Enhancing Success for Postsecondary English Language Learners

Enhancing Success

for Postsecondary

English Learners

Kimberly Johnson, PhD, kimberly.johnson@so.mnscu.edu

Patsy Egan, PhD, pegan02@hamline.edu

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)?

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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

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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

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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!