Practitioner Toolkit: Working With Adult English Language ...

[Pages:241]Practitioner Toolkit: Working With Adult English

Language Learners

Resources and Tools for Instructors Working With Adults and Families Learning English

Practitioner Toolkit: Working With Adult English Language

Learners

This document was designed and written by The National Center for Family Literacy and

The National Center for ESL Literacy Education at the Center for Applied Linguistics

The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent the positions or policies of the U.S. Department of Education, and no official endorsement by the U.S. Department of Education should be inferred.

? 2008 by the National Center for Family Literacy and the Center for Applied Linguistics

Printed in the United States of America

This document was developed by the National Center for Family Literacy in collaboration with the Center for Applied Linguistics with funding from the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education, to DTI Associates. The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent the positions or policies of the U.S. Department of Education, and no official endorsement by the government should be inferred.

Recommended reference citation in APA style: National Center for Family Literacy and Center for Applied Linguistics. (2008).

Practitioner toolkit: Working with adult English language learners. Louisville, KY, and Washington, DC: Authors.

Practitioner Toolkit: Working With Adult English Language Learners

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments Introduction Frequently Asked Questions

Part I

Background Information Adult Non-Native English Speakers in the United States Program Types and Challenges

Part II

Activity Packets Orientation for New English Language Learners Needs Assessment and Learner Self-Evaluation Lesson Planning Activities to Promote Interaction and Communication Activities to Promote Reading Development

Part III

Parent Education in Family Literacy Programs Parent Education Overview Parent Education Instructional Strategies Parent Education Activities Sample Parent Education Lessons Literacy Activities in the Home

Part IV

Topics in Adult ESL Education and Family Literacy English Language and Literacy Learning: Research to Practice Assessing Adult English Language Learners English Language Assessment Instruments for Adults Learning English Spanish Language Assessment Instruments for Adult Spanish Speakers Learning English Adult English Language Learners and Learning Disabilities Addressing the Needs of Specific Groups of Learners Helping Adult English Language Learners Transition into Other Educational Programs Preparing for Permanent Residency and Citizenship

Part V

Resources Parent Education Resources Adult ESL Resources

iv?v vii?ix x?xv

I 1?6 I 7?12

II 1?4 II 5?28 II 29?40 II 41?56 II 57?76

III 1?4 III 5?8 III 9?16 III 17?22 III 23?26

IV 1?24 IV 25?30 IV 31?52

IV 53?58 IV 59?64 IV 65?70

IV 71?78 IV 79?86

V 1?4 V 5?14

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Acknowledgments

This Toolkit was developed by the National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) in Louisville, KY

in collaboration with the National Center for ESL Literacy Education (NCLE) at the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL)

in Washington, DC

Under the direction and guidance of Ursula Lord, Contracting Officer Representative (COR), Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE), U.S. Department of Education.

Writers on this project include Sylvia Cobos Lieshoff, Noemi Aguilar, and Susan McShane, NCFL Miriam Burt, Joy Kreeft Peyton, Lynda Terrill, and Carol Van Duzer, NCLE.

Content development, editorial services, and support were provided by Lynn Spencer and Diane DeMaio of OVAE

Akeel Zaheer, Brenda Logan, Gail Price, Jennifer McMaster, and Justin Keibler of NCFL.

We are grateful to the hundreds of respondents to NCFL's surveys and to the following focus group participants. Their input on the strengths and challenges of adult English language learners in their programs provided valuable insight that helped focus the content of this Toolkit.

Sr. Guadalupe Arciniega Sisters of Loretto Nerinx, KY 40049

Debby Cargill Adult Education Prince William County Schools Lake Ridge, VA

Christine Hicks Mt. Rogers Regional Adult Education Program Abingdon, VA

Miriam Kroeger Arizona Department of Education/Adult Education Phoenix, AZ

Susan Lythgoe The Learning Source for Adults and Families Lakewood, CO

Mary Helen Martinez Community Action Adult Education Program San Marcos, TX

Connie Sapin Ohio Literacy Resource Center Kent, OH

Leslie Shimazaki ABE/ESL Resource Center San Diego, CA

Vicky Tangi East Baton Rouge Parish Adult Education Baton Rouge, LA

Jacqueline Isbell Even Start Family Literacy Program Atlanta, GA

Sharon McClaren Alliance Public Schools Alliance, NE

This project was funded through a contract from the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Vocational and Adult Education to

DTI Associates of Arlington, Virginia.

