This document outlines a lesson plan for teaching English language learners that incorporates speaking, writing, and data analysis activities. It uses scaffolding techniques like language frames and visual aids. The lesson starts with students introducing themselves orally. Then they write about each other after exchanging information sheets. Later, students create and discuss bar charts about class data and write about the results. The lesson aims to develop students' language and thinking skills through structured speaking, writing, and interpretation of information.

1. From Talk to Writing:
examples from a classroom
Kamil Trzebiatowski
(EAL Coordinator, Newland School for Girls, Kingston-upon-Hull)
October 4, 2014
http://valuediversity-teacher.co.uk/

2. The Lesson Plan

3. Bernard Mohan
• The Knowledge Framework - recognizes language used in
classroom discourse by mainstream teachers – six different
categories
http://tslater.public.iastate.edu/kf/
• Language and Content to be taught at the same time
Background knowledge
(theoretical)
Action situation
(Practical)

4. Bernard Mohan
• Knowledge Structures –
Thinking Skills – Key
visuals - Language
• All the six knowledge structures appear in subjects across the curriculum (texts, tasks, thinking skills to be
developed)
• Explicit language and key visuals teaching is necessary for academic and cognitive development
• Key visuals use improves:
• Improves English language learners’ language,
• Improves academic language reading skills,
• helps them organize their academic writing
• improves their confidence as learner

5. Pauline Gibbons – The Mode Continuum
Context Text What this shows about
language and context
Children talking about a Science
experiment as they’re conducting it.
1. Look, it’s making them
move. That’s not going.
Language is dependent on the
immediate context – body language,
gestures, materials used can be used
for communication. If they didn’t see
the objects, we wouldn’t know what it
referred to.
One of the children informing other
children what he/she has learned.
Language only has to be used to explain
what has happened.
2. We found out that pins
stuck on the magnet… Then
we tried to… Next we,…
Language more explicit. The speaker
now has to use the names of the
objects (pins, magnet) and some
specific verbs (stuck)
The same learner has now written
about what the group has found out.
The text is at more distance from text 1
now – now he/she doesn’t see the
audience, so cannot assume shared
understanding.
3. Our experiment was to
find out… We have found
out…
Language becomes increasingly
explicit. Context has to be explained
now. Our experiment was to find out…
Writing an article for an encyclopaedia.
Now the text is about properties of
magnets. No mention of specific
people.
4. A magnet is a piece of
metal… It is able to
attract…
Written academic language: abstract
and less personal.
Adapted from
Gibbons, P. (2009)
English Learners
Academic Literacy
and Thinking:
Learning in the
Challenge Zone.
Heinemann:
Portsmouth, NH.

6. Stage Activity Thinking
structures
Language Key visuals /
differentiation
Speaking only (BICS –
fully contextualised)
Starter: Students fill out the basic
information about themselves. (student file)
1 - Students use their own information to tell
others on their tables where they are from.
Labelling /
describing
My name is…
I come from…
I live with…
I was born in…
Writing frames
provided
Communicating to
others
Students exchange information using the
Who are we? Sheets about themselves and
record it on their sheets.
Students now tell the rest of the class about
what they've learned. Students in groups
now come together and create a poster of
the class - a mind map
Explaining /
labelling
Labelling /
grouping
She (or name) is from…
Her name is…
Mind maps
Speaking frames for
structured
discussion
Writing about the
activity
This mind map is now swapped between the
two tables and students write about the
other table (picking 4 other students),
switching from I/you pronouns to he/she
pronouns.
Describing Klaudia is from… / Klaudia comes
from…She goes to school called…She is in
class…She was born in… [when]
She lives with her…
Writing frames to
indicate the change
in pronoun
Context free text
production
In this portion of the lesson, students create
a bar chart: how many students are from
Europe and how many have pets and how
many don't (2 bar charts) . Then they write
about the whole class.
Interpreting data There are … with cats in the EAL class.
There are… students from Europe in the
EAL class.
Bar charts
Writing frame for
talking about the
bar chart

7. Resources used I She
I am from / I come from… Klaudia is from… / Klaudia comes from…
I go to school called… She goes to school called…
I am in class… She is in class…
I was born in… She was born in… [when]
I was born in… She was born in… [where?]
I live with my… She lives with her…
I have / I don’t have… (cat, dog) She has / doesn’t have a dog / a cat / any pets.
My hobbies are… Her hobbies are…
Hometown Class Date of
birth
Place of
birth
Family Pets Hobbies
First name and
surname:
______________
_
First name and
surname:
______________
_
First name and
surname:
______________
_