)

Video

• Learning in another language
• This video demonstrates the challenges involved in trying to learn academic content in another language, a daunting task which involves dealing with complex abstract concepts in a different language and a different culture. It also offers a rationale for the basic strategies for supporting multilingual learners.

Questions for reflection and discussion

1. What are some of the discipline-specific terms or concepts that students might not know prior to taking your course? (p. 35)
2. How could you apply the SLA (second language acquisition) principles (scaffolding, interaction, noticing) to make these terms more comprehensible to students (e.g. during a class lecture?) (p.35)

What's working at UFV

This section includes suggestions and strategies contributed by UFV instructors.

Scaffolding learning and assignments

Strategies to address confusion and support students as they work on assignments from the Computer Information Systems department:

• The instructor works through problems on an assignment and identifies areas of confusion or possible error. These areas are pointed out to students, and the instructor provides hints to help students as they work through a sample problem or when problems are assigned.

• A short in-class assignment gets students to use a program to create a budget before they go on to a more complex assignment involving the same program. This assignment ensures that they have hands-on experience using the program and apply what they have learned in a practical way before embarking on a longer, more complex assignment using the same program.

• Show what different groups or learners have done to demonstrate different approaches to solving a problem or applying content in an in-class assignment. Give learners an opportunity to see other approaches and learn from each other. Research by Dr. Peter Looker’s, Head of the Teaching, Learning, and Pedagogy Division at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore is a good starting point if you are interested in creating a classroom setup that facilitates immediate feedback.

Multilingual learners may find the large amount of reading they are expected to do in Canadian classrooms extremely challenging.

Watch Class readings, a short video which explains why multilingual learners struggle with heavy reading loads. It also provides strategies that can be used to help students read more effectively.

What's working at UFV

This section includes suggestions and strategies contributed by UFV instructors.

Strategies to help students engage with texts

From the Faculty of Access and Continuing Education:

• Dialectical Journal Writing: A dialectical journal can be thought of as a conversation with a text. The writer selects passages from the text for commentary. This can include questions, reflection on the passage and how it connects to the writer’s life and experience. Many sample handouts for dialectical journal handouts can be found online.

• Reading strategies: Have students do online research on an assigned reading strategy and share what they have learned in a small group. This could be done with metacognitive strategies as well.

Many multilingual learners come from classrooms in which the instructor does all the talking. The concept of participation is completely new to them. They are not used to class discussion, giving their opinions instead of copying, asking questions in class, or working collaboratively on team projects.

Facilitating group work and class discussion tips

1. Classroom interaction, discussion and group work

• Learn strategies that can be used to demonstrate the purpose and value of class discussion to multilingual learners and encourage them to contribute their perspectives and ideas in class.

• Watch Classroom interaction, discussion and group work.

2. Teamwork

• This video from Thompson Rivers University's "Working with Culturally Diverse Learners" series, shows a classroom scenario in which an instructor presents a group project and students begin brainstorming in their teams, but it is clear that problems are developing in the groups early on.

• Watch Teamwork.

• After watching the video, reflect on or discuss the following questions:

• What problems did you notice?
• What was the instructor's role during this activity?
• What could the instructor have done to address or prevent any of the problems you noticed?

3. A better strategy for managing group work

• The second part of the video provides cultural background information to explain some of the issues observed in the first part. This is followed by another look at the same scenario — however, the instructor handles it quite differently this time around.

• Watch A better strategy for managing group work.

• After watching the video, reflect on or discuss these two questions:

• What did the instructor do this time that prevented some of the problems you observed in the first video?
• Would you use a similar strategy to form groups in your classroom?

Additional resources for supporting group work

DISC personality approach

• What is DISC?
• DISC personality test

Communication styles inventory

This handout provides a list of personality types and offers methods to communicate effectively with people who have different personality types.

• How to improve working or client relationships with others — Virginia Tech

Concept mapping strategy

This classroom activity can be used to generate ideas, integrate course content, evaluate content and resources to prepare for a presentation or written assignment, and as a form of classroom assessment.

• Concept mapping: making learning meaningful — Based on a presentation by Ginny Cathcart of Vancouver Community College

Conflict resolution

Instructors often complain that they do not know that teams are experiencing interpersonal conflict until they receive an email sent at midnight before the project is due.

In order to address conflict, you need to clearly understand both sides. Therefore, the ability to listen actively and reflect back on what you heard and understood in a neutral manner helps to minimize resistance and work toward a resolution. According to a resource on conflict resolution from the University of British Columbia, this involves a three-step process:

1. Listen actively without response or commentary. Stay neutral.

• Restate, paraphrase, and summarize what the speaker said to clarify understanding.

