Good evening/good morning 


I'm loath to jump in at this point. As we've seen in the Portland ESL
Lab school, when "students" are given a task, it is best to NOT jump in
as they are interacting or trying to solve a problem - once you do, the
interaction changes as students look at you, the teacher as the expert,
instead of seeing each other as a resource. Once the task has been
completed, the teacher role comes back into play - providing feedback,
extending insights, highlighting language etc ((I am paraphrasing here).

And since the discussion seems to be in full swing, let me just
highlight a few points that jumped out at me as I was reading the posts.
So let me just summarize a couple. 

1. Non=literate learners need different approaches that do those who
have literacy skills in the native language. Non-literate learners
nevertheless have linguistic resources (internalized knowledge of how
their own language works). As teachers or tutors we can build on that
knowledge, and we are doing way too little of it. Just as we can engage
students in talking about their town or their family because this is
what they know, we can engage them in thinking about their own language
as a bridge to English. Linguistics talks about the importance of
"language awareness" and "language curiosity" - helping students to see
how language works by becoming aware of how they say things in their
language and how the language to be learned might be similar or
different - how are words put together - are their pre-fixes and
suffixes and what do they indicate? And isn'[t it interesting that
English needs two words to show that something is very big or very
little when a language like Spanish can do so in one word? Helping
students see patterns in the language they use and the language they
learn can help create such an awareness. 

2. Once students have a certain threshold level of literacy, feeding the
hunger for more reading becomes fun and time to just read is important -
as is making it possible for students to grew in new directions that we
may have never imagined. If we always try to control the content and
pace of what students read, how will they ever get ahead of us. Getting
there, is the challenge, of course. I am of the firm opinion that by
following textbooks that focus almost exclusively on life skills (so
that Level 5 doesn't look all that different from level 2) we are vastly
underestimating what students can read and talk about when there is a
"need to know" and a desire to tell. 


But how do we get there?  Perhaps we can also talk a bit about the kind
of scaffolding you provide to make more abstract ideas and difficult
words and concepts accessible to students? The discussion has already
focused on a number of strategies that help students "get a text" before
they even start looking at print (pre-telling the text or story using
sketches, story boarding or various forms of Chalk Talk; mind mapping
and pre-teaching key vocabulary; using high interest materials that are
easily accessible (personal stories) as a bridge to more complex ideas
(why people leave one country to go to another; what it means to be
uprooted; the push and pull factors of immigration). Are there others
that have worked for you or do you have specific examples that show your
being successful with hone of those strategies? 

In terms of practical examples, how do you work with the news in your
classes (print, radio, TV?) Are you using the news about the disasters
in Myanmar and in China as jumping off points for reading, discussion
and language work? How so or why not? What do you do to build
comprehension skills?  

We've started talking a bit about the importance of "word study" and
helping students develop vocabulary, and showing them how they can make
friends with words and remember them - it's not that easy once you go
beyond high frequency every day words. What strategies have worked for
you? 









-----Original Message-----
From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Anne Whiteside
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 1:13 PM
To: robinschwarz1 at aim.com; englishlanguage at nifl.gov
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 2464] Re: literacy for very low literate
ornon-literate learners

Robin's point, that ESL literacy students often know more than one
language, having learned a second language without access to written
forms, is super important. In California we have increasing numbers of
indigenous language speakers from  Mexico and Central America, many of
whom learned Spanish late, and without schooling. Guatemala, where more
than half the population speaks some 23 Mayan languages, has high rates
of illiteracy, yet people often speak 2 or 3 Mayan languages plus
Spanish  These adults have linguistic resources when they come to study
English--some awareness of phonological, syntactic and lexical
differences, that we need to tap into.  This doesn't mean requiring them
to learn a whole set of labels for grammatical categories. It might mean
asking them to say a word or a phrase in their two languages, and then
compare these to the English form, or asking them how  they learned
Spanish.

I believe teachers need more training/resources that would allow them to
recognize and call attention to  resources their students have, to shift
the focus away from academic deficits to strengths. These students have
taken a different path to language learning, which can serve as a basis.
 To borrow from Reverend Wright  (whatever you may think of him!)
"Different is not deficient." But as yet there is virtually no research
about or general awareness of  this kind of learning in the field. We
need to get to work!! I'm currently working on a project analyzing the
Spanish of some of these students, and will keep you all posted!!

