>From Sash, please see below...Jackie Taylor, List Moderator,

jataylor at utk.edu 

 

________________________________

From: Shash Woods [mailto:swoods at sbctc.edu] 
Sent: Wednesday, November 21, 2007 12:06 PM
To: The Adult Literacy Professional Development Discussion List
Subject: RE: [ProfessionalDevelopment 1743] Re: Message regarding
curriculum

 

It seems to me that lack of cultural knowledge can be experienced across
class borders as well as language borders.  Analyzing the American
workplace - learning its history and managerial mechanisms and some math
around the "bottom line" would yield "cultural" knowledge to both ABE
and ESL groups, and then behaviors that yield success in the workplace:
mostly around habits, communication, and interpersonal skills, could be
taught and developed based on critical thinking, rather than rote
instruction.  Better androgogy, and both groups served.

 

-          Shash Woods

 

From: professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:professionaldevelopment-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of
robinschwarz1 at aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2007 4:42 PM
To: professionaldevelopment at nifl.gov
Subject: [ProfessionalDevelopment 1743] Re: Message regarding curriculum

 

I, too, will be very interested in the feedback and would like to know
more about the curriculum.  I am always concerned that such programs
which appear to me to be conceived for Americans who have found it
difficult to be successful in the workplace, or who are not yet in the
workplace but whose prospective employers want to assure they will be
good employees.  As with many things in adult education, transferring
them directly to ESL populations is not always an accurate thing to do--
persons from other cultures who are learning English are not necessarily
without the work values or work experience that such programs are
designed for.   

On the other hand, if the program is flexible enough to be aimed at ESOL
learners' need to know ABOUT the American workplace and expectations
they will encounter there, rather than assuming they need to be taught
how to be a good employee, it could be a good thing.   Of course there
are always those who have not worked or whose work experience is very
unlike what they will encounter in this country.   

Nonetheless, I find that many times such efforts are indeed expected to
generalize to the ESOL population on the basis of unconfirmed
assumptions.   Donna-- can you tell us more about what this curriculum
expects the ESOL learners to gain from it? 

 

 

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