Conversational mapping |
The teacher describes the child’ s actions and emotions and asks questions to stimulate a conversation. Educators typically use vocabulary slightly above the child’ s current linguistic levels.( It’ s important to note that there’ s no such thing as“ too high” a level when the experience is embedded in context.) Because the context carries much of the meaning, children can participate more confidently and understand more deeply as educators scaffold the conversation. |
During an inquiry-based unit on bugs, Ms. Ramírez says,“ Alberto, I notice you’ ve been observing the grasshopper for a while. Notice the six long legs. What other body parts do you notice?” |
Ms. Ramírez mapped Alberto’ s action of looking at the grasshopper. She introduced vocabulary in context, such as grasshopper and six legs. |
Expanding and recasting |
When expanding, the teacher models more complex sentence structures and adds vocabulary to what the child has said. Recasting involves repeating and restating what the child has said using the correct pronunciation or language in a natural conversation. |
When talking about shapes found in her neighborhood, preschooler Lucila says,“ The triangle techo( roof) from the house.” Ms. Hernandez comments:“ Yes, that is the triangle we found on the roof of the house.” |
Lucila used her home language, Spanish, to describe something she didn’ t know the word for in English. When Ms. Hernandez expanded on and recast Lucila’ s comment, she maintained the language of instruction( English). This was an opportunity for Lucila to acquire a new word in English, with a focus on meaning making rather than language correctness. |
Open-ended questioning |
Open-ended questions allow multilingual learners to use their prior knowledge and reveal what they are thinking. The teacher uses this type of questioning to encourage curiosity and conversation and to create spaces for turn taking.( Keep in mind that multilingual learners often need extra response time.) Open-ended questions can help a child give more details in their answers as the teacher introduces them to more language. |
Ms. Ramírez: Carla, ¿ dónde piensas que vamos a encontrar bichos?( Carla, where do you think we will find bugs?)
Carla: Las plantas.( The plants.)
Ms. Ramírez: Sí, los bichos se esconden en las plantas. Me pregunto qué plantas tienen bichos.( Yes, bugs hide in the plants. I wonder what plants might have bugs.)
Carla:( giggles) ¡ Pos todas!( Well, all of them!)
Ms. Ramírez: ¡ Pues salgamos afuera para averiguar!( Well, we will go outside and find out!)
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Ms. Ramírez asked Carla a question that allowed the conversation to continue and show where Carla thought bugs might live.
Note that languagefacilitating strategies can be combined in one interaction: Ms. Ramírez also recast and extended Carla’ s response within a conversation in Spanish. The word pues is a recast of pos, which is colloquial language.
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