>The newest issue of "Focus on Basics" is now on NCSALL's web site, 

>http://www.ncsall.net. It's on ESOL and features research from NCSALL's 

>ESOL Lab School. Steve Reder, director of the ESOL Lab School, a 

>partnership of Portland State University and Portland Community College, 

>describes the research and how it is conducted.



>Kathryn Harris reports on one aspect of her study of pair work in the ESOL 

>classroom. Learners she studied individualized their pair work, adapting 

>the activities to their language learning needs. Pair activities are 

>provided by Donna Moss of Arlington, VA.



>Sustained silent reading has been found to encourage many students to 

>read: does it do the same with beginning-level ESOL learners? It is a 

>viable practice with this group, explain Sandra Banke and Reuel Kurzet, 

>who participated in this Lab School study.



>To improve their students' speaking and listening skills, teachers often 

>set up conversation groups. What if the conversation leaders were 

>university students who studied immigration and cultural adaptation as 

>well as strategies for initiating and keeping conversations going? Betsy 

>Kraft chronicles her classes' experiences leading conversations with Lab 

>School students.



>Anyone who has taught an ESOL class with students from a variety of 

>language backgrounds has noticed the chatter that goes on, in English, 

>during breaks. Dominique Brillanceau was curious about whether this casual 

>conversation occurs in class as well, and, if it does, what role it plays 

>in learning.



>Starting conversations can be hard for anyone; it's even harder in a new 

>language. John Hellermann explored the nuance of initiating and 

>turn-taking in conversations in Lab School classes.



>Some ESOL learners get stuck, and teachers struggle to find out why. Robin 

>Schwarz, now of Ohio, shares case studies from her years of work with ESOL 

>learners and teachers and provides tips on how to find out what might be 

>the problem.



>And the development of NCSALL's Health Literacy Study Circle+ guide is 

>chronicles by Winston Lawrence, NY, and Lisa Soricone, NCSALL.



>                                         Happy Reading! Barb Garner Editor