As an answer to message 2 about the cultural sensitivity, you have to talk to that student.
English is the global language and they have to stretch their rules a little bit.
For example, I (Ana Rıvera) am teaching in Ankara Turkey for the moment. They do have male and female schools
and dormitorıes.  I am teaching ın a males dormitory.  I am just very careful to cover myself very well and respect my students. 
I do not even wear short sleeves and most of the tımes I wear a scarf.  I wear pants, ın case I have to jump or mıme a verb.
They are used now to me and the FEMALE presence.  Fırst ıt was hard.
We go out and have a lıttle lunch or they show me the cıty around.
We have mutual respect both ways.
That female student could sıt ın the mıddle of the room and be surrounded by females only.
Thıs ıs how I dıd ın one semester.  I had students from Indıa and from Iran, who are very partıcular about the male presence.
The husbands were sometımes out of the room waıtıng for the females.  They can do that so that they make sure
The woman ıs fıne.  
They wıll see lıttle by lıttle that there ıs respect and that sexual harrassment ıs a bıg ıssue ın Amerıca.
I hope I helped you a lıttle.,
Ana> From: englishlanguage-request at nifl.gov> Subject: EnglishLanguage Digest, Vol 40, Issue 13> To: englishlanguage at nifl.gov> Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2009 12:00:02 -0500> > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific> than "Re: Contents of EnglishLanguage digest..."> > > > > Today's Topics:> > 1. [EnglishLanguage 3371] Does anyone have any Presidential> Inauguration materials? (Martin Senger)> 2. [EnglishLanguage 3372] Cultural sensitivity questions> (Betsy Wong)> 3. [EnglishLanguage 3373] Re: quantifying student interest in> material (Steve Kaufmann)> 4. [EnglishLanguage 3374] Re: quantifying student interest in> material (Steve Kaufmann)> 5. [EnglishLanguage 3375] Re: quantifying student interest in> material (robinschwarz1 at aol.com)> 6. [EnglishLanguage 3376] Re: Does anyone have any Presidential> Inauguration materials? (robinschwarz1 at aol.com)> 7. [EnglishLanguage 3377] Re: Does anyone have any Presidential> Inauguration materials? (Holly Dilatush)> 8. [EnglishLanguage 3378] Re: Does anyone have any Presidential> Inau guration materials? (La Ferla, Portia)> 9. [EnglishLanguage 3379] Re: Cultural sensitivity questions> (cece valentine)> > > ----------------------------------------------------------------------> > Message: 1> Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:46:07 -0500> From: "Martin Senger" <MSenger at GECAC.org>> Subject: [EnglishLanguage 3371] Does anyone have any Presidential> Inauguration materials?> To: "The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List"> <englishlanguage at nifl.gov>> Message-ID:> <C4FD03B248616142898446F1BE35F9DF02E5852E at gecacmail.gecac.org>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"> > Pax et bonum! (peace & goodness)> > > > We are combining our GED and ESL classes to watch the Inauguration next> week, and I am looking for any handouts or activities to use> before/after they watch it. Any ideas? > > > > Thanx!> > > > Martin E. Senger> > Adult ESL / Civics Teacher,> > G.E.C.A.C. / The R. Banjamin Wiley Learning Center> > Erie, Pa.> > Co-Director,> > ESL Special Interest Group> > Pa. Assoc. for Adult Continuing Education (PAACE)> > > > From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov> [mailto:englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of t m o l l i n s> Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2009 9:25 AM> To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List> Subject: [EnglishLanguage 3367] Re: [English Language 3360] Re:> quantifyingstudent interest in material> > > > > > Beautifully said Lee. I was just trying slog through a report called> Addressing Canada's Literacy Needs: A cost/benefit analysis that is> filled with little charts showing how many hours people at various> literacy levels need, how much it will cost to provide it to them and> how much they will return to the economy as a result. And weird stuff> like this:> > The causes of the literacy market failure can be traced to a few simple> facts. ... Markets only work well when both buyers and sellers have a> clear idea of the costs and benefits that would be associated with the> purchase of additional literacy skill and this is clearly not the case> with most Canadians, or their policy makers. ... Third, there is some> evidence that the current offering of literacy products and services> available to potential consumers does not reflect their needs. > > Your message is the perfect antidote to this drivel.> > Cheers, > tracey mollins> publisher ~ literacies: researching practice, practising research> > website: http://www.literacyjournal.ca> blog: http://literaciescafe.blogspot.com> > > I consider myself an advocate for students with learning disabilities -> for some students reading is so difficult, cumbersome, and confusing> that they will use an alternate format to access that same information> as a fluent reader. The same is true for those who are visually> impaired. > Just because reading difficulties are severe, doesn't mean that> processing of material that is far beyond the reading skill level can't> happen - it just happens in a different format. The use of, availability> of, and instruction of those different formats doesn't negate the> importance of reading skills for the general public, as a general rule.> One size doesn't fit all! > Everyone deserves equal access to information and education.> Thank goodness we live in a time when technology evens out the playing> field for those whose struggle with language in print. > > > > -------------- next part --------------> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...