Hi, all 

 

Apparently, there's been a bit of a problem with the CAL server but we
are moving along. 

 

Hello again to those of you participating in the Reading for Adult ELLs
discussion. As promised, I wanted to start us off with the two or three
things we know for sure from research in reading (though not necessarily
from research with adult English language learners - we don't yet have
research that speaks directly to this population). 

 

So here is my questions. Which one of these assertions really resonates
for you?  If you are an ESL teacher do you have examples from you
students that either supports or disproves one of these points 

 

 

1.	You learn to read just once (this is also known as "breaking the
code"; once you have developed phonemic awareness in one language and
you know to decode one language), you don't need to start all over with
developing phonemic awareness in another language - you just need to
absorb the rules of the new system - that is, you must learn how English
works, not how literacy works. 

 

2.	Knowledge from the first language transfers to knowledge about
the second language but transfer is not automatic. You may need to draw
your students attention to certain common features of the language.

 

3.	We make sense of the world by connecting prior knowledge with
new knowledge.  We gain meaning from print the same way. So if your
knowledge of the world does not match the knowledge of the world that
the writer assumes, the text is likely to be confusing to you even if
your reading skills are ok.

 

4.	Reading is an interactive process between the reader, the text,
and the writer.  The situation in which you read and write and your
purposes for doing so play a role as well (think about opening a letter
from the INS - now USCIS or a note from your ex-spouse).

 

5.	When we read, we activate two types of knowledge - what we know
about meaning making (top down processes) and what we know about
language (bottom-up processes).  It's important to keep in mind that the
purpose of reading is comprehension. 

 

6.	Although control over bottom-up processes is important for
learning to read, it does not follow that new readers must have mastered
all sub skills before they can focus on comprehension. Using sub skills
effectively enhances comprehension, but control over sub skills does not
automatically lead to comprehension.

 

7.	Language proficiency and reading comprehension are closely
related. One way of increasing the reading skills of literate learners
is to build language skills.  One way of building students comprehension
of (pre) academic texts, is to present such information orally
(mini-presentations) and visually (through PowerPoints or video clips)
so you can build understanding of concepts without your students getting
mired in print.

 

8.	Vocabulary knowledge is one of the key determinants of reading
comprehension. Increases in vocabulary means increases in background
knowledge and in reading comprehension, the same as in everything else,
the more you know - the more you know 

 

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts 

 

Heide

 

 

 

From: Wrigley, Heide 
Sent: Monday, May 12, 2008 12:18 PM
To: englishlanguage at nifl.gov
Cc: Lynda Terrill
Subject: Reading and Adult English Language Learners 

 

Good morning all 

 

It's 7 am here in Southern New Mexico, it's still nice and cool and the
roses are blooming big time and I should be going out to water soon
(coffee first, though)

 

 

I wanted to welcome you to the discussion on ESL Reading and am hoping
that we'll have a lively back and forth as you pose questions, challenge
assumptions, and share your own experience teaching reading to ESL
students - either teaching these skills explicitly and systematically or
just folding reading into your regular curriculum. 

 

I would like to invite you to tell us a sentence or two about yourself
and your work and your experience before you post your messages.

 

Just a bit of background: I'm Heide Spruck Wrigley and my work revolves
around the intersection of research, policy and practice. I've been
involved in several studies on ESL literacy (broader than just reading)
that we can talk about, and this year I'm doing quite a bit of work
around workplace literacy.  Most of my work has been with language
minority adults who are relatively new to English but I've also taught
in intensive reading programs at the university level.  

 

I've been working with the Texas GREAT Centers (professional development
centers) for a number of years, and this year we started a series of
institutes that focus on ESL Reading with a special emphasis on
comprehension skills. So this discussion is an outgrowth of this work. 

 

A bit later, I'll write a note about the 2 or 3 things we know for sure
about reading (of any kind, not just reading in another language so we
don't have to get caught up in the "reading wars"). 

 

But in the meantime, I'd like to invite you to jump in and say a bit
more about who you are  and what issues you are grappling with when it
comes to helping your ESL students understand what they read.  

 

And a special welcome to the Texas teachers who have been involved in
the institutes. I'm hoping you will share your experience teaching
reading and tell us what has worked for you. 

 

All the best 

 

Heide

 

 

 

From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Lynda Terrill
Sent: Monday, May 12, 2008 7:21 AM
To: englishlanguage at nifl.gov
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 2374] Discussion on Reading and Adult
EnglishLanguage Learners begins

 

Dear subscribers,
 
I am happy to announce that our discussion on reading and adults
learning English as a second language is beginning.  Heide Wrigley will
be facilitating this discussion along with Texas practitioners who have
been working on a project related to reading.  I look forward to hearing
what they have to share, butI  also look forward to hearing many of your
experiences, questions, and answers about this important topic.
 
Lynda Terrill
lterrill at cal.org
 

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