Victoria Bielomaz

7-7-15
Generic Lesson Plans Vs. Plans with ESL Integration
Clark County School District (CCSD) is ranked 47th in high school graduation rates and
last in test scores (Byrne, MacQuarrie, Jameson, & Knudsen, 2013). Quite frankly, this is due to
CCSD not meeting the individualized needs of their students. Gardner and Talbert-Johnson
explain the concerns that school districts continue to have the inability to meet the
individualized needs of all students, (2000, p. 74). These students include: minority students,
students with special needs, and students who are considered to have a low socioeconomic status
(Gardner & Talbert-Johnson, 2000). In fact, in CCSD, 44 percent of students are Hispanic and
Hispanic students outnumbered any two other ethnicities combined, (Milliard, 2013, p. 1).
These minority students are not having their individual needs met, specifically, their linguistic
needs. This, in turn, contributes to the dismal academic achievement rates in CCSD.
Focusing on academic achievement in urban schools, there are many factors that
influence achievement rates. Factors both in school, and out of school, affect the students
academic success and these factors are also evident in CCSD. Beginning with what is occurring
in school, classroom teachers can start with the basics: evaluating lesson plans and deciding what
can be done to meet the needs of their English Language Learning students (ELLs). One teaching
practice that would lessen the achievement gap is to use English as a Second Language (ESL)
learning methods in the daily Generic lesson plans. These ESL methods meet the linguistic needs
of the ELL student. This can make a difference for the better for the many students whom CCSD
continues to fail.
Lesson Plan Makeover

The following is an explanation of how one Generic lesson plan was enhanced with ELL
methods, approaches, and techniques so as to meet the linguistic needs of ELL students.
Grade Level
This part of the lesson plan will stay the same in both the Generic and the ESL lesson
plans. It is important to mention here that all grade levels and all subjects can use the methods
that will be examined. The Generic plan is written for a 4th grade math lesson. The lesson is
about classifying and identifying lines, shapes, and other two-dimensional figures. Math, like
writing and reading, also has academic and social language that needs to be addressed for ELLs.
Objectives
When writing an objective for Generic and the ESL lesson plans, both plans will focus on
the content objectives. There is no need to change the objective in the ESL plan or add a
language objective.
Explanation
This is the point in lesson planning where a teacher might consider beginning to
incorporate ESL strategies. In the Generic and the ESL lesson plans the explanation of the skill is
the same. It should be noted that teachers could use the different ESL methods in varying parts of
the lesson. If this part of the lesson lends well to Total Physical Response, by all means, use it
here.
Check for Understanding
At this point of the Generic lesson plan the teacher asks questions in order to determine if
the students understood the explanation of the new concept. This part of the lesson plan lends
well to the Natural Approach.
The Natural Approach

This instructional technique is effective because it models situational language and

communicative language. The important idea or theory the Natural Approach bases itself off of is
that communication [is] the primary function of language. With the Natural Approach,
language is viewed as a means to communicate meaning and messages. Additionally, the Natural
Approach is effective because it allows a student to speak when he or she is ready. The questions
for this approach match and mirror the students linguistic ability. Answers to the questions can
vary from simple words (i.e. Yes/No), short phrases, and sentences. In this way, students can
participate in ways they feel comfortable.
The Natural Approach instructional technique helps ELLs in that it allows the teacher
adjust to students linguistic level. The questioning technique does this by creating language
scaffolds in the classroom. The student starts with one-word answers. For example: The teacher
might ask, Are these parallel lines? Then the teacher would show the students a picture. The
student can answer, Yes, or No. Another example of this is simple phrases: Does this shape
have parallel lines or perpendicular lines? The student can answer, Parallel lines, or
Perpendicular lines. Finally, the teacher may ask, How do you know this is a set of parallel
lines? and the student may answer, They are lines that never cross. This type of approach
lowers anxiety as it allows the students to work at individual pace and answer questions at novice
levels of English proficiency. With this approach every student is learning, participating, and
actively engaged.
On the Generic lesson plan there are five questions in the Check for Understanding
portion. The first question is, What are parallel lines? According to the Natural Approach, this
question would fit into the speech emergence category because the answer requires a full
sentence: Parallel lines are lines that never cross. Another question from the Generic plan is,