> URL: http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/englishlanguage/attachments/20090114/7dc7ce42/attachment-0001.html > > ------------------------------> > Message: 2> Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2009 11:18:29 -0500> From: "Betsy Wong" <betsywong at comcast.net>> Subject: [EnglishLanguage 3372] Cultural sensitivity questions> To: "'The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List'"> <englishlanguage at nifl.gov>> Message-ID: <20090114161831.3C83B11B20 at mail.nifl.gov>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"> > I'm enjoying this focused discussion a great deal and would like to throw> out another question for the facilitators and the group.> > > > At two separate registrations this year, we've had a female student who said> that she could only have a female teacher due to her religion. In one of the> cases, this was not possible at the desired class site, so we offered the> student a class at another site, taught by a female - but the student> refused because that teacher was a nonnative speaker of English.> > > > I was wondering if other programs have explicit policies on if/when to honor> requests for a class taught by .> > > > 1) a female (request due to religion); > > 2) a native speaker of English (request due to a variety of reasons - desire> for an authentic 'American' accent, etc.).> > > > For what it's worth, we've been able to handle culturally sensitive issues> in the classroom on a case-by-case basis. Examples: Honoring female> students' requests to do one-on-one pairwork with a female partner, for> religious reasons; allowing students to take breaks from class when they> need to break their religious fast and/or pray.> > > > I'd also mention that we have some nonnative English speakers teaching in> our program, and I have gotten very good feedback from students on them. > > > > Does anyone have suggestions?> > > > Betsy Lindeman Wong> > Lead ESL Teacher> > Alexandria Adult and Community Education> > -------------- next part --------------> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...> URL: http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/englishlanguage/attachments/20090114/113bbc56/attachment-0001.html > > ------------------------------> > Message: 3> Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2009 08:36:24 -0800> From: Steve Kaufmann <steve at thelinguist.com>> Subject: [EnglishLanguage 3373] Re: quantifying student interest in> material> To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List> <englishlanguage at nifl.gov>> Message-ID:> <f1a6e820901140836n139a0cd6yb652fa8180135780 at mail.gmail.com>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"> > Yes listening to the spoken language is vital to learning, and is an> important basis on which to build literacy skills. Literacy skills are not> necessary for a happy life, but they are a tremendous advantage. The need> for literacy skills has increased in the information age, as thousands of> automobile workers may be finding out.> > The computer does diminish the benefits of good literacy skills. People want> to get away from them. People want the comfort of human voices and human> interaction. Most people also prefer the uncomplicated comfort of a book,> rather than a computer, in front of which they often have to work. But when> they are in front of a computer they usually have to read. .The faster they> can read the better they will do.> > I do not understand how the computer makes reading less important. Please> explain.> > On Tue, Jan 13, 2009 at 3:12 PM, Michael Tate <mtate at sbctc.edu> wrote:> > >> > ----------------------------------------------------> > National Institute for Literacy> > Adult English Language Learners mailing list> > EnglishLanguage at nifl.gov<http://us.mc01g.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=EnglishLanguage@nifl.gov>> > To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to> > http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/englishlanguage> > Email delivered to bonniesophia at sbcglobal.net<http://us.mc01g.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=bonniesophia@sbcglobal.net>> > ----------------------------------------------------> > National Institute for Literacy> > Adult English Language Learners mailing list> > EnglishLanguage at nifl.gov<http://us.mc01g.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=EnglishLanguage@nifl.gov>> > To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to> > http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/englishlanguage> > Email delivered to steve at thelinguist.com<http://us.mc01g.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=steve@thelinguist.com>> >> >> >> >> > -----Inline Attachment Follows-----> >> > ----------------------------------------------------> > National Institute for Literacy> > Adult English Language Learners mailing list> > EnglishLanguage at nifl.gov<http://us.mc01g.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=EnglishLanguage@nifl.gov>> > To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to> > http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/englishlanguage> > Email delivered to cgv757 at yahoo.com<http://us.mc01g.mail.yahoo.com/mc/compose?to=cgv757@yahoo.com>> >> >> >> >> > ----------------------------------------------------> > National Institute for Literacy> > Adult English Language Learners mailing list> > EnglishLanguage at nifl.gov> > To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to> > http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/englishlanguage> > Email delivered to steve at thelinguist.com> >> >> >> > ----------------------------------------------------> > National Institute for Literacy> > Adult English Language Learners mailing list> > EnglishLanguage at nifl.gov> > To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to> > http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/englishlanguage> > Email delivered to steve at thelinguist.com> >> -------------- next part --------------> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...