2. Respond empathetically and sincerely. Avoid responses that will elicit resistance.

• Framing a response empathically has three parts:

• • Tentative statement (It seems to me)
  • Define the feeling (You are frustrated)
  • Framing the situational context (e.g. Because the research director was coming for a meeting and it was important to you to be consulted and your response was missed, because the memo didn't reach you in time)

3. Use open-ended questions to ensure that you have all the information you need to understand the other person's perspective. Open-ended questions allow you to gather more information than closed-ended questions which can be answered by a simple yes or no.

• Open questions begin with: what, when, who, where, which, how.

Time management

In order to collaborate harmoniously and complete team projects without sending last-minute emails to instructors, team members need good time management skills. These library references provided by Simon Fraser University offer resources for effective time management that can be used by students to improve teamwork.

What's working at UFV

This section includes suggestions and strategies contributed by UFV instructors.

Group work and participation

• Structure group work so that each member has a specific role (e.g. facilitator, recorder, etc). Ask students to document their meetings formally with an agenda and minutes. Evaluate through self and peer assessment.

• Students who are shy and nervous about speaking with others can be given a role as recorder of the group discussion. These students are responsible for taking notes and putting the main points discussed on the board to share with the class after discussion.

• Computer Information Systems instructors have successfully used a  bonus marks strategy to encourage participation and contribution from students (especially when the instructor asks a question). Students who volunteer answers are rewarded with bonus marks. It does not matter whether the answer is correct. The act of volunteering an answer is rewarded. This can be implemented so students who are shy or find it difficult to speak in front of others have a chance to get bonus marks for other forms of participation.

One of the most common questions we hear is “Why don’t students (referring to multilingual learners) ask for help?” or “Why don’t they ask questions when they don’t understand?”

There are many possible reasons for this, and cultural differences play an important role.

Why don't they ask for help?

This video gives some general background information on cultural differences in instructor-student relationships and classroom expectations that may explain why multilingual learners don't ask questions in class. It also provides some suggestions from UFV instructors to encourage students to seek help when they need it.‌

Watch Why don't students ask for help?

Writing across borders

One of the strategies mentioned by UFV instructors in the first video is an informal meeting with students at the beginning of the term. In this short video clip from "Writing Across Borders" (Oregon State University), a writing instructor talks about the type of information she learns from students in these meetings and how she applies it. ‌

Watch Instructor perspective on student meetings.

Question for discussion or reflection after watching the video:

• What do you think are the advantages and disadvantages of making time for interviews like this at the beginning of the term?

Office hours video

This video from Thompson Rivers University shows a common "office hours" scenario.

The video is divided into three parts. The first part shows a student coming to office hours and leaving feeling unhappy. The second part presents theoretical background information about cultural differences that explain the student's expectations and dissatisfaction. The third part shows a different office hours scenario.

Watch Office hours.

After watching the first part of the video, discuss or reflect on these questions:

• Why did the student come to office hours? What was he hoping for?
• The instructor gives the student direct feedback ("I couldn't find the thesis statement.", "I don't see that as a thesis statement."). How does the student respond to this? How do you think the student perceived this feedback?
• How could the instructor guide the student to a better understanding of what she means by thesis statement and what she expects to see in the paper?

After watching the video until the end, use these questions for discussion or reflection:

• How did the instructor start the conversation this time? Why did she choose to start it this way?
• What was the focus of this conversation? How did she word her comments to the student?
• Is there anything else the instructor could do to help this student achieve a higher grade in the course?

Encouraging questions

Most instructors try to build in time to make sure that questions are answered; however, many of them comment that it is the students who most need to ask questions who either don’t recognize offers of help or don’t ask for the help they need.

This video from Thompson Rivers University demonstrates a classroom practice to help ensure that all learners have an opportunity to reflect on what they have learned and formulate questions. In the first part, the instructor uses questions throughout the lecture. The second part provides some background information on cultural differences that is useful to keep in mind. The third part shows three different strategies the instructor uses to encourage student questions.

Watch Dealing with questions in class.

After watching the first part of the video, reflect on or discuss these questions: 

• Who answered the questions?
• When the instructor asked an international student a direct question, was it a successful strategy?
• Have you experienced similar situations in your classroom? How do you deal with them?

