Hi Heide —

It's definitely challenging when there isn't much in the way of shared
language. Here are some things I've tried with beginning English
speakers.

1. pass out paper with a few random lines or shapes and ask people to
complete the drawing. It's amazing what people come up with. It gives
people a way to express themselves without words. (But then you can give
them words for the images they came up with.) They look at each other's
work and learn something about each other. Artistic talent emerges!
(This is important. Someone can move from feeling like the one who
doesn't know anything to being the one who's got real talent. They see
themselves in a new light.) The theme of someone's drawing leads to a
discussion — which is a great teaching tool for you to work with.

2. Role playing familiar situations. Students come to class with lots
on their minds — a problem with their boss, with their children, their
spouse, their children's school, whatever. They describe the problem as
best they can, and two other students act out the problem. Or the
student plays the role of the person who is creating the problem (the
boss, the child, the spouse), and *someone else* in class plays the role
of the student who has the problem. A lot of interesting stuff comes up
— not to mention the problem will probably be very familiar to people
so they won't need a lot of vocabulary. You can develop a vocabulary
list. You can write out a simple dialogue that they develop in their
role play. They can do the role play again using the written dialogue.
They can take turns playing the same role and then discuss their
different responses to the same situation.

3. Another thing I've done is worked with ESL students to identify
something they feel they are really good at, and then have them teach
the rest of the class. I had one student bring in the ingredients to
make tortillas. We plugged in an electric frying pan and actually did
some cooking right in the classroom. Another student knew all sorts of
fancy ways to tie ribbons on packages. She brought in ribbon and we all
tried to learn her techniques. In these instances, I (the teacher) was
the learner — and in fact not very good at either of these activities
— and the student was the expert. The critical thinking comes in when
the student sees that everyone has strengths and weaknesses, that
teaching and learning can be fun and not power-based, that just because
I know English grammar (or whatever), doesn't make me smarter or
better.


This kind of learning is empowering because it starts with the
student's own expression or is rooted in an issue that the student is
concerned with. It invites critical thinking because it orients students
towards each other rather than to the teacher. It notices expertise in
each other. It de-mystifies the teacher, too, which I think is
important.

What techniques have others tried in the ESL classroom?

Cynthia
-- 

Cynthia Peters
Change Agent Editor
World Education
44 Farnsworth Street
Boston, MA  02210
 
tel: 617-482-9485 ext. 3649
fax: 617-482-0617
email: cpeters at worlded.org 
 
Check out The Change Agent online at: 
www.nelrc.org/changeagent 



>>> On 7/4/2008 at 7:13 PM, in message

<9A4D2BACDC556C4E8AFD0F94F05F65110DC79BB3 at winxbeus09.exchange.xchg>,
"Wrigley,
Heide" <heide at literacywork.com> wrote:

> Hi, Jackie and all

> 

> I’ve long been interested in the use of scenarios, and “evocative

prompts” 

> to get students thinking and talking about critical issues in their

lives. 

> We’ve developed a few of these scenarios for El Civics but the

problem is 

> always how to make even simple case studies accessible to students

who are 

> very much new to English and who don’t have strong literacy skills.

 While 

> students can “get” a picture and describe what they see as a

problem, 

> articulating thoughts and ideas around these issues often requires a

bit more 

> language – using a bilingual approach helps of course but that’s

not always 

> an option.

> 

> Yet, thousands of people with no or little English have jobs and

families 

> and get things done and certainly there is lots of critical thinking

going on 

> – and I’m looking for ways of bringing these experiences into the

classroom 

> to help teachers see that engaged learning does not have to wait till

Englsh 

> proficiency is achieved.

> 

> Here is my question, what strategies and approaches have others used

that 

> engage beginning level ESL learners in critical thinking?

> 

> I’m very much looking forward to this discussion

> 

> Heide Spruck Wrigley

> Literacywork International

> Mesilla, New Mexico

> 

> From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov 

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

Taylor, Jackie

> Sent: Thursday, July 03, 2008 11:11 AM

> To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List

> Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 2172] Introductions and Questions:

Student 

> Involvement and Critical Thinking

> 

> Dear Colleagues,

> Wow – in the last two days approximately 40 individuals have

subscribed to 

> the PD List for the upcoming discussion of Student Involvement and

Critical 

> Thinking. Welcome to the list! :) I’m happy you’re here and I

look forward to 

> learning from your experiences.

> 

> I’d like to open the floor for questions so that our guests can

prepare. 

> Please post an introduction and your questions about student

involvement and 

> critical thinking to the list. If you wish to raise your questions 

> anonymously, feel free to email me direct: 

> jataylor at utk.edu<mailto:jataylor at utk.edu> and I will share your

questions 

> without attribution.

> 

> For background about the discussion and our guests, visit:

> 

>

http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/discussions/professionaldevelopment/08student.html


> 

> Critical thinking and the intersection with student involvement is an

area 

> that we’ve not really articulated in-depth on this list. I’m

excited about the 

> opportunity to explore issues, strategies, and resources with you.

> 

> Happy 4th!

> 

> Best, Jackie

> 

> Jackie Taylor, Adult Literacy Professional Development List

Moderator, 

> jataylor at utk.edu<mailto:jataylor at utk.edu>

> 

> 

> Discussion Announcement

> 

>

http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/discussions/professionaldevelopment/08student.html


> 

> Beginning July 7 – 14, 2008 the Adult Literacy Professional

Development List 

> will host a guest discussion of Student Involvement and Critical

Thinking in 

> Adult Literacy. Join our guests Cynthia Peters, Editor of The Change

Agent, 

> and Marty Finsterbusch, Executive Director of VALUE, to share issues,



> strategies, and resources for instruction and staff development.

> 

> This discussion is the first in a mini-series of guest discussions

this 

> summer and fall on Literacy for Social Change. Join us now to plan 

> instruction and staff development for fall.