FAMILY LEARNING PROGRAM

ADULT EDUCATION COMPONENT (ESOL)

English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Rationale:

Literacy and communication skills in English give learners greater access to more varied choices in their everyday lives.  Students who are able to express themselves in English are better prepared to contribute to society through advocating for themselves and others in a variety of areas including personal, social, and cultural development.  American society is enriched by ESOL learners having access to programs that help students develop a deeper comprehension of beliefs and attitudes concerning American society, citizenship and place on the world stage.

NMIC Curriculum Overview/Program Philosophy:

Learning a second language involves the acquisition of a new language within the context of a culture which is new as well.  Within this new learning environment, students must learn how to incorporate their cognitive and linguistic resources in order to communicate in a meaningful and appropriate way.  In order to develop a fuller understanding of the new culture, second language (L2) learners must use their knowledge of other cultures and languages.  Achievement in learning a second language is predicated on the provision of a curriculum that incorporates the learners’ cultures, histories, experiences, and languages. 

The following are principles that are fundamental to second language learning and teaching and that maximize the ESL learning experience:

·                    Give learners opportunities to manage their own learning

·                    Be cognizant of the role and nature of culture and language

·                    Expose learners to language they comprehend and that is relevant to their own lives and personal interests

·                    Treat students as individuals with their own distinct needs, goals, and interests

·                    Concentrate upon a variety of language strategies, skills, forms and components of knowledge that aid in the acquisition of language and of the learning of concepts

·                    Provide opportunities to participate in a variety of activities that allow for the reflective and communicative incorporation of language

·                    Provide students with constructive feedback regarding their language development

·                    Expose the students to socio-cultural knowledge and direct experience of the culture intertwined within the language

NMIC’s Pedagogical Philosophy: A Communicative Language Approach:

NMIC espouses a communicative language approach/method to language learning.  In such an approach, language is considered to be a system for the expression of meaning with the primary function of language being communication and interaction.  This theory of learning is based upon activities incorporating real communication and implementing language that is authentic and meaningful to the learners.  The objectives of the class should reflect the needs of the students and include linguistic objectives as well as functional skills. Content instruction and language are enmeshed in order for learners to develop their overall knowledge base and skills in specific areas of content, while concurrently develop their language skills.  Through content-centered education, language is used as the medium through which informational content of interest and relevance can be conveyed. 

The key points of this approach are as follows:

·                    Fluency and acceptable language is the central goal; accuracy is not determined in the abstract but in context

·                    The desired goal is communicative competence

·                    Comprehensible pronunciation and effective communication are sought

·                    A basic premise is contextualization, with meaning being paramount

·                    Students are expected to engage in authentic interaction with their classmates, through pair and group work or in written form

·                    Language is frequently created by the learner through trial and error

·                    The activities in which the learners are engaged foster meaningful communication

·                    The needs of the learners are reflected in the objectives of the class

·                    The objectives are comprised of both functional skills as well as linguistic objectives

·                    The activities engage the learners in the communicative process,  including  information sharing, negotiation of meaning, and interaction

·                    The teacher plays a crucial role in facilitating the communicative process

·                    Classroom materials help to promote communicative language use.  They are task-based and authentic

·                    Intrinsic motivation will develop through an interest in what is being communicated by the language

·                    Linguistic variation is an important concept in ESOL methods and materials

ESOL Teaching Strategies and Techniques:

Effective ESOL teaching encompasses the incorporation of a variety of controlled, semi-controlled, and free techniques.  The class level and overall student interest should be considered in implementing the various techniques:

Controlled Techniques:                                            

1.                  Content Explanation

2.                  Reading Aloud

3.                  Teacher-led Review

4.                  Testing

5.                  Dictation

6.                  Copying

7.                  Choral Repetition

8.                  Narrative Recitation                                   

Semi-controlled Techniques:

1.                  Brainstorming

2.                  Cued narrative/dialog

3.                  Student summary of main point

4.                  Narration based on previous stimuli

5.                  Story-telling

Free Techniques:

1.                    Role-play

2.                    Report

3.                    Problem-solving

4.                    Drama

5.                    Simulation

6.                    Interview

7.                    Discussion

8.                    Composition

Principles Inherent in Effective ESOL Teaching:

Effective ESOL teaching encompasses a wide range of closely related factors and provides language exposure which is explicit and which takes into account the cognitive processes related to the learning of a second language. 

In order to facilitate effective instruction, teachers should:

·                    Encourage all students to share their knowledge and experiences

·                    Select activities that are sensitive to and embrace the students’ cultures

·                    Foster a classroom environment that is receptive to and cognizant of students’ varying learning styles and needs

·                    Assist students in making connections between their current knowledge base and new knowledge and concepts

·                    Be cognizant of individual learner differences and strengths

·                    Have a good understanding of overall L2 development

·                    Having a thorough plan of language-related goals and objectives

·                    Foster the following affective principles:  language ego, self-confidence, and risk-taking,

·                    Understand the following cognitive principles regarding language learning:  automaticity, meaningful learning, anticipation of reward, and intrinsic motivation

Principles Inherent in Teaching Adult ESOL Learners at NMIC:

In teaching adults at NMIC, there are several considerations that the classroom teacher should take into account:

·                    The vast majority of NMIC’s students are not mandated to attend classes.  They

attend on their own volition and very frequently, have very specific learning needs upon commencing the class

·                    Adult learners bring schemata—emotion, culture, knowledge, and information-- into the classroom, creating the foundation for rich classroom interaction

·                    Many of NMIC students do not have a high level of formal education in their first language, thus often making the acquisition of the L2 more problematic

All adult participants in NMIC's Family Learning Program are assessed with the BEST Plus examination.  This assessment is implemented as a pre and post-test measure of students’ gains in oral proficiency.  Upon beginning in the program, students are placed into a particular class based upon their BEST Plus scores.  Subsequent placements are based on both BEST Plus results as well as teacher feedback.  In addition to the BEST Plus examination, we strongly encourage the incorporation of the following procedures in order to assess the progress of NMIC students:

·                    Informal interaction and observation

·                    Observation checklists

·                    Essays

·                    Class work and homework

·                    Portfolios of students’ work samples

·                    Learning journals

·                    Class quizzes

·                    Discrete point tests, including oral assessments

·                    Peer assessment reports

·                    Collaborative work