Hi all,
 
There will be a special discussion on the Adult English Language Learners  
discussion list on Practical Strategies for Working with Literacy-Level  Adult 
English Language Learners, December 10-14, 2007 with guest  facilitators 
MaryAnn Cunningham Florez and Betsy Lindeman Wong.

To  subscribe to this list, please go to  
http://www.nifl.gov/mailman/listinfo/Englishlanguage and click on  subscribe.

Background

One of the frequently recurring  topics  on the Adult English Language 
Learners discussion list is  how to   effectively and appropriately teach adult 
English language learners who have had  access to limited (or no) formal 
education.  

Last year we had a  panel discussion on this topic (see  
http://www.cal.org/caela/esl_resources/litdiscussion.html  for a  summary).  This past spring the 
NIFL Special Topics discussion list hosted  a discussion led by Heide Wrigley 
and Larry Condelli related to their study,  "What Works for Adult ESL 
Students."  This discussion is archived  at 
_http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/What_Works_for_Adult_ESL_Students_ 
(http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/What_Works_for_Adult_ESL_Students) >  
 
Archives of both discussions (and all of the lists) are available on 
_http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/discussions/list_archives.html_ 
(http://www.nifl.gov/lincs/discussions/list_archives.html) . 
 
Nonetheless, several of you have asked for more discussion and information  
on the practicalities of working with literacy-level adult English language  
learners.  So, from December 10-14, 2007 MaryAnn Cunningham Florez and  Betsy 
Lindeman Wong will guest  facilitate a discussion on hands-on  strategies, 
techniques, and activities for working with this group of adult ESL  learners.

MaryAnn and Betsy's bios below show much and varied  experiences related to 
teaching the literacy- and beginning-levels.   However, as many of our almost 
900 subscribers also have experiences to  share, I hope that might constitute 
the bulk of the discussion.  Also, I  hope those of you who are new to teaching 
literacy-level or multilevel classes  or adult ESL generally will ask 
specific "how-to" questions that the  facilitators and others can respond to.

As an example: A poster writes,  "How can I get the students in my first 
level class to communicate  independently?"  A responder could share his or her 
own specific "how-to"  in using LEAs, line dialogues, conversation grids, or 
other activities.  Or  a respondent could share what didn't work and why.

There is a great deal  of information available related to teaching 
literacy-level adult English  language learners, so I am citing one general resource 
that will lead to a host  of others, the CAELA online collection on Working with 
Literacy-Level  Learners  at   
_http://www.cal.org/caela/esl_resources/collections/literacy.html_ 
(http://www.cal.org/caela/esl_resources/collections/literacy.html)   >

I hope you will plan on joining the  discussion.


Sincerely,

Lynda Terrill, List Moderator
_terrill at cal.org_ (mailto:terrill at cal.org) 



MaryAnn Cunningham Florez. Before moving over to DC Learns, MaryAnn was  Lead 
ESL Specialist, Arlington Education and Employment Program (REEP),  
Arlington, Virginia.  Before going to REEP, MaryAnn was lead ESL specialist  in Fairfax 
County (VA) adult ESL.  When MaryAnn was Assistant Director at  the National 
Center for ESL Literacy Education (NCLE) she moderated the NIFL-ESL  list.. 
MaryAnn is the author of  Lifeprints Literacy (New Readers Press)  and  
"Beginning ESOL Learners' Advice to Their Teachers"  (http://www.ncsall.net/?id=279  
<https://mail.cal.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.ncsall.net/?id=279>  
). She also is also coauthor of Working With Literacy-Level Adult English  
Language Learners   (http://www.cal.org/caela/esl_resources/digests/litQA.html  
<https://mail.cal.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.cal.org/caela/esl_re
sources/digests/litQA.html>   ). MaryAnn has also had a great deal of 
experience as a teacher and  administrator in a program that served many 
literacy-level English language  learners in a church-based program in Falls Church, VA. 



Betsy  Lindeman Wong  One of Betsy's many jobs in adult ESL has been as 
online  facilitator, ESOL Basics, Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center. In this 
role,  Betsy has had experience working very closely with teachers who are new 
to adult  ESL. Betsy has taught adult ESL in several programs in Northern  
Virginia--specializing in classes geared for literacy- and beginning-level  
learners-- and developed EL/Civics, ESOL family literacy, and other curricula  for 
Fairfax County and  Virginia  
(http://www.aelweb.vcu.edu/publications/famlitcurric/  
<https://mail.cal.org/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.aelweb.vcu.edu/publications/famlitcurric/>  ) As lead teacher in an adult ESL program in 
Alexandria, Betsy has opportunities  to mentor teachers who may not be 
familiar with appropriate strategies,  techniques, and resources for working with 
literacy-level and other adult  English language learners. 


Regards~



Rochelle
 
 
Rochelle Kenyon
Moderator, NIFL/LINCS Learning Disabilities  Discussion List
Center for Literacy Studies at the University of  Tennessee
_RKenyon721 at aol.com_ (mailto:RKenyon721 at aol.com)  

To  post a message: 
_Learningdisabilities at nifl.gov_ (mailto:Learningdisabilities at nifl.gov)   

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