hi, Ellen

Thanks for this  -I think everyone has pieces to contribute here.  I work
with a young woman in prison as well – and we do a lot of writing around
topics that she chooses.

I know that Heide has a number of great ideas about writing prompts.  A
slightly different set of work around teaching in prisons can also be found
in an online issue of Focus on Basics, if you've not already seen it
http://www.ncsall.net/index.php?id=52

thanks, too, to Heide and Larry and all for the discussion so far.

Janet Isserlis



From: Ellen Berg <iceberg900 at hotmail.com>
Reply-To: <specialtopics at nifl.gov>
Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2007 09:58:34 -0400
To: <specialtopics at nifl.gov>
Subject: [SpecialTopics 276] Re: giving students a chance to think
aboutwriting and play with language

Heidi - I'm a volunteer that teaches GED in a correctional setting - I get
the students starting to write from the very start (right at the intake).  I
am not a trained professional in this field but seem to have success with
getting the students to write.  I get ones who "hate it" or "I can't do it"
from the onset but enjoy it, and succeed at writing a somewhat interesting
paragraph, at the end.  I mostly emplore them to write about themselves
using a particular issue.  I spend a lot of time talking with them,
provoking thought about different issues, how the issue might apply to them
or their family or their friends.  Once I get them comfortable in the
talking stage, I then have them start to put the words to paper and show
them simple things to do to improve on what it is they are trying to say.  I
could go on and on but I think you catch the drift.  With a student from
Africa who did not understand American culture, and especially black
American culture, we had to spend a lot of time explaining idioms,
euphemisms & colloquialisms.

I guess my main point is, it seems that I have to do a lot of work on the
verbal end before they master the writing part.  Once they start putting
their thoughts on paper then we slowly start to work on structure (I even
have to work on pennmanship for what is the point of writing if no one can
read it).  The important thing for me is to keep feeding back what it is
that they have written and seeing if I am interpreting according to what
they meant to say and keeping working forward from this point.  In my
experience, teaching them structure from the onset does not seem to work.
It seems to be a relationship thing  but mostly verbalizing everything seems
key to their engagement and participation.

By the way - I usually participate in your forums from a distance (reading
only to pick up thoughts, ideas and tips).  I actually don't feel qualified
to participate at the level that all of you participate.  I hope my thoughts
have made a difference.

Ellen Berg 
Customized Business Services, LLC
POB 214 
Washington VA 22747-0214
540-827-4498 (INet Phone)

540-987-8248 (Home Phone)
 
Be kinder than necessary. Because everyone you meet is fighting some kind of
battle.
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This communication is a confidential and proprietary business communication.
It is intended solely for the use of the designated recipient(s). If this
communication is received in error, please contact the sender and delete
this communication.

> 

> From: "Wrigley, Heide" <heide at literacywork.com>

> Reply-To: specialtopics at nifl.gov

> To: <specialtopics at nifl.gov>

> Subject: [SpecialTopics 274] Re: giving students a chance to think

> aboutwriting and play with language

> Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2007 19:50:29 -0400

> 

> Hi, Elsa 

>  

> That makes total sense to me ˆ to explore different ways of telling the story

> (orally, in L1, through pictures) before committing oneself to writing.  I

> think, as a rule, we give way too little time to preparation when we ask

> students to write.  Most of us tend to write much richer pieces when we have

> been given a chance to think things through, talk with others about it, and

> have a good idea of what a final product might look like.

>  

> As ESL teachers we often see writing preparation and sharing models as

> stifling students‚ creativity, but it is really difficult to be creative in a

> language you don‚t yet understand. If we don‚t show students what we mean by

> vivid language and voice and, how will they develop the kind of writing that

> engages a reader?  We cannot wait, I think, until we get to a GED class to

> talk about the power of writing and how to create powerful writing.  Why not

> start early on with simple poetry, rather than with those deadly little

> formulaic paragraphs we often see.

>  

> One time I saw a very short piece written by a student that used the basic

> structure of „my name is∑ I am from∑‰ but at the end of her paragraph, she

> wrote „that‚s all!‰  and that little phrase allowed her to come through as a

> person who could have fun with writing.

