[NLA] Brief on Integrating Adult ESL and Workforce/Civic Life Skills

[MaryAnn Florez]

What are you teaching the adult English language learners in your classes these days?  Are you responding to the expressed goals of your funding agencies? The community? What about your learners? Do you know what they want? Given limited time and resources for instruction is it possible to meet all the stakeholders' needs?  Should we all just give up and go back to drilling (you know, "I am, you are, he is...")? How can we be all things to all people?

English that Works: Preparing Adult English Language Learners for Success in the Workforce and Community, written by Brigitte Marshall, is a five-page brief written to address the questions above. It discusses how to use common ESL methods and techniques such as cooperative learning and classroom simulations  to teach the interpersonal and resource management skills needed in today's world. (These are skills that have been delineated in the SCANS competencies and the EFF standards.) The brief also describes how making students responsible for tasks that the teacher generally handles --  for example, taking attendance, distributing materials, setting up all audiovisual equipment, and orienting new students --- can help build the SCAN and EFF skills.

English that Works is available on line at http://www.cal.org/ncle/digests/Englishwks.htm or from NCLE at the address below.

National Center for ESL Literacy Education (NCLE)
4646 40th Street, NW
Washington, DC 20016
Tel:  202/362-0700, x200
Fax:  202/363-7204
Email: ncle at cal.org


Sincerely,
MaryAnn Florez
Assistant Director, NCLE
maryann at cal.org



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