> URL: http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/englishlanguage/attachments/20090114/20b98e44/attachment-0001.html > > ------------------------------> > Message: 4> Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2009 08:37:34 -0800> From: Steve Kaufmann <steve at thelinguist.com>> Subject: [EnglishLanguage 3374] Re: quantifying student interest in> material> To: e_perezknapp at yahoo.com, The Adult English Language Learners> Discussion List <englishlanguage at nifl.gov>> Message-ID:> <f1a6e820901140837vdb8c44eo134b0addbe15b0f1 at mail.gmail.com>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252"> > Undoubtedly your father was proud and did not like being treated like a> child.> > On Wed, Jan 14, 2009 at 6:35 AM, Elida Perez-Knapp> <e_perezknapp at yahoo.com>wrote:> > > From a strictly personal point of view, I certainly agree that reading> > material must be relevant and is a major tool for those learning to read. My> > father was one of the those that lost interest in attending Adult Education> > classes because of the lack of relevance. As an adult in the 60's, raising a> > large family, he attended classes to learn how to read. He knew this was the> > key to getting and keeping a job. My mother tried to teach him and he did> > learn how to sign his name but he never learned to read. I remember him> > coming home from the classes and sharing with mother how the class> > would practice out-loud the sounds of the letters, "b -- bird, bird". He> > would laugh and say how silly that was.> >> > One of the jobs he held was in construction and there was his interest. I> > believe that if the topic of the adult education class had been anything in> > relation to construction he would have had a totally different> > experience. My father was an intelligent, hardworking man who accomplished> > many things in life yet did not overcome the challenge of learning to read.> > I realize that the teaching methods in AE have advanced tremendously since> > the 60's yet I often wonder how much more my day would have accomplished if> > only he had learned to read.> >> > Elida Perez Knapp> >> >> >> > *************************> > Courage does not always roar.> > Sometimes it is the quiet voice> > at the end of the day that says,> > "I will try again tomorrow."> > anonymous> >> > --- On *Sun, 1/11/09, Steve Kaufmann <steve at thelinguist.com>* wrote:> >> > From: Steve Kaufmann <steve at thelinguist.com>> > Subject: [EnglishLanguage 3314] Re: quantifying student interest in> > material> > To: "The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List" <> > englishlanguage at nifl.gov>> > Date: Sunday, January 11, 2009, 11:06 AM> >> > First of all, brain research has shown that we learn best from content that> > is relevant. Read Manfred Spitzer, the Human Brain and the School of Life.> >> > Second of all, the need for interesting material is greatest for people who> > do not read well in a given language. To give these learners content that is> > of no interest or relevance is an idea that strikes be as highly> > counterproductive.> >> > Third, someone in an academic or professional setting should already be a> > competent reader, and having made a choice of subject to study, or> > professional career, should be interested in what he or she is reading.> >> > Steve Kaufmann> > www.lingq.com> >> > On Sat, Jan 10, 2009 at 12:32 PM, stephen churchville <> > schurchville at hotmail.com> wrote:> >> >> Hi,> >>> >> The idea that interesting reading material makes for more> >> effective literacy instruction always sounded right to me, but now I am> >> thinking about cases where that might not be true, and wonder if trying to> >> keep it interesting is a disservice to students with academic or workplace> >> aspirations, where we are all required to read and understand lots of> >> uninteresting material.> >>> >> Does anyone know of any reports or studies that measure how student> >> interest in reading material influences outcomes?> >>> >> And how that then plays out in standardized tests?> >>> >> Thanks> >> Stephen Churchville> >> www.LessonWriter.com <http://www.lessonwriter.com/>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> >> ------------------------------> >> Windows Live?: Keep your life in sync. Check it out.<http://windowslive.com/explore?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_t1_allup_explore_012009>> >>> >> ----------------------------------------------------> >> National Institute for Literacy> >> Adult English Language Learners mailing list> >> EnglishLanguage at nifl.gov> >> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to> >> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/englishlanguage> >> Email delivered to steve at thelinguist.com> >>> >> > ----------------------------------------------------> > National Institute for Literacy> > Adult English Language Learners mailing listEnglishLanguage at nifl.gov> > To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go tohttp://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/englishlanguage> >> > Email delivered to e_perezknapp at yahoo.com> >> >> >> > ----------------------------------------------------> > National Institute for Literacy> > Adult English Language Learners mailing list> > EnglishLanguage at nifl.gov> > To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to> > http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/englishlanguage> > Email delivered to steve at thelinguist.com> >> -------------- next part --------------> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...