December 10, 2004

Updated for print publication in March 2008

iv

The National Center for Family Literacy The National Center for Family Literacy (NCFL) was established in 1989 with a grant from the William R. Kenan, Jr. Charitable Trust. Founded by current president Sharon Darling, NCFL began with a simple but ambitious mission: to help parents and children achieve their greatest potential together through quality literacy programs. Today, NCFL is recognized worldwide as the leader in family literacy development. NCFL works with educators and community builders through an array of services to design and sustain programs that meet the most urgent educational needs of disadvantaged families. ()

Center for Applied Linguistics The Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) is a private, non-profit organization involved in the study of language and the application of linguistics research to educational, cultural, and social concerns. A major focus of CAL's work is to encourage and improve language and literacy education in the United States. CAL carries out quantitative and qualitative research on language issues and evaluations of language programs; provides technical assistance to schools and school districts and professional development for teachers; and collects, analyzes, and disseminates information about language and culture. CAL houses the Center for Adult English Language Acquisition (CAELA) Network, the only national center in the United States that focuses on adult ESL language and literacy issues. The mission of the CAELA Network is to help states that have recently begun serving adult English language learners build their capacity to improve the skills of teachers and administrators in adult English as a second language (ESL) programs. This, in turn, will help promote the success of the learners. The CAELA Network also makes research findings and research-based resources available to practitioners working with adult English language learners across the nation (caela). The CAELA Network replaces the National Center for ESL Literacy Education (NCLE), which was operated by CAL from 1989 to 2004 and provided technical assistance to professionals working with adult English language learners. This toolkit was developed by NCLE staff.

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_________________________________________________________________ INTRODUCTION

Introduction

America is a nation of immigrants. In the 1990s, the U.S. immigrant population grew rapidly, and in many states, the foreign-born population more than doubled between 1990 and 2000 (Capps, Fix, & Passel, 2002). Consequently, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of adult learners enrolled in English as a Second Language (ESL) classes. Data from the U.S. Department of Education, Division of Adult Education and Literacy (DAEL) indicate that 1.1 million ESL students were enrolled in federally funded programs in 2002, and almost 1.2 million in 2003. Of these 1.2 million adult learners, almost 50 percent were of Hispanic or Asian origin. Other learners were Africans, Eastern Europeans, and Pacific Islanders (U.S. Department of Education, 2004).

States with the largest ESL enrollments include Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Texas, and Washington (U.S. Department of Education, 2004). These states have developed infrastructures and systems to serve English language learners (ELL). However, programs in states with smaller English language learner populations such as Alabama, Delaware, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, and North Dakota may not be as well equipped to serve the population. This is particularly true for many faith- and community-based providers in rural areas, as well as for smaller publicly funded projects. Many of the local providers in these new growth states lack experienced staff trained to work with adult English language learners, and their resources and infrastructure are limited.

The Practitioner Toolkit: Working with Adult English Language Learners is designed to give support to adult education and family literacy instructors who are new to serving adult English language learners and their families in rural, urban, and faith- and community-based programs. The Toolkit is designed to have a positive impact on the teaching and learning in these programs.

The results of two surveys helped shape the content of the Toolkit. The first survey, conducted in January 2003, was designed to determine challenges faced by educators and community leaders serving a sudden influx of Hispanic families. In order to expand the information to include a spectrum of those who work with English language learners, an electronic survey was conducted in December 2003 (National Center for Family Literacy, 2004).

In addition to the two surveys, a focus group was convened in January 2004, in Washington, DC, to obtain perspectives from practitioners across the country regarding the challenges that they experience in serving adult English language learners and to garner recommendations for the Toolkit. Participants represented adult education and family literacy practitioners from various backgrounds: a) practitioners experienced in serving English language learners and their families and those new to the field; b) practitioners from rural programs and those from urban centers; and c) practitioners from faith-based programs

Introduction vii

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