Anne Whiteside
City College of San Francisco


>>> robinschwarz1 at aim.com 05/14/08 10:02 AM >>>


 In response to Jane's comment that her program does not use rules, I
might add that not only are non-literate learners not familiar with
rules in L1 (why would they be if they are not literate??)? but if their
languages are not written at all, there are no WORDS for rules, literacy
conventions (i.e. words for such things as "sentence, question, capital
letter, (though it could be 'BIG")--punctuation, --any grammar
expressions etc. , perhaps not even "book".? I recently met members of
the Hmong community here in Wisconsin who work with literacy programs
for the Hmong and, since Hmong has only been written for a few decades,
and mostly in this country, I suspected that Hmong did not have these
words.? These persons confirmed that, and when I asked what they did
about words like that as they developed a writing system for Hmong,?
they told me they had to make them up, since Hmong did not have them
before.??? 

This means that one of the best adult language learning techniques,
referring to one's first language for comparison or comprehension, is
not possible for these concepts, making the challenge of learning even
bigger for those from backgrounds with non-written languages.? And even
if the language is written, as Spanish or something else-- even
Somali--- the uneducated learners will not know the meaning of the words
in those languages for concepts of grammar etc. They have to learn these
concepts from scratch, not from being told what the rules are.? 

Yet many--probably most-- of these learners already speak more than one
language, meaning they learned to use another language functionally
without reference to rules.?? I think it is? important to? remember
that, and acknowledge that they ARE language learners, just not in the
mold we think of--and not in the mold of literate learners.?? Comparing
the learning of the non-literate/uneducated with that of more literate
learners is inevitably going to make the former look bad, when in fact
they are very successful language learners on a different plane.?? 

Robin Lovrien Schwarz 






 


 

-----Original Message-----
From: janeaddeo at comcast.net
To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List
<englishlanguage at nifl.gov>
Sent: Tue, 13 May 2008 10:58 pm
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 2440] Re: literacy for very low literate or
non-literate learners











Hi all,


?


My name is Jane Addeo. I teach adult Latinos in the Annapolis, MD. area
in a faith-based program ( The church allows us to use the high school
for night classes)? The majority?has little or no literacy in Spanish
and app. 3 years of formal education.? 


?


At the beginning level, we usually have a teacher and an assistant. We
do not begin with the alphabet, but rather, provide a lot of oral
practice with gestures, pictures.?The oral practice includes large
group, small group, students, teacher and assistant circulating room.?
?When the students are comfortable with orally producing, for example,
"I am___.? I am from____.? I live____"? etc., we introduce the writing
of the expressions- tracing the letters, connecting the dots of the
letters- if necessary, Cloze exercises etc. ?At times, it is necessary
to teach some how to hold a pencil/pen.? Then, we practice reading the
expressions.


?


We concentrate on using students' info to personalize the lesson and to
make the lesson relevant to them.? 


?


I recommend? A teacher's guide: teaching basic literacy to ESOL
learners? (2006) by Marina Spiegal & Helen Sunderland available from?
peppercornbooks.com


?


We avoid rules at this level because most are not familiar with rules in
L1.? 


?


An earlier posting discussed written corrections-?we assist the student
with corrections?in pencil or black or blue pen- this reduces stress.


?


Thanks to Heide and all for your informative comments.


?


?


?


?


-------------- Original message -------------- 
From: "Wrigley, Heide" <heide at literacywork.com> 


> Hi, Darlene and everyone who works with low level learners. 

> 

> We worked with the Coalition for Limited English Speaking Elderly to 

> develop a curriculum for refugees and immigrants who struggled with 

> English and were relatively new to English literacy. 

> 

> This may still not be low enough for what your students need and we'll



> talk about the issues that Phil from Florida has also raised - how to 

> help non-literate immigrants and refugees break into literacy without 

> killing them with the alphabet. The curriculum relies on hands-on work



> with literacy and tries to link ideas from learners' everyday lives ( 

> based on a needs assessment) with English language and literacy

skills.) 

> 

>

; 

> For those of you who work with non-literate learners, what do you do

to 

> introduce print without killing them with the alphabet? Environmental 

> print, anyone - combined perhaps with an introduction to the rules and



> patterns of English print that uses texts from learners' lives as a 

> starting point? 

