Peter, what is "flash fiction?"

Mary Schneckenburger
Program Coordinator
Literacy Volunteers-Androscoggin
Auburn Maine

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Peter MacMonagle"


Response to all:

I am beginning to use children's chapter books with my intermediate ESL 
students for much the same reason you are.  I believe language in context is 
more useful than the sporadic and piecemeal approach that I find in books 
for workplace ESL learners (my population).  Right now I am feeling my way 
along while we read as a whole group, with individuals taking turns.  I can 
pinpoint many pronunciation and language processing difficulties this way 
since I do not coach my students beforehand.  This is much like having to 
read things in the outside world, except this is a friendly, non-critical 
atmosphere where students are free to make mistakes - we all learn from each 
other.

I am beginning to couple this with requiring them to answer questions in 
writing (to the best of their ability.) After taking the National Writing 
Project's Summer Institute last summer, I believe that the way I grew into 
my reading comprehension as a child was to keep reading real books.My 
comprehension grew from exposure to new words and connections. As I improve 
my delivery of this format, I will have all of my students in my classes do 
some form of reading and reflective writing practice.

One of my classes is held in a room down the hall from a public library 
branch and they are the ones who choose what to read based entirely on their 
own interest and reading level. This self-select process is also an 
experiment as I see how best to manage it for my group which consists of 
both intermediate ESL and a mixed ability native English group from fairly 
basic to GED level. I am working on getting them to read as a normal part of 
their daily lives. Test scores will follow the upward trend as their 
comprehension grows, and I find that they usually read at a higher level 
than their initial CASAS or TABE tests show.

For my native low level English speakers, I am working on supplying them 
with flash fiction and short story readings coupled with reflective writing 
and class discussion.  Not so much this semester, but next semester I will 
begin assigning more of this while I move their practice into keeping 
regular writing logs of what they think about what they read. They 
appreciate the discussion part because they get to express their views, 
something that is rarely done in the urban schooling context.


Wm. Peter MacMonagle, M.Ed.
Central Piedmont Community College
Community Development/Workplace Basic Skills
West Campus 2219
704-330-4668


"I meant," said Ipslore bitterly, "what is there in this world
that truly makes living worthwhile?"
Death thought about it.
"Cats," he said eventually. "Cats are nice."
Terry Pratchett, Sourcery