Bilingual reading program mutual learning experience
Teaching also becomes a learning experience when Spanish Honor Society students at Glasgow High School volunteer to read in Spanish and English to young children during Bilingual Story Time at the Newark Free Library.
Library specialist Adriana Camacho-Church, who started the program at the library three years ago so young children could become bilingual, said she sees the older children benefiting with them, because it gives them an outlet to practice.
“They actually have to perform in front of these kids and read in both Spanish and English,” Camacho-Church said. “So these students are learning how to present themselves in front of an audience. It’s a good learning experience for them as well.”
Glasgow High’s Sierra Stevenson, who is in her third year of Spanish at the school, agrees
Read full article via The News Journal.
Conversational Café offers relaxed place to practice English
People for whom English is a second language now have a relaxed place where they can speak the language — the Conversational Café offered for three hours every Sunday in the Daily Grind at 166 Costello Drive by Literacy Volunteers-Winchester Area.
The café convened for the first time Sunday, with five participants. “We actually sat and talked for three hours,” said Literacy Volunteers Program/Volunteer Coordinator Peg Crompton.
The participants hailed from Mexico, Guatemala, and El Salvador. One man, enrolled in an adult English as a Second Language course, has been in the United States for two months, and speaks little English, she said.
While people can receive formal language instruction through Northern Shenandoah Valley Adult Education four nights and two days a week, the café provides a more relaxed environment to practice English, Crompton said.
The café is open to any English-language learner, Crompton said. “It doesn’t matter what language you speak, because we’re speaking English only.”
And while the café is held between 1 and 4 p.m., people do not have to come for the entire time, Crompton said. “You can come in anytime during that time” and stay as long as you want.
The café at the Costello Drive Daily Grind may be the first of many, said Crompton, who hopes to see them one day at other Daily Grind locations in the area.
Read full story via Winchester Star.
Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) Workshop: Developing Professional Developers: Classroom Instruction That Works with English Language Learners
March 12, 2009 by admin
Filed under ESL Classes
From: Jane Hill (jhill@mcrel.org)
Workshop:
Developing Professional Developers: Classroom Instruction that Works
with English Language Learners
Dates: July 20-22, 2009
Place: McREL in Denver, CO
English as a Second Language staff developers and coaches, come to McREL’s Denver office to attend a 3-day program to learn how to deliver Classroom Instruction that Works with English Language Learners in your own school, district, or area.
Goals/Objectives:
Developing Professional Developers is McREL’s term for Training-of-Trainers.
The primary objective of the Developing Professional Developers program is to prepare English as a Second Language staff developers/coaches to provide Classroom Instruction that Works with English Language Learners professional development sessions to support mainstream teachers in providing high quality instruction for English language learners.
Based on McREL’s popular book, Classroom Instruction that Works with English Language Learners, this workshop applies the nine categories of research-based instructional strategies identified in Classroom Instruction that Works to five stages of language acquisition.
Learn how to adapt research-based teaching strategies, many of which you may already be using, to successfully engage and raise the achievement of English language learners in mainstream classrooms.
During the first two days you will see the Classroom Instruction that Works with English Language Learners workshop modeled, and on the third day, you will work on your skills as a facilitator and practice delivering parts of the workshop.
Price: $825 per person
Early-bird discount: $750 per person (Deadline: May 20, 2009)
Group registration discount: Save $75 per person when registering more than one person.
The workshop price includes a copy of the Classroom Instruction that Works with English Language Learners Facilitator’s Guide and Participant’s Workbook.
Register now (you will be taken to McREL’s secure event registration site)
For more information go to www.mcrel.org and look on the right side of the homepage for Upcoming Events at McREL or contact Jane Hill (jhill@mcrel.org).
Second Language Research Forum (SLRF) Conference: “Diverse contributions to SLA: Integrating the parts of a greater whole”
March 12, 2009 by admin
Filed under ESL Classes
From: SLRF (slrf2009@msu.edu)
Dates: October 29 - November 1, 2009
SLRF 2009 will be hosted by Michigan State University (MSU) in East Lansing, MI.
Call for Papers
This annual conference aims to create a forum for the presentation and discussion of research in second language acquisition from a variety of subfields including, but not limited to: theoretical linguistics, sociolinguistics, anthropology, cognitive science, psychology, and educational science.
SLRF 2009 asks how these varied methodologies and approaches compose a single field of SLA.
We solicit papers, posters, and colloquia that address this question and that add to our understanding of SLA.
