Report - River East Transcona School Division - Adult ... · Web viewThe Cultural Barriers to the Academic Success of Adult English Second Language Learners: McLeod Adult Learning

HOW WE DO THINGS HERE…The Cultural Barriers to the Academic Success

of Adult English Second Language Learners:

McLeod Adult Learning Centre Research Project

Final ReportOctober 2002

Final Research ReportTable of Contents

Acknowledgements 5A Year of Learning: Foreword by Darlene Cullimore 7

1. Executive Summary 9

2. Introduction 12A Goals of the Project 12

B Research Process 12

3. Background 18

A Literature Review 18i Roessingh’s Research 18ii Addressing Cultural Barriers 20iii Culture: Visible & Invisible 21iv BICS/CALPS: How Much Time Is Enough? 23v TOEFL & The Canadian Language Benchmarks Assessment 25vi The Foresee Approach 26vii Workplace Literacy 28

B ESL in Winnipeg 30i Kindergarten to Grade 12 30ii Adult Language Training (ALT) 30

a School, College and University Adult ESL Programs 30b Community Based Language Training (CBLT) Programs 31c Regional Programs 31

iii Workplace Language Training 31

C Profile of McLeod Adult Learning Centre Clients 33i High School & Language Issues 34ii Skill vs. “Piece of Paper” 34iii Schema of ESL Process at McLeod Adult Learning Centre 35

4. Main Findings & Analysis 36A Introduction 36

B Findings re: Learners 36

C Systems 38i Communication System 41ii Classroom/Education System 42

a In the Classroom 42b Suggestions to Teachers 43c Canadian Classroom Expectations 44d Classroom Observations 46

Chotka ConsultingPage 2 of 98

McLeod Research Project 2002: “How we do things here…”

e Lessons Learned 46

iii Work System 49a Workplace Issues 49

Prioritising Tasks 49 Organising Information 49 Accessing Resources 50 Applying Expected Processes 50 Communication Styles 50

b Detailed Cultural Issues Related to the Workplace 51c Meta-cognition in the Workplace 54

D Other Findings 55i Class Attendance 55ii Consistent Work 55iii Social-Affective Factors 55

5. Learning How to Learn in Canada: A Resource 57A Rationale 57

B Table of Contents 57

6. Concluding Comments 64

7. Follow-up Report , January 2003 65

8. Glossary 72



List of Figures

Figure 1 Styles of Paragraph Development, based on Kaplan, 1966 21Figure 2 Schema of ESL Process at McLeod Adult Learning Centre 35Figure 3 Distance from the Mainstream1 (variables that can affect

language acquisition and integration) 40

List of Tables

Table 1 Cultural Influences & Academic Skills Expectations 16Table 2 Basic Interpersonal Communicative Skills (BICS) and Cognitive

Academic Language Proficiency (CALP)24

Table 3 TOEFL Scores and Corresponding Benchmark Levels 25Table 4 Profile of McLeod ESL Learners 33Table 5 Canadian Classroom Expectations 44Table 6 Profile of 30S Classes at McLeod Adult Learning Centre, Fall

200146

Table 7 Teacher Behaviours that Affect Cultural Barriers 47Table 8 Comparison of “Canadian” Resumé and “Immigrant” Resumé 53Table 9 CLBA Results, McLeod Adult Learning Centre, 2001-2002 56

List of Appendices

Appendix 1 Ethics Statement (Letter to Participants) 73Appendix 2 Consent to be Interviewed 74Appendix 3 Canadian Language Benchmarks Overview 75Appendix 4 Survey Questionnaire 76Appendix 5 Academic Word List 81Appendix 6 Sample Lesson, The Foresee Approach to Integrated ESL

Instruction84

Appendix 7 Participant Comments from MALC Survey 87

1 Designed by Angela Chotka



Acknowledgements

This report and the research conducted was funded by Government of Manitoba, Education, Training and Youth. Additional in-kind support was provided by Government

of Manitoba, Labour and Immigration, Adult Language Training (ALT) Branch, Palliser Furniture and McLeod Adult Learning Centre.

Thank you to all the 30S and 40S clients at McLeod Adult Learning Centre, 2000 – 2002 who generously shared

their experiences, their insights and their time.

We wish to acknowledge the following for their contributions:

Darlene CullimoreProject Co-ordinator

DirectorMcLeod Adult Learning Centre

Angela ChotkaProject ResearcherChotka Consulting

Our Project Partners and Steering Committee members for their commitment to this project:

Lynn ConnellFunding Partner & Project Officer

Labour Market Partnerships, Employment & Training Services, Manitoba Education, Training and Youth

Lisa PetitProgram Officer

Adult Language Training Branch, Immigration and Multiculturalism

Division,Manitoba Labour and Immigration

Joanne PettisProgram Officer

Adult Language Training Branch, Immigration and Multiculturalism

Division, Manitoba Labour and Immigration

Chris TroryEducation Director

Corporate Human Resources, Palliser Furniture Ltd.

Valerie UnwinEducation Development Co-ordinator

Corporate Human Resources, Palliser Furniture Ltd.

Barbara WynesAdult Learning and Literacy, Community Learning & Youth Programs Branch,

Manitoba Advanced Education and Training



mailto:[email protected]


http://resd.ca/

http://palliser.com/


http://gov.mb.ca/labour/immigrate/english

http://gov.mb.ca/labour/immigrate/english

Phil McBurneyCo-ordinator, Adult Program,

McLeod Adult Learning Centre

Margerit RogerProgram Developer,

UFCW Training Centre

Beth BissonDirector, Adult Education Centre

Thanks to the following for sharing their resources, time and expertise:

Michael Witt McLeod Adult Learning CentreBrenda Trevenen, McLeod Adult Learning Centre

Jim Crean, Winnipeg 1 School DivisionRon Munroe, McLeod Adult Learning Centre

Richard Jarko, McLeod Adult Learning Centre

Kathleen Clarke, ALT Branch/Chotka ConsultingJudy Johnson, ALT Branch

Hetty Roessingh, Faculty of Education, University of Calgary

Helen Christie, Miles Macdonnell CollegiateShirley Kozlowich, Miles Macdonnell Collegiate

Barb Reid, UFCW Training CentreLucy Epp, Language Training Centre, Red River College

Louise Giesbrecht, Diverse Workforce Development, Palliser FurnitureWendell Wiebe, Bristol Aerospace Ltd.



A Year of LearningHow McLeod Adult Learning Centre benefited from this project

Darlene Cullimore: Director of Continuing EducationRiver East Transcona School Division: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Where do project ideas come from? In this case, the idea was spurred in 1999/2000 by the needs of students who came to our adult learning centre who were recent immigrants and who had varying levels of ability to communicate in English. Many needed Canadian high school credits to enroll in post secondary institutions; others had never had the opportunity to complete high school in their home countries. Our centre was new; we offered high school credit courses toward the Manitoba Mature Student Diploma, but none of us was experienced in second language training or in dealing with subtle cross-cultural issues. However, we were faced with highly motivated students who deserved a reasonable chance for academic success.

After some time spent searching for assistance, I connected with Lisa Petit and Judith Hayes who, at the time, were contractors with Manitoba Labour and Immigration’s Adult Language Training Branch (ALT). With ALT’s blessing, Lisa and Judith “benchmarked” the Senior 4 (Grade 12) English Language Arts (ELA) provincial curriculum. To “benchmark” meant that they assessed the language expectations of the provincial Grade 12 curriculum against the Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB), a well-regarded system used to assess adult immigrants’ ESL levels, but which is mostly unknown in the school system. We were all shocked at the result – much of the curriculum benchmarked at CLB 12, the highest level, found in only a minority of university educated native English speakers. Lisa and Judith also informed us that Manitoba’s Red River College had recently benchmarked many of its programs, which scored at CLB 8 or 9. Clearly some of the issues we were facing were of our own system’s making!

