Operational Terms

1. Operational Terms Prepared by Dr. Elva Cerda Pérez University of Texas/TSC Brownsville

2. BilingualOperationalTerms

3. Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP) • The term Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency or CALP describes the kind of language needed to learn new information, think in more abstract ways, and carry out more "cognitively" demanding communicative tasks required by the core curriculum. • Example:Referred to as school language, academic language, or the language of academic decontextualized situations. This dimension of language is transferable across languages.

4. Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) • Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills is the kind of language used in face-to-face communication. It is language needed for social interaction. This is sometimes called playground language, everyday language, social language, or surface fluency. It is the language of everyday communicative contexts. • Example: • Social greetings such as “hello”, “goodbye” and “thank you.” Source: Baker, C., (1995). A parent’s and teacher’s guide to bilingualism Clevedon: Multilingual Matters LTD.

5. Bilingual Programs • An educational program that offers language development and instruction in first and second language. • Example: • Transitional Maintenance Program. Source: Lessow-Hurley, J., (1990). The foundation of dual language instruction. New York: Langham.

6. Partial Bilingualism • This is a level of bilingualism in which the student attains social and academic skills in one language, but achieves only fluency or conversational language skills in the other. • Example: • Student in a Bilingual Program is able to speak, read, listen, and write in English but not in Spanish. Source: Paulston, C.B. (1998). International Handbook of Bilingualism and Bilingual Education. New York: Greenwood Press.

7. Maintenance Bilingualism • Aim is to preserve and build on the students native language skills as they continue to acquire English as a second language. • Example: • A student is educated where the student is given instruction in both languages, K-12 simultaneously. Source: http://www.edweek.org/contact/topics/biling.htm.

8. Immersion Program • Education program in which the usual curriculum areas are taught in the second language with support of the child’s native language. • Examples: • Immersion Enrichment Program Source: Lessow-Hurley, J., (1990). The foundation of dual language instruction. New York: Langham.

9. Submersion Program • Programs where the second language learners are mixed with native speakers of the second language. • Example: No special instructional support is given to the second language learner. Source: Perez, Elva Dr. “Operational Definitions”. University of Texas at Brownsville

10. Program Design • The bilingual education program will be a full-time program of instruction in which both the student’s home language and English shall be used for instruction. • Example: • This program will address the affective linguistic and cognitive needs of limited English proficient students. Source: Leyba, Charles, Schooling and Language Minority Students: A Theoretical Framework (1994).

11. Emergent Literacy • Is the early writing and reading behaviors that signal the beginning of their development of literacy process in children. • Example: • Includes menus, programs, schedules, maps, flyers, invitations, charts, etc. Source: San Benito CISD. “Literacy Framework PK-5”.

12. Semantics • The study of linguistic meaning of morphemes, words, phrases, and sentences. • Example: • I’ll meet you by the bank. It can mean a place where you can get money or the edge of a river. Source: Fronmkin, V. and Rodman, R., (1993). Introduction to linguistics. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, Inc.

13. Morphemes • Smallest unit of meaning. • Example: • Words such as talks, talker, talked, and talking must consist of one element talk, and other elements such as –s, -er, -ed, -ing. Source: Yule, George, The study of Language (2nd ed.).

14. Subtractive Bilingualism • Occurs when the acquisition of one language threatens to replace or dominate the native language. • Example: • Transitional program. Source: Hornby, P.A., (1977). Bilingualism: Psychological, social, and Educational Implications. New York: Academic Press, Inc.

15. Additive Bilingualism • This is a process by which students develop both fluency and proficiency in a second language while continuing to develop proficiency in their first. • Example: Adding a second language, not replacing the first language with the second language (which is known as subtractive bilingualism). Source: Perez, Elva Dr. “Operational Definitions”. University of Texas at Brownsville

16. Sentence Analysis • A part of Language Arts that pertains to the study of conventional rules and forms of Grammar, Syntax, Phonics and Graphic Symbols established in a written language. • Example: • English syntactic order : • Noun Marker + Adjective + Noun • The + pretty + house. Source: Perez, Elva Dr. “Operational Definitions”. University of Texas at Brownsville

17. Decoding • The translation of written words into verbal speech for oral reading or mental speech for silent reading. • Example: • To be able to pronounce a given word by means of recognizing familiar base words or sight words. Source: Teacher created materials, Inc. (1991).

