[NIFL-ESL:10850] Re: help with mixed level class

From: bonniesophia@adelphia.net
Date: Thu Apr 28 2005 - 13:57:10 EDT


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From: "bonniesophia@adelphia.net" <bonniesophia@adelphia.net>
To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov>
Subject: [NIFL-ESL:10850] Re: help with mixed level class
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Volunteers can also be found in ProLiteracy community-based organizations,
who also train tutors in ESL, and quite successfully, I might add, having
done it. (More training than tutoring, alas).
Bonnie Odiorne, Ph.D.
English Language Institute, Writing Center
Post University, Waterbury, CT

Original Message:
-----------------
From: kate.diggins kate.diggins@slc.k12.ut.us
Date: Thu, 28 Apr 2005 13:31:08 -0400 (EDT)
To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov
Subject: [NIFL-ESL:10849] Re: help with mixed level class


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<p>Dear Sandi,</p>

<p>Are there some logistical solutions that are possible?� If your class
is�"Advanced Beginner/Intermediate ESL",� is there a "Beginner ESL" class,
taught by a colleague, in which these students will be more comfortable?�
There are lots of excellent strategies for coping with a diversity of
levels in a class, but when the divergence is as great as you describe, I
feel that the best solution is to get the beginner students into a class at
the appropriate level.� If this is just not possible, I would recruit a
volunteer tutor (there are lots of good resources for volunteers, but you
might start with the volunteer service center at your local university or
community college) to help you split the class, for at least part of the
time.<font size="2">
<br />
<br />
<br /><b>---------- Original Message -----------</b>
<br />From: "Melvin Dr. Clark" <drclark@southtexascollege.edu> 
<br />To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> 
<br />Sent: Thu, 28 Apr 2005 13:10:40 -0400 (EDT) 
<br />Subject: [NIFL-ESL:10848] Re: help with mixed level class 
<br />
<br />> Sandi: You might want to consider allowing time to upgrade skills
in Native 
<br />> Language (provide you are trained in it), upon which to build a
bridge, etc. 
<br />> However, if more than one native language is represented, this
would not be 
<br />> feasible I understand. Also, a multi-level approach is possible by
"laying" 
<br />> the same lesson and giving it multiple times, starting with the
most 
<br />> advanced group up to the lowest group. This way, the lower groups
are able 
<br />> to "rehearse" the lesson before it actually arrives at their
tables, etc. 
<br />> Think about it. I have written quite extensively on this topic. Dr. 
<br />> Clark/Texas 
<br />> 
<br />> -----Original Message----- 
<br />> From: nifl-esl@nifl.gov 
<br />> To: Multiple recipients of list 
<br />> Sent: 4/28/2005 11:13 AM 
<br />> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:10847] Re: help with mixed level class 
<br />> 
<br />> Hi all, 
<br />> 
<br />> Thanks so much for the responses this far. �I am happy people are 
<br />> thinking of 
<br />> ideas for me. � 
<br />> 
<br />> Just a few qualifiers about my situation: 
<br />> 
<br />> 1) I am looking for activites that work well for both people who
speak 
<br />> NO 
<br />> English (as in they do not understand when you say "What's your
name") 
<br />> and 
<br />> advanced beginners. �The folks who speak NO English often have very
low 
<br />> literacy in their home languages. 
<br />> 
<br />> 2) I have NO fancy resources in the classroom. �No tape recorders,
no 
<br />> tvs, no 
<br />> computers, no electronic equipment of any kind. �Just me, a white
board 
<br />> and the 
<br />> students. 
<br />> 
<br />> Thanks, 
<br />> 
<br />> Sandi 
<br />> 
<br />> --- "Melvin Dr. Clark" <drclark@southtexascollege.edu> wrote: 
<br />> > A really wonderful resource I've used is Dr. Clark's Multilevel
ESL 
<br />> > Handbook, 1990. Lots of activities and the "why" of multi-level 
<br />> grouping, 
<br />> > etc. Of course, Dr. Clark is me! I've sold more than 500 through
DELTA 
<br />> > SYSTEMS, Chicago, but am now selling them out of my office. Let
me 
<br />> know. 
<br />> > 
<br />> > -----Original Message----- 
<br />> > From: nifl-esl@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-esl@nifl.gov]On Behalf Of
Debra 
<br />> > Clouston 
<br />> > Sent: Thursday, April 28, 2005 10:22 AM 
<br />> > To: Multiple recipients of list 
<br />> > Subject: [NIFL-ESL:10845] Re: help with mixed level class 
<br />> > 
<br />> > 
<br />> > If you have the resources, I would put them in groups and change
out 
