CBLI

Content-Based Language Instruction

The Content-Based Language Instruction Site is designed for all educators of emergent bilingual (EB) students. It provides practical, research-validated practices that are essential for effective language program services. The contents of this site are intended to support effective program implementation within dual language immersion (DLI), transitional bilingual education (TBE), and English as a second language (ESL) programs. It contains valuable application for DLI teachers, TBE teachers, ESL teachers, any other teachers of EB students, paraprofessionals, instructional coaches/specialists, counselors, campus administrators, and district leaders.

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(SLA)

Second Language
Acquisition (SLA)

Targeted Instructional Support

Varied Instructional
Supports

(CLSP)

Linguistically Sustaining Practices


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Instructional Methods

Language Objectives

Progress Monitoring
Academic progress is typically measured through classroom assessments and campus- or district-wide benchmarks that address the content development of the required curriculum. To monitor linguistic progress in English, the ELPS Proficiency Level Descriptors (PLDs) are foundational in connecting to the ELPS student expectations used for language objectives in daily instruction and to how EB students will be assessed annually in the Texas English Language Proficiency Assessment System (TELPAS). Teachers can leverage the following process to engage in progress monitoring of linguistic development with the purpose of informing instructional practices.
  1. Baseline data: Use the previous year's TELPAS scores to arrange EB students by English language proficiency level (beginning, intermediate, advanced, and advanced high) in each domain (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). This chart from the Linguistic Instructional Alignment Guide (LIAG) can be used for this step. If previous TELPAS scores are unavailable, informal assessment of the students' current levels can be conducted using the ELPS PLDs.
  2. Goal setting: Based on each student's current levels, consider goals for increasing English proficiency to the next level for each domain, using the ELPS PLDs. For example, if the student is at a beginning level of English listening proficiency, look at the intermediate level proficiency descriptors for listening to determine goals for development in that domain. Including the student in this goal-setting process is a great way to increase investment in their own linguistic progress.
  3. Periodic checks: At designated intervals, use the ELPS PLDs to identify when and how each EB student is attaining new skills in each domain of English proficiency. During each progress review,
    • document the students' current levels with evidence from the PLDs,
    • coordinate progress data with the language proficiency assessment committee (LPAC),
    • include students in tracking their own progress and revising goals as they meet previous goals, and
    • communicate to parents/families, particularly when additional support is needed.
  4. Support and celebrate: Use anecdotal data from periodic checks to inform ongoing instructional support. For example, the Suggested Teacher Behaviors in each domain's section of the LIAG can be used to target student needs at each level and in each domain. Additionally, as students progress, include ways for students to celebrate their linguistic progress, such as through goal trackers or checklists.
Linguistically Accommodated Academic Assessment

When determining alternative assessment methods for EB students, the following considerations should be made.

  • Analyze and adjust the assessment content for aspects that may be unknown to students from varied backgrounds and communities.
  • Create opportunities for students to have a choice in how they will demonstrate what they know rather than asking questions that only focus on what they do not know.
  • Determine adaptations needed for linguistic accessibility, limiting the use of unfamiliar terms, idioms, and complex sentence structures.

Alternative assessments don’t have to be cumbersome for teachers to implement, and simple accommodations can be implemented without the need for purchasing formalized products or spending hours to develop. They can be used to scaffold for EB students at all levels of language proficiency, embedding linguistic supports that allow for content knowledge to be demonstrated to the full extent. Alternative assessment options provide the opportunity to gradually increase the linguistic complexity in student responses.
Description Linguistic Accommodation or Extensions by Proficiency Levels
Oral Explanation
  • Conduct a student/teacher interview, having the student explain what they know on the topic(s) of assessment
  • Record explanation of the assessed topic(s) using technology tools
  • Present orally to other students using a visual example
 Beginning/Intermediate:
  • Use primary language to explain understanding orally. Then, through a scaffolded process of the teacher capturing the student's ideas and writing them or saying them to the student in English, the student repeats or rephrases the English explanation.
  • Write out the explanation/presentation first, using sentence stems and word banks as needed.
  • Present to a small group or partner rather than to the whole class.
Advanced/Advanced High:
  • Listen to the presentations of others on the assessed topic(s). Then, give feedback on what could be added or adjusted to the presentation for additional detail or clarity.
  • Listen to own recording of explanation/presentation. Then, using an academic glossary or thesaurus to enhance academic language used, repeat and re-record the presentation.
Physical Demonstration
  • Categorize or organize objects/realia to show association, order, or process
  • Use gestures to show agreement/disagreement
  • Act out a process or steps
  • Conduct a demonstration or experiment
 Beginning/Intermediate:
  • Use labels or numbers to show connections
  • Explain understanding orally in primary language
Advanced/Advanced High:
  • Give oral directions to someone else to conduct a demonstration
  • Write out steps to a process using transitional words and phrases
  • Defend agreements/disagreements orally or in writing using examples of compound or complex sentence starters as needed
Visual Representation
  • Create a model or physical display using classroom or household items
  • Draw a picture
  • Organize images or gifs into a chart or diagram
 Beginning/Intermediate:
  • Label the visual with academic terms related to the topic
  • Complete a sentence stem to describe the visual
Advanced/Advanced High:
  • Write a summary of what the visual represents using paragraph frames as needed
  • Give an oral presentation to describe the visual representation, including key terms from an academic vocabulary bank
Written Explanation
  • Create a comic or storyboard to explain a process or re-tell story elements
  • Freewrite any details the student knows on the assessed topic(s)
  • Write open-ended response questions on the assessed topic(s) and answer them.
 Beginning/Intermediate:
  • Use strips of sentences related to the topic (some correct and some incorrect) to organize ideas for a written response, excluding incorrect information.
  • Use a graphic organizer to order ideas.
  • Use cloze (fill in the blank) sentences or paragraphs to demonstrate understanding.
Advanced/Advanced High:
  • Using examples of compound or complex sentence stems, revise initial written response to extend academic writing.
  • Choose one or more assessment questions (multiple choice style) to explain in writing.