Contents

Introduction & Overview……………………………………………………………………………...2

Country Literacy Profiles……………………………………………………………………………3­4

Diagnostic Assessment Overview…………………………………………………………………..5

Literacy Level Chart……………………………………………………………………………………..6

Sample Oral Assessment………………………………………………………………………….…...7

Sample Written Assessment………………………………………………………………………….8

Letter Names & Sounds………………………………………………………………….………..9­10

Phonograms (Word Families).................................................................................11

Phonemic Awareness……………………………………………………………………………….....12

Writing Conventions…………………………………………………………………………………..13

Sample Preliterate Assessment………………………………………………………….…….14­19

Intermediate Topics…………………………………...……………………………………...….20­21

Resources at JNRC...……………………………………………………………………..……………22

Online Resources…………………….…………………………………………………………………23

Sources……………………………………………………….....................................................24

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I. Introduction & Overview

Our Mission Statement: “To accompany and assist asylum seekers from all over the world, regardless of ethnicity, faith tradition, or phase of their journey for protection, integration and resettlement. By recognizing our common humanity and providing hospitality in the heart of Rome, we aim to provide a support program, and to encourage and empower refugees to build

new lives."

Welcome to the Joel Nafuma Refugee Center! Congratulations, you have signed up to be an English language & literacy volunteer! We are grateful for your commitment and willingness to take on such a role with JNRC. We hope you have a rewarding experience as an English language & literacy volunteer, and please know that your contributions to the center are highly valued. Please be aware that working as a volunteer may present many challenges, however, by becoming familiar with this comprehensive manual, we hope to make your work as easy and straightforward as possible.

The information provided in the following pages will offer a brief synopsis of the literacy needs 1

of visitors to the center. JNRC serves a wide range of individuals with diverse origins, backgrounds, and language skills. The specific needs of each person you serve will vary greatly depending on their previous literacy experiences.

One of the most important parts of being a literacy volunteer is assessing your students’ specific needs and background in order to best serve them. Keep in mind that some of the refugees or migrants (please note these terms are not used interchangeably) will enter with no previous English language experience, but may have previous literacy and educational experiences in their native languages. On the other hand, others will enter from cultures with oral language traditions, and thus, will have little or no literacy background.

The following guide will provide you with the tools to determine students’ previous literacy capabilities through diagnostic assessments and surveys, as well as literacy profiles matching various countries. You will also find literacy guides for beginner students, and more information about resources available to you in the Center and online. The tools and information in this manual will guide you as you begin coaching these students, and enable you to approach their learning with an awareness of cultural backgrounds and norms. Please keep in mind that not every student will fit exactly into the situations described in the following profiles. The information in the following pages is intended as an overview to help guide your interactions with your students.

1 Any reference to literacy will follow the definition set out by the CIA World Factbook which defines the term as the ability to read and write of persons over the age of 15

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II. Country Literacy Profiles Visitors to the JNRC represent many different countries and literacy backgrounds. Listed below are the top origins of refugees traveling to Europe, as well as the top origins of refugees traveling to Italy in 2015.

Italy : Europe : 2 3

1. Afghanistan 1. Syrian Arab Republic 2. Eritrea 2. Afghanistan 3. Syria 3. Somalia 4. Mali 5. Niger 6. Sudan 7. South Sudan

Afghanistan

The top country of origin of refugees entering into Italy is Afghanistan. As a result, there are often visitors originating from Afghanistan to the JNRC, and they make up a diverse range of ethnic and linguistic backgrounds. The literacy rate of Afghanistan, as a whole, is 38.2%, with a rate of 52% for males, and 24.2% for females. Refugees and migrants from Afghanistan speak a wide range of languages including: Dari and Pashto (the country’s official languages), among others. There are few commonalities between these languages and the English language, thus transitioning to the English language may prove difficult. 4

Eritrea

Eritrea represents the 2nd largest country of origin of refugees arriving in Italy. Five thousand Eritreans leave the country each month, making it one of the world's top producers of refugees. 5

