--- Forwarded Message from Nina Garrett <[log in to unmask]> ---
>Date: Mon, 06 Dec 2004 12:48:20 -0500
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information Forum
<[log in to unmask]>
>From: Nina Garrett <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: #7726 ESL for literacy
>In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
I remember hearing about an ESL project years ago that addressed this
literacy problem among Hmong children in Minnesota; I believe it was
carried out by Bill Johnson, then at Minnesota, now at Indiana, but I don't
have the reference. Graduate students in his ESL program went into the
Hmong community and audiotaped the elders (who were themselves illiterate)
telling the stories and legends of their culture. The grad students then
transcribed these and used them to teach the Hmong children to read,
simultaneously helping them to cherish their own culture and value their
elders. Then, I think -- but Im not sure of this part -- the students
translated the stories into English for the children to read, so as to give
them reading material with familiar cultural content.
In another project Patsy Lightbown, then at Concordia Unversity in Canada,
developed an ESL experiment with francophone elementary-school students
(grades 3-5), in which they spent one class period per day reading English
stories while listening to audiotapes of the stories being read aloud, with
no teacher involvement. The control group in this experiment had an ESL
teacher come to their classroom for one period per day to do the typical
teaching activities for that age-group. If I'm remembering this correctly
-- At the end of each year of the program, testing showed that the aural
vocabulary recognition of the experimental group was much higher than that
of the control group. Interestingly, the experimental group students' did
as well as or slightly better than the control group on oral imitation and
reading aloud, and substantially better on picture description -- even
though they were never asked to speak English. -- This project is briefly
described in Lightbown and Spada How Languages are Learned and reported in
detail in Lightbown "Can They Do It Themselves? A comprehension-based ESL
course for young children" in Courchene et al. (eds), 'Comprehension-based
Second Language Teaching', University of Ottowa Press, 1992.
This latter project is less relevant for children who are not literate in
their first language, but I still think it's one of the most interesting
and productive studies of SLA, suggesting low-cost ways to make a real
difference. Perhaps some basic literacy work could prepare children for
this approach...
Hope this helps --
Nina
> >From: Deanne Cobb <[log in to unmask]>
> >Sender: [log in to unmask]
> >Date: Tue, 23 Nov 2004 12:42:56 -0600
> >To: LLTI <[log in to unmask]>
> >Subject: ESL for literacy
>
>I am teaching a class which is part of a new certificate in ESL
>teaching here at the University and many of our students come from
>the public school division. Recently, the demographics of the ESL
>students coming into our school division (Regina, SK, Canada) have
>changed to see a greater number of refugee immigrants. Often
>times these students are illiterate in their first language and
>have never had the opportunity for education. As a result, there
>are additional needs that need to be met in ESL teaching (apart
>from the obvious social and psychological needs as well).
>
>These students are integrated into regular classrooms of
>appropriate age groups, with additional hours working with an ESL
>resource person as well. One of the things that students hope to
>get out of the courses, therefore, are creative ways for teachers to
>work with these students, including through the use of technology (my
>course in the series). Students can range in age groups from
>anywhere between grade 3 and adult, so ideas for any range of ages
>would be appropriate. (Students do come younger than grade 3 as well,
>but are generally not classified differently for the sake of teaching
>because the division between their needs and regular ESL teaching needs
>is not as great.)
>
>I am wondering if anyone out there has any experience in teaching ESL
>with students who are illiterate in their first language, and if you
>would have any suggestions for resources in TELL teaching of these
>groups (articles, software, internet sites, etc).
>
>Thank you,
>Deanne Cobb
>Language Lab Manager
>Language Resource Centre
>University of Regina
>
>
>
>
>
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Nina Garrett, Director
Center for Language Study
Yale University
P.O. Box 208349
New Haven, Connecticut 06520-8349
Tel: (203) 432-8196
Fax. (203) 432-4485
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http://www.cls.yale.edu
***********************************************
LLTI is a service of IALLT, the International Association for
Language Learning, and The Consortium for Language Teaching and
Learning (http://consortium.dartmouth.edu).
Join IALLT at http://iallt.org.
Otmar Foelsche, LLTI-Editor ([log in to unmask])
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