I wanted to join the discussion if
only so that eventually I might be
able to continue interaction with
list members regarding this important
topic. My main observation would be
that the references made to LD in
the article seem to be slightly
outdated. In the present day context,
LD as a label is determined with a
fair amount of relativity, meaning that
the label only applies as a description
of a trend in which continually refined
interventions are attempted based on
continual assessment of the resulting
behavior/performance. The research area
called "Response to Intervention" offers
many opportunities for teachers to address
both language learning and cognitive processes,
and it is kind of a false choice to suggest
it's either one or the other. It is also
important to recognize that much of the
phonological approach touted in the article
actually represents a series of interventions
more familiar to LD teachers than ESOL teachers.
If you wish to take an approach that is
predisposed towards ESOL, your emphasis
would be more on the order of providing
massive amounts of comprehensible input,
which means reading and listening for
communicative purposes. I have catalogued
audio files of one leading second-language
acquisition researcher, Dr. Bill VanPatten,
describing how this process works.

http://www.eslminiconf.net/katesol/spring2004/vanpattenA/
http://www.eslminiconf.net/katesol/spring2004/vanpattenB/

Another person who puts things together very
nicely is Jo Gusman. Her two-day workshop on
sheltered instruction did a lot to clarify my
understanding of the interrelationship between
comprehensible input and the affective filter,
concepts that date back to research by Stephen
Krashen and Tracy Terrell in the late 1970s.
Here is a description of Jo Gusman's workshop:

http://www.eslminiconf.net/sept2003/garden.html

Finally, if you want more information about
response to intervention, which is the current
approach to determining whether an LD label
is appropriate and, more importantly, assessing
a learner's immediate needs so that useful 
interventions are continually refined, please
check the new text by Dr. Matt Burns and
Dr. Amanda VanDerHeyden.

http://worldcat.org/wcpa/ow/09ae9f122fdbb679a19afeb4da09e526.html

Again, I think there is a lot of valuable
information in the article by Robin Lovrien
Schwarz, but there is much more going on
in both LD and ESOL than she suggests is
the case.

Sincerely,
Robert Bruce Scott
Doctoral Student in Special Education
ESL Instructor in K-State's intensive English program
Vice-President, Kansas CEC
Past President, Kansas TESOL
rbscott at ksu.edu

--- Julie McKinney <julie_mcKinney at worlded.org> wrote:


> Hi Everyone,

> 

> Welcome to our discussion with Robin Lovrien

> Schwarz! 

> 

> Robin is a returned Peace Corps Volunteer and

> veteran teacher of both ESOL and LD. Currently she

> does independent consulting in learning difficulties

> isn adult ESOL andadult education. While continuing

> doctoral studies in ESOL and Learning difficulties

> at Lesley University, Cambridge, MA, Robin resides

> in Wisconsin.

> 

> We will discuss Robin's article in the latest issue

> of Focus on Basics: 

> 

> Addressing Potential Impediments to Learning with

> ESOL Students

>

http://www.ncsall.net/fileadmin/resources/fob/2007/fob_8d.pdf

> 

> Note: Issue 8D is available only in PDF format. You

> can find this article on page 20.

> 

> Adult ESOL students who are not achieving the

> expected progress are often assumed to have learning

> disabilities. While this may indeed be the case,

> there are several other issues that can impede their

> ability to learn. This article discusses several of

> these issues and offers strategies to assess them

> and address them.

> 

> Please think about the Discussion Questions listed

> below, and send your thoughts to the list:

> 

> Discussion Questions 

> 

> 1. What are some of the problems of learners in your

> program who have not made progress? 

> 2. Do you think the factors discussed in the article

> could explain some struggles you've noticed in your

> learners? 

> 3. How have you discovered, and then addressed the

> issues?

> 4. How can a program develop a coherent system to

> identify these issues?

> 5. What kind of professional development do

> practitioners need in order to address these

> problems?

> 

> To read a relevant article from two years ago:

> "Taking a Closer Look at Struggling ESOL Learners" 

> go to: 

> http://www.ncsall.net/index.php?id=994 

> 

> If you are not subscribed to the FOB list, you can

> subscribe at: 

> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/focusonbasics 

> 

> All the best,

> Julie

> 

> Julie McKinney

> Discussion List Moderator

> World Education/NCSALL

> jmckinney at worlded.org

> 

> ----------------------------------------------------

> National Institute for Literacy

> Focus on Basics mailing list

> FocusOnBasics at nifl.gov

> To unsubscribe or change your subscription settings,

> please go to

> http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/focusonbasics

> Message sent to rbscott at ksu.edu.

> 

> 




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