>  

> More on grammar and study findings in the morning. Keep your questions and

> comments coming 

>  

> Heide 

>  

>  

>  

>  

> 

> 

> From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov]

> On Behalf Of Elsa Auerbach

> Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2007 6:46 AM

> To: specialtopics at nifl.gov

> Subject: [SpecialTopics 269] Re: judicious use of the native language - Part 3

> - translation and writing in L1

>  

> A little anecdotal evidence here: I remember Paulo Freire once telling a story

> about his daughter‚s teaching (I‚m not totally sure I‚m getting this right).

> She found that if students are allowed to write in their first language first

> (to develop their ideas, to figure out what they think, to write their way

> towards understanding) and THEN write in the second language (without

> translating, but having already explored their ideas), their L2 writing was

> much richer and more developed than texts written Œcold‚ in their L2.  This

> implies NOT translating, but using L1 almost as a way in to L2 writing. Elsa

> 

> 

> On 4/9/07 10:34 PM, "Wrigley, Heide" <heide at literacywork.com> wrote:

> Although the study did not address issues of having students write in L1 and

> then translate, here are a couple of thoughts (mine only)

>  

> Translation has long been used in other countries to build language skills.

> Since the advent of the communicative approach to language teaching it has

> become out of favor. Translation workshops where students take work that they

> have created or other texts written in L1 and then render them in English can

> be an excellent way to build language awareness and put language skills to

> use. Promising are approaches that engage students in translating brochures or

> other texts for a real audience, such as offering to translate a menu for a

> restaurant or a brochure for a local business.  „Backward translations‰ are a

> must in these cases.

>  

> Workshops focused on translation are most appropriate for intermediate levels

> on up where students have the English skills necessary to translate more

> complex concepts and sophisticated language.

>  

> I‚m reluctant to endorse having students write in the native language and then

> translate in beginning literacy classes ˆ at that level, students tend to

> think that there is a one to one relationship between L1 words, phrases and

> structures and their L2 equivalents, and the translations tend to be both

> awkward and highly ungrammatical.  In addition, we don‚t want students to

> overly rely on translation but move them toward thinking in the target

> language. 

>  

> You do, however, make a very good point in terms of helping students to

> organize their ideas and think about what they want to say before asking them

> to write in English. This can be done in a number of ways. Here are some tips

> for teachers: 

>  

> 1. Introduce writing by using oral language first. Help students to compose

> the text orally, whether it is a story, a description, or a process. Make sure

> students have the language they need.

> 2. Connect oral language with writing through models such as the Language

> Experience Approach where the connections are obvious since students talk,

> read and write together as a group

> 3. Model what you want students to do in writing by giving an oral example (if

> you do it in writing, your students tend to copy what you said)

> 4. Dictate a few sentences that model what you want students to write that way

> they get practice in putting pen to paper without having to compose something

> from scratch (some may still copy but that‚s also writing practice and they

> may not be ready to write on their own)

> 5. Allow students to think about and talk about their ideas in L1 or L2 before

> you ask them to write. ˆ that process activates background knowledge and

> facilitates the composing process.  In the beginning levels, let students know

> what they will be writing about over the next few days ˆ that‚s not cheating,

> that‚s giving your students a fighting chance

> 6. Invite students to draw a picture as a starting point, again giving them a

> chance to compose a story mentally before engaging in combat with vocabulary,

> grammar and spelling. Students can create a snapshot of a scene, create a

> strip story a la Chalk Talks, or  draw an item, for example.

> 

> It‚s late ˆ back to the study tomorrow

>  

> Heide

>  

>  

> 

> 

> From: specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov [mailto:specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov]

