Language Objectives
Objective:
Math and Science teachers will
be able to construct meaningful
language objectives for English
Language Learners.

Content vs. Language Objectives
– Example of a content objective you are
currently teaching
– What are language objectives?
– How do you use them in your class?
– Why are they important?

Language objectives are often
problematic for content teachers because:
•It may be difficult to identify language objectives.
•Content teachers do not have time to
teach language.
•Teaching language is the ELL teachers’ job.
•Content teachers may not know enough about
their ELL students’ language proficiency to
determine appropriate language objectives.

Reading, Writing, Speaking, and
Listening
• Reading: text, vocabulary list, notes form overhead
• Writing: Vocabulary list, notes, answers to
comprehension questions, logs, predictions, sharing
writing
• Speaking: Answering questions, discussion with a
partner or group members, predicting, Thin-Pair-Share
– This will happen in a safe, low risk environment
• Listening: To the teacher, to students, to tapes
– When playing a video turn the subtitles on
– Adapting teacher speech.

Functions of Language
• The English language is vast and
complicated…what functions of language
should content teachers focus on with ELL
students?

Basic Functions of Language for
ELL’s
• Subject-verb agreement
– The frog are amphibian.
– Igneous rocks comes from volcanoes.
• Use of the “S”
– Possessive (apostrophe s)
– 3rd person singular

Basic Functions of Language for
ELL’s
• Tense
– Present, past, future
• Basic verbs- to be, to have, to like, to see
• I have, you have, he/she has, we have, they have
• I, you, he, we, they had
• I will have

Basic Functions of Language for
ELL’s
• Vocabulary building
– Basic language, technical language
– Word wall, word bank
• Punctuation
• Retelling, explaining

Basic Functions of Language for
ELL’s
• Letter sounds, pronunciation
• Complete sentences
– Hold students accountable for basic sentence
structure.
– Basic sentences
• Word order

Where to begin when thinking
about language objectives.
• Determine KEY VOCABULARY,
CONCEPT WORDS, and other words.
• Consider LANGUAGE FUNCTIONS.
(define, describe, compare, explain,
summarize)

Where to begin when thinking
about language objectives.
• POL Clear Expectations
• Decide on Language skills.
-Read for main idea, listen and give an opinion
• Identify GRAMMAR or LANGUAGE
STRUCTURES.
– verb tenses, sentence structure, punctuation,
question formation

Where to begin when thinking
about language objectives.
• Consider language embedded in TASKS.
• Explore LANGUAGE LEARNING
STRATEGIES. (ex. Prediction)

Writing Language Objectives
• • Summarize
Define
• • Rephrase
Describe
• •Discuss
Identify
• • Elaborate
Label
• • Predict
Name
• • Compose
Spell
• • (more listed on
Compare
• Contrast Taxonomic Category
• Explain sheet)

When writing objectives,
keep in mind:
• Audience (level 1 vs. level 3 vs. main stream)
• What should students be able to DO?
• HOW should students demonstrate proficiency?
• Objectives should be MEASURABLE.

IN GROUPS…
• Write 3 content objectives and a correlating
language objective for each. Try to
incorporate the four modalities.
– Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking
• Choose one set of objectives to write on a
transparency and share.

In Groups…
• Lesson on Respiratory System
• Using SIOP- design a lesson using the text
provided to you. Which SIOP elements can
you incorporate into a routine lesson?