Drawing on their extensive experience with immigrants and ESL training, Lisa and Judith went on to educate me about the subtle barriers we in Canada create for newcomers from other cultures by our unconscious expectations about the skills “everyone” should have. They showed me how these expectations are imbedded in the ELA curriculum (and other courses too) – skills such as brainstorming, participating effectively (by North American standards) in groups, and challenging authority. Out of my horror at inadvertently and perhaps unfairly “raising the bar” for our ESL learners grew the idea for a larger project. I therefore gathered together a Steering Committee of interested partners, including ALT Branch; Palliser Furniture (to examine workplace cultural and ESL issues); Employment and Training Services Branch of Manitoba Education Training and Youth (METY) -- our forward-thinking funder; Adult Learning and Literacy Branch (METY); and two other adult learning centres, Adult Education Centres and the United Food and Commercial Workers Training Centre. Our project was funded for the 2001/02 academic year and this report details our discoveries.

There is a saying, “When the student is ready, the teacher will come”. For me, now ready, the teacher was Angela Chotka, the young, impassioned, untiring researcher and curriculum developer recommended by Lisa to implement our project. From October to August, Angela interviewed our students, observed classes, gathered resources, and



skillfully persuaded and inspired me to a much richer understanding of the needs of all of our students -- not just, but certainly also, our immigrant, ESL learners.

I think many of us at McLeod have benefited from this “year of learning”. We learned together and, through this project, found a forum from which to view everything differently. I can’t thank enough Brenda Trevenen who in Fall 2002 is piloting our new credit course, Learning How to Learn in Canada 41G (a direct result of the project) as well as our Senior 3 (Grade 11) ELA for ESL learners, and Michael Witt, McLeod’s Student Facilitator, an ESL learner himself -- now a qualified teacher, who has taken a special interest in the holistic needs of our immigrant ESL students. I also want to thank Phil McBurney, McLeod’s program coordinator and lead ELA teacher, Angela’s research assistant, Kathleen Clarke, and the other members of the Project Steering Committee. A special thanks must also go to Alberta’s Hetty Roessingh who shared her research and expertise so willingly with us.

I encourage you to reflect on this report and use the curriculum resource any way that works for you. The data collected from our research has only been touched on for the report; it will be available in its entirety to interested program developers through the Adult Learning and Literacy page of the METY website. If you have questions, please contact me at [email protected] or at (204) 667-4952.

Sincerely,

Darlene Cullimore, M.A., M.Ed.




http://edu.ucalgary.ca/academic/roessingh.html

1. Executive Summary

McLeod Adult Learning Centre (MALC), located in a northeast suburb of Winnipeg, Manitoba, found over recent years, more and more people who did not speak English as a first language were wanting to join the continuing education program. These English Second Language (ESL) learners stated that they wanted to improve their English language skills and/or attain high school credit in Manitoba. The McLeod Adult Learning Centre Director and her staff recognised that this group of ESL learners faced distinct challenges in succeeding both in the education system and in the workplace system. The vast majority (88%) of the ESL learners at MALC were working at least full-time, raising families here in Winnipeg and helping to support families in their home countries.

The goals of this research project, initiated by Darlene Cullimore, Director of Continuing Education of River East Transcona School Division, McLeod Adult Learning Centre were to:

Identify cultural barriers to success for Adult ESL Learners in the education system

Consider if cultural barriers interfere with success in the workplace

Design and develop a resource, Learning How to Learn in Canada, to address the identified cultural barriers and help people succeed in Canadian systems.

Many variables such as origin, experience and age, influence one’s adaptability and integration. These factors make it exceedingly difficult to predict how people will fare in our systems. What we can do, though, is acknowledge Canadian systems – what makes them work, why they are set up the way they are and try to be open with people about “how we do things around here.” Adult students, in particular, need to be masters of their own ships. As educators, coworkers and decision-makers, we must do our best to show people how things are done here and how to transfer their understanding to new situations by learning metacognitive strategies.

It should be noted, that while this project focuses on immigrants’ integration and success in the Canadian academic and workplace systems, anyone outside the standard Canadian system will struggle with these issues to some extent.

Main Findings:

1. Cultural understanding is a huge barrier to success. Cultural understanding is intertwined with appropriate use of language, particularly where more formal and/or sophisticated communication is required.

2. Canadians are not very aware of their own culture and tend to think of themselves as quite neutral culturally. Supervisors, managers, teachers, administrators and decision-makers need to apply metacognitive strategies to their own situations and interactions in order to better interpret their own behaviours as well as the behaviours of others.

3. The skills required to negotiate cultural barriers (accessing resources, organizing information, communication styles, using appropriate processes and prioritzing tasks) are foundation skills. These skills affect success in the workplace, day-to-day life and in the education system.



4. Behaviours that perpetuate cultural barriers are found in the supervisors, managers, teachers, and administrators who are least successful in working with immigrants and people from different backgrounds.

This research resulted in the development of curriculum resource, How We Do Things Here: Increasing Cultural Understanding of Canadian Workplace and Learning Systems, designed by Angela Chotka which has been offered as a Senior 4 (Grade 12) credit course at McLeod Adult Learning Centre in Fall 2002. The resource contains background and supporting information developed by Angela Chotka and lesson plans compiled and adapted by Kathleen Clarke, which will be used in various ways in workplaces, adult English for Specific Purposes (ESP) programs and other Adult Learning Centres.

This research moves the issue of “communicative/academic competence” into a larger cultural context. It is important to recognize that responsibility for academic and workplace success rests with all of us, not just those who are “new” or somehow outside our system. Those of us who find ourselves working with those not familiar with “the system”, such as teachers, managers, supervisors, trainers, need to understand our own cultural assumptions and behaviours and demystify and share them openly. The findings from this research also remind us consider “culture” more broadly than ethnicity and to include social and economic factors (previous education, people from “the other side of the tracks”) in academic and workplace success.

Findings for:

a) Teachers/Trainers/Instructors: For further information, consult the resource, Learning How to Learn in Canada. In addition, see Table 1, Cultural Influences & Academic Skills Expectations, the Literature Review, Background, High School Issues and the Detailed Findings, Classroom/Education System, Suggestions to Teachers, The Process for ESL Instruction at McLeod Adult Learning Centre Graphic, Figure 2 and the Participant Comments from MALC Survey, Appendix 7.

In the Canadian classroom we value: Team work Extroversion – vocal participation Facilitation skills Independence Initiative

Some behavioural expectations will be harder for immigrants to accommodate since one does not simply “unlearn” behaviour overnight. But the key seems to be in the identification and discussion of these expectations. Answering the cultural questions often involves a discussion around why which inevitably involves the needs to be more specific such the teacher exploring his/her own behaviours, examining how things are done in Canada, considering the values behind certain expectations, and so on. See also Table 7, Teacher Behaviours that Affect Cultural Barriers.

b) Workplace Managers/Human Resource Professionals/SupervisorsFor more information on how cultural barriers impact in the workplace system, see Background, Workplace Issues and Detailed Findings, Work System and the Participant



Comments from MALC Survey, Appendix 7. In addition, consult the Literature Review, specifically, Addressing Cultural Barriers; Culture: Visible & Invisible; BICS/CALPS: How Much Time is Enough? and Workplace Literacy.

In the workplace, we often see people from different backgrounds struggling to succeed. Many of the skills identified as impeding success are foundation skills, such as:

1. understanding and demonstrating how to prioritise tasks, 2. understanding and demonstrating how to organise information, 3. understanding how to access resources 4. understanding and applying expected process5. communication styles such as body language, handling conflict

The supervisor/manager is of critical importance in facilitating the integration of people from different backgrounds as the supervisor’s behaviour can encourage learning about cultural barriers or perpetuate these barriers. See also Table 7, Teacher Behaviours that Affect Cultural Barriers.

c) Learning Centre DirectorsLearning Centre Directors require a “big picture” perspective about their programs in terms of promoting a school atmosphere that is responsive to the special needs of ESL learners. This involves listening for staff statements that may reflect lack of understanding of cultural issues/barriers, and developing sensitivity at external meetings and when reading administrative documents to the general lack of cross-cultural awareness of curriculum developers and administrators in the education system. Hidden cultural expectations will be imbedded in course documents, school plans and other material that provide the framework for the learning centre’s program. The discovered examples then can lead to “teaching moments” for the alert education leader to provide impromptu -- or more structured -- professional development for the staff who deal directly with ESL learners. See Lessons Learned.

d) StudentsSee the Guide to Learners in the Resource , How We Do Things Here: Increasing Cultural Understanding of Canadian Workplace and Learning Systems. Students will also benefit from the section, Other Findings.



