Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id i45KI2m28760; Wed, 5 May 2004 16:18:02 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 5 May 2004 16:18:02 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <002d01c432c5$ab3c0500$6b00000a@maria02> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Maria Elena Gonzalez" <maria@alri.org> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:10282] Re: Helping a struggling student X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 6.00.2800.1106 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; Status: O Content-Length: 5661 Lines: 139 Pauline -thank you for sharing this story. It describes almost point by point my experience with a couple of students (also women) that I taught a few years back. I was especially struck with the detail about how uncomfortable they felt with having added attention and I'm sad to write that in one of my cases, I suspect that the student left the class because I had singled her out for extra help. I feel badly about it because as in your case, this student was delighted at being part of the class even though she was not making any progress. I too felt that the problem might have been a mild form of mental retardation as opposed to a learning disability but I did not have enough time to figure it out completely. Maria E. Gonzalez ALRI/SABES Boston ----- Original Message ----- From: "Pauline Mcnaughton" <pmcnaughton@language.ca> To: "Multiple recipients of list" <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Sent: Tuesday, May 04, 2004 5:46 PM Subject: [NIFL-ESL:10273] Re: Helping a struggling student > I agree with the suggestions made so far to a) determine if possible first > language literacy skills and b) solicit help from the other students. I > also agree with the warning below re. avoiding too much dependency on other > students and translation. > > I found in my ESL teaching career only a couple of occasions where I had a > student who just didn't seem to "get" anything that was being taught, no > matter how much I tried to modify my approach or provide support. Literacy > may be part of the problem, but if there are other factors - learning > disabilities or trauma for example, it can be impossible to determine in an > adult ESL context with limited resources or professional supports. > > I found myself in one situation relying on the clues provided by comments > that the other students made. For e.g. the students who were able to > converse in the same language also had serious communication difficulties - > grew exasperated - and told me it was impossible. While I did not expect the > other students to be able to accurately diagnose the problem (some said she > was not too bright)- what I did realize is that whatever the communication > problem was, it was present in her first language as well. > > The class embraced the student in terms of being friendly and trying to make > her feel included, but did not take her learning efforts seriously. And in > this case the student just seemed delighted to be part of the class, and > given the space to work away at whatever she could do. > > I continued to try to include her, and to try to read whatever clues I could > from her work to figure out her learning style, or particular aptitudes - > but ultimately I didn't know how to help her. She didn't feel comfortable > with too much focused attention either - it seemed to upset her. At the end > of term she was moved from a general beginner class to a literacy class. > > I know your situation is not the same - but perhaps you'll find some clues > in seeing what success the other students have or don't have. > > Good luck. > > > -----Original Message----- > From: nifl-esl@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-esl@nifl.gov]On Behalf Of Tracy > VonMaluski > Sent: May 4, 2004 3:38 PM > To: Multiple recipients of list > Subject: [NIFL-ESL:10272] Re: Helping a struggling student > > > I wouldn't translate for her. > > That makes her too dependent on the other students, and turns it into a > translation class. > > Would use lots of non-verbals, simple paraphrasing, gestures, visual aids, > stand on my head.... > > Would make sure there's nothing else going on with her, but when I let > students translate for each other many times they become too dependent on > the L1 and start to tune me out... > > Tracy vonMaluski > El Paso Community College > > >>> hfrazey@yahoo.com 05/04/04 07:36AM >>> > Hello, > > I have been reading this list for a long time, but this is my first post. > > I am teaching a multilevel ESL class in an Even Start Family Literacy > program. I have 14 mothers ranging in CASAS scores from 199 to 240. I > started working with the class about a month ago and we are slowly but > surely finding our way together. > > My concern is with the mom who has the greatest need for ESL. We just > completed another round of testing which confirmed my feeling that > everyone in the class is making progress....except for this mom, whose > score went down (to 197). Aside from the test scores (which I try to use > as a guide and not a "be all end all"), she is also struggling in class. > Her attendance is fairly good and she tries very hard and wants to learn. > But she doesn't understand much of anything that goes on in class unless > another student translates for her (she is a native Spanish speaker along > with about 2/3 of the class). > > I am wondering how I can best help her. I have structured the class so > that I can spend time working with her one-on-one. How would it be best > to spend this time? Should I focus on vocabulary, using flashcards > perhaps? Or maybe try TPR (which I haven't done, any tips would be > appreciated)? Should I try some bilingual materials and encourage her to > translate or have other students help her translate? Or should I just > give her more time? I feel like my current approach is working for the > rest of the class but not for her and I wonder what I could do > differently. > > Thanks for any advice you can give me. > > Take care, > Hillary > hillary@qmail.com > > > > > __________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > Win a $20,000 Career Makeover at Yahoo! HotJobs > http://hotjobs.sweepstakes.yahoo.com/careermakeover > > > >
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Thu Dec 23 2004 - 09:46:47 EST