> URL: http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/englishlanguage/attachments/20090114/33aeaeee/attachment-0001.html > > ------------------------------> > Message: 5> Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2009 11:40:52 -0500> From: robinschwarz1 at aol.com> Subject: [EnglishLanguage 3375] Re: quantifying student interest in> material> To: englishlanguage at nifl.gov> Message-ID: <8CB447DFE90D575-1494-695 at WEBMAIL-DZ10.sysops.aol.com>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"> > > Thank you Michael, for reminding us that oracy is the FIRST and important skill from which reading springs.? > > This discussion has two interesting threads-- one, that reading is somehow critical to thinking skills, and two, the related discussion of those who have difficulty dealing with reading from print.? Several thoughts come to mind in response to these discussions.? > > As for the idea that reading is critical to thinking skills, Michael is right in reminding us that oral traditions do not lack in thinking skill, though without doubt working with ideas through the medium of print provides a different way to deal with thinking about ideas.? In an article I read recently about the purposes of literacy, it was noted that a primary purpose of having a writing system is that it allows us to write down things we want to remember, thereby freeing up the brain's energy for more learning and language.?? What also comes to mind, however, is that how different cultures and traditions use writing and reading varies tremendously.?? While western thinking-- and therefore reading text and writing disciplines-- is very linear and logical, other cultures follow different patterns.? In some Asian cultures, the writer's purpose is to cause the reader to ponder and therefore it is bad form for the writer to explicitly state the point in writing.?? In some South> American traditions, and indeed, according to one of my professors, who is from Portugal, in her tradition, it is important20to write down virtually all one knows about a topic with no obvious organization-- or perhaps a sort of spiraling organization.?? These differences in text organization and writing traditions are regularly discussed in ESL, where the impact is felt when we have students from different cultures who approach text and writing quite differently from the way western-trained learners do.? > > Take for example the very American habit of expressing opinions and supporting topic sentences or theses with evidence.? When some of my very educated ESL students at a well-known university were blamed by the ESL writing teachers for having no ideas and no opinions on anything and being unable to think about topics, I had a conversation with these students.?? When asked when and how they gave opinions in their classrooms, they literally laughed outloud at the very notion, saying that if students gave opinions in their classes in their countries (these were students from around the globe), they would be expelled from class for defying or challenging the teacher.? Asked if they were ever asked to GIVE an opinion, they in turn asked WHY they would ever be requested to do so when the professor obviously knew all there was to know on a subject.?? Needless to say, this attitude towards thinking and expressing opinions caused a great deal of trouble for these students in an America> n setting, as mentioned.? Often their unfamiliarity with the habit of saying things for oneself resuited in what we call > plagiarism-- largely because the students would say that the author had already said it so well, how could they say it better??? Many times students from some cultures are often said to plagiarize because they respect the author so much they do not want to change his or her words.? > > I have long been interested in how culture interacts with learning in ESL adults and that aspect is just one.? A more common issue for learners with basic education-- or sometimes higher education- is that they come from education systems where the sole method of displaying 'learning" is recitation of memorized material.?? There is virtually no demand to process, analyze,? or otherwise interact with text other than to re-create it verbatim.? I taught in a system like that and literally did not believe it until I had been called on the carpet by the school administrators for not having my students do their "dictee" correctly. This practice is not limited to 3rd world countries or K-12 schools, either.? Last summer, I was talking about this issue in a workshop and one teacher/participant voluteered that she had been a student in a French university the previous year.? She said her final exam for her course at the unversity was to simply write verbatim her? "Notes de lecture"-- > notes all students were expected to take at each lecture.? Nothing was asked about the actual meaning or use of the content!!> > I now work in a school of over 1,000 adult ELLs from many cultures and this > is a very commonly encountered difficulty.? Yes, according to OUR standards, most of these students certainly lack critical thinking skills, and, just as they did when I worked in a college ESL setting,? when the teachers present material and lessons in which those skills are needed, conflicts arise as to what outcome is expected.? > > No amount of reading per se will result in a student acquiring critical thinking skills if he or she merely expects that reading and remembering the words is what is reading is.?? Critical reading/thinking skills MUST be taught and CAN be acquired, not just by ESL students, but by anyone for whom those skills were, for some reason, not developed in early years of education.? One population in which they must be developed slowly and carefully is in non-literate learners who are becoming literate as adults.?? I have found in many? years of both teaching these learners and studying those who do that often these learners expect that knowing the letters and sounds and being able to read words somehow results in reading comprehension.? It is a big cognitive leap for many to begin to use print to obtain information and to trigger thinking about a topic, no matter how mundane.?? Royer ( 2004), who surveys literacy programs for the UN, notes? that in general, adult non-literates reach> about 4th grade literacy, then plateau.? A part of that plateau is that they have not developed the critical thinking skills needed to go beyond the p> ure mechanics of reading.? > > Below are several readings on culture and reading/thinking-- Fox, who did a study at U Mass Amherst on the pervasiveness of culturally-learned learning habits, found that college ESL students persisted in using methods of writing and doing assignments learned in their culture despite having explicit instructions from their American professors, just as I found out anecdotally