2. Introduction

A Goals of the Project:

To identify the cultural barriers faced by Adult ESL clients at McLeod Adult Learning Centre

To develop an adjunct curriculum to address foundation needs to support the clients in the 30S English Language Arts course

This project was initiated by Darlene Cullimore, Director of Continuing Education of River East Transcona School Division, McLeod Adult Learning Centre, after observing an inordinate number of ESL clients’ struggles to obtain high school credit and functional skill levels comparable to those achieved by native speakers. In Observations on Benchmarking the Foundations for Senior 3 and 4 High School Programmes, Lisa Petit and Judith Hayes of Adult Language Training Branch wrote:

It is also important to note how the vastly different cultural values andprevious study styles of ESL students will affect their performance in a Canadian classroom. Cultural acquisitions do not just include a knowledgeof literature (including nursery rhymes, Shakespeare and pop-media), but involve understanding the North American value system (how we view genderdifferences, age, religion, etc). Study skills that we take for granted may be totally new to a student of African or Asian background.

It was suspected that, aside from language issues, clients were experiencing cultural barriers. The identification of these cultural barriers was a main objective of this project. Since the attainment of a high school diploma is often a “ticket” to further training2 and/or career advancement, it is critical that second language speakers are not being blocked by barriers than can be addressed.

The research was carried out by Angela Chotka to assess the existence and nature of cultural barriers experienced by adult ESL learners in the pursuit of their high school diploma in Canada. We also worked with Palliser Furniture to explore the nature and ramifications of these cultural barriers and resulting confusion in the workplace.

B Research Process:

The research phase of the project began 01 September 2001 and extended until 31 January 2002. Various means of obtaining information were utilized to provide broad qualitative information supplemented by quantitative data. The nature of the data obtained greatly exceeds the parameters of this project but it is the expectation of those involved that the data will be shared with approved partners for their own uses.

1. Ethics Statement & Consent Form (See Appendices 1 and 2)A letter of intent to address confidentiality, anonymity, risk of disclosure and voluntary participation was created. This letter was introduced in a group setting with the Project Researcher explaining individually if required. Two copies of the

2 Many universities use “Graduation from a Manitoba high school with five credits at the Senior Four level, which include two credits of English at the 40 level with an average grade of 75%,” English Language Proficiency Requirement brochure, University of Manitoba.



Consent Form were signed by both the Participant and the Project Researcher. No Participants declined to sign.

2. Observation of two English 30 Classes The Director of McLeod Adult Learning Centre introduced the Project Researcher to the classes. The Project Researcher then observed a total of 14 classes paying particular attention to the following:

Participation Levels (during and outside the learning episode): Speaking Listening Homework Learner/learner interactions Teacher/learner interactions

Use of Learning Opportunities When confusion arises in the class, is the teacher using that as an

opportunity to explore the root of the confusion? When students ask a question that does not seem related, is it used

as a learning opportunity? Example:

Student stands up to introduce other student, teacher says and gestures, “no, no, sit down.” This is an opportunity to discuss our lack of formality in comparison to other cultures.

Teacher laughs at student’s use of the term, “Caucasian”, and says, “no, no, we don’t use that word,” but doesn’t explain why or discuss it. Student returns to his desk, checks the word in his dictionary, sees again that the translation is “Caucasian,” and looks confused. At the break, he asked me why he shouldn’t use the word and why the teacher laughed.

Culturally Patterned Behaviours There are many behaviours that can at least be partially ascribed to

differences in culture. For instance, in some cultures, asking questions in class is seen as disrespectful of the teacher while in other cultures, not asking questions is seen as a sign a student is not engaged in the class. Other examples include:

Asking for help – can be very difficult for some cultures as it is considered a sign of weakness, lack of self-sufficiency or intelligence. In some cultures, asking for help is only required if the teachers are not effective.

Fear of failure – in some cultures, failure is seen as bringing shame upon the family and to be avoided at all costs.

Men learning from women – in some cultures, teachers in the education system are always male; also, some students have only been in schools with members of the same sex.

More assertive cultures dominating – in some cultures, more assertive and aggressive behaviour is tolerated; this can create challenges in a classroom.

Overall Environment



Pace Classroom Setup Atmosphere Perceived comfort level

During this time, the Project Researcher was able to build a rapport with the clients which greatly enhanced the quality of information gathered during the in-person interview process.

3. Canadian Language Benchmark Assessments (See Appendix 3)In order to appreciate how much of the barrier may be related to ESL competency, we assessed 34 students in Listening/Speaking, Reading and Writing throughout October and November 2001 using the Canadian Language Benchmarks Assessment. The results of the assessments suggest that significant upgrading of language competencies must occur, especially in the areas of academic reading and writing. 27 Clients were tested again throughout May and June 2002 and their progress noted in Table 9.

4. Semi-Structured Interviews Group A: Clients enrolled in 30S (Grade 11) English for the Fall 2001

semester. This group completed the survey questionnaire and 21 (see Appendix 4) were interviewed in-person during a 30-90 minute interview.

Group B: Comprised of a group of clients that self-selected not to participate in a formal course at MALC but instead opted to attend one evening per week to work with the Student Facilitator on upgrading. A group interview was conducted with this group of 8 as many could not read and complete the survey questionnaire on their own.

Group C: These were clients throughout the 2000 – 2001 program at MALC who took 40S (Grade 12) English. Some were successful and others were not. These 13 interviews were conducted by telephone and took 10-30 minutes each.

Group D: Instructors from 2000-2001 30S and 40S were participants in unstructured interviews throughout the information-gathering phase. These interviews were conducted in person.

5. Literature Review A review of articles, websites, books and best practises was undertaken by the Project Researcher. In addition to independent study, members of the Steering Committee recommended texts to be reviewed.

The literature review revealed that although issues around the integration of various cultures in the classroom were given consideration in ESL research, dealing with “cultural” assumptions such as classroom expectations, learning styles and test-taking was an issue on the periphery of other concerns.

When research did address cultural issues, it was often done through the filter of nationality with the underlying assumption that the class was homogenous in terms of language level, first language and/or age. This has obvious limitations for the MALC situation with multi-level classes where the students come from diverse backgrounds with varying levels of education, different first languages, ages and goals.



Much of the literature in this field was geared toward a learner that had ample time and resources in which to study English3. It also assumed a teacher who had ESL expertise and was teaching course content specifically for ESL learners rather than, in our case, the Manitoba English Language Arts High School curriculum.

6. Identification of ThemesUpon conclusion of the research phase, the cultural themes that surfaced were analyzed, first by the Project Researcher, then presented to the Steering Committee for their thoughts. The issues were then cross-referenced with the Academic Skills Expectations, the result of analysis of Senior 4 Provincial English Language Arts Exam in Manitoba, June 2001 by the Coordinator of the Adult Program at MALC.

3 See Profile of MALC ESL Learners, Table 4



Table 1 Cultural Influences & Academic Skills Expectations

40S English Language Arts (ELA)Skill Must do Should do Culturally Informed?

Writing Discriminating between fact & opinion*

Expository writing modes including narrative, cause/effect, division/classification, example/illustration, analogy and comparison/contrast

Yes, strongly.

Learning from predominantly religious text, critical analysis is not encouraged. Different cultures organize information differently.

See Kaplan’s research, in the Literature Review and the Guide to Teachers in How We Do Things Here: Increasing Cultural Understanding of Canadian Workplace and Learning Systems..

Developing supporting detail for arguments*

Developing essay writing skills including paragraphing, topic sentences, sequencing, transitions, leads, introductions and conclusions*

Integrating quotations and research into one’s own writing*

Reading Making inferences Knowledge of how stylistic elements such as diction, imagery, metaphor/simile, syntax, tone contribute to the impact of text

Yes, strongly.

The cultural embeddedness of metaphor and irony make it extremely difficult for those from another culture to unravel those elements and interpret meaning. This cultural knowledge is required to be successful at inferential reading.

www.educ.ucalgary.ca/academic/roessingh.html

Understanding irony Interpreting charts and graphs

Understanding metaphor

Interpreting fiction to understand how character and theme are developedRecognizing satire and symbols and how they contribute to meaningRecognizing levels of meaning in fiction



Speaking AndListening

Small group dynamics Yes, strongly.

Expectations about classroom behaviour, gender roles, characteristics of different cultures all interplay in group dynamics.

