Hi,
I believe NCSALL did a teacher-as-a-researcher ESOL project. One of my colleagues from NCSALL, Patsy Medina worked on it, with Susan Finn-Miller. Perhaps they could speak on the subject. I think action research is a great tool and one of the best ways of authentic learning.
regards
Ujwala Samant

--- On Tue, 4/7/09, Michelle Ueland <mueland at cal.org> wrote:


> From: Michelle Ueland <mueland at cal.org>

> Subject: [EnglishLanguage 4121] Re: Themes and topics from TESOL 2009/Denver

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

> Date: Tuesday, April 7, 2009, 4:38 PM

> 

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> Miriam

> and colleagues on the Adult English Language Learners

> Discussion List, 

> 

>    

> 

> Among

> the best sessions that I attended at TESOL was about

> “burning

> questions” in research methodology hosted by Anne

> Burns from Macquaire

> University, Australia. 

> 

>    

> 

> One point

> that range ‘true’ for me and made me think of

> adult ESL professional

> development was that she noted that “novice”

> educators often move towards

> being “master” teachers by way of doing

> (action) research in our

> classrooms. I think research and adult ESL would be a great

> topic for further

> discussion on the list.  

> 

>    

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> 

> Michelle

> M. Ueland, Ph.D.  

> 

> Adult

> ESL 

> 

> Center

> for Applied Linguistics 

> 

> Washington,

> DC 

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> 

> From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov

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

> Miriam Burt

> 

> Sent: Friday, April 03, 2009 5:12 PM

> 

> To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion

> List

> 

> Subject: [EnglishLanguage 4108] Themes and topics

> from TESOL 2009/Denver 

> 

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> 

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>    

> 

> Hello, all.  

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>      I

> attended  the

> annual Teachers of English for Speakers of Other

> Languages (TESOL)

> Convention in  Denver last week  (March 24-

> 28) and 

> found the following to be themes related to working with

> adult English language

> learners : 

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> Promoting transitions from ABE to

> ESL, workplace preparation, and

> college and university (including creating partnerships

> such as co-teaching

> with content teachers in community colleges) 

> 

> Creating career pathways, and

> developing partnerships with other

> service providers to help English language learners enter

> and move through

> career pathways  

> 

> Health care issues for English

> language learners - both as

> consumers and as a possible career  

> 

> Developing reading and writing

> ability and assessing writing

> development; the need for reading and writing assessments

> that can be used with

> adult learners at higher levels than are available now

>  

> 

> Improving English language

> learners' pronunciation skills 

> 

> Use

> of learner stories to facilitate learners’ speaking

> and

> writing development 

> 

> Issues around culture and

> language 

> 

>                               EL/Civics

> and immigration updates  

> 

>                              Building

> capacity for providing effective instruction in communities

> with emerging

> English language populations  

> 

> Before it gets too much later, I

> would like to invite folks who

> attended the conference to share on this list any

> information they found

> particularly interesting, talk about any themes they felt

> were there, or

> give information about worthwhile presentations

> they attended (or

> facilitated!)  What did I leave out? What were

> some of your

> impressions of the state of the field of instruction for

> adult English language

> learners? What was the buzz? What's hot? What's

> not? 

> 

> Looking forward to hearing from

> you.   

> 

> Thanks. 

> 

> Miriam  

> 

> ******** 

> 

> Miriam Burt 

> 

> Center for Applied

> Linguistics 

> 

> 4646

> 40th Street NW 

> 

> Washington, DC 20016 

> 

> (202)

> 362-0700, ext. 556 (phone) 

> 

> (202)

> 363-7204 (fax)  

> 

> mburt at cal.org

> (email) 

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