from my students that they were totally unfamiliar with and uncomfortable with the notion of expressing opinions. ?? > And Koda, who has done exhaustive research on second language reading, has irrefutable evidence that ALL reading functions of second/multii-language readers are accessed first in first language.? This means how text is approached--where meaning lies physically in sentences, for example-- as well as where critical information (if it is expected to be there) is expected to be, depends on where and how a given learner learned to read and was educated. ? For ESL instructors, this means we need to be aware of those possibilities and provide frequent, accessible, and incremental instruction in how students should access materials created in the US for US students. ?? > > Sorry if this is sort of covering several topics at once-- I am glad many have responded to the reading issue and LD.? One has only to look at the list of awardees of the Lab School of Washington's award for persons with LD who have Achieved at a High Levels to see that poor reading is not inversely correlated > with strong thinking skills-- we could look at that paradigm the other way, too, and wonder why it is that some people who read well cannot seem to employ critical thinking skills....or, as in the case of one of my relatives, why critical thinking skills were consciously put aside.....!> > Robin Lovrien Schwarz > > ??? ?Fox, H. (1994). Listening to the World: Cultural Issues in Academic Writing. Urbana, IL, National Council of Teachers of English.> ??? ?"Cross-cultural Awareness and the English-as-a Second-Language Classroom." (1984).? Irving, K. J. Theory into Practice XXIII(2).> ??? ?Gutierrez, K. D. and B. Rogoff (2003). "Cultural ways of learning: Individual traits repertoires of practice." Educational Research 32(5).> Koda, K. (2004). Insights into second language reading. A cross-linguistic approach. New York: Cambridge University Press. > ?Royer, J. M., Abadzi, H., & Kinda, J. (2004). The impact of phonological-awareness and rapid-reading training on the reading skills of adolescent and adult neoliterates. International Review of Education/Internationale Zeitschrift Fur Erziehungswissenschaft/Revue Internationale De l'Education, 50(1), 53-71. > > > > > -----Original Message-----> From: Michael Tate <mtate at sbctc.edu>> To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List <englishlanguage at nifl.gov>> Sent: Tue, 13 Jan 2009 6:12 pm> Subject: [EnglishLanguage 3363] Re: quantifying student interest in material> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Steve, > > > > ?> > > > Actually, all the reading re> search I have ever seen says that> oral communication (for which our species is hard-wired) is the crucial> foundation for reading as well as for critical thinking, problem-solving, and> decision-making.? Whereas many theorists call reading ?an unnatural> act? for humans, because we are born pre-programmed to learn a spoken> language, most of our cleverness and sociability is rooted in our oral language> experiences.? > > > > ?> > > > Clearly, the depth and richness of cultures that spring from> people with no written language is proof that reading is not required to> develop intellectual, emotional and spiritual sophistication.> > > > ?> > > > I started my professional life as a poet and literature teacher,> so I know the joys of reading.? But, I think it was my first year in> graduate school that I learned there was a long oral tradition that everyone> used to know and participate in.? We gained a lot from Gutenburg?s> invention in the 1450s, but some things were lost, too, when the intelligentsia> threw up a fence around ?the written word.? 550 years or so later,> balance has returned, a product of the succeeding technology, the computer.> > > > ?> > > > > > > From:> englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov] On> Behalf Of Steve Kaufmann> > Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2009 10:11 AM> > To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List> > Subject: [EnglishLanguage 3351] Re: quantifying student interest in> material> > > > > > > ?> > > > Michael,> > > > I simply > do not agree. Reading is key to the ability to communicate, and that> is why literacy is the most reliable indicator of professional success. That is> a fact. Your predictions about "digiracy" may be an appealing vision> for you and a few others but are not reflected in present day reality.> > > > > > > On Tue, Jan 13, 2009 at 10:03 AM, Michael Tate <mtate at sbctc.edu> wrote:> > > > > > > > > > CeCe and Steve, > > > > Reading was the critical skill> in the 20thCentury, but since the advent of computers that can> speak, read and listen, digiracy rather than literacy is the key skill for the> 21st. ?This technological advance, and others, allows us to> create education programs, classrooms and tutorials where students can interact> and respond to lessons in a variety of modes, not just ?through reading> and writing.? We all need to step up and implement Universal Design. We> also need to eliminate college entrance criteria that are obsolete, like> insisting upon fluent reading skills.> > > > ?> > > > Steve,> > > > Some people with dyslexia> ?will NEVER be able to learn to read so that it is a useful skill.?> Instead of having the student perseverate on trying to learn to read, the> instructor needs to re-focus them on learning to use a compensatory device or> software.? > > > > ?> > > > Michael Tate> > > > ?> > > > > > > From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov> [mailto:englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov]> On Behalf Of cece valentine> > Sent: Tuesday, January 13, 2009 6:13 AM> > > > > > > > > To: The Adult20English Language Learners Discussion List> > > > > > > Subject: [EnglishLanguage 3341] Re: quantifying student> interest in material> > > > > > > > > > > > > ?> > > > > > > > > > > > > Glad U didnt teach in a college years ago.? Reading skils are not> critical thinking skills.? Many dyslexics have critical thinking skills> but the mechanics of reading are a chore.