> On Behalf Of Cameron Eileen

> Sent: Friday, April 06, 2007 12:40 AM

> To: specialtopics at nifl.gov

> Subject: [SpecialTopics 260] Three Questions Regarding Research Articles

> andRelated Topics in ESOL Instruction

> 

> 

> 1. In the article "National Center for the Study of Adult Learning and

> Literacy: A Conversation With FOB... What Works for Adult ESL Students," it

> states that ESL students are better able to learn and understand English when

> the teacher or instructor of ESL is bilingual, in which case, the instructor

> can speak the students' native language or languages in order to clarify the

> students' understanding to further construct meaning.  This statement is also

> made in the article "Real World Research: Combining Qualitative and

> Quantitative Research for Adult ESL." However, if a teacher or instructor is

> not bilingual, and they want to improve ESL students' written proficiency

> levels, should the instructor who is fluent only in English be encouraged to

> permit his or her ESL students to first write an essay or paragraph, depending

> upon the written assignment, within the student's own native language and then

> work closely with the student to translate that writing into English?  Is this

> a recommended form of instruction?  For one thing, allowing ESL students to

> write within their native languages helps the instructor familiarize

> themselves with languages that may be foreign to them.  This can also help the

> student translate and interpret their own native language and correspond their

> thoughts and ideas within a contextualized English language.  This can permit

> ESL students to demonstrate writing that displays clearer contextualized

> meanings.  It also allows ESL students to demonstrate a complexity of thoughts

> and ideas as well as express critical, analytical thinking skills within

> written English, especially those ESL students who struggle with written

> English in terms of writing incoherent sentences or clauses, or students who

> write mere phrases or simple sentences with incorrect word choice and improper

> use of grammar.  The article, "Real World Research," states "English learners

> who, for example, have good higher order reading strategies in their own

> language cannot call on those strategies to help them understand English texts

> until their understanding of English vocabulary and syntax are good enough to

> understand basic sentences and expressions."  Can this same principle be

> applied to ESL students' written English?

> 

> 

> 

> 2. The article "Real World Research: Combining Qualitative and Quantitative

> Research for Adult ESL" briefly refers to the codings of a running record.  A

> running record that is incorporated in the teaching of standard American

> English and literacy within elementary schools in this country is used in a

> way that teachers can determine a student's reading abilities and

> potentialities through close observation of a student's reading processes.

> Before a running record can be implemented, the teacher or instructor first

> must decipher the probable reading level of a particular student.  For

> instance, the teacher must select a book that the student will easily be able

> to read along with selecting two other books that may be more challenging to

> this same student. Students must read 50 words within each of the three books.

> To correspond the running record in accordance with the student's reading, the

> teacher must listen closely and observe, paying strict attention to the

> student's substitution or replacement of words, repetition of words, omission

> of words, pronunciation and/or mispronunciation of words, and number of

> self-corrections the student makes during their reading.  Once the student is

> finished reading 50 words within all three selected books, the teacher must

> add up all of the student's errors.  The book in which the student made no

> less than five errors is selected for appropriate reading in terms of a

> substantiated reading level since it presents more of a challenge.  However, a

> book in which a student makes more than five errors is considered too

> difficult for the student to read or comprehend.  I brought this up because in

> a standard English or literacy class in grades K-12, a student can be placed

> within a specific reading level or group and is given reading material in

> accordance with that particular reading or grade level, as it pertains to a

> balanced literacy model in adherence with the curricular standards of a

> running record.  Students are given reading material that is slightly more

> challenging in order to assist these students in mastering the English

> language.  Once students have mastered the English language and have acquired

> appropriate English reading skills, they will be able to read books that are

> several reading or grade levels above their current reading performance level.

> Can a running record such as the one I have previousy described be applied

> within an adult literacy program for ESL students?  Instead of using grocery

> store fliers, electricity bills, and immigration documents, can literature be

> incorporated in an adult literacy program for ESL students?

> 

> 

> 

> 3. In the research study discussed in the article "Instruction, Language, and

> Literacy: What Works Study for Adult ESL Literacy Students, the BEST Oral

> Interview was incorporated in measuring listening comprehension,

> communication, and fluency.  In the footnote of that same research study, it

> states that the BEST Oral Interview also includes measures of pronunciation

> and a reading and writing score which were not used in the study.  I would

> actually like to know more about those measures of pronunciation, reading, and

> writing, and how they are assessed in determining a student's perfomance

> level.  Recently, I completed a training session for both print-based and the

> computer-adaptive BEST PLUS software program which measures the same items

> that were measured in the research study 1)listening comprehension, 2)

> language complexity or fluency, and 3) communication.  When I completed the

> training session in BEST PLUS there was no mention of scoring for

> pronunciation, reading, or writing.  Also, I wanted to know if these

> measurements had been included in your research study, would it have any

> effect on the students' performance levels quantitatively? Also would it have

> any statistical significance whatsoever in this particular research study if

> these variables had been taken into consideration when the BEST Oral Interview

> was administered?

>   

> 

> 

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