Touro University TESOL Candidate Soha Girguis’ NYSESLAT Grade 5-6 Reading Text Analysis

As an Associate Professor for the Touro University TESOL/BLE Department, I am immensely proud to feature outstanding student work from our MS in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Program. New York’s linguistic diversity demands teachers who can find common ground and effectively communicate with students from different language backgrounds. Academically rigorous and practice-intensive, the 33-credit program leads candidates who complete all coursework, and fieldwork to recommendation for ESL certification.

Soha Girguis: She serves as a special education teacher at P4K School in Brooklyn, New York. Having graduated from Touro College in 2023 with a Master’s degree in General Education and Special Education, she is enthusiastic about her ongoing educational journey. Currently, she is enrolled in a TESOL Master’s program at Touro College, aiming to expand her expertise and impact in the field of education.

Ms. Girguis submitted an outstanding text analysis.

1. Assignment description: Text Analysis & Critique

Analyzing Complex Texts and Addressing Challenges for ELLs/MLs in the Content Areas

Objective:

The objective of this assignment is to deepen your understanding of the cognitive and linguistic demands of complex texts in the content areas and to analyze a specific chapter or aspect of a content-area text currently used or recommended by the New York State/BOE. By closely examining the underlying concepts, you will develop a thesis and purpose for your analysis. You will critically evaluate the challenges that make the selected concept or section difficult for ELLs and provide substantial, logical, and concrete development of ideas in your critique.

Analyzing text complexity for English Language Learners (ELL) and Multilingual Learners (ML) requires a comprehensive approach that takes into account various factors. You can begin by examining the linguistic demands of the text, including vocabulary, sentence structure, and discourse patterns, ensuring they align with the proficiency levels of the students. Additionally, you, the teacher should consider the cultural and background knowledge necessary to comprehend the text, as well as the cognitive processes required, such as inference or critical thinking. Furthermore, evaluating the organization and coherence of the text, along with its purpose and intended audience, allows you, the teacher to gauge its appropriateness and relevance for ELL/ML learners. By conducting a thorough analysis of text complexity, you can make informed decisions about instructional strategies, adaptations, and scaffolding techniques to support their students’ language development and comprehension skills.

Deliverables:

Analysis of a Chapter or Aspect: Select a chapter or aspect of a content-area text and thoroughly analyze its complex nature. Identify and explain the quantitative elements, qualitative factors, and reader and task considerations that contribute to its complexity.

Development of Thesis and Purpose: Based on your analysis, develop a clear and concise thesis statement that reflects the main idea or argument of your analysis. State the purpose of your analysis, outlining the specific goals and objectives you aim to achieve.

Linguistic analysis which involves examining the linguistic features and demands of a text in order to determine its suitability for language learners. It focuses on various aspects of the text, including vocabulary, sentence structure, and discourse patterns, with the aim of aligning them with the proficiency levels of the students. Here’s a breakdown of these elements:

1. Vocabulary: The analysis considers the range and complexity of words used in the text. It examines whether the vocabulary is appropriate for the students’ language proficiency level, taking into account factors such as word frequency, difficulty, and relevance to the topic. It also considers the presence of idiomatic expressions, figurative language, and specialized terminology that might pose challenges for learners.
2. Sentence structure: The analysis looks at the complexity and variety of sentence structures employed in the text. It considers factors such as sentence length, grammatical structures (e.g., verb tenses, conditionals, relative clauses), and syntactic complexity. The aim is to ensure that the sentence structures are within the grasp of the students’ language proficiency level, allowing for gradual progression and challenges appropriate to their abilities.
3. Discourse patterns: This aspect of linguistic analysis examines how ideas and information are organized and presented in the text. It includes analyzing discourse markers (e.g., conjunctions, transitional phrases) that indicate relationships between ideas, as well as cohesive devices (e.g., pronouns, repetition, referencing) that connect sentences and paragraphs. The analysis ensures that the text’s discourse patterns are comprehensible and aligned with the students’ proficiency levels, promoting their understanding of the text’s overall structure and coherence.

Sequencing Ideas with Textual Evidence: Organize your ideas in a coherent and logical manner, using evidence from the selected text to support your important points. Explain how the evidence reinforces your analysis and contributes to the understanding of the challenges faced by ELLs.

Critique of Challenging Concepts for ELLs: Engage in substantial and concrete development of ideas to describe the specific challenges ELLs encounter when accessing the chosen concept or section of the text. Discuss the linguistic, cultural, and cognitive barriers that hinder their comprehension and propose strategies to overcome these challenges.

Attention to De-Mystifying Complex Texts: Reflect on the concept of “complex” texts and explore strategies to ensure that ELLs/MLLs can access them effectively. Consider the quantitative, qualitative, and reader/task elements involved in text complexity and how they relate to supporting ELLs’/MLs comprehension.

Format and Length: The assignment should be a typed, double-spaced paper with a 12-point font. The length of the paper should be 5-6 pages, excluding references. Follow the provided grading rubric for formatting guidelines and requirements.