BrainstormingReaching Consensus

In addition to the cultural issues that affect success, we considered various factors, listed below, that can affect learners’ educational experience:

Standardized English Examination and other tests Department of Education Curriculum Life Situation (family supports, job, health, financial considerations) Logistics (travel time, coordination of schedules, child care) Teaching Style Learning Style Background

Age Previous Education

Years completed Style Experience – positive/negative experiences in school

previously English Competency Gender Class Life History (trauma, dislocation, years in refugee camp) Values related to learning: Is one permitted to critique a text?

Attitude/role of the teacher



3. Background

A. LITERATURE REVIEW & SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY

During the literature review of academic texts, websites and resources referred by members of the Advisory Committee, we discovered that the issue of cultural barriers facing adults is referred to generally on the periphery of another issue such as language acquisition or cross-cultural communication. What was missing was information on what the cultural barriers are and how they impact the learner. Once identified, our question was, what could be done to address these barriers?

Although English Language Arts (ELA) at the high school level are used as a measure of ability in English language, it is an unreasonable and wrong-headed practice. ELA is not a measure of one’s ability to read, write, speak and listen in English but instead a study of the literary forms, conventions and history of literature. At the very least, this practice can be seen as unfair, at worst, discriminatory.

In Observations on Benchmarking the Foundations for Senior 3 and 4 High School Programs, Lisa Petit and Judith Hayes found that the Foundations tended to focus on media and public as audience while the Canadian Language Benchmarks document emphasises workplace communication. They attributed this difference in focus to the fact that the Foundations skill requirements are at CLB levels 11-12 – the very highest benchmarks – which describe academic skills used by faculty and students in university and workplace communication of a professional level. In English Language Skills for Access to Mature Student High School Equivalency Programmes in Manitoba, Petit and Hayes recommend that at CLBA levels of 7-8, learners have “sufficient mastery of English to attempt High School Equivalency Programmes.” It is suggested that at CLBA 7-8,

Learners have mastered the more complex grammatical structures and have expanded vocabulary to comfortably speak and write on a wide variety of everyday topics. They can offer opinions and adjust their language to familiar situations. They can read texts of up to 10 pages on familiar topics or follow complex instructions. They are beginning to use language for academic purposes.

i. Roessingh 4 Hetty Roessingh, a researcher with the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Education, has been researching the academic success of ESL learners, curriculum and tracking studies for a number of years. Although Roessingh’s research pertains to teens and youth, it is relevant to MALC for a number of reasons.

Roessingh reports that ESL learners are not succeeding in the academic language skills, especially in inferential reading and writing. Lack of success in these areas negatively impacts the ESL learner as they pursue further education. Roessingh’s term for the understanding of the mainstream culture required for inferential reading and writing, the “cultural capital,” has not been acquired and research (Cummins, Roessingh) shows that it takes years to achieve the cultural capital required for inferential reading and writing skills. In Grade 12, success depends as much on cultural capital as language proficiency, 4 Adjunct Support for High School ESL Learners in Mainstream English Classes: Ensuring their success; Second Language Acquisition: Time, Instructed ESL Support and Achievement Levels; Time, Timing, Timetabling: Critical Elements of Successful Graduation of High School ESL Learners; Working with Younger-Arriving ESL Learners in High School English: Never Too Late to Reclaim.



http://edu.ucalgary.ca/academic/roessingh.html

http://www.language.ca/

because of the literature emphasis in Grade 12 English. Although related, the concept of cultural capital is separate from language competency.

Roessingh talks about the concept of the “Benevolent Conspiracy,” “goodwill grades” and marks inflation, which sets up the student for failure in further academic pursuits. Students were given goodwill grades at their schools, but the more accurate level of their ability emerged in large gaps between the school grade and the provincially marked exam grade. Goodwill grades will not help students succeed in university. Learners, teachers, administrators and policy makers need to appreciate that there is no fast track for the development of the academic skills which are related to language competency and cultural capital. Research shows that sometimes there is not enough emphasis on achieving the skill but sometimes on just “getting the piece of paper.” In the MALC survey and through experience, we found that learners need assistance to revise the time frame associated with achieving their goals.

Roessingh’s research showed that the ESL students who had succeeded in the 3-year high-school program identified the following themes:

o Time. Summer school courses were seen as a strategy to buy time.o Sequencing and structuring. Take “easy” courses with “hard” courses5

(i.e., do math with English to buy time for more attention to English). Do math and science before attempting Grade 10 English, etc.

o Continuous ESL supports are needed even when students attempt “regular” English courses, i.e. ”conversational partners”, tutors. academic writing skills courses, etc

Four critical elements for academic success were identified: Direct access to academic stream courses; Delayed entrance to academic English to increase basic language

proficiency; Extended ESL support, i.e., “sheltering” (doing the regular course with only

ESL participants), adjuncts (ESL skill building course paired with academic course, with a lot of teacher interaction, joint planning etc) and tutorials at Grade 11 & 12 to develop “cultural capital”;

Respect for linguistic thresholds – identifying a level of language competency which strongly indicates the possibility of success for the learner.

Roessingh found that the course, Adjunct Support for Academic Writing was very successful, with most students improving from 1-2/5 on standardized exam to 3-4/5. Students were marked on organization, correctness (grammar, spelling), choice (breadth/depth of vocabulary), thought and detail. However, adjunct support in mediating the language of metaphor, imagery and reading interpretively for tone, mood, and irony helps only in the immediate class. Once learners must perform on their own – for instance, in an examination - they “cannot tease out the meaning.” Roessingh asks how we can catch these people up on the cultural capital?

How can we get people to see that the metaphors we live by are highly culturally embedded even if the values are similar and that it’s not a language issue? If we 5 “easy” courses are those with lower language demands. Recent changes to math and sciences curricula in Manitoba, for instance Consumer Math or Physical Science, have resulted in increased language demands on ESL students since the courses are increasingly text-heavy with critical information embedded in lengthy, prose-like text.



consider “The Road Less Traveled” and the yellow woods as a metaphor for aging and passing time, a student from a country without four seasons may very well not pick up on the metaphor but understand the language.

ii. Addressing Cultural Barriers The issue of acknowledging, let alone addressing, cultural barriers in ESL instruction/courses is a touchy one since it requires an examination of assumptions and values. Little consideration is given to culture and the assumptions present in the classroom. In addition, there is little research on how the lack of cultural capital will affect the ESL learner. Research shows that “culture is ‘hidden” curriculum in second and foreign language teaching6 i”. This “hidden” curriculum includes issues like classroom expectations, (see Table 5), testing issues, learning styles, teacher-student roles ranging to notions of tragedy and love, the value of critical thinking versus trust – an almost endless list.

“Teaching of culture is unfamiliar to language teachers; pedagogy still rarely addresses influences of culture on language learning and teaching.7"

Although focusing on distance education, Michael Moore’s research brings out some interesting issues when he asks if there are cross-cultural issues involved in the internationalization of distance education8. Moore finds that there are different assumptions about the length and form of courses; about the use of language as well as the use of inappropriate delivery mechanisms and support techniques. The cultural specificity of materials and teaching styles plays a part. For example, calling for individual, personal responses, usually leads to competitive behaviour among the students from the United States and unenthusiastic reaction from international students.

Robert Kaplan broke ground in 1966 with his ideas around rhetorical structure in different language families that were determined by thought patterns of members of a particular culture. While his ideas have been modified, some of his initial findings relating to the rhetorical organisation of text based on language and/or culture, are valuable when considering the difficulties and/or gaps seen in ESL learners’ writing abilities.

While Kaplan wrote that written American English goes from point A to point B, Asian languages, he argued, are more likely to "go in circles." This claim has been accepted in outline, though most people feel students write the way they do because of their schooling, not because of some mysterious Sapir-Whorfian9 structure in their brain. The specifics have been argued extensively. Many would claim that the classic patterns are being abandoned and that most people are taught to write in a linear fashion in high school throughout the industrial world; however, anecdotal evidence from students at MALC contradicts this.

