Return-Path: <nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id f28MWd906107; Thu, 8 Mar 2001 17:32:40 -0500 (EST) Date: Thu, 8 Mar 2001 17:32:40 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <saa7c1b5.040@jsi.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Andy Nash" <andy_nash@jsi.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-4eff@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-4EFF:1419] TESOL thoughts X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Novell GroupWise 5.2 Status: O Content-Length: 3374 Lines: 66 Hello all, Here's a summary of the EFF session, "Using EFF for Authentic Performance-Based Assessment," that I presented at TESOL (unfortunately without co-presenter Susan Rowley, who got stuck in WA due to the earthquake). Since most of the 75 participants were unfamiliar with EFF, I changed the agenda a bit to first review EFF. I then described the work being done with the field development sites to construct a performance continuum for each of the 16 EFF standards, and the vision of an assessment system that can consistently assess adults' growing ability to apply skills to real activities. (In another message, we will post some links to articles that fully describe this work.) >From here, we got into discussion of what this process will mean for ESL, particularly beginning ESL contexts. I'll share here some of the questions that were posed and invite ESL practitioners, within the field development process and without, to comment on the issues raised. One set of questions was about cultural/political issues: Does EFF impose U.S. cultural notions of adult behavior (assuming that the U.S. is a single culture) * of guiding others, of cooperating, reflecting and evaluating, etc.? Does EFF imply that success as an adult is based only on individual skill development (leaving out social factors/barriers such as race, class, gender issues, anti-immigrant bias, etc.)? The other set of questions focused on the applicability of EFF for ESL beginners: How can you assess cognitive skills (such as reflect and evaluate), or the metacognitive aspects that weave through all of the EFF standards, if the students don't have the English to describe their thinking? Similarly, how can you assess needs and strengths in the non-communication standards (without English)? I've posted thoughts about the first set of questions previously, so I'll leave those for other commentators. But I do want to comment on the second set, because I believe they lead us to reconsider the role that native languages can play in the teaching of beginners. Purposeful use of native languages would allow for precisely the kinds of discussions named in these questions. A scan of NCLE briefs, work by Heide Wrigley and Elsa Auerbach, as well as my own experience teaching for several years in a program that supported our use of native languages (to explore student concerns and goals as the basis for further English work), suggests that intentional uses of native languages can support second language acquisition. The approach may not be possible in multi-lingual settings, although I have read of creative efforts to do so where the number of students in each language group is large enough. Ronna has asked me what these ideas have to do with EFF. I think they speak to a choice we have to make about who will have access to the full range of EFF skills. We can say that English communication skills come first, paving the way for access to the rest of the framework. But the daily demands of dealing with school systems, bosses, INS, and other institutions face immigrants from the beginning, and I think it's worth exploring ways to make all the skills (as chosen, not imposed) available to all adults. My guess is that this is why so many practitioners were interested in the availability of EFF materials in Spanish. Andy Nash NELRC/World Education EFF Staff
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