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Enhancing Success
for Postsecondary
English Learners
Kimberly Johnson, PhD, [email protected]
Patsy Egan, PhD, [email protected]
CTE Works!
November 2016
Patsy Egan, PhD
ATLAS Director
(Adult Basic Education Teaching &
Learning Advancement System)
Hamline University, St. Paul
Kimberly Johnson, PhD
Director for Faculty &
Instructional Development
Minnesota State System
ObjectivesToday we will…
• Share a few basics of adult second language learning
and the challenges for college ELs
• Articulate the role of Adult Basic Education (ABE) in
career pathways work
• Identify what CTE teachers may learn/benefit from ABE
• Gather a few basic tips to support English learners
(ELs) in CTE contexts
Warm up!
Turn to a neighbor:
1. What’s a challenge you’ve noticed in class with
your non-native speakers of English?
2. What do you know about ABE (Adult Basic
Education)?
5
SUCCESSFUL LANGUAGE LEARNING
• Depends on the individual
–Goals and motivation
–Learner personality
–Age
–Learning styles and preferences
–L1 literacy and academic experience
–Engagement with community and the language
Why might college and
workplace language be more
difficult for ELs?
• Social language proficiency• Ability to use contextually supported language in
everyday communications with reference to concrete entities and actions
• 2-5 years to develop• Academic language proficiency
• Ability to use cognitively demanding language with considerably less contextual support
• 4-10 years to develop
SOCIAL AND ACADEMIC LANGUAGE
Cognitively demanding language• Academic language functions
• Comparison, classification, synthesis, evaluation, inference
• More complex language structures• Nominalizations (compete competition)
• Mastery of complex vocabulary• Discipline-specific and general academic words
WHAT IS ACADEMIC LANGUAGE?
Tarone & Swierzbin, 2009
Vocabulary• 10,000-100,000 words
• written vocabulary of fluent English speakers
• 2,000-7,000 words• vocabulary of L2 English speakers beginning academic
studies
• 95 - 98% • percentage of known vocabulary required to understand
new words in context
VOCABULARY AND ACADEMIC LANGUAGE
Burt, Peyton, & Van Duzer, 2005
Discipline Bricks Mortar
Math reciprocal, equation, proof, obtuse
estimate, solve, represents, approximate
Science photosynthesis, igneous, genetic
hypothesis, variable, conclude, observe, evaluate
Literaturecharacterization,
alliteration, theme, plot, simile, foreshadowing
in contrast, interpret,
persuade, narrate, punctuation
BRICKS AND MORTAR VOCABULARY
Why talk about math + language?
A thin wire, 20 centimeters long, is
formed into a rectangle. If the
width of this rectangle is 4
centimeters, what is the length?
(Originally from L.W. Fillmore)
Why talk about math + language?
(Westerlund, 2015)
Your turn!
Turn to a neighbor:
What’s an example of a language-heavy task
someone would need to perform in YOUR field?
(oral or written)
Example: Medical professionals must keep accurate written notes for the
doctors and other nurses/caregivers. They must also interact with patients’
families in gentle, caring ways.
What is contextualized learning for EL students?
Adult Basic Education in
MN
The mission of Adult Basic
Education in Minnesota is to
provide adults with educational
opportunities to acquire and
improve their literacy skills
necessary to become self-
sufficient and to participate
effectively as productive workers,
family members, and citizens.
ABE Programs Available:
• GED® (General Educational
Development Diploma)
• Adult Diploma
• ESL (English as a Second
Language)
• Basic Skills Enhancement
• Family Literacy
• Civics & Citizenship
Education
16
ABE supports adults, including ELs, to transition into…
▶ Workplace, career
▶ Training, postsecondary
▶ Deeper community
connections
What skills do adult learners need for successful transitions?
DIGITAL LITERACY
SKILLS
PROFESSIONAL/ SOFT SKILLS
BASIC SKILLS
Transitions Skills
•Effective Communication
•Learning Strategies
•Critical Thinking
•Self-management
•Developing a Future
Pathway
•Navigating Systems
ACES Resource Library
www.atlasABE.org
Adult Career Pathways Curriculum Library
www.atlasabe.org/resources/adult-career-pathways
22
CHALLENGES IN THE COLLEGE CLASSROOM
Writing• Varied writing style• Unfamiliar with mechanics
of integrating and citing resources
Group work• Uneven power dynamics• Negative perceptions from
fellow students
Lecture comprehension• Fast pace• Unfamiliar examples
Discussion & participation• Longer processing time• Low Confidence
Reading• Lack of reading
strategies• Limited vocabulary
Reflection
Turn to a neighbor:
1. What’s one strategy you might try in your
classroom?
2. What’s something you’re still puzzling over?
References
Burt, M., Peyton, J.K., & Van Duzer, C. (2005). How should adult ESL reading
instruction differ from ABE reading instruction? CAELA Brief. Washington, DC:
Center for Adult English Language Acquisition.
http://www.cal.org/caela/esl%5Fresources/briefs/readingdif.html
Tarone, E., & Swierzbin, B. (2009). Exploring learner language. Oxford: Oxford
University Press.
University of Minnesota, CCE (n.d.) ESL Resources. http://esl.umn.edu/
Thank you!