> > > > > > > ?> > > > > > > Land grant colleges were open to anyone who could get there.? Many> adults learned to read after they got to the college.? Their critical> thinking skills and divergent patterns of thought kept them going until;> maybe years later, they were prepared to teach or be lawyers or doctors.> > > > --- On Tue, 1/13/09, Steve Kaufmann <steve at thelinguist.com>> wrote:> > > > > > > > > From: Steve Kaufmann <steve at thelinguist.com>> > Subject: [EnglishLanguage 3340] Re: quantifying student interest in material> > To: "The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List" <englishlanguage at nifl.gov>> > Date: Tuesday, January 13, 2009, 12:14 AM> > > > > If a college student has trouble reading> he/she should not be there.> > > > I do not believe that you can teach critical thinking skills. A person who> reads widely and has been exposed to many different facts and points of view> has a better chance of developing the ability to think clearly and express> thoughts in a balanced and persuasive manner. Readi> ng is key.> > > > > > > ?> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Windows Live?: Keep your life in sync. Check it out.> > ----------------------------------------------------> > National Institute for Literacy> > Adult English Language Learners mailing list> > EnglishLanguage at nifl.gov> > To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to> > http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/englishlanguage> > Email delivered to steve at thelinguist.com> > > > ----------------------------------------------------> > National Institute for Literacy> > Adult English Language Learners mailing list> > EnglishLanguage at nifl.gov> > To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to> > http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/englishlanguage> > Email delivered to bonniesophia at sbcglobal.net> > ----------------------------------------------------> > National Institute for Literacy> > Adult English Language Learners mailing list> > EnglishLanguage at nifl.gov> > To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/englishlanguage> > Email delivered to steve at thelinguist.com> > > > > > > ?> > > > > > > -----Inline Attachment Follows-----> > > > > ----------------------------------------------------> > National Institute for Literacy> > Adult English Language Learners mailing list> > EnglishLanguage at nifl.gov> > To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/englishlanguage> > Emai> l delivered to cgv757 at yahoo.com> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ?> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > ----------------------------------------------------> > National Institute for Literacy> > Adult English Language Learners mailing list> > EnglishLanguage at nifl.gov> > To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/englishlanguage> > Email delivered to steve at thelinguist.com> > > > > > > ?> > > > > > > > > > > > > ----------------------------------------------------> National Institute for Literacy> Adult English Language Learners mailing list> EnglishLanguage at nifl.gov> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to > http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/englishlanguage> Email delivered to robinschwarz1 at aol.com> > > > > > -------------- next part --------------> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...> URL: http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/englishlanguage/attachments/20090114/187c8f86/attachment-0001.html > > ------------------------------> > Message: 6> Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2009 11:49:46 -0500> From: robinschwarz1 at aol.com> Subject: [EnglishLanguage 3376] Re: Does anyone have any Presidential> Inauguration materials?> To: englishlanguage at nifl.gov> Message-ID: <8CB447F3DFD1D5F-1494-769 at WEBMAIL-DZ10.sysops.aol.com>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"> > > Check out the Washington Post-- for over a week now it has had an "Inauguration Page" in every edition.? Very useful information.? And I am sure the Inauguration website must have a bunch of stuff--and other sites as well.?? Robin Lovrien Schwarz> > > > > > > > -----Original Message-----> From: Martin Senger <MSenger at GECAC.org>> To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List <englishlanguage at nifl.gov>> Sent: Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:46 am> Subject: [EnglishLanguage 3371] Does anyone have any Presidential Inauguration materials?> > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Pax et bonum! (peace & goodness)> > > > ?> > > > We are combining our GED and ESL classes to watch the Inauguration> next week, and I am looking for any handouts or activities to use before/after> they watch it. Any ideas? > > > > ?> > > > Thanx!> > > > ?> > > > > > > Martin E. Senger> > > > Adult ESL / Civics Teacher,> > > > G.E.C.A.C. / The R. Banjamin Wiley Learning Center> > > > Erie, Pa.> > > > Co-Director,> > > > ESL Special Interest Group> > > > Pa. Assoc. for Adult Continuing Education (PAACE)> > > > > > > ?> > > > > > > > > > From:> englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov] On> Behalf Of t m o l l i n s> > Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2009 9:25 AM> > To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List> > Subject: [EnglishLanguage 3367] Re: [English Language 3360] Re:> quantifyingstudent interest in material> > > > > > > > > > ?> > > > > > > ?> > > > > > > Beautifully> said Lee. I> was just trying slog through a report called Addressing Canada?s> Literacy Needs: A cost/benefit analysis that is filled with little charts> showing how many hours people at various literacy levels need, how much it will> cost to provide it to them and how much they will return to the economy as a> result. And weird stuff like this:> > > > The causes of the literacy market failure can be traced to a few simple facts.