Hello All,
The following message is from Barb Garner.
Best,
Mariann

***************
The newest issue of "Focus on Basics" is now on NCSALL's web site,
http://www.ncsall.net. It's on ESOL and features research from NCSALL’s
ESOL Lab School.
Steve Reder, director of the ESOL Lab School, a partnership of Portland
State University and Portland Community College, describes the research and
how it is conducted. 
Kathryn Harris reports on one aspect of her study of pair work in the ESOL
classroom. Learners she studied individualized their pair work, adapting
the activities to their language learning needs. 
Pair activities are provided by Donna Moss of Arlington, VA.
Sustained silent reading has been found to encourage many students to read:
does it do the same with beginning-level ESOL learners? It is a viable
practice with this group, explain Sandra Banke and Reuel Kurzet, who
participated in this Lab School study. 
To improve their students’ speaking and listening skills, teachers often
set up conversation groups. What if the conversation leaders were
university students who studied immigration and cultural adaptation as well
as strategies for initiating and keeping conversations going? Betsy Kraft
chronicles her classes’ experiences leading conversations with Lab School
students.
Anyone who has taught an ESOL class with students from a variety of
language backgrounds has noticed the chatter that goes on, in English,
during breaks. Dominique Brillanceau was curious about whether this casual
conversation occurs in class as well, and, if it does, what role it plays
in learning. 
Starting conversations can be hard for anyone; it’s even harder in a new
language. John Hellermann explored the nuance of initiating and turn-taking
in conversations in Lab School classes. 
Some ESOL learners get stuck, and teachers struggle to find out why. Robin
Schwarz, now of Ohio, shares case studies from her years of work with ESOL
learners and teachers and provides tips on how to find out what might be
the problem.
And the development of NCSALL's Health Literacy Study Circle+ guide is
chronicles by Winston Lawrence, NY, and Lisa Soricone, NCSALL.
Happy Reading!Barb GarnerEditor





Mariann Fedele
Coordinator of Professional Development, 
Literacy Assistance Center
Moderator,
NIFL Technology and Literacy Discussion List
32 Broadway 10th Floor
New York, New York 10004
212-803-3325
mariannf at lacnyc.org
www.lacnyc.org