18. Phonemic Awareness • The ability to attend to the sounds in the context of a word independent of the meaning of the word. The conscious knowledge that spoken language is made up of sentences, words, and sounds (phonemes). • Example: • The word “story” sto/ry; fun/ny Source: Teacher Creaded Materials, Inc. (1991)

19. Word Analysis • The study of the origin of words. The ability to identify all components of a word such as: its base word, part of speech, multiple meanings, syntax order, phonemic articulation and use in context. • Example: • Ordinance: Noun, Base word order, it has 3 phonemes or-di-nanz Source: Teacher Created Materials, Inc. (1991)

20. Short Vowels • Vowels that do not say their names. • Example: • hot, bat, hit Source: Teacher Created Materials, Inc. (1991)

21. Informal Literacy Assessment • Observations or any other assessments done within the classroom for the purpose of identifying student needs and guiding future instruction. • Example: • The teacher might have a check list at hand while the student reads, the teacher is monitoring and or completing the checklist. Source: Teacher Created Materials, Inc. (1991)

22. Formal Literacy Assessment • Standardized testing whose purpose is to obtain an indication of how much the students have learned. • Example: • TPRI Source: Teacher Created Materials, Inc. (1991)

23. Communicative Based ESL • A second language instructional approach in which the goals, teaching methods, techniques, and assessments of student progress are all based on behavioral objectives defined on terms of abilities to communicate messages in the target language. • Example: • English teachers generally focus their instruction on the development of listening, reading and writing skills in English by creating low stress environments. Source: Perez, Elva Dr. “Operational Definitions”. University of Texas at Brownsville

24. Integrated Curriculum • Education that is organized in such a way that it cuts across subject-matter lines, bringing together various aspects of the curriculum into meaningful association to focus upon broad areas of study. • Example: • Developing model lessons that include cross-curricular activities and assessments. Source: Shoemaker, B. (1989), :Ubtergratuve Education: A Curriculum for the Twenty-First Century.”

25. Comprehensible Input • This notion refers to input that is just a level above what the learner knows. The formula of i + 1 represents comprehensible input where the i stands for what the learners know and 1 represents just a little bit above that. Input is made comprehensible by context, paralinguistic clues, speech modification, and building on prior knowledge. Source: www.sil.org/lingualinks/languagelearning

26. Authentic Children’s Literature • A student’s reading ability is an important factor in selecting children’s literature appropriate for the student. Selecting children’s literature to match a student’s reading ability thus involves knowing both the level of difficulty of the children’s literature and the reading ability of the student. Using a leveling system and analyzing supportive features of text are complementary approaches to making “just right” matches. • Example: • For a student to experience success as a reader and develop as a reader, the level of difficulty of the children’s literature should be “just right” for the student’s reading ability. www.ala.org/alsc.awards.html

27. Syntax • The rules of sentence formation, composition of mental grammar. • Example: • In English, “i before e except after c”. Source: Fronmkin, V. and Rodman, R., (1993). Introduction to Linguistics. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, Inc.

28. Limited Bilingualism • When a learner acquires conversational proficiency in both languages but does not attain native-like proficiency in either language. • Example: • A student who is not fully proficient in neither English or Spanish. Source: Jimenez, J., (1993). Second language acquisition: An overview. Chicago: Pullman Publishing.

29. Code Switching • Code switching is an active and creative process of incorporating elements from two languages in the communication process. It involves a shifting from one language to another. • Example: • My aunt has a lot of perros at her house. Source: Acquisition of English as a Second Language

30. Phonemes • The sound segments that contrast. The Smallest unit of sound heard in a word. • Example: • The word “u – n – i – t” has four phonemes (sounds) when uttered. Source: Fronmkin, V. and Rodman, R., (1993). Introduction to linguistics. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, Inc.

31. Cluttering • Rapid, garble speech with extra or mispronounced sounds and sometimes mixed-up sentence structure. • Example: • A child whose speech is practically unrecognizable. In some cases, what they say may be understood if they are recorded and then played back in a slower mode. Source: Harris, N.G. and McCormick, L., (1994). Exceptional children & youth. New York: McMillan College Publishing Company.

32. Program Model • Programs design for LEP students required by the state. • Example: • Transitional (Early Exit) • Maintenance (Biliteracy) • Two Way Bilingual (Dual Language) Source: Teacher Created Materials, Inc. (1991)

33. Rhyming Words • Different words that have one or more identical or similar components and sound similar. The most common pattern is when the vowel in a syllable and all the sounds that follow, are similar or identical in another word. A rhyme may not have a consonant letter following the vowel phoneme. • Example: • meat = Pete • cook = book Source: Teacher Created Materials, Inc. (1991)

34. Affective Filter • This is an imaginary screen (filter) that blocks the input if it is "up" and allows the input to get in if it is "down." The lower the anxiety level, the lower the filter. Keep the anxiety level low--remember, comfort is key in second language learning! • Example: Lower the filter by lowering the anxiety, raising the self-esteem, and motivating the student to learn. Too much anxiety can impede language acquisition. Stephen Krashen says keep it low by focusing on communication (meaning and content) rather than language form and grammatical accuracy. • http://www.geocities.com/klpjones2002/ESOLterms.html

35. Inference • An inference is a logical connection between what you read or observe and what you don’t know. It is your best guess based on the information available and the circumstances involved. • Example: • We just saw David carrying a towel, sunscreen lotion, an umbrella and some sand toys. We infer that he is going to the beach. Source: www.ask.com

36. Semi-Bilingualism • A language level at which an individual only attains minimal skills in either of the two languages. • Example: • A student lacks adequate proficiency in either Spanish or English. Source: Jimenez, J., (1993). Second language acquisition: An overview. Chicago: Pullman Publishing.

