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- QUESTION
***Read the scenario and respond to the questions.
Juan, a preproduction student in first grade, needs instruction in basic, English vocabulary.1.What materials could be used to increase his English vocabulary?
2. How would you engage him in ways that will not require your undivided attention but will support his progress in vocabulary acquisition?
***Read the scenario and respond to the question.
Marc, an intermediate fluency level student in third grade, is reading at second grade level but
doesn’t always have the background knowledge to understand the stories he’s reading.
1.Where would you look for reading materials and other support materials to help him build
background knowledge?
| Subject | English | Pages | 3 | Style | APA |
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Answer
ESOL Resources
All students pass through various stages while learning. It is therefore the responsibility of the instructor to design learning approaches that can help such learners to acquire knowledge and skills on their respective fields or topics. Millions of learning materials and strategies are available to teachers therefore every instructor must select materials and approaches that they deem fit for their learners. The goal of this paper is to recommends the appropriate learning resources and approaches for Juan and Marc based on the case scenarios provided.
Case Scenario 1
Preproduction is the initial phase of language acquisition in which learners are unable to speak with much understanding. Many learners in this phase often learn vocabulary by repeating words back to the instructor and practicing pronunciation (Haynes, 1998). Ideally, to help Juan increase his English vocabulary, I would integrate many visuals such as pictures and gestures into the lessons. Moreover, I would provide him with visual activities such as matching games and drawing. Given that the goal of these activities is to create platform recognition, there is little comprehension in preproduction phase and therefore providing Juan with visual resources would make him more attentive and boost his understanding of English vocabularies. Besides visuals, I would also provide Juan with audio books to enable him hear and see words in their appropriate contexts and similarly get their meaning and acquire oral fluency. To help him further improve his English vocabulary, I would provide Juan with television and computers and guide him on how to use them. Hohmann, Weikart and Epstein (1995) argued that television and computer programs are verified supplements that help learners to build and polish their reading and language skills.
To engage Juan, I will use instructional scaffolding, a learning process that supports learners as they develop new skills and concepts (Haynes, 1998). Using instructional scaffolding, I will provide Juan with guides, storyboards, and outlines that can improve his English vocabulary. However, as he continues to develop his English vocabulary, I will gradually take these supports away to propel him forward and attain higher levels of competency. To keep him engaged, I will use visuals by instructing him to point pictures. Moreover, I will speak slowly but accurately use shorter words. I will avoid excessive error correction and instead reinforce learning by fostering correct language usage when he makes any mistake.
Case Scenario 2
To understand a text or story, every learner must have background knowledge of the material being read. In the case of Marc, he lacks background knowledge of the stories he reads. As such, to build his background knowledge, I would tell him to consult picture books. () argued that picture books contain few words as compared to contents aired on television or discussions conducted by college graduates. From the academic perspective, picture books provide essential extensions to subject area content. As such, they would help Marc gain background knowledge about the stories. Besides, picture books, I would inform him to consult direct experiences to enable him build his background knowledge. Shawna (2014) argued that the most direct means of improving background knowledge of students is to give them academically enriching experiences. In light of this, I would consult community, parents, and other instructors because these persons have vast resources in terms of artifacts and experiences that consequently can boost his background knowledge about the stories he is reading. Marc should consult online sites and take virtual trips regarding the stories he is reading. Essentially, millions of online sites collaborate with educators and these enable learners to appear in real time on computer screen when they are at certain location.
In conclusion, many strategies can be adopted to help learners improve their English vocabularies. However, every instructor should ensure that the strategy they have selected is effective and resonates with the cognitive ability of their learners. Combining both visual and audio materials would be the most effective way to help Juan improve his English vocabulary. Similarly, ensuring that Marc acquires background information is the surest way to ensure that achieve effective learning.
References
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Haynes, J. (1998). Pre-production and the silent period. Retrieved August, 8(2007), 1998-2007. Hohmann, M., Weikart, D. P., & Epstein, A. S. (1995). Educating young children: Active learning practices for preschool and child care programs. Ypsilanti, MI: High/Scope Press. Shawna, C. (2014). Building background knowledge. The Reading Teacher, 68(2), 145–148.
Appendix
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