[AAACE-NLA] adult ESL - bilingual versus English Only
PAUL ROGERS
pwaynerogers at yahoo.com
Tue Jan 27 16:17:34 EST 2004
Dear Babara,
Thank you for your reply. Let me try to respond
as succinctly as I can.
I have been teaching ESL to Spanish speaking
adults for about 15 years. My classes are always
bilingual, at least for a few months. They average
about 22 students per. I have written a series of
bilingual texts that focus on pronunciation of a basic
vocabulary, words and phrases, plus verb tenses.
Recently my texts were made into a web site:
pumarosa.com, which is FREE.
My position is that a bilingual setting is better
than a monolingual English only setting. In other
words, my students learn faster, in my opinion.
I believe the following is necessary:
1. Students should all have textbooks plus a good
dictionary.
2. All students should have material explained to them
in their native languages.
3. And all students should learn to pronounce and
speak English first.
I would ask you and other teachers to simply
reverse the process and treat ESL students the same
way that you would want to be treated.
For example, in adult Spanish classes for English
speaking students where I live, all students can buy a
good text, plus all classes are conducted bilingually.
You raise the following point as an objection to
bilingual classes:
“We must keep in mind that there may be speakers of
other languages in that same classroom who would be
left out of that communication -- another reason to
discourage the use of languages other than English.”
I have solved this problem in the following way.
1. All my students receive bilingual texts/workbooks.
Non-Spanish speaking students can easily translate
these texts when necessary.
2. At certain times, Spanish speaking students can use
the workbooks while I can give more time individually
to non-Spanish speakers. The point is to develop a
working vocabulary in common.
2. I also use audio-tapes which students can listen to
during class.
3. And now with my web site, I can double the class,
and give even more time to non-Spanish speakers.
If non-Spanish speaking students still do not feel
comfortable, then what is the alternative? To make the
Spanish speakers feel uncomfortable also?
In my opinion, only teaching in English hurts all
the students equally, and is a regression.
Why not divide the class into groups according to
language and level?
I believe that in the future ESL classes will
actually be more like large language labs with
computers, video classes, audio/cd lessons, lots of
multi-lingual texts, etc., etc.
Finally, I would say that a fairly well designed
bilingual class (in classes averaging 20 or more
students) is much better than English Only class, and
I am very eager to hear from anyone who can
demonstrate otherwise.
Sincerely,
Paul Rogers
--- Barbara Arguedas <barguedas at sfccnm.edu> wrote:
> Mr. Rogers,
> I am responding to your #1 question regarding
> bilingual education in ESL
> classes. Specifically, these classes are in Adult
> Basic Education (ABE or
> AELS)programs. Here in New Mexico we were recently
> made aware that if we
> are recipients of USDE grants, we cannot teach in
> any language other than
> English unless other funding is used. A group will
> be further studying this
> issue so that we can ascertain the use of state
> funds to teach, for example,
> GED en espanol. Some of us have actually written
> this type of instruction in
> our grants and were funded based on those grants.
> As for using languages
> other than English in the ESL classroom, it is
> discouraged. However, at
> times a teacher who does know the other language
> (e.g., Spanish) will
> explain a difficult to understand concept in that
> language. We must keep in
> mind that there may be speakers of other languages
> in that same classroom
> who would be left out of that communication --
> another reason to discourage
> the use of languages other than English.
> Hope this helps.
> Barbara Arguedas
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: PAUL ROGERS [mailto:pwaynerogers at yahoo.com]
> Sent: Friday, January 23, 2004 12:27 PM
> To: National Literacy Advocacy List sponsored by
> AAACE
> Subject: [AAACE-NLA] teachers' rights? etc.
>
>
> The responses to my post were very encouraging
> and so I will wade in and give my opinions on some
> of
> the issues raised.
> First - as teachers, we should find out and put
> together some for of organization or union that
> would
> in fact protect our right to speak out against
> certain
> policies. And, as part of this, we should be able to
>
> advocate other policies which we feel are beneficial
> to students.
> Presently ESL teachers can join the union in some
> cities but not in others. And the union seems to
> focus
> on bread and butter issues only. Is there anyone on
> this list with some experience to share that would
> help us all?