<br />> with 
<br />> > activities. � Also, if you have a volunteer from a local literacy 
<br />> council, a 
<br />> > church, or a higher level student in the class. � I'd bring that 
<br />> person into 
<br />> > the picture as well. � 
<br />> > 
<br />> > As far as resources, computers. � �Rosetta Stone is a great
software 
<br />> package 
<br />> > that services students beginning to advanced. � � Or, you could
use 
<br />> cassette 
<br />> > recorders with books on tape. �Hooked on Phonics. � �OR, just
make up 
<br />> your 
<br />> > own games like concentration. � That's good for many topics. �
Match 
<br />> > numbers to numerals. � Match pictures to words. � 
<br />> > 
<br />> > Reading aloud to the students using larger big books is good for
all 
<br />> lower 
<br />> > level students to see the written word. �They can follow while
you 
<br />> read. 
<br />> > 
<br />> > Also, there is a way of teaching with pictures that allows you to
have 
<br />> > communication from the basic level to a higher level at one time. 
<br />> You have 
<br />> > the lower students discuss who is in the picture, what kind of 
<br />> clothing they 
<br />> > are wearing, make up jobs they might have, the advanced students
would 
<br />> have 
<br />> > a a higher level of response. �Your questions would be more
detailed. 
<br />> 
<br />> > 
<br />> > Also, you could set up groups whereby when the higher students
come in 
<br />> they 
<br />> > work on a reading comprehension story and answer the questions 
<br />> together 
<br />> > while you work with a lower group. � Then switch out so that you
are 
<br />> working 
<br />> > with the higher while the lower works together. � A volunteer
could 
<br />> help 
<br />> > with this in case the lower group gets stuck. 
<br />> > 
<br />> > Watch Crossroads Cafe' video tapes together. � The workbooks are 
<br />> leveled to 
<br />> > high, medium, low so that when they are working the follow-up,
each 
<br />> would be 
<br />> > working on their level. 
<br />> > 
<br />> > I hope some of this helps. 
<br />> > 
<br />> > Debra 
<br />> > 
<br />> > Debra Clouston, M.Ed. 
<br />> > Director of Literacy/Basic Skills 
<br />> > Craven Community College 
<br />> > 800 College Court 
<br />> > New Bern, NC 28562 
<br />> > (252) 638-7246 
<br />> > Fax: (252) 638-3538 
<br />> > cloustod@cravencc.edu 
<br />> > 
<br />> > 
<br />> > 
<br />> > 
<br />> > >>> gubinorama@yahoo.com 04/28/05 10:49AM >>> 
<br />> > Hello all, 
<br />> > 
<br />> > I need help figuring out some activities for a very mixed-level
class. 
<br />> 
<br />> > 
<br />> > I teach an Advanced Beginner-Intermediate ESL class. �Last week,
I 
<br />> taught a 
<br />> > class with three new students �two of whom spoke hardly any
English 
<br />> (They 
<br />> > didn't understand "What's your name" and "Where are you from.")
�and 
<br />> one of 
<br />> > who 
<br />> > spoke just a bit more. �The other three of my students were at
the 
<br />> advanced 
<br />> > beginner level; I was working on the simple past tense with them
and 
<br />> prosody 
<br />> > issues. �I had a hard time improvising activities for the class
and 
<br />> that is 
<br />> > why 
<br />> > I am writing this list. � 
<br />> > 
<br />> > Do you have ideas about activities that would work for such a 
<br />> mixed-level 
<br />> > class 
<br />> > as the one I describe above? � 
<br />> > 
<br />> > I would appreciate both ideas for activities/teaching points the 
<br />> entire 
<br />> > class 
<br />> > can participate in at the same time AND ideas for activities that
can 
<br />> occur 
<br />> > side-by-side, e.g. half the class does a worksheet and the other
half 
<br />> works 
<br />> > with me. 
<br />> > 
<br />> > Some background: I teach in a rolling admissions ESL program with
very 
<br />> mixed 
<br />> > level classes (mixed both in terms of language ability and
literacy). 
<br />> I am 
<br />> > used to teaching in this environment, but earlier this week, I
got 
<br />> thrown 
<br />> > for a 
<br />> > loop. � 
<br />> > 
<br />> > Thanks! � 
<br />> > 
<br />> > Sandi 
<br />> > Gubinorama at yahoo � 
<br />> > 
<br />> > 
<br />> > __________________________________________________ 
<br />> > Do You Yahoo!? 
<br />> > Tired of spam? �Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around 
<br />> > <a href="http://mail.yahoo.com/"
target="_blank">http://mail.yahoo.com> 
<br />> > 
<br />> 
<br />> __________________________________________________ 
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<br /><b>------- End of Original Message -------</b>
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