6 Michael Bryan in Culture in Second Language Teaching & Learning, ed. Hinkel, Eli7 Bryam and Morgan (1994) in Culture in Second Language & Learning, ed. Hinkel, Eli8 Michael G. Moore in Proceedings of Conference on Internationalism in Distance Education, ed Melody Thompson9 The Sapir-Whorf hypothesis is two propositions, which in a very basic form could be summed up as Linguistic Determinism (language determines thought), and Linguistic relativity (difference in language equals difference in thought). http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Students/njp0001.html. See also http://www.burgoyne.com/pages/bdespain/grammar/gram032.htm#P4



http://www.burgoyne.com/pages/bdespain/grammar/gram032.htm#P4

http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Students/njp0001.html

Figure 1 Styles of Paragraph Development, based on Kaplan, 1966

Other researchers have recognised that the structure of written text and rhetorical paradigms is based on a cultural framework that is derived from different stylistic, religious, ethical and social notions as well as the determination of audience, notions of what represents good writing.

Kaplan asks10:

“The authors ask who sees these rhetorical paradigms and who doesn’t? How do we teach people to see them? When the organisation of information is left to the students, what do they pull from the class? What do they prioritise and highlight? Why??”

Linda Harklan however, cautions against the polarising effect of contrastive analysis in that it can set up stereotypes. Harklan notes that the student is always evaluating culture but asks if the teacher is as conscious of the inherent, assumed culture in our texts and tasks. In addition, she wonders when we [the dominant culture] will acknowledge that ESL students are part of this ever-changing culture.11 It is noteworthy that this cultural divide we are seeing is found not just in ESL students who obviously come from different cultural backgrounds but also from those who come from different cultural backgrounds within our own communities such as rural or “wrong side of the tracks.”

iii. Culture: Visible and Invisible It is also important to think about culture in terms of its invisible and visible aspects. The visible, sometimes called “objective”, culture includes things like foods, clothing,

10 Writing Across Languages: Analysis of L2 Text, Connor, U & Kaplan R. (eds), 1987 Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley11 Linda Harklan, “Representing Culture in the ESL Writing Classroom” in Writing Across Languages: Analysis of L2 Text, Connor, U & Kaplan R. (eds), 1987 Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.



English Semitic Oriental Romance Russian

hairstyles, art – the surface layer of culture. Beneath that lies the much more complex cultural dimensions such as attitudes, values and beliefs.12

An integrated approach to ESL instruction that considers language, content areas and learning strategies is particularly effective for academic skills development. The Foresee Approach to Integrated ESL Instruction is a useful resource. Learning strategies pertain to planning, monitoring and evaluating one’s own learning, meta-cognitive awareness, that is highly beneficial to people outside the system. See Appendix 6 for further information and a sample lesson plan.

Numerous articles identify differences in writing across cultures. For instance, there is little emphasis on “organisation” in Chile, while “style and tone” take precedence in the Netherlands but in Sweden and New Zealand, there is a high emphasis on process. Soter writes that the Vietnamese are less goal-oriented, less focussed on plot and have a greater emphasis on relationships between characters. In Arabic, there is more information about the scene.13 One wonders where Canadians fit in this scheme.

Other related examples pertain to the establishment of credibility in writing which, in a Western academic setting, is established through objectivity and the use of a detached, analytical style that includes credible references. On the contrary, research shows that with Confucian, Taoist and Buddhist philosophies, the Chinese writer is presumed the champion of the truth that s/he announces to the reader. Therefore, the writer doesn’t need to establish credibility – by virtue of writing at all, the author has authority, credibility and knowledge.

In Korean writing, there is a tendency to avoid overt persuasion. The use of historical allusions, references to common wisdom, direct personal appeals and advice take the place of objectivity. In Japanese writing, there is a striving for higher perceptions of the truth derived not from words but from ‘mind to mind’ – ambiguity and vagueness have considerable rhetorical value. With Indonesian writing, notions of harmony and understanding between the reader and writer flow through the text. Not surprisingly, students have a different reality when writing in English where the author’s credibility represents the key to objective writing. 14 Plenty of research documents the difficulty for ESL learners to achieve a level of writing similar to that of a Native English Speaker (NES).

“Atkinson contends that how an author approaches and develops a topic, follows written discourse paradigms and employs syntactic and referential markers as well as the conventions of the academic discourse community have achieved a level of ‘normativity’ that can be hard for ‘outsiders’ to learn.”15

12 A useful guide to self-study for one’s own cultural competency is Human Diversity in Action: Developing Multicultural Competencies for the Classroom, Kenneth Cushner, McGraw-Hill College, 1999.13 Anna Soter “Writing as an Activity Embedded in Culture”, in Writing Across Languages: Analysis of L2 Text, Connor, U & Kaplan R. (eds), 1987 Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.14 Eli Hinkel, “Objectivity and Credibility in L1 and L2 Academic Writing” in Writing Across Languages: Analysis of L2 Text, U. Connor & E. Hinkel, (eds.) Addison-Wesly, 1987.15 Atkinson, p 62, Discourse Analysis and Writers of Discourse Conventions, Annual Review of Applied Linguistics, II, 57-76.



Often overlooked, is the effect these cultural differences have on the teaching style. Derk Bodde has noted that the different participation structures in Chinese students in Hong Kong with regard to communication, teaching and learning affect the teaching style used:

“Western teachers unaccustomed to a class full of Asian students frequently feel their words are going to waste as they don’t get the feedback they are used to in comments/questions/facial expressions. Teachers lower expectations, use simpler language, ask ‘yes/no’ questions”16

Alternately, researchers such as Mary McGroaty, ask if learners from more traditional educational systems may expect teachers to behave in a more formal and authoritarian fashion during classes and may be displeased, puzzled or offended if a teacher uses an informal instructional styles. Gender-related issues may require some explanation too. For instance, have the students experienced mixed classrooms? Is a teacher in their country generally someone much older and usually male? The advent of the “edu-tainer” in Canadian classrooms adds another dimension to the already complex roles of student and teacher.17

iv. BICS/CALPS: How Much Time is Enough? The literature shows that often public education does not provide enough or the right kind of ESL instruction which leaves many ESL learners as adults without adequate L1 or L2 abilities for cognitive abstract thought, what Roessingh terms “bilingual impoverishment”. Although Stephen Krashen did his study in California, he concluded that one year of instruction was hopelessly inadequate, regardless of the approach. In addition, he found that of those entering the system at kindergarten, only 44% acquired enough English to enter the mainstream after one year. Figures for those entering the education system at a later age are lower. Krashen’s study found that children are, ideally, receiving one to two years of structured English immersion followed by two years of bridge programming. Some children may need an extra year of structured English immersion and/or bridge, bringing the maximum to five years. 18

Jim Cummins introduced the distinction between basic interpersonal communicative skills (BICS) and cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP) in 1979. This distinction is commonly used to distinguish the type of language proficiency required for certain tasks. Researchers in Sweden initially brought attention to the fact that Finnish immigrant children in Sweden often appeared to educators to be fluent in both Finnish and Swedish but still showed levels of verbal academic performance in both languages considerably below grade/age expectations. Cummins found in 1981 that despite teacher observation that peer-appropriate conversational fluency in English developed rapidly, a period of five to seven years was required, on average, for immigrant students to approach grade norms in academic aspects of English.

16 Derk Bodde, 1991, p 356, Chinese thought, Society and Science: The Intellectual and Social Background of Science and Technology in Pre-Modern China, Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press17 Mary McGroaty “Language Attitudes, motivation, and standards” in Sociolinguistics & Language Teaching, ed. Sandra Lee McKay, Nancy H. Hornberger. Cambridge University Press, 1996.18 Are Children Ready for the Mainstream After One Year of Structured English Immersion? Stephen Krashen, TESOL Matters, 11.4



It is quite common for learners themselves as well as educators to listen to students successfully negotiate communication that is supported by contextual or interpersonal cues such as gestures, facial expressions and intonation but be at a loss with communication that is independent of the immediate communicative context, for instance in discussing ideas, abstractions. Cummins’s framework, below, shows the types of tasks that fall into each grouping.19

19 Adapted from Cummins’s website: www.iteachilearn.com/cummins/bicscalps.html



Table 2 BASIC INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATIVE SKILLS (BICS) AND