37. Pragmatics • The study of how context influences the interpretation of meaning, part of linguistic performance and component of grammar. • Example: • “I am sitting on the table” has a different context than “The table is sitting on me.” Source: Fronmkin, V. and Rodman, R., (1993). Introduction to linguistics. New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston, Inc.

38. Proficient Bilingualism • A level of bilingualism at which individuals are proficient in all language skills in both languages. • Example: • A student is able to read, write, speak, and listen in both English and Spanish. Source: Jimenez, J., (1993). Second language acquisition: An overview. Chicago: Pullman Publishing.

39. Borrowing • Words incorporated from language into another. Usually this occurs in closely related languages where a word is borrowed that resembles the native word but has a different meaning. The borrowed word may then take on the meaning of the native word as well as retain its own. • Example: • “parquear” was borrowed from the word “ to park”. Source: Anderson, J.M. (1973). Structural aspects of language change. London: Langman.

40. Transitional Bilingual Education • In 1973, legislation was passed requiring school districts to offer a Transitional Bilingual Education program whenever there are 20 or more LEP students with a common native language enrolled in one school. TBE programs must be taught by a certificated teacher who is fluent in one of the native languages spoken by the students. • Example: • This program helps limited-English-proficient (LEP) students whose native language is other than English become proficient in English so they can transition into the mainstream education curriculum. Source: Jimenez, J., (1993). Second language acquisition: An overview. Chicago: Pullman Publishing.

41. Apraxia • Impaired ability to organize motor commands to speech musculature which results in improper sequencing of sounds in word production. • Example: • When a child mispronounces a word or words. Source: Harris, N.G. and McCormick, L., (1994). Exceptional children & youth. New York: McMillian College Publishing Company.

42. Language • A body of words and the systems for their use common to people who are of the same community or nation, the same geographical area or the same cultural tradition. • Example: • The two languages of Belgium; a Bantu language; the French language; the Yiddish language. Source: Excite Reference: infoplease: Atlas at Amazon.com

43. Aphasia • The loss of all part of the ability to communicate. It results from injury or disease of the brain centers responsible for communication. Sometimes the person’s ability to understand is also disturbed. Often partial or complete paralysis accompanies aphasia. Persons with this condition may have difficulty forming words, or their speech may be grabbed. • Example: • A child can not understand or comprehend the information given to them due to the injury in result to this disorder. Source: Field Enterprises Educational, Corp., (1970). The World Book Encyclopedia. Chicago: World Book Encyclopedia.

44. Consonant Blends • Consonant blends are consonants that are grouped together and then added to vowels and other consonants to make a word. Two letters that create two sounds. It is also anew word-building program that helps students become more consistent in their ability to read, write, and spell words. Source: www.gzkidzone.com/gamesell/p14892.asp

45. Audio-Lingual Method • This is a second language teaching methodology that focuses on practicing drills and memorizing dialogues. It is based on B.F. Skinner's behavioral psychology of conditioned response and structural linguistics. This is a discredited approach and highly inconsistent with the current constructivist paradigm. • Example: This "drill and kill" method consists of lots of error correction and emphasizes practicing language patterns and perfect pronunciation. • http://www.geocities.com/klpjones2002/ESOLterms.html

46. Bilingual Education • This programmatic requirement for all identified LEP students is also an instructional approach in which LEP students are able to learn through their first language in order to keep up with grade level subject matter while simultaneously developing English language skills. • There are transitional bilingual programs such as quick-exit and late-exit and maintenance bilingual programs such as dual or two-way immersion. According to current theory and research, only late-exit and immersion result in the development of high academic achievement for language minority students. • http://www.geocities.com/klpjones2002/ESOLterms.html

47. First/Second Language (L1-L2) • The first language (L1) of a child is the mother tongue or the native language. It is the language learned first and usually the home language. • The second language, the L2, is the target language or the language learned after the first language is acquired. It may eventually become the student's dominant language, especially if it is the only language he/she is schooled in. • http://www.geocities.com/klpjones2002/ESOLterms.html

48. Limited English Proficient (LEP) • This is the label commonly used to describe students who have a native language other than English and who are in the process of acquiring English as a second language. • More recently the term "English Learners" has been promoted in California by the State Department's Office of Bilingual Education. • http://www.geocities.com/klpjones2002/ESOLterms.html

49. Natural Approach • This second language "acquisition-based" method focuses on authentic communication as its primary goal. It is characterized as a low-anxiety approach because the focus is on meaning rather than form. Speech is not forced with this method, but is allowed to emerge naturally. • The natural approach is the application of "Mama's" method to second language teaching. It is guided by the following principles: • comprehension precedes production • production emerges in stages • curriculum consists of communicative goals • activities that are task-based strive to lower student anxiety. • http://www.geocities.com/klpjones2002/ESOLterms.html

50. PREVIEW/REVIEW:This technique used in mainstream and bilingual classrooms previews the lesson for the LEP students to give them advanced prior knowledge about the forthcoming lesson to be presented to the whole class. This "preview" will lower the anxiety and give the second language learner a context for the future lesson.