Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id h85H3U719331; Fri, 5 Sep 2003 13:03:30 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 5 Sep 2003 13:03:30 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <20030905111231.M74759@slc.k12.ut.us> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "kate.diggins" <kate.diggins@slc.k12.ut.us> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9421] RE: Illiteracy X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 X-Mailer: Open WebMail 1.61 20020204 Status: O Content-Length: 8241 Lines: 162 On the other hand, childen need a rich first language. Without that, there would be a lack of cognitive "hooks", metaphorically speaking, on which to "hang" second language. ---------- Original Message ----------- From: Gustav Kocsis <gkocsis@sfccnm.edu> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Sent: Fri, 5 Sep 2003 10:19:51 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9418] RE: Illiteracy > I so much agree. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Susan Ryan [mailto:susanefl@hotmail.com] > Sent: Friday, September 05, 2003 8:02 AM > To: Multiple recipients of list > Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9417] RE: Illiteracy > > Sylvan, I found your information very interesting and surprising. I would > have thought to start English with the toddlers class would be the > best way to create English fluency rather than waiitng until they > start school and come to it as a foreign language speaker. Susan > > >From: "Sylvan Rainwater" <sylvan@cccchs.org> > >Reply-To: nifl-esl@nifl.gov > >To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> > >Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9401] RE: Illiteracy > >Date: Thu, 4 Sep 2003 15:34:43 -0400 (EDT) > > > >Thanks for this excellent post. It is certainly true that when children > >don't get good early education, they are at a disadvantage, regardless of > >what language they are trying to learn in. In the Head Start program I work > >with, it's sometimes interesting to compare the immigrant kids with the > >Anglo kids here. The problems we are addressing are somewhat different, but > >with all kids (and the adults in our Family Literacy Program), we focus on > >literacy in developmentally appropriate ways. > > > >With the Pre-K children we work with, language development needs to be > >primarily in the native language, gradually transitioning to more English > >as > >time goes on. The 4-year-old classroom incorporates more English than the > >3-year-old classroom. The Infant/Toddler classroom tries to be > >predominantly > >Spanish-speaking. A good solid grounding in native language development is > >the best foundation for learning English once children start school. > > > >With Anglo kids, obviously literacy and language development are equally > >critical, and sometimes just as difficult. We serve special needs children, > >too, of course, with various diagnoses of speech and/or developmental > >delays, and that requires special creativity and techniques on the part of > >the teachers. We work with our Education Service District to get help with > >that. In addition, many of those kids are dealing with home situations that > >are absolutely horrendous -- drugs, abuse of all sorts, neglect, as well as > >basic illiteracy on several levels. All of that has to be addressed in some > >fashion, or nothing will change in the life of that child. You can teach > >them phonics all you want and send them off to kindergarten, and it won't > >help much. > > > >With adults, no matter what language they speak, if they haven't had a > >thorough grounding in their native language -- in conversation, grammar, > >and/or literacy -- they are going to struggle with learning a new language, > >with basic job skills, and with figuring out how to teach their children. > >How can you ask a parent to read to a child, when the parent can't read? > > > >I completely agree that adult literacy is a crucial issue in this country, > >and I continue to maintain that the single best way to improve the > >education > >of the children is to improve the education of the parents, especially the > >mother or primary caregiver. > > > >------- > >Sylvan Rainwater mailto:sylvan@cccchs.org > >Program Managaer Family Literacy > >Clackamas Co. Children's Commission / Head Start > >Oregon City, OR USA > > > > > >-----Original Message----- > >From: nifl-esl@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-esl@nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Ken Taber > >Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2003 5:49 PM > >To: Multiple recipients of list > >Subject: [NIFL-ESL:9390] Re: Accept English Only donation? > > > >Albert et al, > >The Pew Hispanic Research identifies the problem that Adult ESL Programs > >face in this country. It also confirms that it is actually easier to teach > >the foreign-born K-12 student than it is the adult. These frustrations lead > >us to ask the ultimate question. How do we solve the problem? In fact, the > >same is true for the American in this country that does not get a good > >early > >education. Nationally, 22% of Americans are considered functionally > >illiterate. That figure remains about the same. We used to have an > >educational system that supported the industrial age where teaching only > >80% > >was acceptable. Now that we have entered the information age and their are > >less jobs in former industries, we must get near 100% literacy in this > >country. And of those 22%, and in some cities, that figure is much higher, > >only 5% of those needing adult education services actually receive them. > > > >The only answer the government has in more accountability but the numbers > >still have not changed. Even with a great title like the "No Child Left > >Behind Act," we are losing the battle of adult literacy in this country. > >The > >problem as was pointed out by some is adult literacy, and not just for the > >foreign-born, but for all Americans. There are American-born US citizens > >who > >speak English only that are illiterate. We have become experts at pointing > >the finger. We have a lot of research. What we need are applicable > >solutions. We know the problems, they have not changed. Our current > >solutions have not work. > > > >I have made some observations that deal with what all teachers should be > >doing. Teachers need high expectations for all their students. Teachers > >also > >need to know the how best to teach the diversity of students in their > >classroom. This requires staff development. Sometimes, it is simply the > >case > >of real research bang applied to an old problem. > > > >I actually had a principal from another school that told me that "Research > >shows that English-Only programs (for LEP students) were better." This myth > >has reached not only the some of the classrooms in my district but has > >reached its administration as well. These principals were sold a bill of > >goods from the English-Only Movement and are calling it research. The fact > >is the federal law allows for almost any program that can show results. > >However, it does not allow for an English Submersion Model, a sink or swim > >approach or dead end approach. > > > >There are some states that interpret the federal law to mean that they can > >run an English-Only Approach with no staff development of their teachers. > >When this principal made this comment, I asked whether this district had an > >English-Only Approach? The coordinator (with no ESOL training) who I had > >spoken to about the law said we have an Structured English Immersion > >Approach which we didn't because this approach requires a highly trained > >staff. We may have had a Structured English Immersion Approach on paper but > >we had an English-Only or English Submersion Approach in reality. > > > >The SC State House tried to write a bill (H3703) last year limiting LEP > >instruction to only the first two years foreign-born students arrive in > >this > >country and mandating a Sheltered English Immersion Approach. They claimed > >in their bill that English could be learned fast. Sheltered English > >Immersion is perhaps the least recommended approach but also the least > >costly. The only good part of the bill was that the state actually realized > >that it had a constitutional duty to teach these students. The bill never > >made it out of the SC House but it was interesting to see how legislatures > >don't understand the real problem or the legal history of LEP programs but > >most of all they do not understand that English-Only laws may be a civil > >rights violation in an educational setting. > > > >Ken Taber > >kentaber@inetgenesis.com > > > > > > _________________________________________________________________ > Fast, faster, fastest: Upgrade to Cable or DSL today! > https://broadband.msn.com ------- End of Original Message -------
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