To the extent teachers are trained from a cultural competence perspective, with a linguistic features analysis undertone,the better the outcomes tend to me in my humble experience..
_______________________________________________________________________ 
    DEBORAH JILL CHITESTER M.S.,CCC/SLP
        Bilingual Speech-Language Pathologist
Second Language, Literacy & Learning Connection, LLC
    -Attaining Success for Second Language Learners-
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E-mail: djcslp at slllc.org
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--- On Thu, 6/4/09, Nancy R Faux/AC/VCU <nfaux at vcu.edu> wrote:


> From: Nancy R Faux/AC/VCU <nfaux at vcu.edu>

> Subject: [EnglishLanguage 4394] Re: Teachers as Second Language Learners

> To: "The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List" <englishlanguage at nifl.gov>

> Date: Thursday, June 4, 2009, 2:54 PM

> 

> 

> Very well written by

> Eugenia.  I

> agree that living abroad and learning a new language should

> not be obligatory

> for all ESL teachers.  And, what is more important is

> a knowledge

> of SLA and best or promising practices.

> 

> 

> 

> One of the principle

> tenets in adult

> education is that all learners learn differently. People

> approach learning

> languages in different ways. So, even if they have lived

> abroad, they may

> have learned the local language in their own way.

>  This way may not

> transfer to all their students. A case in point:  a

> co-worker and

> I have both lived overseas and learned other languages, but

> we seem to

> differ in learning styles.  However, we do agree in

> many areas because

> of our knowledge of SLA and teaching principles. We do have

> a common background

> in ESOL teaching.

> 

> 

> 

> Also, I would like to

> mention that Virginia

> has begun a process for certification of their ESOL

> instructors.  It

> is part of the Virginia Adult Educator Certification

> Program.  If

> you would like to know more about this program, please

> visit http://www.valrc.org/trainings/certify.html

> 

> 

> 

> 

> Nancy

> 

> *******************************************************

> 

> Nancy R. Faux

> 

> ESOL Specialist

> 

> Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center

> 

> Virginia Commonwealth University

> 

> 3600 W. Broad Street, Suite 669

> 

> Richmond, VA 23230-4930

> 

> nfaux at vcu.edu

> 

> http://www.valrc.org

> 

> 1-800-237-0178

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> Eugenia

> Fitzgerald <eugenia.fitzgerald at gmail.com>

> 

> 

> Sent by:

> englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov

> 06/04/2009 04:37

> PM

> 

> 

> 

> Please

> respond to

> 

> The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List  

>    

>  <englishlanguage at nifl.gov>

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> To

> The Adult English

> Language Learners

> Discussion List <englishlanguage at nifl.gov>

> 

> 

> cc

> 

> 

> 

> Subject

> [EnglishLanguage 4393]

> Re: Teachers

> as Second Language Learners

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> Being a LL in a foreign country absolutely

> enhanced my

> ability to teach.  But it was three years, hardly a

> semester abroad. 

> It was closer to - but not quite - the experience of my

> students. 

> (Married to a Japanese in Japan).  Therefore, I

> believe the quality

> of the time abroad can affect the extent to which

> instructors can identify

> with their students.

> 

> 

> 

> I think I could identify with my students much more if I

> were of their

> socio-economic status, something I realize I am fortunate

> in not being. 

> Would anyone on this list advocate that all ELL instructors

> MUST be impoverished

> (or once impoverished) ELL's to know what students

> needs are?  The

> argument that instructors can only identify with their

> students if they

> too have lived abroad is just as absurd.

> 

> 

> 

> If anything should be mandated for ESL instructors, I

> believe it should

> be training in SLA, ESL methods in the classroom, and the

> principles of

> adult learning.  Mandatory online training which can

> be done while

> teaching.  

> 

> 

> 

> The number of adult ELL instructors who don't have

> training in the nature

> and principles of SLA was really shocking to me when I

> attended a session

> (sponsored by CAELA) of COABE in April and attendees were

> asked to self-identify

> by stating how long they had been teaching ESL and the

> nature of any professional

> development they had engaged in.  Most by a long shot

> had had no professional

> training.  Many had been public school teachers in

> other subjects

> before moving into adult ESL.  So to a certain extent,

> many of them

> had experience in classroom methodology - that could

> possibly be transferred

> to the EL classroom - but virtually none had any training

> in SLA. 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> I believe such training is essential in order to teach

> English successfully. 

> It would be a better idea to require all new hires to be

> "certified"

> with such training than hope they improve with PD

> workshops.  A credentialing

> system might help standardize the field as well. 

> 

> 

> 

> MHO...

> 

> 

> 

> Eugenia Fitzgerald

> 

> JCPS Adult Education

> 

> Louisville, KY

> 

> 

> 

> On Thu, Jun 4, 2009 at 2:24 PM,

> <heehee0617 at aol.com>

> wrote:

> 

> I do not think it should be mandatory -

> helpful yes but

> not mandatory.  I think if you are emphathetic enough

> as a teacher,

> you can try the best you can to realize how brave your

> students are in

> what they are doing.  Every teacher cannot undergo

> every student's

> situation.  That is why we try to communicate with our

> students. 

> We learn their lives, their cultures, their feelings. 

> I make it a

> point to talk to my students and let them know that it is

> ok to be feeling

> angry or upset in their new home.  I think we need an

> understanding

> ear and patience.  That is something that takes more

> than living in

> a different country to learn.

> 

>  

> 

> Alison

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

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

> 

> From: Drukovskis, Aiva <DrukovskisA at mcvts.org>

> 

> To: 'englishlanguage at nifl.gov'

> <englishlanguage at nifl.gov>

> 

> Sent: Thu, 4 Jun 2009 1:07 pm

> 

> Subject: [EnglishLanguage 4389] Teachers as Second Language

> Learners

> 

> 

> 

> Hi all:

> 

> It should be mandatory that everyone who

> wants to teach

> ESL experience daily life in a foreign language and

> culture. There is no

> substitute for having to rely on your minimal conversation

> skills to complete

> daily life to teach you how it is when you don’t speak

> the language. 

> You really don’t understand the struggle that people go

> through, and the

> creative ways that they adapt to situations.  It

> forces you to think

> about the  value system that you function under, and

> to appreciate

> the value systems of those who live in other cultures. If

> you have never

> had to function in a place where you didn’t understand

> the language, you

> are teaching ESL with knowledge of only half the picture.

> 

> 

>  

> 

> Being out of your comfort zone is a

> frightening prospect

> ……..

> 

> A.     

> Drukovskis

> 

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> Email delivered to heehee0617 at aol.com

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

> 

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> 

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