Oral Language is what gives children the foundation for literacy development. English language learners (ELL’s) need and require daily language practice. It is through listening to other people that they gain much of their vocabulary and sentence structure. By listening to other people they also learn the context in which words are used. These children require not only listening to others but also a safe and comfortable environment in which they can practice the skills that they have learned. Children must learn to speak and carry on conversations before they can become active readers.
Formal language instruction is needed to assist our students to achieve the proficiency necessary to become successful learners in the classroom. In order to do this we need to bridge the gap between the informal language spoken at home and the formal instructional language they hear at school. To do this, students need language instruction so they can learn to speak appropriately and to listen. Oral language instruction will help students to be fluent and understand structured academic language.
Storytelling is a perfect avenue to explore when looking for ways to develop the oral language skills of second language learners in a classroom. This unit will encompass many of the techniques and strategies used to increase language skills as stated by Crevola and Vineis (MONDO 2005). For example this unit will:
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· Develop personal relationships among all the children.
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· Provide daily opportunities for language development.
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· Create opportunities to interact regularly on a one to one basis.
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· Challenge students to talk, think, and explore their knowledge of the world.
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· Support students as they develop the language and learning strategies necessary to articulate and extend their interactions with the world.