What is used to assess English Language Learners?
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There are two different organizations that work with English Language Learners and create the standards used to assess English Language Learners.
WIDA is the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment. The standards set by WIDA were created with the goal to bridge the gap between English language acquisition and academic language acquired through content instruction. These standards are divided up by grade level and language proficiency level. The grade level breakdown is as follows: PreK-K, 1-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12. WiDA believes that language acquisition is a continuum showing progress from start to finish. Therefore the six levels of proficiency: Entering, Beginning, Developing, Expanding, Bridging and Reaching, monitor the progression of language developing from entering the process to reaching the end of the continuum.
There are five standards within WIDA: 1) Social and Instructional Language 2)The language of Language Arts 3)The language of Mathematics 4)The language of Science 5) The language of Social Studies. These standards lend themselves to helping core content teachers assist and assess both the language learning and content learning of English Language Learners.
The second organization is TESOL which is Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. TESOL works in collaboration with WIDA to create a different variation of standards. The focus of TESOL is on the verbal language and literacy development of English Language Learners in core content classes. The breakdown is very similar by grade and English Proficiency level. Under the TESOL standards the grade breakdown is as follows: PreK-K, 1-3, 4-5, 6-8, and 9-12. The levels are also similarly broken down and identified as: starting, emerging, developing, expanding and bridging.
The five standards within TESOL are very similar to WIDA. They all begin by stating "English language learners communicate..." 1) Using social, intercultural and instructional purposes 2) Language Arts 3) Mathematics 4) Science 5) Social Studies
Both WIDA and TESOL focus on assessing Language through Content using the 4 modes of communication
Reading: Process, understand, interpret and evaluate written language, symbols and text with understanding and fluency.
Writing: Engage in written communication in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes and audiences
Speaking: Engage in verbal communication in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes and audiences
Listening: Process, understand, interpret and evaluate spoken language in a variety of situations
As mainstream teachers who encounter ELL students on a daily basis, it is important to have a general understanding of the standards of assessment and the language proficiency. Once we understand how students are assessed we can assess
ALL MATERIALS ON THESES WEBPAGES WERE ACQUIRED FROM THE FOLLOWING: WIDA CONSORTIUM 2007 Edition and PreL-12 English Language Proficiency Standards by TESOL 2006
WIDA is the World-Class Instructional Design and Assessment. The standards set by WIDA were created with the goal to bridge the gap between English language acquisition and academic language acquired through content instruction. These standards are divided up by grade level and language proficiency level. The grade level breakdown is as follows: PreK-K, 1-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-12. WiDA believes that language acquisition is a continuum showing progress from start to finish. Therefore the six levels of proficiency: Entering, Beginning, Developing, Expanding, Bridging and Reaching, monitor the progression of language developing from entering the process to reaching the end of the continuum.
There are five standards within WIDA: 1) Social and Instructional Language 2)The language of Language Arts 3)The language of Mathematics 4)The language of Science 5) The language of Social Studies. These standards lend themselves to helping core content teachers assist and assess both the language learning and content learning of English Language Learners.
The second organization is TESOL which is Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages. TESOL works in collaboration with WIDA to create a different variation of standards. The focus of TESOL is on the verbal language and literacy development of English Language Learners in core content classes. The breakdown is very similar by grade and English Proficiency level. Under the TESOL standards the grade breakdown is as follows: PreK-K, 1-3, 4-5, 6-8, and 9-12. The levels are also similarly broken down and identified as: starting, emerging, developing, expanding and bridging.
The five standards within TESOL are very similar to WIDA. They all begin by stating "English language learners communicate..." 1) Using social, intercultural and instructional purposes 2) Language Arts 3) Mathematics 4) Science 5) Social Studies
Both WIDA and TESOL focus on assessing Language through Content using the 4 modes of communication
Reading: Process, understand, interpret and evaluate written language, symbols and text with understanding and fluency.
Writing: Engage in written communication in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes and audiences
Speaking: Engage in verbal communication in a variety of situations for a variety of purposes and audiences
Listening: Process, understand, interpret and evaluate spoken language in a variety of situations
As mainstream teachers who encounter ELL students on a daily basis, it is important to have a general understanding of the standards of assessment and the language proficiency. Once we understand how students are assessed we can assess
ALL MATERIALS ON THESES WEBPAGES WERE ACQUIRED FROM THE FOLLOWING: WIDA CONSORTIUM 2007 Edition and PreL-12 English Language Proficiency Standards by TESOL 2006