Hello Kearney and all,

Literacy is a very powerful term that greatly influences education legislation, policies, and by extension, instructional practices. As currently defined, it is the foundation of No Child Left Behind, the Adult Education Family Literacy Act, to name two.  Everything has a silver lining, but both appear to be miserably failing and creating stress levels among teachers and administrators unknown of before, and literacy levels (as traditionally defined) are not increasing.

Premised on the goal (or my goal) of education as a contributor to students' self-perception of being successful and in a state of well-being, then we must reference a much broader definition of literacy than the prevailing one.  

We might help a student become a good reader (with understanding), and leave him or her with interpersonal skills that trigger ongoing conflict even violence; another might still remain unable to live within his or her means and go into severe debt; yet another might eat burgers and fries day after day and become obese and gravely ill; yet another again might hail from a foreign country and have no tools at his or her disposal to make an adopted country feel like a new home.

Historically, the drive for people to read and write well is a very recent one.  I suggest that we now have to go back to "square one" and begin by discussing the very purposes and goals of education.

Michael

 
Michael A. Gyori 
Maui International Language School 
www.mauilanguage.com




________________________________
From: Kearney Lykins <kearney_lykins at yahoo.com>
To: The Adult English Language Acquisition Discussion List <englishlanguage at nifl.gov>
Sent: Monday, October 5, 2009 9:17:33 AM
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 5034] Re: quitando la vergüenza


Michael, et al, 
 
What is gained by appropriating the term "literacy" to describe types of skills or knowledge other than those having more directly to do with the mastery of letters? 
 
What is inadequate about terms such as social skills, computer skills, math ability, history knowledge?

 
 Kearney Lykins
 
Kearney_Lykins at yahoo.com




________________________________
 From: Michael Gyori <tesolmichael at yahoo.com>
To: The Adult English Language Acquisition Discussion List <englishlanguage at nifl.gov>
Sent: Mon, October 5, 2009 1:23:31 PM
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 5029] Re: quitando la vergüenza


Hello Paul and all,

I'd like to begin by stating that the use of one's L1 (native language) in L2 (second language) development is of paramount importance.  One's L1 is foundational to one's cognition (knowing) as well as affect (feeling).  In very real ways, our very essence and how we perceive ourselves and the world is embodied in our L1.

I only limit L1 use in my classes when students are talking about matters unrelated to language learning, especially when a few in the class engage in conversation and distract others in the class - and themselves because their attention is not directed at the learning experience.

In speaking of quitando la vergüenza (when I hear or use the word vergüenza, the primary meaning it carries for me is "shame"), you are alluding to affect, or rather the "affective states" of your students.  Affect is, for me, possibly the most important aspect of effective teaching and learning.

Last week, there was a guest discussion on the assessment discussion list about cognitive vs. "non-cognitive" "skills," and a few (myself included) basically stated that non-cognition was basically an invalid term (at worst, subject to an abusive agenda by those who attempt to "measure" non-cognitive skills (under which they include motivation, persistence, timeliness, etc.). 

The discussion is continuing, and I (among others) am urging the discontinuation of the "construct" (?) of non-cognition and proposing the use of the term affect - not in its place, but really as the true and meaningful cohort of cognition.  I have used the following definition of affect: the conscious subject aspect of feeling or emotion as used on WordNet (http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?o2=&o0=1&o7=&o5=&o1=1&o6=&o4=&o3=&s=affect&i=0&h=000000#c).

Concurrently, there is a fledgling discussion underway on the diversity and literacy discussion list with the goal of (finally) redefining NIFL's (and others') prevailing use of the term "literacy" to incorporate multiple literacies, including the one being currently discussed, namely social literacy.  I believe that if the discussion takes on life, it'll prove useful to teachers (guides, facilitators) and students (also guides and facilitators) alike.

I urge all avid ESL teachers (as Paul clearly is) to subscribe to those lists if they haven't done so already.

As for  Freire and Montessori, simply googling them will provide a wealth of information to all who are interested in learning more.

Michael 

 
 
Michael A. Gyori 
Maui International Language School 
www.mauilanguage.com




________________________________
 From: Paul Rogers <pumarosa21 at yahoo.com>
To: The Adult English Language Learners Discussion List <englishlanguage at nifl.gov>
Sent: Saturday, October 3, 2009 5:00:31 AM
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 5022] quitando la vergüenza


A major factor contributing to adults'  English learning experience is what I would call the "community attitude" toward immigrants, especially Latinos.
When a student tells me of a particular negative encounter with an English speaker in a store, at the DMV, etc., I use that experience as a lesson.
I also explain that everyone feels a little timid (vergüenza) trying to speak English due to the fact that English is difficult to pronounce in the first place and in the second place there are many Americans who are somewhat ... mean toward those who do not speak English.
Some ESL teachers contribute to the problem.
For example, students should have the right to speak their own language in class under certain conditions, such as asking another student for a translation. 
In one of my classes, a wife and her husband told me that they were separated because she knew more English and had to explain things every now and then to him. 
They were humiliated by the teacher and therefore dropped out of the class.
In any case, when I teach, I explain to my students that I will try to "quitar la vergüenza", to kick out timidity and feelings of inadequacy as best as I can.
Creating a welcoming and supportive environment should be one of the topics for a discussion, I think.
Paul Rogers
805-258-3310
pumarosa21 at yahoo.com
PUMAROSA.COM 


      
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