ESOL Case Study Christian Fernandez

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Description & and chart of Christian Fernandez

	DOA		3 months		1 yr		3 yrs
	L1	L2	L1	L2	L1	L2	L1	L2
Vocabulary	3000 words	0 words	3500 words	500 words	5500 words	3000 words	8000 words	6000 words
Type and length of sentences	Simple, complete sentences, asks questions, relates stories with medium length	Does not speak in English	Simple, complete sentences, asks questions, relates stories with medium length	No complete sentences, 1-2 word responses	Long sentences beginning to be used with more complex questioning	Speaks in simple, short complete sentences, With some errors in speech	Speaks in long, age appropriately complex sentences with good conversational skills	Longer, more complex sentences used with complex errors in speech
Stages Of: Negation	Negating correctly with some use of no or not instead of don’t – stage 3	No negation skills	Negating correctly with some use of no or not instead of don’t – stage 3	Use of no in front of noun being discussed to express he doesn’t have or want something – stage 1	Negating correctly – stage 4	Negating correctly with some use of no or not instead of don’t – stage 3	Negating correctly – stage 4	Negating correctly – stage 4
Questions	Do- and wh- word fronting and no inversion in sentences – stage 3	No questioning skills	Using do- and wh- words at beginning of sentences with some proper inversion – stage 4	Can use only one or two words stated as a question – stage 1	Using proper inversion in all simple questions – stage 5	Do- and wh- word fronting and no inversion in sentences – stage 3	Using complex questions correctly – stage 6	Using proper inversion in all simple questions – stage 5
Past Tense	Marking past tense on verbs with some overgeneralization type errors – stage 3	No past tense skills	Marking past tense on verbs with some overgeneralization type errors – stage 3	No past tense skills but may indicate when something happened if it happened in the past – stage 1	Using past tense correctly in sentences	Beginning to attach endings to verbs that mark them for past tense in simple sentences – stage 2	Using past tense correctly in sentences	Marking past tense on verbs with some overgeneralization type errors – stage 3
Pronunciation	Some problem with harder 3-4 syllable words	No attempts to correctly pronunciation English	Some problem with harder 3-4 syllable words	Pronunciates words with Spanish letter sounds but can get simple words after several attempts	No pronunciation problem	Pronunciates many simple words with only some consonant sound substitutions on trickier sounds	No pronunciation problem	Pronunciates most simple words correctly and can pronunciate complex words after being explained how to
Cultural/ pragmatic appropriateness	Beginning to use basic politeness correctly in simple sentences with comprehension confusion in more complex discussions and figurative speech	No cultural/ pragmatic skills	Beginning to use basic politeness correctly in simple sentences with comprehension confusion in more complex discussions and figurative speech	Some comprehension of others politeness and requests but mostly confused by conversation	Beginning to comprehend some complex inferences in meaning in conversation and figurative speech	Beginning to use basic politeness correctly in simple sentences with comprehension confusion in more complex discussions and figurative speech	Is culturally and pragmatically appropriate for his age	Beginning to comprehend some complex inferences in meaning in conversation and figurative speech
BICS & CALP	Age appropriate, functioning BICS with beginning CALP in terms of preliminary literacy	No BICS or CALP	Age appropriate, functioning BICS with beginning CALP in terms of preliminary literacy	Some very early BICS development in terms of learning vocabulary and pronunciation and repeating knowledge, but with no CALP	Successful improvement of BICS with CALP steadily increasing to include more semantic meaning	BICS steadily increasing with more comprehension of knowledge and added language skills with some early CALP exhibited in literacy	Continued improvement of BICS and CALP to include much higher level thinking	Functional BICS in L2 with CALP greatly increasing with conversation and analysis skills and comprehension of figurative language
Prescriptive aspects of English: grammar, punctuation	Writes some simple words on his own and grammar in speech is age appropriate	No English grammar or punctuation skills	Writes some simple words on his own and grammar in speech is age appropriate	Writes simple words with many spelling errors	Write short sentences with many grammar, punctuation errors	Write short sentences with many grammar, punctuation errors	Writes paragraphs with some grammar and spelling errors	Writes paragraphs with some grammar and spelling errors, good punctuation

Description of Christian Fernandez

Elementary schooling in Mexico, called Primeria, can be quite equivalent to the American view of elementary school – with Parent/Open House days, celebrations for national holidays, even performing school plays in English to broaden cultural understanding and to practice English speaking skills. (To learn more about school life in Mexico, from the eyes of its children, visit this website http://www.inside-mexico.com/queonda1.htm) However, school life for the children of migrant farm workers can be quite difficult. A child can be in three to four schools in one year’s time. Also, several weeks can be lost due to the time needed to make each move.

Juan’s parents have always desired the best possible education for their children, realizing that education is the key to financial success and stability. Although Juan was not old enough to receive formal public education in Mexico (he came to the U.S. when he was three years old), he was read to by his grandmother and older brother and sisters. Being of a lower economic level, the family owned very few books; especially picture books for preschool age children. However, Juan was read to on a regular basis from an anthology that the family owned. His grandmother also read to the children from the family bible. Both Juan’s parents and grandmother are literate, but on a middle school grade level. He also could say his alphabet and count to 20. All of this informal preschool education took place in the family’s native language of Spanish.

In Mexico, the younger children were exposed to very little English, only overhearing it spoken when they traveled to Mexico City. Juan’s parents spoke only a few words of broken English, words such as hello, good bye, I know farm work. Juan’s grandmother does not speak any English. Juan’s older brother and sister received the most exposure to English, although it was minimal. However, they still did not speak it at home. Juan’s English language competence prior to his family moving to the United States was nonexistent. He rarely heard it spoken, especially compared to his older brother and sisters, who heard it in school occasionally. However, as the timeline shows, Juan caught on very quickly.

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