> In the process it would be a good idea to list
> various policies and practices which need to be
> changed. In my opinion, a serious problem is the
> minimum attendance requirement.
> Another practice which is necessary to change is
> "English Only" in the classroom. In some classes
> students are ridiculed and even punished for
> speaking
> their native languages. I was told once by a
> supervisor that the students did not like bilingual
> classes. So, I asked the students, in Spanish, and
> guess what? My supervisor lied.
> As I have made clear on this and other lists, I
> believe that bilingual classes are best, and have
> authored texts and a web page=www.pumarosa.com. Do
> any
> of you also conduct classes bilingually, at least at
> first? Is anyone interested in a "theoretical"
> discussion on the pros and cons?
> My own point of view is based on a desire to
> work
> toward providing English language and other types of
> instruction (such as citizenship) to the
> ever-increasing immigrant population, especially to
> those who speak Spanish. To do this well, we need to
> find ways to protect our rights, not the least of
> which is "free speech." If we have arrived at the
> point where we cannot even express an opinion for
> fear
> of losing our jobs, well.....then what?
> Sincerely,
> Paul Rogers
>
> --- Eileen Eckert <eileeneckert at hotmail.com> wrote:
> > Some of us are already in the position of no
> longer
> > having a job in the
> > field, stay involved because we feel committed to
> > promoting learning, and
> > have nothing to lose by speaking out. Others see
> the
> > risk as minimal and/or
> > worth taking. Yes, there's some fear, but there's
> a
> > lot of outrage, and
> > courage too.
> >
> >
> > From: tjjhjr at netscape.net
> > Reply-To: National Literacy Advocacy List
> sponsored
> > by
> > AAACE<aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org>
> > To: aaace-nla at lists.literacytent.org (National
> > Literacy Advocacy List
> > sponsored by AAACE)
> > Subject: RE: [AAACE-NLA] issues of interest
> > Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2004 10:38:38 -0500
> >
> > SURE!!!!!!!!!!BUT WHO WOULD DARE SPEAK OUT ON
> THESE
> > ISSUES (AND KEEP THEIR
> > JOB)????????
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > PAUL ROGERS <pwaynerogers at yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> > >I would like to know if there is any interest in
> > >dscussions on other issues, such as:
> > >1. promoting bilingual education
> > >2. protecting ESL students' and teachers' rights
> > >3. meeting the needs of the growing immigrant
> > >community
> > >4. promoting a progressive,
> multi-cultural/lingual
> > >agenda.
> > >Paul Rogers
> > >
> > >
> > >--- David Rosen <djrosen at comcast.net> wrote:
> > >> AAACE-NLA Colleagues,
> > >>
> > >> You will find updated lists of state and urban
> > adult
> > >> literacy
> > >> coalitions at:
> > >>
> > >> http://alri.org/Rosen/advocacy/advocacy.html
> > >>
> > >> and
> > >>
> > >> http://alri.org/Rosen/advocacy/naulc.html
> > >>
> > >> Thanks to Edith Gower, Executive Director of
> the
> > the
> > >> National Alliance
> > >> for Urban Literacy Coalitions (NAULC), for the
> > most
> > >> recent update
> > >> information on urban coalitions and some of
> the
> > >> state coalitions which
> > >> are NAULC members. There may be some state
> > >> coalitions for which the
> > >> information is not yet up-to-date. Please
> check
> > >> your state to see if
> > >> it is correct, and e-mail me with the
> > corrections.
> > >>
> > >> This information is intended to help adult
> > literacy
> > >> advocates find
> > >> others in their state or city with whom to
> > >> collaborate.
> > >>
> > >> Thanks.
> > >>
> > >> David J. Rosen
> > >> djrosen at comcast.net
> > >>
> > >>
> _______________________________________________
> > >> AAACE-NLA mailing list:
> > >> AAACE-NLA at lists.literacytent.org
> > >>
> >
> >
>
>http://lists.literacytent.org/mailman/listinfo/aaace-nla
> > >> LiteracyTent: web hosting, news, community and
> > >> goodies for literacy
> > >> http://literacytent.org
> > >
> > >
> > >__________________________________
> > >Do you Yahoo!?
> > >Yahoo! SiteBuilder - Free web site building
> tool.
> > Try it!
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>
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