Received: (news@localhost) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.6.8/940311.01ccg) id UAA27072 for nifl-esl@novel.nifl.gov; Sat, 31 Aug 1996 20:06:53 -0400 Path: literacy.nifl.gov!nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov From: "JoAnn (Jodi) Crandall" <crandall@gl.umbc.edu> Newsgroups: nifl.esl Subject: Re: ESL certification -Reply Date: 31 Aug 1996 20:06:51 -0400 Organization: National Institute for Literacy Lines: 91 Sender: listproc@literacy.nifl.gov Distribution: nifl Message-ID: <Pine.SGI.3.95.960831195124.12367C-100000@umbc8.umbc.edu> Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov NNTP-Posting-Host: literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Apparently-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Status: RO X-Status: Fran has invited our comments on what I have long believed to be a central concern for those of us in adult ESL (or those of us working in programs to prepare adult ESL teachers): the need to professionalize the status of adult ESL/literacy. It's something I addressed in an article in the TESOL Quarterly in Autumn 1993 on "Professionalism and Professionalization of Adult ESL Literacy." The challenge to all of us is how to upgrade the status of our profession without keeping out those who may lack certain more traditional qualifications (degrees, coursework, etc.) but who may have other qualifications that make important contributions (shared cultural and linguistic experiences, including, perhaps, having been a literacy student at some point). We may want to advocate certification and require all to demonstrate basic understanding of adult language and literacy development, approaches to teaching adult ESL/literacy, etc., some through traditional courses and others through on-the-job assessments. There is no question that most of those who are engaged in adult ESL literacy teaching are professional in their outlook and their behavior (consider the long hours people put in, the multiple jobs they work, the amount of time they spend outside of class helping adult learners with real-life problems, etc.), even though the conditions under which they work hardly acknowledge their professionalism (few contracts, few benefits, limited resources, intermittent funding, etc.) I believe it was Ed Jones who first made the distinction between "professionalism" and "professionalization": anyway, it's a very useful one for us to keep in mind when we discuss this. Maybe this can get our discussion going. Jodi Crandall On Wed, 21 Aug 1996, Fran Keenan wrote: > Last week I posted a message about ESL certification. (I'd like to > keep this strand going, if possible, though I know a lot of > subscribers are taking well deserved vacations.) The people who > responded to my posting said that there indeed was little in the way > of certification training for adult ESL in the US. (Only two people > responded so the jury may still be out on this.) I still don't know > if any states require adult ESL certification for teachers. > > K-12 ESL certification requirements and adult ed certification > requirements vary state by state. > > Where do adult ESL educators fit in this picture? Would required > adult ESL certification or other credentials benefit practitoners? > Would it give more legitimacy (read job security, a living wage, > benefits) to the profession or would it exclude dedicated and > otherwise qualified teachers? > > > Fran Keenan, Assistant Director, NCLE > National Clearinghouse for ESL Literacy Education > Center for Applied Linguistics > 1118 22nd Street NW > Washington, DC 20037 > > fran@cal.org > > 202-429-9292, ext. 243 (phone) 202-659-5641 (fax) > > ********************************************************* > The Center for Applied Linguistics can be visited on > the World Wide Web at http://www.cal.org > ********************************************************* > > ..................................................................... JoAnn (Jodi) Crandall Co-Director, ESOL/Bilingual MA Program ph 410-455-2313 Department of Education fax 410-455-3986 University of Maryland Baltimore County crandall@gl.umbc.edu 5401 Wilkens Avenue Baltimore, MD 21228 USA .....................................................................
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