The way it was explained to me, both as a tutor trainer, and as a trainer of trainers, was that the tutor (teacher) is, for the moment, the principal interface between the student and the new culture. If there are (sometimes very personal) issues the students need to confront, it may be up to us to 'translate' the new culture's expectations or norms; then the student has the option of taking that advice into account, or not. Let me reiterate: this is not about ''imposing" values but about showing students a road map; they can decide how they'll get there.
Bonnie
  
 Bonnie Odiorne, PhD Director, Writing Center Adjunct Professor of English, French, First Year Transitions, Day Division and ADP
Post University, Waterbury, CT issues
Labyrinth Facilitator, Spiritual Director
please don't print this e-mail unless you really need to 




________________________________
From: Michael Gyori <tesolmichael at yahoo.com>
To: The Adult English Language Acquisition Discussion List <englishlanguage at nifl.gov>
Sent: Tuesday, October 6, 2009 6:05:38 PM
Subject: [EnglishLanguage 5043] The purview of a language teacher


Greetings everyone,

Steve wrote, For a language or literacy teacher to worry about people's diet or character is not warranted in my view.

The classroom is part and parcel of human existence and social life.  Perhaps when teachers are face-to-face with their students, it becomes more evident than in distance learning.

I have taught health literacy to parents enrolled in family literacy programs at elementary schools that their children attended. I will not forget the expressions of gratitude I received from school administrators, teachers, and parents for having done so. 

ESL is a multi-faceted field.  Content-based instruction (CBI) integrates instruction in academic subject areas with language development; English for Special Purposes (ESP) includes instruction in areas as diverse as preparing for a driver's license test, bartending, maneuvering doctors' office visits, securing legal assistance, and mortgage loan modifications, to name but a few; Business English serves to assist learners to conduct business in a new language and culture.  I could go on and on.

In my view, what is warranted, indeed very much warranted, is to meet the needs our fellow human beings seek help with.  Often, of course, I am unable to meet certain needs and will involve other community members with the needed expertise and/or certification to meet such needs. 

To place language teachers' prerogatives into a box is tantamount to performing a great disservice both to our students as well as to ourselves.

It does take a village, after all...

Michael


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