Plenary Speakers:
Dr. Robert DeKeyser, University of Maryland
Dr. Susan Gass, Michigan State University
Dr. Jim Lantolf, Penn State University
Dr. Bonnie Schwartz, University of Hawaii
SLRF 2009 offers two workshops and three colloquia (one invited and two refereed). The invited colloquium will be organized by Dr. Shawn Loewen, MSU. We invite submissions for the other two colloquia.
Invited Colloquium: Current Issues in Focus on Form
Although considerable research has been conducted on focus on form (FonF), there still remain numerous unanswered questions. This colloquium will consider FonF from the perspectives of current SLA theory, research methodology and pedagogy.
Areas to be addressed include the role of social context, the measurement of constructs (e.g. noticing), the intensity and frequency of focus, and the target of focus, inter alia. The goal of the colloquium will be to advance the research agenda for FonF.
Conference Workshops:
“Conducting Research with Learner Corpora” with Dr. Thomas Cobb, University of Quebec at Montreal.
“Grant Acquisition Workshop” with Linda White, In-House Grant Writer for the MSU Second Language Studies Program and Center for Language Education and Research (CLEAR).
Submission Deadline: May 1, 2009
Notification of Acceptance: July 1, 2009
Submission Guidelines:
Proposals for papers, posters, and colloquia are welcome on all areas that contribute to second language research, including:
Formal approaches to SLA
Socio-cultural approaches / CA / pragmatics
CALL / CMC
L2 psycholinguistics
Classroom research and pedagogy
L2 assessment and research methodology
L2 phonetics and phonology
A first for SLRF, comprehensive syntheses, preferably in the form of meta-analysis, are also invited in these areas.
Paper Presentations:
Paper presentations will be 20 minutes long, followed by 10 minutes for discussion.
Poster Presentations:
Posters will be on display each day between 9:15am - 4:30pm. Poster presenters will be available to present and discuss their work during the two hour lunch break on both Friday and Saturday.
Colloquia:
Colloquia are thematic collections of presentations organized by one or more individuals; they may be proposed for blocks of 2 hours. Two colloquia will be selected for the conference program.
Instructions for submission:
All proposals will be submitted through the SLRF 2009 online submission system. To submit an abstract, please go to: http://sls.msu.edu/slrf09
Registration:
Pre-registration available online until September 15th.
Student rate: $50. Regular rate: $70.
Student Registration Waiver:
The four students whose conference proposals receive the highest ratings will have their conference fees waived. Submission deadline is May 1, 2009.
Travel/Accommodation:
Nearby airports in Lansing, MI; and Detroit, MI. Rooms available at conference venue- Kellogg Hotel and Conference Center. For more details, please see http://sls.msu.edu/slrf09
Student Registration Waiver:
The four students whose conference proposals receive the highest ratings will have their conference fees waived. Submission deadline is May 1, 2009.
Questions:
Please direct any questions to the SLRF 2009 organizing committee at slrf2009@msu.edu, or view the conference website: http://sls.msu.edu/slrf09
Progress, one step at a time
Mijanielle Achille says that the Genesis Center, an adult education program, is like a second home to her.
The 40-year-old Haitian immigrant received job training, spruced up her English language skills and got help landing an internship at Rhode Island Hospital, ultimately turning that into a full-time job. Genesis also provided Achille, a mother of three, with child-care support so she could focus on her training.
Achille, who is now studying at the Community College of Rhode Island to become a certified nursing assistant, yesterday morning shared her success with Governor Carcieri, educators and roughly three dozen others who attended a conference about adult literacy strides in Rhode Island.
The program was held yesterday at Network RI, a one-stop career center, and was co-hosted by Adult Career and Technical Education Director Johan Uvin.
“I don’t think I would have finished without their support. This center is like a big family,” Achille told the audience.
Progress, one step at a time | Rhode Island news | projo.com | The Providence Journal.
ESL teacher won’t have visa renewed; might leave for Mexico
Touches of Cecilia Flores can be found all over Oakley Elementary School. Whether it’s the mural she helped design, the tissue box she painted or the 36 English as a Second Language students she works with every day, her presence can be felt throughout the school.
In June, Oakley Elementary may lose that presence.
Flores is a citizen of Mexico, and Buncombe County Schools has decided to no longer sponsor her work visa. If she doesn’t find another employer before June, she may have to return to Mexico.
Read full article here: Asheville Citizen-Times.
North Myrtle Beach instructor wins S.C. Adult Education ESL teacher of the year
Tammy Humphreys takes her students to the library like most teachers passionate about English do, but she also gives them coffee breaks, teaches them how to open checking accounts and understands if they have to skip class now and again.
Humphreys, who is one of nine English as a second language teachers in the Horry County Adult Education Department, won the first S.C. Adult Education ESL teacher of the year award at a state banquet Friday. She helped start the North Myrtle Beach ESL program last year, and she beat more than 80 other teachers statewide to win the honor.
