On the Adult English language list, there will be an upcoming panel discussion on working with literacy-level adult English language learners.  The discussion will be the week of August 7-11, with further questions, comments, and information-sharing welcome after that. 
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Background Information  

Some teachers-especially those new to teaching adult English language
learners-express concern about teaching learners who aren't literate in
their native language or never went to school. In many ways, this
concern is unwarranted. Having or not having had access to formal
education does not correlate to cognitive functioning, interest, and
energy. Most literacy-level learners will need explicit instruction in
basic literacy skills (e.g., phonological  processing, vocabulary
development, syntactical processing). However, these learners bring an
array of lifeskills knowledge (often including some oral proficiency and
knowledge of American culture) problem-solving skills, and enthusiasm to
the process.   

Still, teachers and administrators sometimes feel challenged by
questions such as:


Who are the literacy-level adult ESL learners? 
What skills do literacy-level learners need to develop? 
How can programs and administrators effectively support literacy-level
adult English language learners and their teachers? 
What are effective instructional practices in the literacy class? 
What are effective needs assessment activities for literacy-level adult
English language learners? 
What other approaches and activities are effective with literacy-level
learners? 
What resource are helpful for teachers? 
What instructional materials are effective for literacy-level
learners-to help them acquire skills they need to reach their personal
goals? 

Process of the Discussion

To address these and other questions, nine adult ESL and refugee content
experts have graciously accepted my invitation to answer questions and
share ideas on the topic of literacy-level learners in adult ESL. Within
this group are teachers, program administrators, cultural orientation
specialists, curriculum designers, assessment experts, and authors of
teacher resources and literacy-level materials for learners.  Members of
the panel have worked extensively as volunteers, teachers, and
administrators, in learning labs and online, in general ESL, workplace
and work readiness programs, transition programs, family literacy,
refugee programs, in the United States and overseas from Mongolia to
(the then) Zaire.  I started adding up the panelists' years of
experience, but stopped when it topped 100 years. 

To organize this discussion with so many panelists, I will offer a short
biography of each panelist, which includes their areas of particular
expertise-although each panelist is knowledgeable in many areas related
to adult ESL, refugees, and  immigration.  


In this way, you can direct a question or comment to a specific panelist
(e.g., a question about literacy-level learners in family literacy would
be directed to the family literacy expert).  However, all panelists, as
well as the very many of you on the list who are also experts, please
jump in at any time. 


I will post the nine biographies next week, a few days before the panel
begins.

The panelists will be: 


Sanja Bebic, Director, Cultural Orientation Resource Center, Center for
Applied Linguistics, Washington, DC http://www.culturalorientation.net/


MaryAnn Cunningham Florez, Lead ESL Specialist, Arlington Education and
Employment Program (REEP), Arlington, Virginia
http://www.arlington.k12.va.us/instruct/ctae/adult_ed/REEP/


Debbie Jones, EL/Civics Literacy Coordinator, Arlington Education and
Employment Program, Arlington, Virginia
http://www.arlington.k12.va.us/instruct/ctae/adult_ed/REEP/


Sharon McKay, ESL Specialist, Center for Adult English Language
Acquisition, Washington, DC http://ww.cal.org/caela


Donna Moss, Family Literacy Coordinator, Arlington Education and
Employment Program (REEP), Arlington, Virginia
http://www.arlington.k12.va.us/instruct/ctae/adult_ed/REEP/


Barb Sample, Director of Educational Services, Spring Institute for
Intercultural Learning, Denver, Colorado
http://www.spring-institute.org/


Kate Singleton, Healthcare Social Worker, Fairfax INOVA Hospital,
Fairfax, Virginia


Sharyl Tanck, Program Coordinator, Cultural Orientation Resource Center,
Center for Applied Linguistics, Washington, DC
http://www.culturalorientation.net/


Betsy Lindeman Wong, Online facilitator, ESOL Basics, Virginia Adult
Learning Resource Center, Richmond, Virginia http://www.valrc.org/



Pre-Discussion Reading
If you are interested in reading more about literacy-level adult English
language learners before August 7, here a few selected resources:

"Beginning ESOL Learners' Advice to Their Teachers." 


Mental Health and the Adult Refugee: The Role of the ESL Teacher

What Non-readers or Beginning Readers Need to Know: Performance-based
ESL Adult Literacy (Brod, 1999, ERIC No. ED 433 730 available from
www.eric.ed.gov)

Working With Literacy-Level Adult English Language Learners 

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