Eritrea has an overall literacy rate of 73.8%, with a rate of 82.4% for males, and 65.5% for females. The official languages of Eritrea are Tigrinya, Arabic, and English. The languages of Tigre, Kunama, Afar, and other Cushitic languages are also spoken in the country. Both Tigrinya and Tigre use the Ge’ez script which varies significantly from the Roman alphabet. 6

Mali

Mali has an overall literacy rate of 38.7%, with a rate of 48.2% for males, and 29.2% for females. The official language of the country is French, therefore, many refugees from Mali

2 The UN Refugee Agency (2015) 3 The UN Refugee Agency (2015) 4 The CIA World Factbook (2016) 5 The Council on Foreign Relation (2015) 6 The CIA World Factbook (2016)

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come with some familiarity with the Roman Alphabet. However, there is a diverse range of spoken languages in the country, with 13 “national languages,” in addition to its official language. These languages include Bambara, Peul/Foulfoulbe, Dogon, Maraka/Soninke, and Malinke, among others. 7

Niger

Niger has a literacy rate of 19.1%, with a rate of 27.3% for males, and 11% for females. French is the official language of the country and is used for media, government, education and other purposes. There are at least eight other national languages spoken in the country. Many people speak French as a second language and one of the eight other national languages as their first. Of the eight, Hausa is most widely spoken and uses an Arabic alphabet. 8

South Sudan

South Sudan has a literacy rate of 27%, with a rate of 40% for males, and approximately 16% for females. After an outbreak of conflict in 2013, the numbers of South Sudanese people fleeing violence has increased steadily. English is the official language of the country but there are around 60 other indigenous languages spoken, including Arabic (includes Juba and Sudanese variants), and the regional languages of Dinka, Nuer, Bari, Zande, and Shilluk. 9

Sudan

Violence from a civil war and famine are among the main reasons for Sudanese refugees to flee their country. The literacy rate is Sudan is 75.9%, with a rate of 83.3% for males, and 68.6% for women. Both Arabic and English are official languages of Sudan. The languages of Nubian, Ta Bedawie, Fur, among others, are also used in Sudan. 10

Syria

As of January 2016, approximately 13.5 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in Syria, with 6.5 million people displaced internally, and an additional 4.4 million Syrian refugees, making the Syrian situation the largest humanitarian crisis worldwide. In 2015, the literacy rate in Syria was 86.4%, with a rate of 91.7% for males, and 81% for females. With the continuation of the civil war, this rate is no doubt likely to drop; the long­term impact being lower education levels of refugees traveling from Syria. Arabic is the official language which makes transitioning to English difficult, as there are not as many common roots. Kurdish and Armenian are also commonly understood languages, among others. 11

7 The CIA World Factbook (2016) 8 The CIA World Factbook (2016) 9 The CIA World Factbook (2016) 10 The CIA World Factbook (2016) 11 The CIA World Factbook (2016)

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Diagnostic Assessment Overview

It is important to assess the prior knowledge of students using a diagnostic assessment. Using this assessment at the beginning of your tutoring session will enable you to determine the level of your student, to provide efficient and tailored support.

On the next page, you will find a chart of different literacy levels you may interact with while volunteering at JNRC. Volunteers may have little or no previous literacy experience, qualifying them at a Preliterate level. Other students may have literacy experience in multiple languages, including one which uses the Roman alphabet, making them Roman Alphabet Literate. For a student who is Roman Alphabet Literate, the English alphabet may be easier to understand in comparison to their experiences with the same letters, but in a different context and with different sounds. For example, if a visitor has experience with the French language, it may be helpful to ask what sound a certain letter makes in French, and then show them the different sound in English. For this reason, it is important to know where your student is coming from in terms of their literacy background.

On the following pages, you will find examples of diagnostic assessments that can be used to assess where to begin with your student. The first is an oral assessment; this can be used to determine your student’s proficiency in spoken English. The other is a written assessment, which can be used to determine your student’s proficiency in written English. For the written assessment, students may answer questions in their native language. Though you may not be able to read the answers without a translator, you may be able to determine their writing ability. If at this point the student is uncomfortable holding a writing utensil or forming letters on paper, it is important to allow the student to stop, and give them the pre­literate assessment provided (pages 14­19).

