The following announcement is posted on behalf of Barb Garner, Editor of Focus
on Basics. -- Aaron

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The newest issue of "Focus on Basics" is now on NCSALL's web site,
http://www.ncsall.net. It's on ESOL and features research from NCSALL's ESOL
Lab School.

Steve Reder, director of the ESOL Lab School, a partnership of Portland State
University and Portland Community College, describes the research and how it
is conducted. Kathryn Harris reports on one aspect of her study of pair work
in the ESOL classroom. Learners she studied individualized their pair work,
adapting the activities to their language learning needs. Pair activities are
provided by Donna Moss of Arlington, VA.

Sustained silent reading has been found to encourage many students to read:
does it do the same with beginning-level ESOL learners? It is a viable
practice with this group, explain Sandra Banke and Reuel Kurzet, who
participated in this Lab School study. To improve their students' speaking and
listening skills, teachers often set up conversation groups. What if the
conversation leaders were university students who studied immigration and
cultural adaptation as well as strategies for initiating and keeping
conversations going? Betsy Kraft chronicles her classes' experiences leading
conversations with Lab School students.

Anyone who has taught an ESOL class with students from a variety of language
backgrounds has noticed the chatter that goes on, in English, during breaks.
Dominique Brillanceau was curious about whether this casual conversation
occurs in class as well, and, if it does, what role it plays in learning.
Starting conversations can be hard for anyone; it's even harder in a new
language. John Hellermann explored the nuance of initiating and turn-taking in
conversations in Lab School classes. Some ESOL learners get stuck, and
teachers struggle to find out why. Robin Schwarz, now of Ohio, shares case
studies from her years of work with ESOL learners and teachers and provides
tips on how to find out what might be the problem.

And the development of NCSALL's Health Literacy Study Circle+ guide is
chronicles by Winston Lawrence, NY, and Lisa Soricone, NCSALL.

Happy Reading!
Barb Garner
Editor