Adult Esl Literacy From The Community To The Community

Adult ESL/Literacy from the Community to the Community: A Guidebook for Participatory Literacy Training tells the story of a university-community collaboration to develop, implement, and evaluate a project designed to train immigrants and refugees as adult ESL and native literacy instructors in their own communities. Beyond the story of this one project, the book is also a clear and powerful explication of the underlying principles and premises of the program model it describes: community leadership development, a participatory approach to literacy instruction and instructor training, native language adult literacy instruction, and collaboration.

Using the concept of community building as a framework, this volume summarizes and updates readers on the state of adult English as a second language (ESL) education in the United States. It provides a complete description of this population of learners and their learning needs. The various chapters discuss possibilities for community building in the adult ESL classroom, combining research, theory, and practice. Community building is not a new topic; we often discuss it informally with our colleagues and students. However, scant written material exists-with a focus on adult ESL-documenting how it happens or reconciling theory with practitioners' experiences. In this volume, several practitioners and researchers explain the ways in which they use community-building principles in adult ESL settings. The authors' descriptions of applications of community-building principles can help other adult educators implement these ideas in their teaching practice. This is the 121st volume of the Jossey-Bass quarterly report series New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education. Noted for its depth of coverage, New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education is an indispensable series that explores issues of common interest to instructors, administrators, counselors, and policymakers in a broad range of adult and continuing education settings, such as colleges and universities, extension programs, businesses, libraries, and museums.

The essays in this book focus on political strategies, pedagogical models, and community programs that enable adult ESL learners to become vital members of North American society. This is particularly important in our present time of contraction and downsizing in the education of non-native speakers. The authors represent a broad range of programs and perspectives, but they all have in common the goal of enabling both faculty and students to become full participants in our society and thereby to gain control over their futures. Readers of this book will develop an understanding of the ways in which innovative educators are creating strategies for maintaining language programs and services.

The Developing Professional Practice series provides a thoroughly comprehensive and cutting edge guide to developing the necessary knowledge, skills and understanding for teaching within the 0-7, 7-14 or 14-19 age ranges. Each of the three titles offers a genuinely accessible and engaging introduction to a wide range of professional practice supporting the education of babies to young adults. Discussion of current developments in theory, policy and research is combined with guidance on the practicalities of working with each age group. Numerous examples of real practice are included throughout, along with a range of additional features to help promote understanding. Education in the 14-19 sector is going through a period of unprecedented change. This textbook provides a clear, accessible and supportive guide to recent developments in policy, theory and practice, providing you with a complete resource to support you in your initial teacher training. Each chapter includes a range of interactive pedagogical features, designed to aid understanding: - Case studies provide extended examples that illustrate core concepts and theories in action - Research focus features outline important research studies, revealing their key findings and demonstrating how these apply in everyday practice - What do you think? boxes encourage you to reflect on, and interrogate, what you have learnt.

The essays in this book focus on political strategies, pedagogical models, and community programs that enable adult ESL learners to become vital members of North American society. This is particularly important in our present time of contraction and downsizing in the education of non-native speakers. The authors represent a broad range of programs and perspectives, but they all have in common the goal of enabling both faculty and students to become full participants in our society and thereby to gain control over their futures. Readers of this book will develop an understanding of the ways in which innovative educators are creating strategies for maintaining language programs and services.

The result of a 2-year research study funded under the National English Literacy Demonstration Program for Adults of Limited English Proficiency, this handbook on adult English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) literacy education represents a synthesis of ideas derived from various sources. It is meant as a resource for teachers who have some experience in teaching but are new to ESL literacy. It contains the following nine chapters: (1) "Adult ESL Literacy: State of the Art," which discusses some of the special features of adult ESL literacy; (2) "Approaches and Materials," which maintains that meaning-based approaches show the greatest promise in helping adults develop full literacy; (3) "Teaching Adult ESL Literacy in the Multilevel Classroom," which shows that group work is the most effective strategy for dealing with multilevel classrooms; (4) "Using Computer and Video Technology in Adult ESL Literacy," which discusses the pros and cons of using technology in ESL literacy teaching; (5) "Native Language Literacy," which demonstrates that using the native language of the learners is a viable approach to introducing literacy to adults who are not literate in their first language; (6) "Learner Assessment," which shows that program-based assessments are superior to standardized tests; (7) "Curriculum," which demonstrates that curriculum decisions are value decisions that mirror a program's philosophy; (8) "Staff Development and Program Issues," which holds that effective staff development should focus on the social context, adult learning, second language acquisition, literacy development, and effective teaching processes; and (9) "Curriculum Modules," which presents 10 teaching units that demonstrate meaning-based teaching. (LB) (Adjunct ERIC Clearinghouse on Literacy Education)

This book centralizes the narratives of adult English language learners, teachers, and trainee teachers in the development of a humanistic language pedagogy; their strengths, concerns, and stories inform this practical guide to adult literacy development and English language-culture learning and teaching. The author sets the need to educate the whole person, and to focus on the adult learner’s strengths and assets, against a background of rigorous research and practical experience. This book combines evidence-based pedagogy with a passionate belief in the centrality of the learner and the importance of education and will be invaluable to all those involved in teaching and training related to adult English language learners.