Hello, Steve and all:
 
I would hope that I would never go into a classroom and tell a learner what
to think.  That's never been my intention and I have always worked very
hard, as have many, to avoid that.  But explain and perhaps demonstrate to
learners the dominant thought processing of people around them, how those
people might be expecting them to access and use those processes, and giving
them opportunities in the environment of the classroom to try out or learn
how to address the language, behaviors and patterns of those thought
processes?  I only hope that I can do a little of that.  I do consider it an
important part of langauge acquisition, and effective communication in
general.
 
And yes, I would appreciate--have appreciated--someone doing that for me if
I were living in a different culture.
 
MaryAnn
 
MaryAnn Florez

Director, Adult Education Professional Development Center

D.C. LEARNs


  _____  

From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Steve Kaufmann
Sent: Wednesday, July 29, 2009 1:20 PM
To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 4645] Re: computers for
familiesprograms+learnerempowerment


I am a little confused by all of this. Are the learners educated in their L1
and pursuing academic studies in the US, as Andrea suggests? I that case I
think that it is not their English coach that should teach them critical
thinking. This is something that they will learn from their various courses,
if their English skills are good enough. So I would focus on language.
Finding out who contributes what to electoral campaigns is irrelevant to
academic pursuits.

Are the learners unschooled people like those folks from Appalachia, as
Glenda says? If so I think there are many things to learn before critical
thinking enters the equation. Again, the ability to read will really help
them access information about blood types and DNA and other facts of life.

Is critical thinking really about helping non-native speakers navigate
American ways of thinking as MaryAnn says? Do teachers really not judge
these other ways of thinking? 

What if the roles were reversed and MaryAnn were studying in a society were
the norm was not to question the views of authority figures, especially as a
woman? Would she conform to that cultural norm as part of learning the
language? Or would she still try to be who she was, based on her accumulated
cultural background and experience? Would she not just concentrate on the
language, and although aware of the different norms in that society,  cling
to her own belief system? Would she not resent a language teacher telling
her how to think?

When I tell people outside this listserve that English and literacy teachers
see their role as one of teaching critical thinking, higher level thinking
and effecting social change, most listeners are appalled. I am not saying
that their view is correct, but here I hear very few voices here to
challenge the prevailing ideology, which suggests to me that there is not
very much critical thinking taking place. Is no one here just interested in
improving the learners' language skills?



-- 
Steve Kaufmann
www.thelinguist.blogs.com
www.lingq.com
604-922-8514

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