--- Forwarded Message from Pete Smith <[log in to unmask]> ---

>User-Agent: Microsoft-Entourage/10.1.1.2418
>Date: Tue, 07 Dec 2004 11:09:02 -0600
>Subject: Re: #7726.1 ESL for literacy (!)
>From: Pete Smith <[log in to unmask]>
>To: Language Learning and Technology International Information    Forum
<[log in to unmask]>
>In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>

    It was great to see the question and Nina's post on ESL/literacy.  I'll
follow up on Nina's answer...just the the old days, eh, Nina?
    The research results in the Lightbown work parallel years of anecdotal
evidence from non-profit agencies in supplying audiotape materials to
students with learning challenges (physical and/or learning differences).
    I have spent ten years associated with Reading & Radio Resource
(formerly North Texas Taping and Radio for the Blind), a non-profit that
supplies audio versions of school textbooks and literature to students--we
estimate that 100,000 schoolchildren in Texas hear our volunteers' voices
annually, reading everything from children's literature (the Bluebonnet
winners, of course!) to 12th grade Biochemistry textbooks (the Texas
editions of all state-adopted books).  If a child faces a learning
challenge, a teacher/administrator/ parent need only contact the agency and
materials are read and provided in either cassette or MP3 format.  You
haven't lived until you've seen a group of dedicated volunteers read 1100
pages of Biochemistry!
    Here's the ESL link:  under the Chaffee Amendment (which eases
non-profit services such as these to the learning challenged), LEP students
qualify (until graduation from secondary school).  Although 80% of R&RR's
listeners face a learning disability (ADD, dyslexia, etc.), ESL learners are
a growing audience.  The ability to simultaneously read/listen to school
materials, according to years of anecdotal evidence, improves school
performance and lowers failure/drop-out rates among the listening groups.
    This agency has been reading since 1969, and accumulated more than
100,000 hours of audio, with more titles being read yearly as new titles and
textbook editions come onto the scene.  I would be delighted to tell
interested folks about R&RR off-list, and am off to re-read the chapter that
Nina cited.
    Best wishes to you all from Texas,

Pete

--
Dr. Pete Smith
Assistant Vice President for
    Academic Affairs
University of Texas at Arlington

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