Return-Path: <nifl-assessment@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id j5OFSiG09843; Fri, 24 Jun 2005 11:28:44 -0400 (EDT) Date: Fri, 24 Jun 2005 11:28:44 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <8C746E833C719AD-940-2272@MBLK-M20.sysops.aol.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-assessment@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-assessment@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-assessment@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: andresmuro@aol.com To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-assessment@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ASSESSMENT:1145] Re: Spanish GED X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed X-Mailer: AOL WebMail 1.1.0.12781 Status: O Content-Length: 2154 Lines: 62 My rational for Spanish GED are several: 1. people with strong native language academic skills can acquire second language academic skills much faster. 2. a person with only elementary education in another language is years away from a GED certificate in English. 3. ESL classes alone, in our experience, don't offer a significant outcome for students to stay focused in them, unless there is a very specific contextual reason for the students to acquire language skills. ESL leading to English GED takes way to long and students get frustrated and drop out. 4. With a GED certificate, in any language, students can obtain employment, enroll in college, take academic ESL classes in college, etc. 5. Students with a Spanish GED certificate do very well in college level academic english classes 6. Getting a HS diploma is very prestigious in Mexico and other latin american countries. A diploma within reach within a year or so is a very strong motivator for people to stay in school. Note: as I said before, we don't have ABE funds for this, so we are not tied to the NRS nonesense. I hope that at some point, enough influential people realize that NRS is a detriment to what we are trying to do. If we speak against it sufficiently, maybe we can get that taken away. Andres Please take a look at my artwork: www.geocities.com/andresmuro/art.html -----Original Message----- From: AWilder106@aol.com To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-assessment@literacy.nifl.gov> Sent: Fri, 24 Jun 2005 08:35:48 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [NIFL-ASSESSMENT:1135] Spanish GED I am interested in understanding the thinking behind Andres's use of the Spanish GED, rather than switching his students to English. Did the Committee discuss a Spanish language track for literacy? In our state, Massachusetts, there is a need for many more ESL classes for immigrants; I have also heard (have not verified) that ESL is a health risk factor. I understand that our national immigrant policies are chaotic, and I wonder how this chaos may influence decisions made for descriptive literacy assessment, specifically the NAAL. Thanks. Andrea
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