> ... Markets only work well when both buyers and sellers have a clear idea of> the costs and benefits that would be associated with the purchase of additional> literacy skill and this is clearly not the case with most Canadians, or their> policy makers. ?... Third, there is some evidence that the current> offering of literacy products and services available to potential consumers> does not reflect their needs. > > > > Your message is the perfect antidote to this drivel.> > > > Cheers, > > tracey mollins> > publisher ~ literacies: researching> practice, practising research> > > > website: http://www.literacyjournal.ca> > blog: http://literaciescafe.blogspot.com> > > > > > I consider myself an advocate for students with learning> disabilities ? for some students reading is so difficult, cumbersome, and> confusing that they will use an alternate format to access that same> information as a fluent reader. ?The same is true for those who are> visually impaired. ?> > Just because reading difficulties are severe, doesn?t mean that processing of> material that is far beyond the reading skill level can?t> happen ? it just> happens in a different format. The use of, availability of, and instruction of> those different formats doesn?t negate the importance of reading skills for the> general public, as a general rule.> > One size doesn?t fit all! ?> > Everyone deserves equal access to information and education.> > Thank goodness we live in a time when technology evens out the playing field> for those whose struggle with language in print. > > > > ?> > > > > > > > > > > > > ----------------------------------------------------> National Institute for Literacy> Adult English Language Learners mailing list> EnglishLanguage at nifl.gov> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to > http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/englishlanguage> Email delivered to robinschwarz1 at aol.com> > > > > > -------------- next part --------------> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...> URL: http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/englishlanguage/attachments/20090114/ca0f9fce/attachment-0001.html > > ------------------------------> > Message: 7> Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2009 11:29:37 -0500> From: "Holly Dilatush" <holly at dilatush.com>> Subject: [EnglishLanguage 3377] Re: Does anyone have any Presidential> Inauguration materials?> To: "The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List"> <englishlanguage at nifl.gov>> Message-ID:> <a305dbd10901140829i39cc6a74s1d9926bd20a031fc at mail.gmail.com>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"> > Thanks to the amazing and wonderful Larry Ferlazzo, try these:> > http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2008/12/23/the-best-sites-for-learning-about-the-presidential-inauguration/> > Enjoy!> holly> > On Wed, Jan 14, 2009 at 10:46 AM, Martin Senger <MSenger at gecac.org> wrote:> > > Pax et bonum! (peace & goodness)> >> >> >> > We are combining our GED and ESL classes to watch the Inauguration next> > week, and I am looking for any handouts or activities to use before/after> > they watch it. Any ideas?> >> >> >> > Thanx!> >> >> >> > Martin E. Senger> >> > *Adult ESL / Civics Teacher,*> >> > G.E.C.A.C. / The R. Banjamin Wiley Learning Center> >> > Erie, Pa.> >> > *Co-Director,***> >> > ESL Special Interest Group> >> > Pa. Assoc. for Adult Continuing Education (PAACE)> >> >> >> > --> > Holly (Dilatush)> > ESOL Coordinator/Facilitator/Instructor> > ABA Virtual Learning Center> > storyteller, poet, intentional dialoguer> > Charlottesville, VA USA> > holly at dilatush.com> > (434) 960.7177 cell phone> > (434) 295.9716 home phone> > [OK to call 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. EST / GMT -5 time]> >> > delight~ demonstrate~ disentangle~ [holly's mantra for 2009]> >> > Plan to attend TESOL 2009! http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/convention2009/> >> > My presentation: Exploring Intercultural Communication and Conflict> > Resolution Through Drama; Reflecting Online:> > 3/28/2009 at 12:30 PM in room 603 at the Colorado Convention Center.> >> > http://tales-around-the-world.blogspot.com> > http://abavirtual-learningcenter.org> > http://blogblossoms.edublogs.org> > *Twitter ID = hollydilatush> > Skype ID = smilin7> >> -------------- next part --------------> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...> URL: http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/englishlanguage/attachments/20090114/8ecdb3e8/attachment-0001.html > > ------------------------------> > Message: 8> Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2009 08:49:27 -0800> From: "La Ferla, Portia" <PLaFerla at tusd.org>> Subject: [EnglishLanguage 3378] Re: Does anyone have any Presidential> Inau guration materials?> To: 'The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List'> <englishlanguage at nifl.gov>> Message-ID:> <125122019E985F419CB89F236A42CC8B0C610977 at ngriffith.tusd.k12.ca.us>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"> > Larry Ferlazzo's Website of the Day posting for today lists sites that are> good for the inauguration. He has a whole list filed on his website under> "Social Studies." Here is the link: > > > > http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/ <http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/> .> > > > Portia La Ferla> > ESL Resource Teacher/ Program Coordinator> > Torrance Adult School > > > > _____ > > From: Martin Senger [mailto:MSenger at GECAC.org] > Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2009 9:46 AM> To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List> Subject: [EnglishLanguage 3371] Does anyone have any Presidential> Inauguration materials?> > > > Pax et bonum! (peace & goodness)> > > > We are combining our GED and ESL classes to watch the Inauguration next> week, and I am looking for any handouts or activities to use before/after> they watch it. Any ideas? > > > > Thanx!> > > > Martin E. Senger> > Adult ESL / Civics Teacher,> > G.E.C.A.C. / The R. Banjamin Wiley Learning Center> > Erie, Pa.