Effective & Exciting Information Literacy outreach efforts for international & ESL students

Effective & ExcitingEffective & ExcitingInformation LiteracyInformation Literacy outreach effortsoutreach efforts

for international & ESL studentsfor international & ESL students

John Hickok, MLIS, MAJohn Hickok, MLIS, MACoordinator of Library InstructionCoordinator of Library Instruction

ESL LibrarianESL LibrarianCalifornia State University, FullertonCalifornia State University, Fullerton

Second session (1 ½ hours):Second session (1 ½ hours):

International/ESL student challengesInternational/ESL student challenges

Customizing instruction sessions for Customizing instruction sessions for Int’l/ESL studentsInt’l/ESL students

Improving interaction with Int’l/ESL Improving interaction with Int’l/ESL studentsstudents

ChallengesChallenges

ChallengesChallenges

concept of “librarian” may be a very concept of “librarian” may be a very low-skilled or unhelpful clerklow-skilled or unhelpful clerk

CULTURALCULTURAL

Indonesia study:Indonesia study:

Who do students go to if they need to Who do students go to if they need to find information?find information?

1.1. Their friendsTheir friends

2.2. The InternetThe Internet

3.3. Their professorTheir professor

4.4. A librarianA librarian

Librarians viewed as unhelpful due Librarians viewed as unhelpful due to being unavailable/hidden…to being unavailable/hidden…

Just a reminderJust a reminderagainst blanket generalizing…against blanket generalizing…

ChallengesChallenges

concept of “librarian” may be a very concept of “librarian” may be a very low-skilled or unhelpful clerklow-skilled or unhelpful clerk

concept of “library” may just be a concept of “library” may just be a “study hall” “study hall”

CULTURALCULTURAL

ChallengesChallenges

concept of “librarian” may be a very concept of “librarian” may be a very low-skilled or unhelpful clerklow-skilled or unhelpful clerk

concept of “library” may just be a concept of “library” may just be a “study hall” “study hall”

cultural communication traits cultural communication traits

CULTURALCULTURAL

for example…for example…

““don’t bother a person working” don’t bother a person working”

“ “admission of not knowing = losing admission of not knowing = losing face”face”

“ “just nod & smile, even if you don’t just nod & smile, even if you don’t understand”understand”

He nodded & smiled!He nodded & smiled!

ChallengesChallenges

ChallengesChallenges

Fear of mispronouncing words…Fear of mispronouncing words…

I’m going to put you in their shoes…I’m going to put you in their shoes…

LANGUAGELANGUAGE

Pronounce this…Pronounce this…

SrinakharinwirotSrinakharinwirot

ChallengesChallenges

Fear of mispronouncing words…Fear of mispronouncing words… Stress of not being able to express Stress of not being able to express

themselves (limited vocabulary)themselves (limited vocabulary)

LANGUAGELANGUAGE

An exercise…An exercise…

Describe the following photo in Describe the following photo in whatever Spanish (or French, or etc.) whatever Spanish (or French, or etc.) you can remember from High you can remember from High School…School…

ChallengesChallenges

Fear of mispronouncing words…Fear of mispronouncing words… Stress of not being able to express Stress of not being able to express

themselves (limited vocabulary)themselves (limited vocabulary) Inability to understand the librarian’s Inability to understand the librarian’s

answersanswers

LANGUAGELANGUAGE

How would you react to this How would you react to this sentence?sentence?

Congratulations! You have just won a Congratulations! You have just won a brand new brand new gubflahgubflah ! Take this coupon ! Take this coupon to any retail location where to any retail location where gubflahsgubflahs are sold to redeem it; you’ll be glad are sold to redeem it; you’ll be glad you did!you did!

How would an ESL student react to How would an ESL student react to this sentence?this sentence?

Okay, now you’ll definitely want to Okay, now you’ll definitely want to consult consult ABI/InformABI/Inform. With it, you’ll be . With it, you’ll be able to complete the assignment your able to complete the assignment your professor has given you. And you’ll be professor has given you. And you’ll be happy to know you can get happy to know you can get ABI/InformABI/Inform at home!at home!

ChallengesChallenges

accustomed to standardized exams…accustomed to standardized exams…not original researchnot original research

negative experiences with libraries negative experiences with libraries (disappointing resources) (disappointing resources)

PRIOR EXPERIENCEPRIOR EXPERIENCE

ChallengesChallenges

accustomed to standardized exams…accustomed to standardized exams…not original researchnot original research

negative experiences with libraries negative experiences with libraries (disappointing resources) (disappointing resources)

accustomed to copying works, and accustomed to copying works, and relying on other students’ theses relying on other students’ theses

PRIOR EXPERIENCEPRIOR EXPERIENCE

Customizing Instruction SessionsCustomizing Instruction Sessions

The traditional BI/LI session:The traditional BI/LI session: easy to slip into lecture mode easy to slip into lecture mode

(heavily verbal) (heavily verbal) easy to rush (lots to cover) easy to rush (lots to cover) easy to use terms that we may not easy to use terms that we may not

even realize are unfamiliar even realize are unfamiliar

Customizing Instruction SessionsCustomizing Instruction Sessions

The customized int’l/ESL session:The customized int’l/ESL session: experiential! Incorporates a experiential! Incorporates a

physical tour (yes, your heard right: physical tour (yes, your heard right: a physical tour!) a physical tour!)

““TOUR”TOUR”

“ “Experiential instruction involves Experiential instruction involves having students participate in going to having students participate in going to the open shelves, rather than just the open shelves, rather than just being told about them; having being told about them; having students actually look up books on students actually look up books on their country, rather than just seeing a their country, rather than just seeing a demo about it; having students demo about it; having students collaboratively assemble a correct APA collaboratively assemble a correct APA citation, rather than just be given a citation, rather than just be given a handout about it; and all the while, handout about it; and all the while, comparing what they are experiencing comparing what they are experiencing with their own schema—their home with their own schema—their home context—of libraries.”context—of libraries.”

--John Hickok

(shameless plug)(shameless plug)

Practical Pedagogy for Library Instructors: 17 Innovative Strategies to Improve Student LearningDouglas Cook and Ryan Sittler, editorsChicago: ACRL, June 2008

……more discussion of the principles more discussion of the principles behind experiential learning (e.g., behind experiential learning (e.g., Vygotsky) and the benefits over Vygotsky) and the benefits over traditional direct-instruction… traditional direct-instruction…

Customizing Instruction SessionsCustomizing Instruction Sessions

The customized int’l/ESL session:The customized int’l/ESL session: experiential! Incorporates a experiential! Incorporates a

physical tour (yes, your heard right: physical tour (yes, your heard right: a physical tour!) a physical tour!)

contextual! Draws upon their contextual! Draws upon their “schema” or prior experience, to give “schema” or prior experience, to give context context

Thank you Thank you for attending!for attending!