David, these are really good questions. 

Focusing on adult ESL ...

Many researchers and practitioners in the adult ESL field use the Web
site of the Center for Adult English Language Acquisition (CAELA) and
order CAELA's hard copy publications. Since 1994, the National Center
for ESL Literacy Education (NCLE), now CAELA, has made online resources
available to those working with adult English language learners. The
CAELA Web site has statistics about adult English language learners;
papers, briefs, digests, Q&As, and resource collections on topics in
adult ESL education; books and research reports; answers to frequently
asked questions (as set of FAQs); and information about what states,
districts, and local programs are doing. CAELA's sole purpsoe is to
provide information and technical assistance to professionals working
with adult English language learners. http://www.cal.org/caela

This audience also visits the Web site of the Center for Applied
Linguistics (CAL), which has all of the former ERIC Digests on topics in
language and culture, including ESL education. (These are listed under
Resources on the CAL homepage.) http://www.cal.org

For information about different language and culture groups, they visit
the Culture Orientation Resource Center Web site, where there are
statistics about groups living in the United States and profiles about
many of the most recent groups. http://www.culturalorientation.net

The electronic discussion list focused on adult ESL and moderated by the
Center for Applied Linguistics, NIFL-ESL, has 840 members and is very
active, with regular discussion of topics in the adult ESL field (as
well as adult education in general). 

Joy Peyton
Center for Applied Linguistics
www.cal.org
joy at cal.org 

-----Original Message-----
From: englishlanguage-bounces at dev.nifl.gov
[mailto:englishlanguage-bounces at dev.nifl.gov] On Behalf Of David Rosen
Sent: Wednesday, November 09, 2005 7:03 AM
To: focusonbasics at dev.nifl.gov; The Assessment Discussion List; The
English Language Learners Discussion List; The Family Literacy
Discussion List; PovertyLiteracy at dev.nifl.gov; The Adult Literacy
Professional Development Discussion List; The Program Leadership &
Improvement Discussion List; womenliteracy at dev.nifl.gov;
workplace at dev.nifl.gov; The Adult Education Content Standards Discussion
List
Subject: [EnglishLanguage] Finding Adult Literacy Education Knowledge

Colleagues,

Many adult literacy and English language learning practitioners turn to
this electronic list to find knowledge and wisdom, and to get answers to
specific professional questions.  We also have other ways of finding
knowledge.  We learn from our experience and that of our colleagues. We
read certain journals, magazines and newspapers, we seek out opinions
from reputable  sources, and we try to find the best research which
addresses our question or problem.  So, here's my
question:

How do you find answers to your adult literacy and English language
learning questions?

	a. For example, do you use any of the following?

	* NIFL LINCS Special collections, LINCSearch, discussion lists,
and the included online documents and archives
	* Canadian-sponsored National Adult Literacy Database (NALD) and
its online documents and archives
	* National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and Literacy
(NCSALL) Web site and its hard copy publications
	* ERIC Database
	* The Adult Literacy Education Wiki
	* OTAN
	* EdWeek
	* PEN
	* Other electronic lists

	b. What else do you use?  What hard copy journals do you find
useful? Are there other electronic resources that are helpful in
answering questions?

Please e-mail your answers to me. I will compile what I get and post a
summary back to those who e-mail me so we can all benefit from our
collective wisdom.  You can send a short email with just items to add to
the list above or, if you prefer, you can write a longer, more
reflective answer which contextualizes the question, describes how the
question hits home for you, expresses frustration with how little
research and professional wisdom our field has, or whatever you would
like to say.  If you think your comments pertain to the focus of this
list, of course, you could post them here.

Thanks for your help in answering this question, which I hope is not
mine alone.

David J. Rosen
DJRosen at comcast.net

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