I think Robin has shared what are very important concerns.

I also know how hard it is to expect volunteer tutors to  have  
substantial training in teaching ESL/ESOL.  I'd really like to know  
how various programs structure professional development for  
volunteers/tutors?  In a recent brief I  co-authored, with Genesis  
Ingersoll and Jacqueline Lopez at CAL,  "Adult ESL Teacher  
Credentialing and Certification" we tried to identify what the states  
are requiring in terms of initial hiring and professional  
development.  Because it was a "Brief," we could not go into much  
detail on various ways in which individual programs are training or  
what their initial hiring expectations are.  You can access the Brief  
at:
www.cal.org/caela

Be sure to click on the large table which provides information on  
each of the states and the District of Columbia.

Since we know that most adult ESL/ESOL practitioners gain much of  
their knowledge and skill on the job (see Marilyn Gillespie and  
Cristine Smith on this at NCSALL), we really need to figure out the  
best ways in which we can support tutors and help them to gain skills  
while they are tutoring.

Is there a way to "embed" training in the volunteers' tutoring  
experiences.  I'm thinking of something similar to ways in which ESL  
and work-related training is provided to workers on the job.   
"Embedded training"  -- the same as ESL and skills instruction  
embedded in work -- is something that has great potential, I think.   
Has anyone tried this?  How?

Jodi Crandall




On Feb 7, 2008, at 1:15 PM, robinschwarz1 at aol.com wrote:


> I hate to be a wet blanket here, but this just caught my eye.  Why  

> don't you recommend that this person advertise at a local college  

> for someone to tutor him.  He needs someone who will work with him  

> on his assignments who is able to meet him at the level of English  

> he already has.   I say this having just worked with one on one  

> with the FOURTH tutor from the local library Literacy Services  

> assigned to an ESOL learner with fairly strong English skills.  I  

> have also worked with numerous literacy service providers in  

> several states and regularly provide PD sessions for literacy  

> tutors in the state where I live.

>

> These tutors mean so well but know so very little about working  

> with ESOL learners that frankly, it is not a productive match.    

> Since the tutors do not know ESOL issues well, they tend to grab at  

> some generic book in hopes that will appease the learner-- when  

> usually the learner has very specific needs and goals, as does this  

> learner, which do not get met or addressed at all.

>

> I am so disheartened by the gap between what ESOL learners need and  

> what their literacy tutors are providing that I have decided to  

> speak more frankly about it.  I have adjusted my sessions with  

> tutors to help them start with the very basics: let's find out just  

> what English your learner actually knows and then what he or she  

> really came to you to learn.

>

> Robin Lovrien Schwarz

> -----Original Message-----

> From: Sandy Phillips <SPhillips at ci.oceanside.ca.us>

> To: lbedford at rushmore.com; The Adult Literacy Professional  

> Development Discussion List <professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov>

> Sent: Thu, 7 Feb 2008 10:37 am

> Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 1910] Re: Requesting Resource  

> Information

>

> Laurie,

>

> Have him call the Literacy Coordinator at the Stockton Public  

> Library Peaches Ehrich at (209) 937-8261.  I am sure she can help  

> him locate the help he needs.

>

> Sandy Phillips

> Literacy Coordinator

> Volunteer Coordinator

> (760) 435-5683

> (760) 435-5681 FAX#

> sphillips at ci.oceanside.ca.us

>

> From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov  

> [mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of  

> Laurie Bedford

> Sent: Thursday, February 07, 2008 7:38 AM

> To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List

> Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 1909] Requesting Resource  

> Information

>

> All,

> I am an adjunct faculty member at an online unversity teaching  

> graduate courses.   I have a student who is struggling with his  

> writing.   He is an english languague learner and Spanish is his  

> first language.   He lives in Stockton, CA.   Does anyone know of  

> any resources in that area that he might draw upon?  Thanks.

> Laurie

>

>

> Laurie Bedford, Ph.D.

> Adjunct Faculty/Instructional Development Consultant

> lbedford at rushmore.com

> 605-720-7881

>

>

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JoAnn (Jodi) Crandall
Professor and Director
Language, Literacy and Culture Ph.D. Program
Director, Peace Corps Master's Intl Program in ESOL/Bilingual Education
University of Maryland Baltimore County
1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, MD 21250
tel:  410-455-2313
fax: 410-455-8947
eml: crandall at umbc.edu




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