Return-Path: <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id iAMKT3Q29641; Mon, 22 Nov 2004 15:29:03 -0500 (EST) Date: Mon, 22 Nov 2004 15:29:03 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <DD41842B0F93E648A422D9AA62B94C8B9675F0@stccmail> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: "Melvin Dr. Clark" <drclark@stcc.cc.tx.us> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-ESL:10593] RE: literacy issues X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Type: text/plain; X-Mailer: Internet Mail Service (5.5.2657.72) Status: O Content-Length: 2121 Lines: 48 I have extensive anecdotal research data on that very topic. Last July I spoke at the NC Adult Ed Conf. on a similar topic by the way. In short, yes, adult ed language learners tend to upbraid their L1 skills with what is gleaned in L1 study. Dr. Melvin Clark (956) 787-0789 -----Original Message----- From: nifl-esl@nifl.gov [mailto:nifl-esl@nifl.gov]On Behalf Of A Tom Sent: Monday, November 22, 2004 1:58 PM To: Multiple recipients of list Subject: [NIFL-ESL:10592] RE: literacy issues I did a very informal survey of our adult students who are weak (or lacking) in L1 literacy. I asked them if they'd be interested in learning more reading and writing in spanish. They generally seemed not interested, mainly because of time constraints and "because we live in the US and English is what we need." I've wondered if anybody has looked at whether adults who learn to read in English transfer those skills back into their L1 (assuming the same alphabet) at some point. Abbie Tom abtom@mindspring.com Abbie Tom Durham Technical Community College Durham, NC US On Monday, November 22, 2004, at 11:50 AM, Mona Curtis wrote: > This is a very big issue in Adult ESL classes. Many of our students > have limitied literacy skills in their native language. But the > situation is magnified because our students are now adults so the > little > literacy training that they did have was 20 -40 years ago. We have > been > working hard to have a Spanish literacy program that compliments our > ESL > program. We offer Spanish GED for those who have a fair amount of > literacy in Spanish, but we have been working hard to develop a > beginning Spanish literacy program for students who come to us with > only > a few grades of schooling, and that 20 years ago! Unfortunately more > and more federal programs refuse to fund any instruction that is not in > English. Since the current administration is bent upon scientific > research, I hope somehow we can get this information to policy makers, > that students cannot gain skills in a second language that they do not > have in their first language. >
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