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L1 Literacy Explanation Special Considerations Example Learner Profiles:

Preliterate

L1 has no written form (e.g. many American indigenous, African, Australian, and Pacific languages).

Learners need exposure to the purposes and uses of literacy.

Wanankhucka, a Bantu from Somalia, entered the class as a recent refugee. She knows her native Af­Maay only orally, as a written form of the language is just now being developed. Furthermore, as a refugee, Wanankhucka shows evidence of trauma.

Nonliterate Learners had no access to literacy instruction.

Learners may feel stigmatized.

Trang is a young, single mother from rural Vietnam who grew up without access to education. Here in the United States, she lacks many of the educational and cultural supports earlier Vietnamese refugees enjoyed.

Semiliterate Learners had limited access to literacy instruction.

Learners may have had negative experiences with literacy learning.

Roberto attended a rural school in El Salvador for 3 years. Although he wanted to continue, his family needed him to work on the family farm.

Non alphabet literate

Learners are fully literate in a language written in a non alphabetic script such as Chinese.

Learners need instruction in reading an alphabetic script and in the sound­syllable correspondences of English.

Xian is a retired minor bureaucrat from China. He is highly literate in the Mandarin script, but he is unfamiliar with any alphabet, including Roman.

Non Roman alphabet literate

Learners are literate in a language written in a non­Roman alphabet (e.g. Arabic, Greek, Russian, Thai)

Learners need instruction in the Roman alphabet in order to transfer their L1 literacy skills to English. Some (e.g. readers of Arabic) will need to learn to read from left to right.

Khalil comes from Jordan. He completed 2 years of secondary school and is literate in Arabic.

Roman alphabet literate

Learners are fully literate in a language written in a Roman alphabet script (e.g. French, German, Croatian, Spanish). They know to read from left to right and recognize letter shapes and fonts.

Learners need instruction in the specific letter­to­sound and sound­syllable correspondences of English.

Alex is a senior from Russia. As a young man, he studied French. Even though he was a professional (engineer) in his own country, he does not want to move to a higher level class. Others who may benefit from a literacy­level class are individuals who, because of age, physical or mental health issues, or family situations, find that the slow and repetitive pace of such a class better meets their needs and goals.

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Excerpted from Feliz­Lund (2013) 12

Sample Oral Assessments : 13

Level Questions

Beginner 1. What is your name?

2. What is your address?

3. Are you married?

4. How many children do you have?

5. Where were you born?

Intermediate 1. What day is it?

2. How long have you lived in this city?

3. Do you have a job? Where do you work?

4. What kind of work do you do?

5. What do you need to study?

(Check the appropriate items)

____ Speaking English

____ Reading English

____ Writing English

Advanced 1. Did you attend school in your native country? How long?

2. Have you studied English? How long?

3. Why do you want to study English?

4. What do you do in your spare time?

5. Tell me something about your family.

12 Felix­Lund (2013) 13 Graham & Walsh (1996)

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Sample Written Assessment : 14

Encourage your student to write the answer to the questions in the space provided. Repeat that

this is not a test, rather it is an assessment of their current level of proficiency. They may answer

the questions in English or in their native tongue.

1. What is your name?

2. What is your address?

3. Are you married?

4. How many children do you have?

5. Where were you born?

6. What day is it?

7. How long have you lived in this city?

8. Do you have a job? Where do you work?

9. What kind of work do you do?

10. What do you need to study: Speaking, Reading, or Writing English?

11. Did you attend school in your native country? How long?

12. Why do you want to study English?

13. What do you do in your spare time?

14. Tell me something about your family.

14 Graham & Walsh (1996)

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English Letter Names & Sounds