After viewing the third part of the video, reflect on or discuss these questions:

• Which strategy do you think was most effective? Why?
• Which one would you like to try in your classroom?‌

Classroom assessment techniques (CATs)

Classroom assessment techniques are a set of specific activities that instructors can use to gauge students' comprehension of concepts and content. They can also help gauge what students already know about course content during the first few days of a course or at the beginning of a new unit.

These techniques are not meant to be used for assessment purposes, but rather to help instructors identify content that needs to be revisited and to adjust instructional approaches.

• One-minute paper
• Ask the students to spend one minute writing a response to the question: What was the most important information in today's class?

• Muddiest point
• Ask the students to spend one minute writing a response to the question: What was the muddiest point (unclear concept) in today's class?

Online tools can help make these techniques more interactive:

• Socrative is a free, easy-to-use resource for creating online quizzes and exit slips.
• Kahoot can be used to reformulate activities as team activities.

CATs additional resources

• Using classroom assessment techniques — Carnegie Mellon University
• Classroom assessment techniques: quick strategies — Iowa State University

What's working at UFV

This section includes suggestions and strategies contributed by UFV instructors.

Be approachable

Instructors in the Chemistry department show that they are approachable by adopting an informal, friendly manner, learning the students’ names and using them in class.

They also encourage students to introduce themselves either by email or through an informal office visit so that they can be acquainted with the concept of office hours.

Many instructors want to be able to draw on the knowledge and experience that international students bring with them.

References and resources

Book

Shapiro, S., Farrelly, R. & Tomas, Z. (2014 ). Fostering International Student Success in Higher Education. Alexandria, VA: TESOL International Association Press.
UFV Library Catalogue: ABBOTSFORD LB 2375 S43 2014 STACKS

Chapter 5 overview — Empowerment of international students

• This chapter looks at ways to support multilingual learners and help them "become more integrated into the academic community". (p. 73)
• Suggestions for support include getting to know students which rely on an activity called "Jigsaw Survey" that could be adapted for a Canadian context or specific course content. Activities that get students to interact with one another like icebreakers also build the social relationships which are crucial to integrating into the community and feeling welcome and at home in a new environment. (pp. 76-78)
• The section on "Encouraging Students to Ask for Help" (pp. 79-80) has some practical suggestions to help multilingual students get over their embarrassment or fear and understand that instructors are there to help them.
• The section "Drawing on International Students as a Resource" suggests classroom activities and assignments that give all students the opportunity to share cross-cultural perspectives, explore cultural differences, and learn from one another. (pp. 84-86)
• The section on "Linguistic Competence" is a reminder that the ability to use more than one language has many benefits, including cognitive ones. The topic of language can be used as a "lens through which to examine topics such as immigration policy, human brain development, international human rights, educational reform, and a number of other topics." It is a topic that can be used to generate discussion and position multilingual learners as knowledge experts.

Video

• Interview with Deborah Healy
• This short video clip from "Writing Across Borders" (Oregon State University) is an interview with Deborah Healey, who emphasizes the value of the knowledge and diverse perspectives that multilingual learners bring to the classroom.

What's working at UFV

This section includes suggestions and strategies contributed by UFV instructors.

Make time for students to get to know each other and their instructor

• Include icebreakers, class mixers, and time for students to get to know one another, especially in the first couple of weeks. This helps to establish good relationships and promote interaction, better discussion, and group work in later classes. This also helps to create a safe learning environment, which is crucial for new international students, who are apprehensive about the Canadian classroom and unsure as to what is expected of them.

• In larger classes in which students have very similar names, it is still important to interact with individual learners and to establish a relationship with them. This can be as simple as taking attendance every day and taking the time to make eye contact with each class member and ask "How are you?"

• Get students to interview each other in the first class to establish a collegial atmosphere and pave the way for pair work, group work, and collaborative learning. Suggest they exchange emails so they have a contact person in that class.

• Use a people bingo icebreaker during the first class.

The Arts department has found this activity to be a great icebreaker on the first day of class:

• Get students to sit across from someone from another country, pronounce each other’s name, do mini-interviews, and draw each other. Students can then present their drawing and introduce the interviewee to the class.

Other departments suggest:

• Pair international and domestic students to do an activity together. They share information about their educational backgrounds and the education system in their countries.

• Concentric circles (from instructors in the Faculty of Access and Continuing Education). Students sit in two circles facing each other. One student asks a question and the other answers it. A short discussion ensues. Then one circle rotates so students are talking with new partners and switching roles. This can be done as a helpful review activity.