Receptive and Expressive Language

Receptive language is the ability to understand language and spoken words

• Indicators that a child struggles with receptive language may be difficulty following instructions or not being able to respond appropriately to questions

Expression language refers to spoken and signed language

• Involves forming sentences, using grammar correctly, and building vocabulary to communicate

• Words or gestures

Receptive and Expressive Language Activities

• Make eye contact with children

• Break instructions into chunks

• Read as much as possible so children can learn the time sequences in stories

• Allow children to play

• Expand children’s vocab with simple phrases

• Model correct grammar

• Have children verbalize their needs

• Talk about day-to-day activities

• Use music to help learn words and phrases

Second Language (L2) Development

• First-language acquisition is unconscious, whereas second-language acquisition requires more intentionality

• Learners rely on the patterns, structures, and vocabulary of their previously learned language to make connections to their new language

  

• Language Stage Strategies

  • Pre-production

    • Emphasize listening comprehension

      • Read-alouds and music

    • Use visuals

      • Have students point to pictures or act out vocabulary

    • Speak slowly and use shorter words

      • Use correct English phrasing

    • Model “survival” language by saying and showing the meaning

  • Early Production

    • Continue strategies from pre-production

    • Ask yes/no and either/or questions

    • Ask students to point to pictures and say the words

    • Pair students up with students who are stronger in English or work in small groups to complete a task

    • Avoid over-correcting

    • Use academic language more frequently

    • Ask concrete questions that require a short answer

  • Speech Emergent

    • Use class surveys to introduce charts and graphs that are easily understood

    • Invite students to retell stories or experiences

    • In writing, use a fill-in-the-blank version of the assignment with the necessary vocabulary word bank

    • Focus on supporting students with corrections that directly interfere with meaning

    • Provide opportunities to use oral language skills through small discussion groups

    • Incorporate “think, pair, share” to allow the student to process the new language and concept

    • Use paraphrasing and ask the student if you heard them correctly

    • Ask questions that require inference and justification of the answer

    • Model more advanced academic language structures

  • Beginning Fluency

    • Infuse opportunities to use oral language

      • Short presentation with peers

    • Provide visual support and vocabulary development

    • Preview lessons and plan for potential confusion

    • Use choral reading of vocabulary

    • Discuss how different languages have different sounds

    • Identify key academic vocabulary and phrases and model them

      • Ask students to produce the language in class activities

    • Use word families