Thanks for you words of caution, Barbara.  I know that we have adult
English language learner in many different situations throughout the
country.  I have certainly had a wide variety of legal and civil
statuses represented in my classes in Northern Virginia over the years.

 
And thank you Tom for an excellent reminder of November's gifts,
especially for adult education.  I would just like to add Thanksgiving
to the November list.  I have found that students are very interested in
this holiday because they don't have it in their countries.  But many
cultures have a tradition of giving thanks in their cultures.  It can be
valuable to examine these practices. 
 
 Over the years, I have done everything from hand turkeys that post what
beginning students are thankful for to jigsaw cooperative readings that
observe historic Thanksgiving from four perspectives:  the Mayflower
voyage, the new government, the native Americans and the feast itself.
There is certainly an opportunity to examine cross-cultural heritage and
customs.   I have also had students imagine how that banquet would work
today if we had it.
 
I would like to hear from other teachers about their ideas for EL Civics
instruction for the month of November.
 
 


________________________________

	From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Barbara Tondre
	Sent: Monday, November 06, 2006 6:04 PM
	To: 'The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List'
	Subject: [EnglishLanguage 821] Re: FW: [FamilyLiteracy 436]
Three DaysinNovember
	
	

	Oops!  The general assumption that "most adult English language
learners probably aren't citizens and can't vote" is dangerous and
inaccurate, especially in these troubled times... let's be careful... 

	 

	
________________________________


	From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Lynda Terrill
	Sent: Monday, November 06, 2006 4:18 PM
	To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List
	Subject: [EnglishLanguage 819] FW: [FamilyLiteracy 436] Three
Days inNovember

	 

	Although most adult English language learners probably aren't
citizens and can't vote, the information below is interesting and may
spark some discussion in the ESL classes, I think. At the very least,
it's good information for all teachers of adult learners. 

	Best, 

	Miriam Burt

	(moderating the list while Lynda Terrill is out)

	 

	
________________________________


	From: familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:familyliteracy-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Gail Price
	Sent: Friday, November 03, 2006 7:34 AM
	To: Family Literacy Discussion List
	Subject: [FamilyLiteracy 436] Three Days in November

	The following message is posted on behalf of Tom Sticht.

	 

	Three Days In November

	 

	This last Saturday (October 28, 2006) I had the pleasure of
speaking to the

	assembled adult learners from San Diego county who were
attending the

	annual adult learners conference sponsored by READ/San Diego and
other

	literacy groups in the county. I spoke about three days in
November which I

	think it is important for all of us who work in adult literacy
education to

	be aware of and to take action on.

	 

	First, on November 3 we celebrate 40 years of service to adult
learners in

	the Adult Education and

	Literacy System (AELS) of the United States of America which
became

	formalized when President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Adult
Education Act

	of 1966. Adult literacy educators and adult learners alike
should find a

	way to celebrate this third branch of education in the U.S. and
the more

	than 100 million enrollments it has witnessed in the 40 years of
its

	existence.

	 

	Next, on November 7, Election Day, it is imperative that adult
literacy

	educators and adult learners go to the polls and vote. I pointed
out in my

	presentation that hundreds of thousands of adult learners have
fought in

	the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War I, World War II
and the

	Vietnam war for the freedom that we all enjoy. Further, adult
learners of

	African-American descent by the hundreds of thousands learned to
write

	their names and to vote during the years leading up to and
encompassing the

	Civil Rights movement in the second half of the 20th century in
the U. S. We

	owe it to those who have fought on the battle grounds and
struggled for the

	vote under the duress of Jim Crow laws to get out and vote on
November 7th.

	 

	Finally, on November 11, Veteran's Day, on the 11th hour of the
11th day of

	the 11th month we need to pause for a minute and remember the
adult

	literacy teachers and adult learners, as well as the other
hundreds of

	thousands of our fellow citizens who fought in wars and gave
their lives

	gaining and protecting the freedoms we all enjoy today.

	 

	 

	These are three very important days in November for adult
literacy educators

	and adult learners.

	 

	Tom Sticht

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	

	Gail J. Price

	Multimedia Specialist

	National Center for Family Literacy

	325 West Main Street, Suite 300

	Louisville, KY 40205

	 

	Phone: 502 584-1133, ext. 112

	Fax: 502 584-0172

	
	
	

	 

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