Ellen, I taught reading/writing in SD Women's prison for about a year, and I
can really relate to your comments - they make a lot of sense, and I wish I
had read this email before I started my teaching.  I also had students who
started out from the outset claiming that they "hated to read" and "do we
have to read in this class?"  For me to get them motivated to write or read,
it seemed to be all about creating an atmosphere of trust, so that they
dared to take risks, and also somehow responding to their questions and
conversations so that their curiosity was validated.  They needed to talk a
lot before they started having anything to say, so to speak.

(sorry if my comments are off topic!)

Missy Slaathaug
Pierre

On 4/11/07, Ellen Berg <iceberg900 at hotmail.com> wrote:

>

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

> 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 – 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 'cold' 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 – 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. – 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 – 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 – back to the study tomorrow

>

> Heide

>

>

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

>

> *From:* specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov [

> mailto:specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov] <specialtopics-bounces at nifl.gov%5D>

> *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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