Glossary of Common Terms in ENL
Affective filter is a "wall" a learner puts up if his/her anxiety level is high. The lower the anxiety level, the lower the filter. ELLs must have a low affective filter in order to learn English. The more comfortable students are in their school environment, the more ready they will be to learn.
BICS are Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills. These are the language skills needed for everyday personal and social communication. Second language learners must have BICS in order to interact on the playground and in the classroom. It usually takes students from 1-3 years to completely develop this social language. BICS are not necessarily related to academic success. CALP is Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency is the language associated with native language literacy and cognitive development. These are the language skills needed to undertake academic tasks in the mainstream classroom. It includes content-specific vocabulary. It may take students from 5 to 7 years to develop CALP skills. CALP developed in the first language contribute to the development of CALP in the second language. Comprehensible input means that the spoken or written message is delivered at the learner’s level of comprehension. The concepts being taught should not be simplified, but the language used to present the concepts must be made comprehensible. Basic concepts should be presented in a variety of ways. Culture Shock is a normal stage in the acculturation process that all newcomers go through. Being in a strange place and losing the power to communicate can disrupt a person’s worldview, self-identity, and systems of thinking, acting and feeling. Students feel frustrated, angry, hostile, sad, lonely and homesick. Students may develop physical ailments such as stomachaches and headaches. They are often devastated by the emotional upheaval caused by moving to a new culture. They may exhibit behavior such as depression or sleeplessness. They may become overly aggressive or withdrawn. ENL- English as a New Language This term refers to teaching English to students whose first language is not English. ENL usually occurs outside of the student's own country, either within the state school system, or privately, e.g., in an after-hours language school or with a tutor. ENL teachers may be native or non-native speakers of English. |
EFL English as a Foreign Language This terms refers to students learning English in another country. For example, Chinese students who are studying English in China are EFL students.
ESOL means English to Speakers of Other Languages. This term is used to describe programs in different parts of the U.S. - primarily in the South. ELL(s) English language learner(s) refers to people who are learning English but are not yet considered proficient. ELP standards- English Language Proficiency Standards; State’s way of working ELLs up to standards Inclusion- including ELL students in the classroom (ex: push in not pull out, co-teaching/ team teaching) Immersion- only English (language being taught) is used L1- The student’s native language Language acquisition- learning or acquiring a new language LEP refers to the current description of students’ abilities--that they currently have limited English proficiency. This is the term used to describe ELLs by laws and government documents. Many consider it a pejorative term. The Silent Period is a varying period of time during which a newcomer is unwilling to speak in the second language. Nearly all students go through a silent period. This stage could last for as long as one year. English language learners should not be forced to speak until they are ready to do so. Target Language- Language student is currently learning, usually English Pull-out- Students leave the classroom to get instruction/aid in English Push-in- Students are in the classroom and an aid comes into the classroom to work more specifically with the student one-on-one |