Consonants 15

Letter Sound Examples

B, b box

C, c cat

D, d dog

F, f frog

G, g gum

H, h hot

J, j jump

K, k kite

L, l lamp

M, m mop

N, n nap

P, p put

Q, q quiet

R, r run

S, s stop

V, v vat

W, w wet

X, x box

15 Adamson (2004)

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Z, z zero

Vowels 16

Letter Sound Examples

A, e 1. have 2. a 3. ball

E, e 1. help 2. me

I, i 1. it 2. giant 3. radio

O, o 1. ox 2. over 3. love 4. to

U, u 1. ducks 2. use 3. output

Y, y 1. gypsy 2. fly 3. quickly

16 Adamson (2004)

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Phonograms (Word Families)

“A phonogram or word family is a letter or series of letters that represents a sound, syllable, a rime, or a series of sounds. Thirty­seven common phonograms can generate over 500 U.S. primary­grade words, so they are useful in helping L2 learners see relationships among words and acquire vocabulary in a systematic way.” 17

Sound to Phonogram Chart: 18

17 Murray & Christison (2011) 18 AVKO (2007)

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Phonemic Awareness

“Phonemic Awareness is knowledge that spoken words are made up of sounds that can be separated, that is, that /kæt/ (cat) is made up of the sound /k æ t/. If the learner can already read in their first language, and the writing system of the first language is alphabetic, the learner will already have phonemic awareness.” 19

Phonemic Awareness Assessments 20

Assessment #1:

Assessment #2:

19 I.S.P Nation (2009) 20 I.S.P Nation (2009)

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Writing Conventions

Because visitors to JNRC have a wide range of literacy backgrounds, some students may find it helpful to review the following English writing conventions:

1. Writing goes from left to right (cf. Arabic—right to left, Japanese—top to bottom).

2. The lines of writing come one under the other starting from the top of the page (cf.

Japanese).

3. The pages go from front to back (cf. Japanese—back to front).

4. Words are separated by spaces (cf. Thai—no spaces between words).

5. Sentences begin with a capital letter and end with a full stop, question mark, or

exclamation point

6. Quotation marks are used to signal speech or citation.

7. English has upper case (capital) letters and lower case (small) letters. The use of capital

letters may carry an extra meaning.

8. Sentences are organised into paragraphs.

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9. In formal and academic writing there are conventions that need to be learned, such as the

use of bold and italics, the use of headings and sub­headings, the use of indentation, the

use of footnotes, the use of references, and page numbering. 21

Pre­literate Assessment Instructions Part 1 (this copy is kept by the volunteer) : 22

21I.S.P. Nation (2009) 22 (LaRue)

14

Pre­literate Assessment Instructions Part 2 : 23

23 (LaRue)

15

Pre­literate Assessment Part 1 (this copy goes to the student): 24

24 (LaRue)

16

Pre­literate Assessment Part 2 : 25

25 (LaRue)

17

Pre­literate Assessment Part 3 : 26

26 (LaRue)

18

Pre­literate Assessment, How to use the scores : 27

27 (LaRue)

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Intermediate Topics

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If you are meeting with a visitor at JNRC who possesses an understanding of both the oral and written

English language, you may feel free to move on to more advanced English literacy topics. Below, you

will find lists of suggested vocabulary topics, many of which can be taught using flashcards found in the

supply bookshelf, along with a list of grammar topics. If you need further information about a certain

topic, or if a visitor requests more practice on a topic, you may consult any of the English language books

found in the supply bookshelf. These lists are meant to serve as a guide for literacy tutors, and you may

feel free to adjust your instruction to suit the particular needs of your students.

Suggested Vocabulary Topics:

Time (days, months, seasons)

Numbers

Common action verbs (walk, talk, eat, etc.)

Common phrases/greetings

Positions in space (above, below, inside, etc.)