What are perpendicular lines? This question would fit into the speech emergence category
because the answer requires a full sentence: Perpendicular lines are lines that cross at a 90
degree angle. The third question from the Generic plan is, What types of shapes are these on
the board? If the teacher pointed to the set of nine shapes and asks, What types of shapes are
these on the board? it would require an early speech production response: 2 Dimensional
Shapes. Short phrases are considered early speech production. This question could also fit into
the preproduction stage. This because if a teacher points to a square and asks, What shape is
this? The answer requires only one word: Square. Finally, What characteristics does this
shape have? What characteristics do these shapes have in common? This question would fit into
the speech emergence category. The word characteristics implies that the student have to say
more than one quality that identifies that particular shape, which would require full sentences.
Most all of the questions on the Generic lesson plan are in the speech emergence stage.
Almost all of them seem to require full sentences. This is startling, as it implies that the questions
in a General lesson plan are above the ELLs ability. With CCSDs large ELL population, it is
horrific to think that most plans (i.e. general plans) are seemingly setting the ELLs up for failure
due to the inability to answer the questions.
The questions on the General lesson plan are appropriate for Intermediate learners but not
the Novice learners. In order to make them appropriate, the language would need to be
scaffolded. This would only happen if there are multiple questions formed in such as way that
the answers could range from single words, short phrases, or full sentences. Only then would the
lesson meet the needs of students who are in preproduction, early speech production, or speech
emergence stage. Only then, would the lesson include all of the students in the room.
Instead, to make sure that all students needs are met, a teacher can scaffold the

questions. They do this by using the Natural Approach and incorporating all three types of
questions in the lesson plan. This way, students at every level can be included in the lesson. With
this being so, in the ESL Integrated lesson plan, all three types of questions are included. For
Preproduction: Where is the square? Point to the square. In the square, where are the parallel
lines? Point to the parallel lines. For Early Speech Production: How many shapes have parallel
lines? (answer: 5 or 5 shapes), and, How many shapes have perpendicular lines? (answer: 4 or
4 shapes). For Speech Emergence: What are parallel lines? How do you know? and What
are perpendicular lines? How do you know?
Guided Practice
At this point in the lesson, the teacher guides the students in practicing the new skill.
There may still be misconceptions about the concepts, but the teacher can redirect if necessary.
Also, the children can work together to help one another out.
In the Generic plan, students are to write shape characteristics underneath sketches of 2D
shapes. They orally discuss shape characteristics and similarities. Finally, they classify shapes
based upon parallel and perpendicular lines. These types of tasks are context-embedded and
cognitively undemanding as they are face-to-face and only require the application of knowledge.
Yet, this does not mean that ELL students will be successful in doing the guided practice. For
example, how are the students instructed to sketch the shapes, what type of oral discussion of
shape characteristics are they expected to have, and by what means are they to classify the
shapes? ELL students, again, may be set up for failure in this part of the lesson. So, this part of
the lesson lends itself well to the Total Physical Response technique.
Total Physical Response

This instructional technique is effective because it contextualizes the instruction. This

means that it is face-to-face and interactive. This is important for ELLs because it scaffolds the
Novice speakers and allows them to be successful in the classroom.
The Total Physical Response (TPR) instructional technique helps ELLs due to its nature.
For example, TPR is a physical technique, which is useful when learning because according to
Trace Theory, verbal rehearsal and motor activity increases the probability of successful recall.
With TPR, students are listening to commands and taking action. They also get a chance, during
the reversal, to give commands and take action. TPR also helps ELLs by creating a strong
synaptic connection. According to the text, the brain has hemispheric specializations; motor
skills are in the right and language skills are in the left. By doing TPR they are utilizing both
hemispheres and thus creating strong synaptic connection. Finally, both Trace Theory and the
hemispheric specializations aspect aid in the cognitive mapping needed to learn a second
language. This is teaching the language inductively.
One great aspect of TPR is that it can be used to teach classroom social language through
social interactions. Social interactions are anything related to classroom routine, rules, and
etiquette. For example, teacher will give a command with a demonstration of the action.
Examples include: raise your hand, take the pass, put your pencil up, push your chair in, put your
homework in the basket, turn your voices off.
Also, TPR can be used to teach academic language though the guided practice section of
the lesson. The teacher is giving commands and demonstrating actions, yet it is for an academic
purpose. Some examples include: draw a line, draw a second line, draw a third line, draw a fourth
line, write the number two, draw an addition sign, label it quadrant A, point to the variable, move
the shape into the left category.

