Ted & Mikal,

I agree with Mikal this contract is not for beginners English speakers.
It is very intense, and scary, and I can guarantee they are signing
because they trust you as the instructor (probably a strong cultural
practice), not because they understand anything within the contract.  I
also find it very dictatorial, and unfriendly, how can you tell people
to walk away from their native language speaking friends???   Yu are
also suggesting for them to change jobs; do you realize how hard it is
for an immigrant to find a job????  (Please be careful, you need to be
aware the power a teacher has in other countries, your suggestions are
sometimes taken as "the thing they must do")

Just to give you a few examples of what I am referring to:

1) "performance-oriented instruction'   (Most Americans won't know what
this means, so don't expect immigrants to know)

2) "I agree to take responsibility for actually learning English."  (The
word actually in this sentence is pretty demeaning)

3) "I am not studying English just for fun. I am now living in a country
whose founders, even those who spoke other languages, decided that
English would be the most practical medium of communication."   Again
demeaning, and how do we prove this to our participants?....after all,
many native Americans have been fighting to keep their language and
their traditions alive......Italian, Jewish, German, Polish, Spanish,
Chinese, Japanese, etc....Maybe this is the reason that English is still
not the official language of the United States, and that we have not
really become a melting pot.  For example take a walk around New York
City's Chinatown, Little Italy, Harlem, El Barrio, East Side, West Side,
etc.)

Ms. Gary Bartolina, Program Manager
Adult Education Basics
NYS & CSEA  Partnership for Education & Training
Corporate Plaza East - Suite 502
240 Washington Avenue Extension
Albany, NY 12203
Phone: 518-473-4990
Fax: 518-473-9457
bartolinag at nyscseapartnership.org
<mailto:bartolinag at nyscseapartnership.org> 
www.nyscseapartnership.org <http://www.nyscseapartnership.org/> 
"A love affair with knowledge will never end in heartbreak."
(Michael Garrett Marino) 
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-----Original Message-----
From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of French, Allan
Sent: Friday, June 20, 2008 5:10 PM
To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List
Subject: RE: [EnglishLanguage 2689] Re: Effective Needs Assessment
Strategies

 

Terry:

 

That is why I believe Ted considers it a good English lesson.  They can
learn vocabulary as well as the idea and importance of signing such
agreements.  They learn that each person has responsibility for making
their class a success.  Finally, this would give them practice for the
real-life agreements they are faced-with from time to time and which are
much more complex.

 

Allan French

South Seattle CC

afrench at sccd.ctc.edu

 

	-----Original Message----- 
	From: englishlanguage-bounces at nifl.gov on behalf of Terry Said 
	Sent: Fri 6/20/2008 1:32 PM 
	To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List 
	Cc: 
	Subject: [EnglishLanguage 2689] Re: Effective Needs Assessment
Strategies

	Ted,
	
	Your students may be at a higher level than mine, but
	even my intermediate-level college ESL students would
	have a hard time reading your contract.
	
	Terry Pruett-Said
	
	--- Ted Klein <taklein at austin.rr.com> wrote:
	
	> I have my students sign an agreement when we start.
	> It gives them most of the responsibility for
	> acquiring English and to know that the teacher can
	> "lead them to water, but can't make them drink it."
	> This agreement is in itself a good English lesson!
	>
	> Ted
	> www.tedklein-ESL.com
	>
	>  Here it is:
	>
	>               ESL STUDENT-TEACHER RESPONSIBILITY
	> AGREEMENT
	>
	> 
	>
	> 
	>
	> TEACHER-As your English teacher, I agree to do the
	> best job that I can in the few hours that we are
	> together every week, to help you reach enough
	> English fluency to achieve your life goals. I will
	> work on your listening, speaking, reading and
	> writing skills. I will help you to increase your
	> vocabulary based on your real needs. I will do what
	> I can to increase your confidence in acquiring a new
	> language. I will be responsible for offering what
	> you need in useful information on the U.S. American
	> cultures. I will do my best to offer you
	> performance-oriented instruction plus information on
	> the English language as needed. I will speak to you
	> at normal speed and without exaggeration, so that
	> when you are in the bank, the mall, or places of
	> employment and business, you will understand and be
	> understood by others, outside of the classroom.
	>
	> 
	>
	> 
	>
	>
	