COGNITIVE ACADEMIC LANGUAGE PROFICIENCY (CALP) NON-ACADEMIC OR COGNITIVELY

UNDEMANDING ACTIVITIESACADEMIC AND COGNITIVELY

DEMANDING ACTIVITIES

CON

TEXT

-EM

BED

DED

I

1. Developing survival vocabulary

2. Following demonstrated Directions

3. Playing simple games4. Participating in art, music,

physical education and some vocational education classes

5. Engaging in face-to-face interactions

6. Practising oral language exercises and communicative language functions

7. Answering lower level questions

III

1. Developing academic vocabulary

2. Understanding academic presentations accompanied by visuals, demonstrations of a process, etc

3. Participating in hands-on science activities

4. Making models, maps, charts and graphs in social studies

5. Solving math computation problems

6. Solving math word problems assisted by manipulatives and/or illustrations

7. Participating in academic discussions

8. Making brief oral presentations9. Using higher level

comprehension skills in listening to oral texts

10.Understanding written texts through discussion, illustrations and visuals

11.Writing simple science and social studies reports with format provided

12.Answering higher level questions



CON

TEXT

-RED

UCE

DII

1. Engaging in predictable telephone conversations

2. Developing initial reading skills: decoding and literal comprehension

3. Reading and writing for personal purposes: notes, lists, recipes, etc

4. Reading and writing for operational purposes: directions, forms, licenses, etc

5. Writing answers to lower level questions

IV

1. Understanding academic presentations without visuals or demonstrations

2. Making formal oral presentations

3. Using higher level reading comprehension skills: inferential and critical reading

4. Reading for information in content subjects

5. Writing compositions, essays and research reports in content subjects

6. Solving math problems without illustrations

7. Writing answers to higher level questions

8. Taking standardised achievement tests



The literature review revealed that there is some information about teaching ESL learners about the expectations for the class and broader societal interactions. Joanne Pettis outlines some of these:

The social conventions we employ to reflect or carry out components may differ from language to language, culture to culture – these include ways of opening/closing a conversation, turn-taking signals, ways of repairing messages, ways of bracketing information (asides), and ways of showing we are interested in or following a conversation (back channeling), ways of dealing with non-participant interference, ways of moving from being a non-participant to being a participant and ways of pre-empting or interrupting an exchange and what constitutes fair share of talk time20.

v. TOEFL & The Canadian Language Benchmarks Assessment Research indicating the level of language proficiency needed for success in college and university shows that “proficiency” includes related cultural knowledge about how students are expected to behave and the skills that professors don’t teach, but assume their students possess. If ESL learners intend to go on to post secondary study, Epp & Stawychny show that CLBA scores of “8” are strongly recommended. These benchmarks tend to result in TOEFL scores of about 550-58021 .

Table 3 TOEFL Scores and Corresponding Benchmark LevelsTOEFL Section Successful TOEFL

ScoreCorresponding

Benchmark LevelsSection 1: Listening

Comprehension55-58 8/9

Section 2: Structure & Written Expression

55-58 8/9

Section 3: Reading Comprehension

55-58 8/9

Test of Written English (Essay)

4-4.5 6/7

5-5.5 8/9

6 10+

Overall TOEFL Score 550-580 8/9

20 The Language-Culture Connection Workshop, Joanne Pettis21 Epp & Stawychny, Benchmarking the TOEFL, Language Training Centre, Red River College, May 1999, p 9.



vi. The Foresee Approach The Foresee Approach22 derived from the Cognitive Academic Language Learning Approach (CALLA) is seen as an extension of CALLA through ideas and innovations for teaching language and learning strategies through content material. The 3 components, Content, Language and Learning Strategies interrelate through the language and learning strategies components providing support for the content component. Each of these three components contains 3 subcomponents.

The Content Component includes what students know about the subject matter such as facts and relations between them. It also includes “skills” or what students can do with that knowledge including specific skills (calculating, performing scientific experiments) as well as academic skills (problem solving). Within the context of the Content Component is also the goal of working on academic skills and their importance.

The Language Component includes Linguistic Knowledge which includes grammar and discourse features, as well as Functions which includes academic tasks such as defining , expressing cause and effect, explaining, describing, evaluating and, thirdly, developing good academic language skills - listening, speaking, reading and writing.

The Learning Strategies Component includes three categories of strategies that have been identified (Chamot & O’Malley, 1986, 1987) as being particularly useful for learning language and content in academic contexts. Meta-cognitive strategies relate to the planning, monitoring or evaluating of one’s own learning – the process and one’s awareness of it. Cognitive strategies can be applied directly to the tasks of understanding and learning such as using mnemonic devices, mental images to help memorization or note taking. Social-Affective strategies refer to using the support or assistance of other people or establishing an emotional or attitudinal state of mind conducive to success.

The authors recommend using the five-stage instructional format for lesson organization (Chamot & O’Malley, 1986, 1989) named as preparation, presentation, practice, evaluation and follow-up23. The Foresee approach uses the preparation phase to use visual supports to trigger recall of prior knowledge and experiences related to the topic, to build conceptual knowledge and to introduce new vocabulary. In the follow-up phase, Foresee focuses on language development activities, especially writing.

For lesson techniques, the Foresee method strives to be systematic, straightforward, flexible and adaptable to a wide variety of content-area topics. The specific lesson techniques include the Text Questioning Technique, the Presentations Technique, the Dictated Instructions Technique, and the T-List Technique. See this article for a complete listing of techniques and explanation of learning strategies.

Loretta Kasper in The Imagery of Rhetoric: Film and Academic Writing in the Discipline-Based ESL Course writes about the connection between discipline-based visual (film) and verbal media, as a means of giving ESL students the tools they need to construct meaning and leading them to increased levels of English language literacy, particularly acquiring academic skills. According to research, film imagery helps ESL students deal 22 The Foresee Approach to Integrated ESL Instruction, Richard Kidd & Brenda Marquardson TESL Canada Journal, Vol 15, No 1, 199723 This is the format used in the development of the lesson plans in Learning How to Learn in Canada.



with sophisticated discipline-based texts and gives a visual model for various rhetorical modes of written discourse such as comparison and contrast, cause and effect. Kasper describes three separate reading/writing lessons to show how she is using film to teach academic writing skills. Teaching English in the Two Year College, September 2000, p 52- 59, http://www.ncte.org/tetyc/

In Unspoken Content: Silent Film in the ESL Classroom, Kasper and Robert Singer discuss the use of silent film as a resource for ESL students. They cite a number of psychology, psycholinguistic and developmental education research that supports the use of visual imagery in the development and use of language. This article describes how to use on short silent film to build language and content knowledge in ESL courses and provides an appendix with a list of titles and corresponding content areas. Teaching English in the Two Year College, September 2001, p 17-31, http://www.ncte.org/tetyc/

Averil Coxhead from Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand has developed and evaluated a new Academic Word List (AWL)24 (see Appendix 5) compiled from a body of 3.5 million running words of written academic text by examining the range and frequency of words outside the first 2,000 most frequently occurring words of English as described by West (1953). Coxhead found the AWL contains 570 word families that account for approximately 10.0% of the total words in academic texts but only 1.4% of the total words in a fiction collection of the same size. By highlighting the words that university students meet in a wide range of academic texts, the AWL shows learners with academic goals as well as their instructors which words are most worth studying.

Brian Paltridge discusses categorization by text type rather than just genre in order to facilitate the learners’ broader understanding of what a text is attempting to accomplish25. For instance, a recipe and a health brochure are both procedural, while an advertisement and police report are both descriptions with a news item and a biology textbook could be both recounts. While David Lee, prefers to label these constructs as discourse/rhetorical structure types26, this concept is a particularly useful means of studying the use of the English language by asking the students to analyze numerous texts for similarities and differences in terms of text types as well as genre. Given the metacognitive emphasis on the English language provincial examination in Manitoba, this approach could be most useful in having students identifying the appropriate text type for a particular question.

Gabriele Kasper addresses the issue of pragmatics27, “interpersonal rhetoric – the way speakers and writers accomplish goals as social actors who do not just need to get things done but attend to their interpersonal relationships with other participants at the same time.” Kasper discusses how some pragmatic knowledge is universal while other aspects of it may be transferred from the learners’ first language. She suggests that learners know the universals such as conversations following particular organizational principles – taking turns at talking for instance – and that intent can be indirectly conveyed. Learners also know that communicative action varies according to context, specifically along lines of social power, social and psychological distance and the degree of imposition involved in a communicative act. Often learners have knowledge of pragmatics in areas such as requests and apologies. The form-function distance between L1 and L2 also helps

24 TESOL Quarterly, Vol.34, No. 2, Summer 2000, p 213 – 238.25 Genre, text type, and the language learning classroom,. ELT Journal, 50(3), 237-24326 Language Learning and Technology, Vol. 5, No. 3, September 2001, pp. 37-72,27 Can Pragmatic Competence be Taught?, Second Language Teaching & Curriculum Centre, 1997



http://www.ncte.org/tetyc/

http://www.ncte.org/tetyc/

learners transfer pragmalinguistic knowledge. For instance, English modal past such as could or would have formal, functional equivalents in other Germanic languages such as Danish and German. Kasper concludes that pragmatic competence can indeed be developed through language instruction, awareness-raising activities and practice.

