getting the research into the classroom
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Getting the Research into the Classroom. Preparing Teachers to Help Low-Literacy Adult ESOL Learners Tilburg University August 26, 2005 Nancy Faux Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia. Some General Demographics*. - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Getting the Research into the Classroom
Preparing Teachers to Help Low-Literacy Adult ESOL Learners
Tilburg UniversityAugust 26, 2005
Nancy FauxVirginia Adult Learning Resource Center
Virginia Commonwealth University
•
Virginia
Some General Demographics*
• Total adult population that speaks only English – 4,741,805
• ELL population 18 years +: 127,015
• Of these: – Less than 9th grade ed. - 44,565 (35 %)– Grad. or prof. degree – 5,015 (4 %)– Management + professional jobs –
8,260 (11.5 %)– Service jobs – 24,855 (35 %)
• Linguistically isolated households: 24,805 (65 %)
*Data from: U.S Department of Labor
Languages Spoken by ELL’s
(In order of importance)
• Spanish• Vietnamese• Korean• Chinese• Arabic• Russian
Adult ESOL Programs (’03-’04)Levels # of students
Beginning Literacy 2,613
Beginning 2,904
Intermediate Low 2,053
Intermediate High 1,771
Advanced Low 1,832
Advanced High 895
Total 12,068
Challenges of Emerging Areas• Until now, homogenous
populations• Rural locations• Distant from resources• Lower economic levels• Newcomers are less educated,
agricultural workers• Most ESOL teachers do not
have experience or training to work with low-literacy adult learners.
Current Help to Teachers
• Regional workshops• Online courses (ESOL
Basics)
• Summer Institutes• Publications (ESOL Starter
Kit)
• Web site (http://www.aelweb.vcu.edu)
• Adult ESOL Content Standards
ESOL Basics Online
• 8-week course (32 hours) on teaching ESOL using a learning management system, Blackboard
• Facilitated, asynchronous
• Threaded discussions
• Assignments
• Many resources; websites
ESOL Basics Content
• Focus on life-skills
• Teaching 4 skills
• Assessing Ls needs
• Multi-level classes
• Working with low-literacy learners; learners with non-Roman alphabet L1
Certificate for Teaching Adult ESOL
• Prepares Virginia educators to provide adult non-native speakers of English with competency-based, research-driven English language instruction.
Certificate:
• Graduate level courses
• 22 credits
• Cohort
• Blended modality
• 1-2 face to face sessions
• Rest facilitated online
• Each course is 7-10 weeks
Certificate:
• Concentration on teaching life skills and using distinct pedagogical techniques to address the lack of literacy in L1.
Courses:
• Orientation• Second Language Acquisition• English Linguistics for Adult
ESOL Instructors• Cross-cultural Education• Methodology in Adult ESOL
Courses (2)
• Adult Second Language Instruction
• Teaching Reading to Adult English Language Learners
• Practicum
Traditional ESOL Instruction
• Focuses on grammar
• Presupposes literacy in L1
• Emphasizes accuracy
• Textbook-driven
• Activities are usually individual or full-group
• Teacher decides content and structure of course.
Life skills based ESOL Instruction
• Task/function based
• Language/communication skills for everyday tasks
• Learners’ needs drive course content
• Extra supports for low-literacy learners
Life skills based ESOL Instruction (2)
• Emphasizes fluency (i.e., ability to communicate)
• Materials represent real-life contexts (housing, health, community)
• Learners work cooperatively in pairs or groups
Language Experience Approach- LEA
• Uses prompts or activities (e.g. pictures)
• Uses Ss own words, experiences to create story
• Ss decide on content• Ss negotiate to come up with
story• Promotes integration of 4
skills
LEA procedures:
• T elicits details from each frame
• T writes on board as Ss retell story
• Class can practice reading it chorally or individually
• Ss copy it down• Ext. activities: lexical
development, phonics exercises, dictation, etc.
Correctional Education
• 31,000 inmates with language skills accessed
• 13,434 enrolled in DCE classes
• 90 % has a functional literacy level below 8th grade
• 24 % completion rate• Plazas Comunitarias for
Hispanics
Other Literacy Contexts to Consider
• Family Literacy
• Financial Literacy
• Health Literacy
What teachers need is …
Access to:• Scientifically-based
research on second language acquisition in adults,
• Results of what works and explicit literacy impact studies,
• Special curriculum for low-literate learners.