In the ESL Integrated plan, TPR is used as a way to aid the students with the Guided
Practice. The General plan included the students drawing sketches of shapes. Yet, it did not
specify how they are going to make the sketches. TPR Skits is one way to allow the success of
the activity. For example, a skit would include the following commands in order to draw a
square: Draw a straight line, draw a second straight line, connect the top line to the bottom line,
connect the other top line to the bottom line. As the teacher is giving the commands, she is
modeling the actions. The students are also doing the actions. By doing this, instead of merely
telling the children to draw a square, it allows all students to fully engage, both ELL and
general students. As teachers continue to use these ELL approaches, they will see that it is
beneficial not only to ELL students, but all students in the general education classroom.
In the ESL plan, after the children have finished drawing the square, the TPR skit would
continue. For example, the next set of directions would be, Highlight the top line, highlight the
bottom line, then, Point to the parallel lines, write parallel lines under the set of parallel
lines. Finally, this could be repeated with perpendicular lines: Point to the perpendicular lines,
write perpendicular lines under set of perpendicular lines.
With these skits, conceptual misconceptions would definitely be cleared and every child
would be given the opportunity to be successful. The ELLs would have learned new commands,
and they would have a context in which the commands are used.
Independent Practice Worksheet
In both the Generic and ESL Integrated lesson plans, the independent practice worksheets
are the same. Although there are no changes in the ESL plan, the difference is substantial. In the
Generic plan, all children, especially ELLs, would not have been able to complete the
independent practice sheet with a clear understanding. Yet, with the new ESL techniques

implemented previously in the ESL plan, they would now be able to do the independent practice
sheet successfully. One cannot claim that all of the students will be able to move into
independent work, yet, more of them would now be successful due to the ESL integration. Of
course, corrective sheets are still necessary.
Corrective Worksheet
For the students who need more guidance, the corrective sheets are important. In both
plans, the corrective worksheet is the same. It is meant to reteach the new concept and reinforce
the main idea of the lesson. The corrective worksheet on the Generic plan does just that. On the
other hand, while the teacher is pulling the small group to reinforce and reteach, it is the perfect
opportunity to use more of the ELL approaches, such as the Audiolingual Method.
The Audiolingual Method
This instructional technique of drills is effective because students are able to develop
second language (L2) habits and automaticity. According to the text, Language is a set of
habits; student can develop these habits can by memorizing dialogue and performing pattern
drills. The drills provide recurring L2 language patterns. For example, if the teacher provides the
base sentence: The student has a _______, and then introduces the new vocabulary, (i.e.
headache, stomachache, and cold), the students are then inductively learning grammar and
its corresponding patterns. Not only are they learning grammar by using the drills, the students
are also making meaning of the vocabulary through the patterning. Students are then able to apply
what they have memorized to aid in the understanding of other concepts or situations.
The Audiolingual Method is also backed up by current brain research. According to
research, the search for meaning occurs through patterning. This means that since the brain
searches for meaning through patterns, teachers need to present material in ways that allow the