Gregory Shafer discusses whether writing should be taught as a process or a product28. While not specific to ESL learners, the situation faced by the English department at Mott College, Flint Michigan found that there was an:

…alienation and sense of disaffection felt by the people [of two communities: white working-class and African American working class] when they entered school and found a disparity in how their literacies – their ways with words – were not congruent with the school’s. The gulf between their culture and the values of the school was so dramatic that many of the pupils from [the two communities] became disillusioned, either dropping out or simply biding their time until graduation.

The school opted for a more process-oriented and student-centred syllabus and used the portfolio approach as a method of fostering “an experiential approach to writing” as portfolios extend and emphasize the learning. Shafer and his colleagues opted to nod to Paulo Freire in considering the connection between writing and social justice and the political nature of education.

Given the increased role that Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) is meant to play in Manitoba, particularly in terms of foreign credential recognition, instructors of ESL learners should very seriously consider including portfolios in their lessons. We should also keep in mind the findings of the Metro Labour Education Centre’s Portfolio Development Course in Toronto which found that:

Second-language speakers need to be grouped homogeneously29 in accordance with the level of their English language skills to ensure they all progress at a relatively even pace. It suggested they also needed to be grouped according to training and educational objectives…It was clear that it takes longer for second-language speakers to develop their portfolios; counseling is critical for participants; and portfolio development increases the workload of faculty members.

vii. Workplace Literacy

Please consult the In-Sites Annotated Bibliography, www.nald.ca/insites/annotated.htm, for a consideration of workplace literacy as social practice. Seeing literacy as a social practice differs from seeing it as a skills-related definition of decoding and encoding words. Literacy in this way is thought of as more complex, where “people and social and cultural meanings are at the centre of literate activity.”

28 The Process of Change in a Community College Writing Program, Teaching English in the Two Year College, September 2001, p 7 – 1529 This is a challenge to any Adult Learning Centre as the clients invariably fall in a wide range of English language levels, previous educational attainment, goals, learning styles and life situations (See Distance from the Mainstream, Figure 2). While ideally clients would be grouped homogeneously as there is a limit to the range any teacher can handle effectively in the class, budgetary and logistical constraints dictate that mainstreaming must occur.



http://www.nald.ca/insites/annotated.htm

http://www.plarinmanitoba.ca/plar_main_e.html

In considering workplace literacy as a social practice, greater attention is paid of issues such as power relationships, cultural attitudes, beliefs and values, local and wider institutional settings. In the skills view of literacy, literacy is a reflection of one’s cognitive read/writing abilities and/or motivation. Assessment is based on an assumed correspondence between individual proficiency and appropriate response to texts. The social practise view of literacy contrasts to the skills view in its much broader scope of inquiry for misunderstanding people’s differences in literacy use. This field and the results of this research project, strongly indicate the need for greater consideration of these issues with regard to the success of immigrant workers. Please consult the National Adult Literacy Database (NALD) website for more detail.



http://www.nald.ca/

http://www.nald.ca/

B. ESL IN WINNIPEG

Increasing numbers of people without the language and cultural readiness to succeed at high school in Canada are appearing at MALC. These people are in a hurry and want to proceed with successful integration in Canada as quickly as possible. See Section C. Profile of McLeod Clients for an overview. This synopsis of ESL opportunities in Winnipeg helps to show why people may show up at Adult Learning Centres for ESL instruction.

ESL services in Winnipeg are grouped broadly under 3 categories:

1. Kindergarten – Grade 122. Adult Language Training

a. School, College and University Adult ESL Programsb. Community Based Language Training (CBLT)c. Regional Programs

3. Workplace Language Training4. Fee-Payer Programs

1. Kindergarten – Grade 12

The ESL support received at this level is for landed residents and Canadian citizens. This influences the MALC Research project in that dropouts and graduates from the regular stream appear as clients at Adult Learning Centres. Learners may have received goodwill grades or have pushed for the piece of paper rather than the skill and when facing further educational requirements, may be caught, unable to proceed except by getting their Grade 12 again.

2. Adult Language Training

The ALT Branch coordinates and/or supports delivery of Adult ESL instruction of three types: school, college and university-based programs; community-based and regional programs; and workplace-based programs. All newcomers to Manitoba who want to take English classes must have a Canadian Language Benchmarks Assessment.

Language training for settlement purposes is provided to Canadian citizens, permanent residents, refugee claimants (acceptance by Immigrant Refugee Board required) and those on Minister’s permits. This ESL support is not for credit in the Manitoba High School system.

a. School, College and University Adult ESL Programs

The ALT Branch provides funding and program support to Manitoba schools and colleges. Major deliverers include:

The Winnipeg School Division (42 part-time and full-time classes for approximately 900 students); funded programs are available at numerous locations throughout Winnipeg. The programs through Winnipeg School Division #1 provides the equivalent of full-time daytime ESL education (4 hours/day) as well as classes 4 evenings per week. Learners must be available to attend 5 days per week during the day or can attend part-time in the evenings. Victor Mager School provides similar services in the St. Vital area.



http://www.gov.mb.ca/labour/immigrate/english

http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/ks4/index.html

Red River College Language Training Centre (15 classes for approximately 400 students); Red River College Language Training Centre offers full-time classes focusing on English required for employment or further academic study purposes.

Applied Linguistics Centre also provides full-time classes during the day.

b. Community Based Language Training (CBLT)

CBLT programs are offered in community settings for learners who have barriers to participating in larger institutional programs. Programs often include child-care and/or travel support. These programs are offered at various locations throughout Winnipeg and focus on ESL for Seniors, Community ESL Classes for Women and Women in Transition.

English for Seniors – Age and Opportunity Inc. facilitates English language training for approximately 350 adult immigrant seniors in 2002/03. Programs provide isolated immigrant seniors the language training they require for settlement purposes, including daily interaction with Canadian society and communication with younger family members.

Community ESL for Women – community organisations facilitate English language training for women who need supports such as child minding and transportation to enable them to attend classes. Approximately 225 immigrant women will participate in 2002/03.

Women in Transition – An additional 35 learners will participate in transition programs designed for immigrant women preparing to enter the labour force for the first time in Canada.

c. Regional Programs

Coordination, funding, and program and teacher support are provided to programs in regions outside of Winnipeg. Regional language and literacy committees determine the need for training in their respective geographic areas with assistance from ALT Branch staff. Language instruction has an orientation, settlement and integration focus, with increasing emphasis upon employment preparation based upon occupational goals as language improves. Regions include: Pembina Valley (Winkler, Morden, Altona and area); Westman (Brandon, Portage la Prairie, Boissevain, Dauphin and area); Southeast Area (Steinbach, Kleefeld, Niverville and area); Interlake (Arborg, Okno, Gimli and area); Thompson

3. Workplace Language TrainingLanguage and Communication for the Workplace

Numerous workplaces offer ESL and/or essential skills training programs on-site or through union training centres. Workplace Language Training with the Adult Language Training Branch is often involved in starting workplace programs although sometimes



companies opt to offer the courses on their own or with the support of the union or employee association.

This type of language training is generally focused almost exclusively on the workplace and averages about 80-100 hours of language training per year.

In addition, ALT Branch provides specialised courses, English for Employment, for intermediate to advanced ESL learners for workplace-specific writing, pronunciation and listening as well as sector-specific English language classes for immigrants seeking employment. There is also some support for people who require licensing or certification as well as cross-cultural communication workshops for employers, supervisors, and /or co-workers.

4. Fee-Payer Programs

There are also a number of private schools and public institutions providing ESL instruction for those able to fund their own education.