> 

> Here's the link for the curriculum 

> 

> http://www.clese.org/brightideas_eslcurric.htm 

> 

> By the way, there is no copyright on any of these materials, so Xerox 

> away 

> 

> Let me know if this is helpful 

> 

> 

> Best 

> 

> Heide 

> 

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

> From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov 

> [mailto:englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Darlene Snider 

> Sent: Monday, May 12, 2008 5:06 PM 

> To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List 

> Subject: [EnglishLanguage 2394] Re: R

eading and Adult English Language 

> Learners 

> 

> Heide, 

> 

> I am very excited about this discussion. I work with the 

> level 1 (including pre-lit) and level 2 ESL students at 

> Walla Walla Community College in Walla Walla Wa. I would 

> like to gain some insight into how to really address the 

> needs of the students who enter at the pre-lit reading 

> level. I feel that these are students who really need 

> every ounce of expertise i have and I'm looking for some 

> strategies I can apply in my classroom . 

> 

> darlene 

> 

> 

> 

> On Mon, 12 May 2008 14:17:49 -0400 

> "Wrigley, Heide" wrote: 

> > Good morning all 

> > 

> > 

> > 

> > It's 7 am here in Southern New Mexico, it's still nice 

> >and cool and the 

> > roses are blooming big time and I should be going out to 

>

; >water soon 

> > (coffee first, though) 

> > 

> > 

> > 

> > 

> > 

> > I wanted to welcome you to the discussion on ESL Reading 

> >and am hoping 

> > that we'll have a lively back and forth as you pose 

> >questions, challenge 

> > assumptions, and share your own experience teaching 

> >reading to ESL 

> > students - either teaching these skills explicitly and 

> >systematically or 

> > just folding reading into your regular curriculum. 

> > 

> > 

> > 

> > I would like to invite you to tell us a sentence or two 

> >about yourself 

> > and your work and your experience before you post your 

> >messages. 

> > 

> > 

> > 

> > Just a bit of background: I'm Heide Spruck Wrigley and 

> >my work revolves 

> > around the intersection of r

esearch, policy and 

> >practice. I've been 

> > involved in several studies on ESL literacy (broader 

> >than just reading) 

> > that we can talk about, and this year I'm doing quite a 

> >bit of work 

> > around workplace literacy. Most of my work has been 

> >with language 

> > minority adults who are relatively new to English but 

> >I've also taught 

> > in intensive reading programs at the university level. 

> > 

> > 

> > 

> > I've been working with the Texas GREAT Centers 

> >(professional development 

> > centers) for a number of years, and this year we started 

> >a series of 

> > institutes that focus on ESL Reading with a special 

> >emphasis on 

> > comprehension skills. So this discussion is an outgrowth 

> >of this work. 

> > 

> > 

> > 

> > A bit 

later, I'll write a note about the 2 or 3 things 

> >we know for sure 

> > about reading (of any kind, not just reading in another 

> >language so we 

> > don't have to get caught up in the "reading wars"). 

> > 

> > 

> > 

> > But in the meantime, I'd like to invite you to jump in 

> >and say a bit 

> > more about who you are and what issues you are 

> >grappling with when it 

> > comes to helping your ESL students understand what they 

> >read. 

> > 

> > 

> > 

> > And a special welcome to the Texas teachers who have 

> >been involved in 

> > the institutes. I'm hoping you will share your 

> >experience teaching 

> > reading and tell us what has worked for you. 

> > 

> > 

> > 

> > All the best 

> > 

> > 

> > 

> > Heide 

&g
t; > 

> > 

> > 

> > 

> > 

> > 

> > 

> >From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov 

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

> >Lynda Terrill 

> > Sent: Monday, May 12, 2008 7:21 AM 

> > To: englishlanguage at nifl.gov 

> > Subject: [EnglishLanguage 2374] Discussion on Reading 

> >and Adult 

> > EnglishLanguage Learners begins 

> > 

> > 

> > 

> > Dear subscribers, 

> > 

> > I am happy to announce that our discussion on reading 

> >and adults 

> > learning English as a second language is beginning. 

> > Heide Wrigley will 

> > be facilitating this discussion along with Texas 

> >practitioners who have 

> > been working on a project related to reading. I look 

> >forward to hearing 

> > what they have to share, butI also l

ook forward to 

> >hearing many of your 

> > experiences, questions, and answers about this important 

> >topic. 

> > 

> > Lynda Terrill 

> > lterrill at cal.org 

> > 

> > 

> > ________________________________ 

> > 

> > Stay in touch when you're away with Windows Live 

> >Messenger. IM anytime 

> > you're online. 

> > 

> 

> > fresh_messenger_052008> 

> > 

> 

> 

> This message has been scanned for SPAM and viruses by Barracuda

Networks 

> SPAM Firewall 400. 

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----------------------------------------------------
National Institute for Literacy
Adult English Language Learners mailing list
EnglishLanguage at nifl.gov
To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to
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Email delivered to heide at literacywork.com