Read full story - Myrtle Beach Online.
Center for Parent Leadership at the Prichard Committee: Seminar
March 3, 2009 by admin
Filed under ESL Classes
From: Molly Toney (mtoney@prichardcommittee.org)
Parent Leaders: An untapped resource in education
- Join your peers from around the country in a two-day seminar where you will learn how to develop and sustain a successful parent leadership program.
- Learn best practices for planning, staffing, developing curriculum, recruiting, publicizing and funding parent leadership programs.
- Work side-by-side with parent involvement experts from around the country including Anne T. Henderson, Senior Consultant, Community Involvement Program, Annenberg Institute for School Reform.
- Meet active parent leaders and hear first hand what is working for them at school and district levels.
- Be inspired by success stories from varied communities (rich and poor; urban, suburban and rural).
- Get acquainted with the latest research on how parent involvement makes a difference for kids and with the leverage points in the federal No Child Left Behind Act.
- Work directly with experts to get a head start on planning your own program.
Who Should Attend
· School Districts
· State Departments of Education
· PIRCs
· Community-based Organizations
· Advocacy Groups
· Parent Liaison Programs
· Foundations
· Community Organizers
· Business-Education Coalitions
Organizers
These seminars are hosted by Center for Parent Leadership at the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence. Sessions will be led by staff and parents from Prichard’s acclaimed Commonwealth Institute for Parent Leadership (CIPL), which since 1997 has trained approximately 1500 Kentucky parent leaders. Today, these leaders are actively and knowledgeably promoting school improvement through their participation on school boards, school site councils and other venues where their voices are heard - and their recommendations are acted on. CIPL is a program of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence, which is known nationally for its longstanding success in mobilizing leadership and grassroots support for better schools.
Why Now?
As states and communities implement the testing, accountability and quality teaching requirements of the federal No Child Left Behind Act, and state requirements, the demand for parent leadership has never been greater. Research confirms what common sense suggests: in schools, homes and communities where parents are engaged and involved, students perform better. The stakes have been raised. Additional tools (like detailed school and district performance data) are now available to help parent leaders do their work. We know more than
ever before what works - for students, for parents, for educators, and for communities.
Cost/Registration
$750 per person (before March 20, 2009) includes seminar registration, accommodations, and all meals and materials.
$800 per person (after March 20, 2009) includes seminar registration, accommodations, and all meals and materials.
Accommodations will be booked upon receipt of registration by the Center for Parent Leadership. Our receipt of your registration form indicates your payment responsibility.
LOCATION
Downtown Hilton Hotel
369 W. Vine Street • Lexington, KY 40507
(859) 231-9000
DATES
May 6-7, 2009
CONTACT
Molly Toney
(859) 233-9849 ext. 226
mtoney@prichardcommittee.org
Visit www.CenterForParentLeadership.org for additional details and the seminar agenda.
The George Washington University: Short-Term Study Abroad Course
March 3, 2009 by admin
Filed under ESL Classes
From: Tara Courchaine (taratez@gwu.edu)
SPED 220: International Education and Policy: Implications for Educators
Travel dates: July 22nd-July 31st, 2009
Description: The purpose for this course is for graduate level students to examine educational policy decisions in the areas of curriculum development, teacher training and service delivery in Costa Rica. The program is appropriate for students within the school of education, students interested in sociology, current policy, museum education, individuals with legal backgrounds or those who are interested in the impact of family and culture on learning.
Cost: $4,099.00
The cost of the program includes three credits of tuition, study abroad insurance, and lodging. International airfare and personal expenses are not included.
NOTE: The fees listed are based on estimates and are subject to change. GW reserves the right to cancel this program at any time without notice.
Professor: Dr. Amy Mazur
Contact: Tara Courchaine taratez@gwu.edu
ESOL Students in D.C. Area Narrow Achievement Gap
English language learners have become star pupils in the Washington region, drawing accolades for top-performing schools that serve immigrant communities and showing standout results on state reading tests and national rankings.
From 2003 to 2008, gaps in the pass rates between English learners — pupils designated as having limited English proficiency — and other students narrowed by half on Maryland and Virginia state tests. The latest National Assessment of Educational Progress ranked Virginia’s English learners first in the nation for fourth-grade reading and Maryland’s fifth.
In January, the trade publication Education Week reported that achievement gaps in reading for students of limited English proficiency were smaller in Maryland and Virginia than in most other states. According to D.C. data, English learners in the District’s public schools perform at about the citywide average in reading, which is low but climbing.
Read full story here: washingtonpost.com.