SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY ?

FALL SEMESTER 2005

TEACHING CHILDREN FROM LANGUAGE MINORITY BACKGROUNDS IN

?

ELEMENTARY CLASSROOMS

Jean Warburton

Phone: 268-6857

jwarburt@sfu.ca

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is intended to provide you with the opportunity to consider how effective elementary

curriculum and instruction are organized when students come from a wide variety of linguistic and

cultural backgrounds. Participants will examine the following topics: language as meaning making

systems; pre-school language development, orality and learning, learning to write and learning to read,

classrooms as environments fostering language/literacy development, evaluation of language skills.

Recognizing that our learners come from diverse backgrounds and bring diverse talents to the

classroom, examining these topics should prepare teachers for operating effective instructional programs

in elementary classrooms.

EVALUATION & REQUIREMENTS

This course will involve frequent large and small group discussions and students are expected to come to

each class prepared to participate actively and respond thoughtfully to all assigned readings. Evaluation

will be based on both individual and small group assignments.

PARTICIPATION AND IN-CLASS READING RESPONSES ?

30%

SMALL GROUP PRESENTATIONS

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30%

TERM PAPER

40%

EXPECTATIONS

i.

attendance and punctuality - please contact me by e-mail if absence is necessary

ii.

papers handed in on the deadline - papers left in my mailbox will be considered as late,

requests for extensions under extenuating circumstances should be made prior to the deadline

iii.

active and interested participation

REQUIRED READINGS

Gibbons, P. (1991).

Learning to learn in a second language.

ISBN 0-435-08785-1

Helmer, S. & Eddy, C. (2004).

Look at Me When I Talk to You: ESL Learners in Non-ESL Classrooms.

Toronto: Pippin Publishing Corporation ISBN: 0-88751-108-2