Revisiting LEA in Adult ESL Literacy

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Revisiting LEA in Adult ESL Literacy

A presentation at the NYSTESOL Annual Conference

New York University

November 11, 2005

Presented by , Ph.D., M.F.A.

TESOL Program, Hunter College, City University of New York

Email: timwalsh65@yahoo.com

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Introduction: Beginning Adult ESL Literacy

Learners

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From The Learner’s Point of View

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’

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’

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A: oan.’?

B: im.

A: ,im.

B: ,oan.

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’

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What’s a teacher to do?

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THE LANGUAGE THE LANGUAGE EXPERIENCE EXPERIENCE

APPROACH TO APPROACH TO READINGREADING

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STEPS IN GROUP LEA1. Teacher and class discuss the stimulus (a drawing, photo, realia, remembered experience, etc.)2. Teacher elicits a sentence from the group.3. Student contributes a sentence; teacher writes contributor's sentence, word by word, as he or she writes.4. Teacher reads sentence, word by word, as class reads chorally. 5. Contributor reads his or her sentence.6. Teacher calls upon another student to read the sentence; this student reads.7. Teacher continues to call upon each student. Students unwilling to read may "pass".8. Class repeats steps 2-7.9. When either all of the students in the group, or a sufficient number of students (as defined by the teacher, taking into consideration class time and student attention) have contributed, teacher and class read whole story chorally.10. Teacher asks for volunteers to read story.

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LEA Extension One

Cloze

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LEA Extension Two

Scrambled Sentences

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Underlying Theory

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Schema Theory in a Clamshell

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SCHEMA (plural: schemata)

An abstract structure representing concepts stored in memory

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Main Types of SCHEMATA in the Reading Process

Content Schemata: background knowledge of the

content area of a text

Formal Schemata: background knowledge of the

discourse and organizational structure of different types of text

(Eg., lists, cause-effect, problem and solution, comparison and

contrast, description, etc.)

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Multiliteracy Theory in a Nutshell

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Derives from researchers’ (Gee, Cope, Kalantzis, Street) efforts to move away a “Great Divide” explanation of orality and literacy

A view of literacy that focuses on social practices and literacy events

There is not just one kind of literacy.

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Multiliteracy practitioners identify four steps in mulitiliteracy pedagogy:

1. situated practice 2. overt instruction 3. critical framing 4. transformation of practice

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Theory-Based “Práctica”

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En nuestros países nuestros padres trabajan sembrando en la tierra o en la ciudad. Cultivando la siembra para alimentar a la familia. La llegada a Nueva York fue dura. Encontramos un clima nuevo. Encontramos problemas con el inglés y el trabajo. Estamos superando para seguir adelante.Todos luchamos por la familia escribiendo y aprendiendo en la clase.

In our countries, our parents worked on the land or in the city. Taking care of the planting to feed their families.

Arriving in New York was hard. We encountered a new climate.We encountered problems with English and work.

We’re getting ahead. We’re all struggling for our families, writing and learning in class.

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