In their very informative article How Should Adult ESL Reading Instruction Differ from ABE Reading Instruction , Miriam Burt, Joy  Peyton and Carol Van Duzer support the practice of very limited use (or no use)  of adult ESL learners reading texts aloud as a class activity.  They state:  
 
"Extensive individual oral reading and choral reading is of questionable value in the adult ESL classroom.  Accuracy in oral reading by adults learning English may be complicated by native language interference at every level from the letter-sound relationship to suprasegmentals of the language (stress, intonation, and pauses)."  
 
In their suggestions for teaching adult ESL learners, they go on to say:
 
"Consider limited use of choral readings.  When they are used, select short segments that emphasize English stress and intonation.  When involving learners in oral and choral reading of texts, be certain that they first hear a native-speaker-like model of the reading."
 
Carolyn Graham's Jazz Chants would be an example of read-aloud texts that emphasize stress and intonation.   
 
The full text of the article, which contrasts ABE and ESL reading in the four components of reading instruction - vocabulary, alphabetics/word analysis, fluency, and comprehension - can be found on the CAELA website at   <http://www.cal.org/caela>    http://www.cal.org/caela/esl_resources/briefs/readingdif.html.   The article is a very useful blend of practical classroom suggestions for reading instruction supported by the research base.
 
Jane
 
Jane C. Miller
ESL Specialist / Professional Development Coordinator
Colorado Department of Education /AEFL
201 E. Colfax Ave., Room 400
Denver, CO 80203-1799
303-866-6611 (ph)  303-866-6599 (fax)
miller_j at cde.state.co.us <BLOCKED::mailto:miller_j at cde.state.co.us> 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

________________________________

From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Ted Klein
Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2007 10:19 AM
To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 1991] Re: Students as Sources;Vocabulary Development in ESL


Mikal,
 
Thank you for the good words. I want to mention something else, that may stir some people up! It has been years since I had my ESL students read out loud. Many teachers do this on a daily basis. Here is my logic. Probably the only students who need to read out loud are those who are going to be radio announcers or preachers! I always look at function first. I've been making bets for years with other ESL teachers that they can't give me a GOOD reason to have their students read out loud. So far nobody has collected. To me, reading, unlike ballroom dancing or wrestling, is done alone. The goal is to absorb information, be entertained or be enlightened. Sometimes it appears that teachers are having their students read out loud to cut down on their own active time. Some have said, "I do it to check their pronunciation." I have two good ways to do the same, more effectively: 1. Listen to them carefully in conversation.  2. Give them a short repeat/imitate test that contains all of the English sounds at the beginning, middle and the end of words. Score and annotate specific problems.
 
My students read to themselves and answer written questions about the contents. They gradually read better.
 
Let me give you a little experiment that can be repeated over and over to prove my point. Make a couple of flashcards and put the Spanish words:   UN VASO and DEDO on them. Because of certain phonological "rules" in Spanish, what you see is not what you get. Just remember than for the most part, Spanish is much closer phonologically to its written language than is English.   Walk up to ten U.S. Americans who don't know any Spanish, SHOW THEM THE CARD and say [umbaso] which is exactly how it is pronounced in Spanish, due to assimilation. Eight out of the ten will stare at the words and say "UN+VASO" with the labiodental English "V," which doesn't exist in Spanish.  Walk up to ten other Americans and ask them to repeat "umbaso" with no visual reference. Most will have no difficulty repeating that. Next, do the same thing with the "DEDO" card and say "day though," (with shorter syllables), which is how it is pronounced in Spanish, due to the fact that /b/ /d/ and /g/ change to the closest fricative consonants between vowel sounds. Again there will be a problem while they are looking at the word and the majority will say "day+dough." Without the cards, they will not have a problem saying it correctly. 
 
The point is that adults depend way too much on their eyes, to the detriment of their ears. Reading and pronunciation should remain separate activities. The closest written language that I know about, that is more phonetic than most, is Turkish. I can read Turkish rather well out loud and have no vague idea what I'm saying. Reading out loud and comprehension are separate skills. 
 
 
T as in listen.
E as in hope.
D as in switched.
 
K as in knock.
L as in talk.
E as in snake.
I as in eye.
N as in gnu.
 
You may call me Ø
 
www.tedklein-ESL.com  
 
 
 

	----- Original Message ----- 
	From: Steinbacher, Mikal <mailto:msteinbacher at cascadia.edu>  
	To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List <mailto:englishlanguage at nifl.gov>  
	Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2007 9:55 AM
	Subject: [EnglishLanguage 1989] Re: Students as Sources; Vocabulary Development in ESL

	What a great idea!  I have students read aloud to practice pronunciation and to get a group identification of new words, but this is certainly a less "threatening" way of doing it.  
	 