brain to create meaningful and relevant connections to construct the patterns. The way this relates
to the Audiolingual Method is the fact that the whole method comes down to the patterned drills.
Each drill is a pattern that allows the students to make meaning of the L2.
Research also says, The brain is meaning driven. This means that if the learning activity
has meaning, it requires little practice or rehearsal. Students can learn the information in a shorter
amount of time with less effort. The way this relates to the Audiolingual Methods use of drills is
that students are learning the grammar in shorter time with less effort. There is no time wasted
learning parts of speech and subject agreement because instead they are seeing it in a context. In
the previous example of The student has a _______, the learners do not have to get a break
down of the subject, the verb, the article, and the adjective. Instead, they learn all of it inductively
and gain meaning through the context.
This is incorporated into the ESL Integrated plan by using the Repetition and
Transformation drills as a way of reteaching the concept before doing the corrective worksheet. In
the ESL lesson, the teacher provides a Repetition drill and the base sentence: A _______
has_______ and _______, and then introduces the new vocabulary. For the first blank the new
vocabulary is diamond, rectangle, and square. For the second blank, it is perpendicular.
Finally, in the last blank, parallel lines. The ESL plan also has a Transformation drill. The
teacher asks a question, Does the rectangle have perpendicular and parallel lines? and the
students reply, Yes, the rectangle has perpendicular and parallel lines. With both drills, the
concept that that shapes have multiple characteristics is being reinforced. Also, students are
learning the vocabulary and the grammatical structure.
With the Audiolingual method there are multiple drills (beside Repetition and
Transformation) that can be used, and the teacher will use different drills throughout the year to

keep the kids interested and engaged.

Extension Worksheet
The extension part of the lesson plan is for those 'fast finishers'. These students need a
challenge. They need something to take the skill to the next level. In the Generic plan this is done
by giving the student the characteristic of the shape and having them draw the shape that fit the
description. To enhance the activity, in the ESL plan, the Direct Method is incorporated.
Direct Method
The Direct Method instructional technique is effective because it helps the students
develop written proficiency. Specifically, this happens with the dictation aspect of the Direct
Method. This is the first method that requires the students to being writing what they hear/say.
With the Direct Method, the teacher uses realia, pictures, and pantomime to convey meaning.
This helps the students understand and create meaning out of the L2.
The Direct Method instructional technique help ELLs by developing L2 literacy as in
listening, speaking, reading, writing, and thinking. It is also important that the students are
[]tested through actual use, such as oral interviews and written work. This gives meaning
and purpose to the L2.
In the extension, the students need to do 'more' and it is natural to incorporate writing.
With this being so, the Direct Method was perfect since it has a fill-in-the-blank. In the ESL
lesson there is a Word Bank with vocabulary from the lesson (i.e. Parallel, Perpendicular,
Square, Both, Equilateral triangle). Then students are given five fill-in-the-blank questions.
Some examples are: _______________ lines are lines that run in the same direction and never
cross, A _________ has both parallel and perpendicular lines that connect, A ___________

does not have parallel or perpendicular lines. This is 'more' as the students are now reading and
writing.
Closure
Finally, every lesson needs a closure. In the Generic plan, the students complete an exit
ticket with one 2D shape and answer the question, What are the characteristics of this shape?
How do you know? This is definitely going to require reading and writing skills. The novice
ELL student may not be successful in this assignment, even if they do understand the concepts of
the lesson. So, to reinforce the skill, while making sure all students can be successful, the
Communicative Language Teaching approach is incorporated.
Communicative Language Teaching
The Communicative Language Teaching instructional technique is effective because it
moves beyond scripted language and into negotiation. Negotiation leads to successful
communication. Negotiation is what speakers do in order to achieve successful communication.
Negotiation is important for conversation to progress naturally and communicate successfully.
This means that students will be able to decide what they are going to say and how they are
going to say it. They ask questions for clarification and indicate when they understand and when
they do not understand (i.e. Feedback). They help each other express ideas by adjusting the
language (i.e. Foreigner Talk). They make corrections when necessary (i.e. Repair).
The Communicative Language Teaching instructional technique helps ELLs because it
extends the L2 language to the discourse level. Students have to be able to organize their
thoughts into coherent and cohesive ideas. The Communicative Language Teaching also
provides meaningful group tasks that encourage the development of communicative competence
thorough negotiation. The activities include dialogue and information sharing. These activities