Nationalities and countries

Colors

Health related words

Weather

Family relationships

Transportation

Descriptions of people’s appearances

Descriptions of people’s personalities

Foods

Suggested Grammar Topics

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Explanation & differences between:

Nouns, adjectives, adverbs, verbs

Nouns

Singular & plural nouns

Possessive nouns

Possessive pronouns

Adjectives

Order of adjectives

Comparative adjectives

Superlative adjectives

Adverbs

Forming adverbs from adjectives

Comparative adverbs

Superlative adverbs

Types of adverbs

Place (i.e. towards, around)

Time (i.e today, now, later)

Certainty (i.e. probably, surely)

Interrogative adverbs (i.e. who, when, where)

Indefinite & definite articles

Prepositions

Demonstratives (i.e. this, these)

Quantifiers (i.e. few, many)

Capitalization rules

Punctuation rules

Resources in the Center:

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In addition to this guide, there are resources available to you at JNRC that you may utilize when providing literacy instruction to visitors. These supplies can be found in the office of Daniela Morales, on the 2 right hand columns of the bookshelf. There, you will find supplies for various levels of literacy instruction (beginner and intermediate), along with general supplies. You also have access to a variety of English language instruction books, should you desire further information on a specific literacy topic. The resources will likely change periodically, but the following lists give an idea of what may be available to you. Furthermore, should you wish to create any additional supplies to share among literacy volunteers, we would greatly appreciate your contribution.

Beginner: 2 Alphabet letter charts­ 2 sets of letter cards (uppercase and lower case)

Intermediate:

Advanced beginner­ short books for reading Verb chart of common irregular verbs Flash cards­ intermediate vocabulary (pencil, grandparent, trouser, etc.) Flashcards

Days of the week­ English and Italian Household objects­ English and Italian Action verbs (walk, swim, eat, etc.) Common phrases/greetings­ English and Italian Positions in space (far from, inside, etc.) Months­ English and Italian Nationalities Colors Human descriptions (kind, handsome, etc.)

General Supplies:

Paper Notebooks Flashcards Markers/pens

English Language/Grammar Books

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Online Resources

If you are interested in further resources, you will find many helpful sites via the internet. Below,

a number of useful English language sites have been listed, many of which provide resources and

worksheets for English language teachers and tutors. In addition, on the JNRC website, you will

find recommended reading list, which contains human rights watch reports, book lists, and

additional readings to give you a deeper understanding of the backgrounds, cultures, and

challenges of many visitors to the Center.

Joel Nafuma Refugee Center Website, http://jnrc.it/

Teaching English, British Council, http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/

Dave’s ESL Cafe, http://www.eslcafe.com/

Cambridge University Press, http://www.cambridge.org/it/cambridgeenglish

Multi­Cultural Educational Services, http://www.mcedservices.com/

ESL Literacy Network, https://esl­literacy.com/handbook

ESL­ Kids, http://esl­kids.com/

English Club, https://www.englishclub.com/teach­english.htm

Sources

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The World Factbook 2015­16. Washington, DC: Central Intelligence Agency, 2016.

Agency, T. U. (2015). UNHCR Global Trends; Forced Displacement 2014. Geneva, Switzerland: The

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

The UN Refugee Agency. (2015). Italy ­ 2015 UNHCR subregional operations profile, Geneva,

Switzerland: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Laub, Zachary. "Authoritarianism in Eritrea and the Migrant Crisis." Council on Foreign Relations.

Council on Foreign Relations, 11 Nov. 2015. Web. 08 Mar. 2016.

Felix­Lun, Margi. A Handbook for Tutors Working with Adult ESOL Literacy Learners (2013): 7.

Portland Community College. Web.

Graham, C. Ray, and Mark M. Walsh. "ADULT EDUCATION ESL TEACHERS GUIDE." Adult

Education ESL Teachers Guide. Brigham Young University, 1996. Web.

Adamson, Pauline M. "Phonics for English Reading, Spelling and Writing." Google Books. YesPhonics,

2004. Web.

Murray, Denise E., and MaryAnn Christison. "What English Language Teachers Need to Know, Volume

I." Google Books. Routledge, 2011. Web.

"Phonogram­to­Sound Chart." AVKO. AVKO Educational Research Foundation, 2007. Web.

"Teaching ESL/EFL Reading and Writing." Google Books. I.S.P Nation, Routledge, 2009. Web.

LaRue, Charles. "The LaRue Reading Skills Assessment for Pre­Literate Students." Multi­Cultural

Educational Services. Minnesota Literacy Council, n.d. Web.

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