	I have found that many students "know" a word when they hear it spoken, but don't reconginize it in writing.  I have developed a "How Do I Spell It?" handout from several pronunciation keys as a tool for using the dictionary and sounding words out.  It is a great "ah ha" for both ESL and native English speakers becasuse it clearly shows the at least one of the reasons English is such a confusing language to learn!  The number of ways "ai" "ea" and "ou" are pronounced is enough to give one a headache, let alone the number of ways the /sh/ sound is spelled!  
	 
	Thanks for your idea!
	 
	Mikal Steinbacher
	Associate Faculty ESL
	Cascadia Community College
________________________________

	From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov [englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Ted Klein [taklein at austin.rr.com]
	Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2007 7:20 AM
	To: Adult English Language Learners List
	Subject: [EnglishLanguage 1988] Students as Sources; Vocabulary Development in ESL
	
	
	I keep hearing mention of "student-centered teaching activities" as well as various sources of vocabulary development. Several years ago I made what should have been an obvious discovery. The students themselves are the very best source of the vocabulary that they need. I observed several classes in which I felt that ESL teachers were truly inflicting too many of their own interests in vocabulary presentations. One instructor was an audio buff. He spent an hour teaching audio equipment/high fidelity terminology to students, who I felt were not getting the message because of their comprehension levels and also disinterest. Their needs were quite basic. They wanted to communicate in the real world in which they were coping with a new language, a new culture and lots of surprises. What I do once a week with my adult immigrant students is have vocabulary day. The good news is that the students provide the vocabulary and I do my best to fill the gaps that they have discovered. The bad news is possible instructor embarrassment at some of the words that the students have encountered! It's good that we're all adults.  Here is the form that we use, as well as the procedures:
	                                          

	 

	 

	                                    NEW VOCABULARY WORDS

	 

	 

	Name____________________________           Date_________________

	 

	 

	Make a list of five new vocabulary words that you have heard or seen this week. If you know a word and don't know how to use it, put it on your list.  Make a note on where you found this word and what sentence it was in.

	 

	                                                                                                            NOTES:

	1.­­­­­­­­­­­­­­____________________________________      

	 

	 

	2.____________________________________

	 

	 

	3.____________________________________

	 

	 

	4.____________________________________

	 

	 

	5.____________________________________

	 

	 

	Put the above words in a sentence after your instructor has explained them.

	 

	 

	1.___________________________________________________________

	 

	 

	2.___________________________________________________________

	 

	 

	3.___________________________________________________________

	 

	 

	4.___________________________________________________________

	 

	 

	5.___________________________________________________________

	 

	 

	PROCEDURES:

	 

	1. The students turn in the above form with their new words. 

	 

	2. The instructor puts all of the words received on the marker board, each with primary stress marked above written vowels and digraphs; e.g.  "phótograph, photógrapher, photográphic photógraphy."   Familiarity with primary stress is a critical feature if students are to be understood in the real world.

	 

	3. After all of the words are up, each word is explained is simple written English, "acted out" or illustrated with a sketch. Many nouns can be drawn and most verbs can be acted out. Use of L2/L1 dictionaries is discouraged. Functional words such as "only" are put in parentheses for special treatment and explanation after the basic list is covered. Meanings are discussed in simple English, even though I'm functional in some other languages. Short simple sentences are made with the words.

	 

	4. Next is repetition time. Each word is repeated at least twice by class members. At this time students are asked to identify vowel sounds numerically, as I talked about in a previous letter; heed 1,  hid  2, hayed 3, head 4,  had 5,  hod 6,  hawed 7,  hoed 8,  hood  9,  who'd  10,  Hud  11,   hide  6+2,  howl  6+9,  boil   7+2. 

	 

	 

	ADVANTAGES

	 

	1. Students come in with words that they have heard at work, from friends and have read on signs, in newspapers and books. These are the words that they want to know and that they need. Most enjoy the process.

	 

	2. All of the class members get to share in new words that their classmates have picked up.

	 

	3. Sounds are identified and reinforced, including suprasegmental primary stress.

	 

	4. Reading skills are enhanced by recognition.

	 

	5. Discussions of meanings among students and with the instructor are high value catalysts for communication.

	 

	 

	      Theodore A. (Ted) Klein, Jr.
	  Independent Consultant in Language
	         and Intercultural Training
	              Austin, Texas 
	       taklein at austin.rr.com
	      www.tedklein-ESL.com     
	             

	 

	
	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	 

	
________________________________


	

	----------------------------------------------------
	National Institute for Literacy
	Adult English Language Learners mailing list
	EnglishLanguage at nifl.gov
	To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings, please go to http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/englishlanguage
	Email delivered to taklein at austin.rr.com

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/englishlanguage/attachments/20071213/84819a8d/attachment.html