focus on fluency and accuracy, which aids the teacher in identifying needs for communicative
competence.
One reason this is one of the last methods used in the ESL lesson plan is because it
requires more from the student (as it is context-embedded and cognitively demanding due to
interpretative activities). After using all of the previous ESL approaches the student is more
likely to be successful in answering these questions. The Communicative Language Teaching
instructional technique moves beyond scripted language by utilizing the patterns from the
Audiolingual Method to communicate in sentences and discourse effectively. The Audiolingual
Method scaffolds for the Communicative Language Teaching approach.
In the ESL Integrated lesson the hope is that by using the other ESL techniques, the
students can then move into the closure with the skills they need to answer the questions. The
three questions asked are interpretative, and they can have more than one answer. If the students
understood the concepts, then multiple answers are acceptable. For example: Where is a set of
perpendicular lines on the square? The student can answer the obvious (by pointing to the
highlighted lines) but they can also say any of the other 3 corners. There is more than one answer
and they can explain their thinking by using the phrases they learned throughout the lesson.
Classroom Implications
It is clear that the ESL Integrated lesson plan meets the linguistic needs of the ELL
students. These methods, approaches, and techniques are great for the ELL students and all of the
other students in the classroom. Teachers do not have to wait around for CCSD, or their
administration, to utilize these methods, approaches, and techniques in their classroom. Teachers
can make a difference immediately and set their students up for success by adding ESL methods
to their lessons.

Other Options
According to research, the development of the students native language is vital to the
achievement of academic knowledge in both the students native language and in English. If the
student is bilingual, meaning they are proficient in their native language and English, they gain
linguistic advantages and the content in both languages is interlinking. According to the module
one readings, Bilingualism confers linguistic advantages on children, and, The two languages
are significantly related or interdependent. Meaning, these students will be better able to
understand the language and the ideas can be conveyed in more than one language. Though this
is true, CCSD does not have bilingual programs. With one of the highest populations of ELLs,
and understanding that research supports bilingual education, it is odd that there are no bilingual
education programs.
Furthermore, bilingual education is important because it supports common underlying
proficiency (CUP), which is important for ELLs. CUP is a set of skills and implicit
metalinguistic knowledge that can be drawn upon when working in another language. Meaning,
if a student has a strong underlying knowledge in their first language (L1) then they can draw
upon that knowledge when learning English as their L2. According to the text in module one,
bilingual students are better able to learn the concepts in the new language because they already
have an idea of the concepts in their native language. So, when they know the content in their
native language, all they are doing is focusing on learning the new words in English. The text
gives an example of knowing how to tell time. If the student knows how to tell time in their
native language, then when they learn how to tell time in English, They simply need to acquire
new labels or surface structures for an intellectual skill they have already learned. Meaning,
they know the content and they are merely focusing on the new words to express their

knowledge. Furthermore, Both languages nurture each other when the educational environment
permits children access to both languages. Meaning, it is important to allow the students a space
that allows for them to nature both languages.
Teachers should not assume that just because a child can speak English, they have fully
acquired the second language. Teachers need to be sure they do not exit students too early from
programs that help them and give support in the L1. For academic purposes the L1 needs to be
incorporated in their schooling for 4-6 years.
Conclusion
While incorporating an actual bilingual education program would be ideal, many times
this cannot be accomplished by the will of a single classroom teacher (since it takes many years
to develop academic language). At the classroom level, though, teachers can incorporate the ESL
learning methods in the everyday lesson plans to meet the linguistic needs of their students.

References
Byrne, C. (Producer), MacQuarrie, K. (Producer), Jameson, G. (Executive Producer), &
Knudsen, B. (Executive Producer), (2013). Downtown Achieves [YouTube
Video]. United States of America: MacQuarrie Byrne Films
Gardner, R., Talbert-Johnson, C. (2000). School Reform and Desegregation: The Real
Deal or More of the Same?, Education and Urban Society, 33(1), 74-87.
Milliard, T. (2013). Clark County School District enrollment grows, with Hispanics leading
the trend. Retrieved from http://www.reviewjournal.com/news/education/clarkcounty-school-district-enrollment-grows-hispanics-leading-trend.
Richards & Rodgers. (2014). Approaches & Methods in Language Teaching (3rd ed.).Cambridge
University Press.