> > Co-Director,> > ESL Special Interest Group> > Pa. Assoc. for Adult Continuing Education (PAACE)> > > > From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov> [mailto:englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of t m o l l i n s> Sent: Wednesday, January 14, 2009 9:25 AM> To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List> Subject: [EnglishLanguage 3367] Re: [English Language 3360] Re:> quantifyingstudent interest in material> > > > > > Beautifully said Lee. I was just trying slog through a report called> Addressing Canada's Literacy Needs: A cost/benefit analysis that is filled> with little charts showing how many hours people at various literacy levels> need, how much it will cost to provide it to them and how much they will> return to the economy as a result. And weird stuff like this:> > The causes of the literacy market failure can be traced to a few simple> facts. ... Markets only work well when both buyers and sellers have a clear> idea of the costs and benefits that would be associated with the purchase of> additional literacy skill and this is clearly not the case with most> Canadians, or their policy makers. ... Third, there is some evidence that> the current offering of literacy products and services available to> potential consumers does not reflect their needs. > > Your message is the perfect antidote to this drivel.> > Cheers, > tracey mollins> publisher ~ literacies: researching practice, practising research> > website: http://www.literacyjournal.ca <http://www.literacyjournal.ca> > blog: http://literaciescafe.blogspot.com> <http://literaciescafe.blogspot.com> > > > I consider myself an advocate for students with learning disabilities - for> some students reading is so difficult, cumbersome, and confusing that they> will use an alternate format to access that same information as a fluent> reader. The same is true for those who are visually impaired. > Just because reading difficulties are severe, doesn't mean that processing> of material that is far beyond the reading skill level can't happen - it> just happens in a different format. The use of, availability of, and> instruction of those different formats doesn't negate the importance of> reading skills for the general public, as a general rule.> One size doesn't fit all! > Everyone deserves equal access to information and education.> Thank goodness we live in a time when technology evens out the playing field> for those whose struggle with language in print. > > > > -------------- next part --------------> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...> URL: http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/englishlanguage/attachments/20090114/44d0a752/attachment-0001.html > > ------------------------------> > Message: 9> Date: Wed, 14 Jan 2009 08:53:27 -0800 (PST)> From: cece valentine <cgv757 at yahoo.com>> Subject: [EnglishLanguage 3379] Re: Cultural sensitivity questions> To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List> <englishlanguage at nifl.gov>> Message-ID: <87442.29387.qm at web38208.mail.mud.yahoo.com>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="windows-1252"> > betsey, if u offered another teacher to the student that met her religion's reuirements, then she refused, it's your obligation to say U have met the requirements of you position.? She can either go to class or not and move on.? Unless yr resources are unlimitrd, I would not move any further on that situation.> > --- On Wed, 1/14/09, Betsy Wong <betsywong at comcast.net> wrote:> > > From: Betsy Wong <betsywong at comcast.net>> Subject: [EnglishLanguage 3372] Cultural sensitivity questions> To: "'The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List'" <englishlanguage at nifl.gov>> Date: Wednesday, January 14, 2009, 11:18 AM> > > > > > > > > I?m enjoying this focused discussion a great deal and would like to throw out another question for the facilitators and the group.> ?> At two separate registrations this year, we?ve had a female student who said that she could only have a female teacher due to her religion. In one of the cases, this was not possible at the desired class site, so we offered the student a class at another site, taught by a female ? but the student refused because that teacher was a nonnative speaker of English.> ?> I was wondering if other programs have explicit policies on if/when to honor requests for a class taught by ?> ?> 1) a female (request due to religion); > 2) a native speaker of English (request due to a variety of reasons ? desire for an authentic ?American? accent, etc.).> ?> For what it?s worth, we?ve been able to handle culturally sensitive issues in the classroom on a case-by-case basis. Examples: Honoring female students? requests to do one-on-one pairwork with a female partner, for religious reasons; allowing students to take breaks from class when they need to break their religious fast and/or pray.> ?> I?d also mention that we have some nonnative English speakers teaching in our program, and I have gotten very good feedback from students on them. > ?> Does anyone have suggestions?> ?> Betsy Lindeman Wong> Lead ESL Teacher> Alexandria Adult and Community Education> -----Inline Attachment Follows-----> > > ----------------------------------------------------> National Institute for Literacy> Adult English Language Learners mailing list> EnglishLanguage at nifl.gov> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/englishlanguage> Email delivered to cgv757 at yahoo.com> > > > -------------- next part --------------> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...> URL: http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/englishlanguage/attachments/20090114/7a6bda03/attachment-0001.html > > ------------------------------> > ----------------------------------------------------> National Institute for Literacy> Adult English Language Learners mailing list> EnglishLanguage at nifl.gov> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/englishlanguage> > End of EnglishLanguage Digest, Vol 40, Issue 13> ***********************************************
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