SIGNED------------------------------------------------------------------
--------------
	>
	>                                 Teacher
	>
	> 
	>
	> STUDENT-As your student, I agree to take
	> responsibility for actually learning English. I
	> realize that very little of this will occur if I
	> stop acquiring English after class. This means that
	> I will look at my lifestyle and do what I can to
	> become truly bilingual. I realize that it takes
	> thousands of hours to really become competent in a
	> new language to the point that I can get the
	> education, training, and job that I want, in order
	> to achieve my life's goals in a new country. I also
	> know that acquiring a new language never stops.
	>
	> 
	>
	> I am not studying English just for fun. I am now
	> living in a country whose founders, even those who
	> spoke other languages, decided that English would be
	> the most practical medium of communication.  I know
	> that the best opportunities are available to persons
	> who speak, read and write English, regardless of
	> what their native languages are. I will still love
	> and continue using my native language at home, if I
	> choose.
	>
	> 
	>
	> If I work in a place where others speak my native
	> language, I will look for a job where I have to use
	> English, even if it is not easy at first. If all of
	> my friends speak my native language, I will try to
	> find new friends, with common interests, who don't
	> speak my language. I will read English whenever
	> possible, for pleasure or information. If  I'm not a
	> reader, I will change my priorities and read more. I
	> will become a better student, by taking the day's
	> work home and reviewing it, over and over if
	> necessary, until I have complete understanding of
	> what I learned in class and can apply it.  If I
	> still don't understand or can't do it, I will ask my
	> teacher to help me. I will never feel bad about
	> asking questions, in or out of class. I will expose
	> myself to English in all possible ways, on the
	> radio, television, movies, newspapers, books and
	> most of all social interaction with competent
	> English speakers.
	>
	> 
	>
	> I know that my teacher can teach, but he cannot
	> learn for me. That is my job.
	>
	> 
	>
	> 
	>
	>
	
SIGNED------------------------------------------------------------------
---
	>
	>                                   Student
	>
	>    
	>
	>
	>   ----- Original Message -----
	>   From: Donna Moss
	>   To: 'The Adult English Language Learners
	> Discussion List'
	>   Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2008 2:25 PM
	>   Subject: [EnglishLanguage 2679] Re: Effective
	> Needs Assessment Strategies
	>
	>
	>   I also like to have a whole group discussion and
	> class needs assessment before working on individual
	> goals.
	>
	>   One challenge of goal setting is helping students
	> articulate a goal that is realistic and achievable
	> in a given amount of time so that students can see
	> progress and feel a sense of accomplishment. The
	> goal, "I want to learn English" is great, but it's
	> really broad.
	>
	>    A goal statement can help students narrow their
	> goal and focus. A statement such as, I need to
	> improve my _____ (language skill) so I can ______
	> (do something) has worked for me. So, a student who
	> is looking for a job, might say, "I need to improve
	> my speaking and listening so I can ask and answer
	> questions when I have a job interview." Another
	> student who is a parent might say, "I need to
	> improve my speaking and listening so I can ask my
	> child's teacher questions in English."
	>
	>   At TESOL this year, I went to a workshop on
	> Strategies for Learner Goal Setting. One of the
	> strategies the facilitator suggested is having
	> students form "goal support groups." These groups
	> can be formed based on similarities in life roles or
	> type of work or goals. She schedules regular
	> meetings for 15 to 30 minutes and students talk to
	> each other about their goals and progress toward
	> their goals.
	>
	>   What are some ways to help students develop a plan
	> to meet their goals?
	>
	>   Donna Moss
	>   Program Specialist
	>   Arlington Education and Employment Program
	>   Arlington, VA
	>
	>
	>
	>
	>   >>> "Betsy Wong" <betsywong at comcast.net> 6/19/2008
	> 9:24 AM >>>
	>
	>   One of the strategies that has proven helpful in
	> assessing learners' language needs has been a
	> full-group discussion/brainstorming session, with
	> each one of these questions discussed at a time:
	>
	>   
	>
	>   Where do you speak English?
	>
	>   Where do you hear English?
	>
	>   Where do you read English?
	>
	>   Where do you write English?
	>
	>   
	>
	>   Although this is simplistic, it really gets
	> learners thinking about the situations in which they
	> need to use English (and I usually follow up the
	> question with, Are there any other times when you
	> want to speak/hear/read/write English more easily?)
	>
	>   
	>
	>   At the lower levels, it's helpful to use visuals
	> as well (e.g., a picture of a hospital or a
	> children's school - "Do you need to speak English
	> here?")
	>
	>   
	>
	>   I like to note answers on the board (this also
	> lends itself to a "mind-mapping" diagram) and copy
	> them for myself. I refer to it throughout the class
	> term.
	>
	>   
	>
	=== message truncated ===>
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