C. PROFILE OF MCLEOD ADULT LEARNING CENTRE CLIENTS

During the year of the project (2001/02), McLeod Adult Learning Centre found that many of its clients were coming from a non-English speaking background. The students had often attended ESL school in Canada (85%), some of them had even attended high school in Canada. They ranged in age from their early twenties to their late fifties. The range in education levels was extreme too: many had only 6 years of education in their home countries while a number had studied at and/or graduated from university in their countries. The vast majority (88%) were working full-time.

Table 4: Profile of McLeod ESL learners , Fall 2001

Sex:Female Male

31 24

Area of Origin:Afric

aAsia Philippine

sParagua

yCentral & South America

Eastern Europe

India & Pakista

n

Iran

8 3 2 14 6 6 3 1

Class30:Evenings Days Wednesday

EveningPrep

13 20 9 1

Employed:

Yes No35 5

Age (years):<25 26-30 31-35 36-40 41-45 46-50 50+13 7 6 2 5 1 1

Years of Education:5 and less 6-9 10-12 13-15

3 5 9 5

Comments from Survey:56. If you could make your learning experience easier, what would you change?

stop work; have babysitter stop work, not have to worry about money.

30 Evening classes meet twice per week; day classes are three times per week; Wednesday Evening Class was a group of women who did not feel ready to take regular courses at MALC but met with the Student Facilitator each week to work on their English; Prep involved a student doing home study to prepare for high school level courses.



quit my job, bring my 3 kids to a babysitter, go to school during the day like other students do, for the whole day.

I think there is no change to make it easier - just work harder but maybe a bit slower in class, not so fast.

more time for studying I sometimes don't have the energy, nor the time for lots of homework, that's

why I am glad we don't have too much homework. Come on time to class Just keep on doing what I'm doing. Really enjoy my work, get lots of meaning

from it. My mom looks after my son - she works evening shift. She tries to help. Use more time for homework; maybe not work but I have to live too. I think it was my fault [that I had trouble with school] - homework piled on me.

I was working two jobs, taking school and I have a family.

i. High School & Language IssuesMALC staff found that a number of the ESL learners coming to McLeod needed ESL instruction: they were simply not ready for the high school curriculum because of language issues. As is often the case with adult learners, they are in a hurry. They want to get the piece of paper and get on to the next thing whether that’s college, university or a better job. This push to get in, through and out was familiar to a number of the members of the Steering Committee who agreed that it is difficult to convince adults to take an extra 6-12 months of ESL instruction before approaching the high school diploma. This issue is complicated by the availability (space, geographic and/or financial) of ESL programs. Many learners feel that their math or science skills will carry them through but with shifts in the sciences, more and more of the curriculum in the science and math area is text-based with problem-solving which requires a solid foundation in English.

ii. Skill versus “piece of paper”Another issue is the learner who pushes for “the piece of paper” without fully understanding what is required to be able to trade on that piece of paper in terms of success in post-secondary education or job advancement. MALC staff found themselves having to remind learners that they have to learn the skill not just get through a test or exam. Unfortunately, learners who have graduated or been given credit without the skill soon find themselves barred when they are in a situation where they must use the skill. Sometimes this happens at the workplace but most often it happens when they are applying for or in the next stage of their education career.



iii. Figure 2: Schema of ESL Process at McLeod Adult Learning Centre



DIRECT ENTRY

MCLEOD ADULT LEARNING CENTRE

HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT PROGRAM

PRE-ENTRY INTERVIEW

OTHER BASIC LANGUAGE TRAINING PROGRAMSCOMMUNITY-BASEDWORKPLACE

RIVER-EAST TRANSCONA CONTINUING EDUCATION

BASIC LANGUAGE TRAINING[OFFERED AT MCLEOD SCHOOL]

ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT’S BASIC LANGUAGE SKILLS

BENCHMARK RESULTS OF AT LEAST 3-4 STRONGLY RECOMMENDED FOR ENTRY TO ACADEMIC PROGRAM

Learning to Learn in Canada 41G

GRADE 12 CREDIT COURSECOMPANION COURSE TO ELA 30SContentPERSONALIZED SKILL GAP ASSESSMENTLANGUAGE SKILLSCULTURAL SKILLSPROBLEM-SOLVING SKILLS RELATED TO ACADEMIC LANGUAGE & LEARNINGISSUES RAISED IN ELA 30

English Language Arts 30TRANSACTIONAL FORMS

GRADE 11 CREDIT COURSE“E” OR “S” DESIGNATION (DEPENDS ON SKILLS AT EXIT OF PROGRAM)ContentLITERATUREBUSINESS WRITINGBUSINESS & ACADEMIC ORAL SKILLSADAPTED FOR ADULT NEEDS

Entry Canadian Language Benchmarks Assessments of at Least 5 - 6

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS 40STRANSACTIONAL FORMS OR

TECHNICAL FORMS

OTHER HIGH SCHOOL COURSES

4. Main Findings & Analysis

A. INTRODUCTION

The findings of this research are loosely grouped in two categories: those that pertain more directly to the learners and those that are situated in and, a commentary on, the education and workplace systems in Canada. The feedback from the learners in terms of their expectations, reasons for coming to MALC, etc provide good programming information for administrators. But the findings from this research are much richer when considered in the larger context of “how we do things around here.”

B. FINDINGS RE: LEARNERS

1. Learners expected to learn English as a Second Language (ESL) at English 30S/40S classes. They expected to learn English grammar, vocabulary, spelling, writing skills and to increase their knowledge of the basic structures of English.

2. Communication is the most difficult aspect of their return to school.

3. Writing is cited as the most difficult aspect of language.

4. Time and resources for upgrading is very limited: Learners are:

working (87.5%); generally employed at lower-paying jobs; raising families; at least partially responsible financially for families in country of origin; and, trying to sponsor family members to Winnipeg.

5. Learners returned to school to:

improve their English (67%) get high school credit (67%) get a better job (31%) get into university (31%) learn to write (28%).

6. Learners came to MALC because:

it was close to home (56%) the times of the classes are convenient (33%) the people in the office are helpful and friendly (31%) a friend had been before and said McLeod was good (25%).

7. There was a discrepancy between what learners perceive as their levels/performance and what was observed by the researcher.

65% indicate they understand what they’re supposed to do in class 81% indicate they understand they teacher’s instructions 68% say they never or almost never feel confused in class



83% say they feel comfortable in class 65% say they can easily tell someone what they are studying in class 50% say they can tell someone why they are studying each topic in class

Classroom observations and confidential interviews with the learners revealed that many learners were uncertain of classroom expectations. In spite of their answers on the survey form, in the interview most could not explain how what they were studying might be applicable to further study or to their workplace or to life in general.

8. There was a discrepancy in what the clients indicate in Social Questions and what they told the interviewer in the confidential meeting. Most clients responded that they took their own notes in class when, in fact, the researcher observed that this was an area of difficulty for most clients. Setting goals was problematic and many learners indicated in-person that they were not particularly pleased about their lives and were very worried about family members but were not comfortable writing that on the survey questionnaire.

9. There is a gap between learning the communication “form” and understanding what should be included in the content with regard to workplace. Often, a client will have a resumé in the correct format with inappropriate information. Or a client will have a resumé that interests an employer but then doesn’t understand how to link past experience to potential workplace.



C. SYSTEMS

“How we do things here…”:the cultural barriers in the system and the process

How do we do things here?

Why does it rub the wrong way when it’s done differently?

How do we learn these behaviours, tones of voice, movements, styles of negotiating?

And, how do we teach them to people outside the system?

The cultural barriers can range from the tiniest infractions to outright collisions with our culture. And Canadians keep suggesting that we are more neutral than others, that we don’t really have an identifiable culture. It is time to start identifying the values of Canadian culture because the people that come here from outside certainly notice that they are different from their own!

To consider our systems, we need to understand the interrelationships and influences one part has on another. For instance, strategies used to learn skills at work may very well be good (or poor) strategies for learning in the classroom. Too often, we want a straightforward cause-and-effect relationship which simply ignores many of the factors that affect outcomes. Systems thinking involves the larger pictures and the connections amongst many parts. As you are reading the following pages, I hope you find it very difficult to separate the “classroom” issues from the “workplace” issues or the “academic” issues from the “community involvement” issues. This in itself should illustrate the importance of each stakeholder picking up a piece of this puzzle and working together. For instance, someone may have trouble communicating at work. Is this a language issue? Or a cultural issue? Regardless, it is an issue that affects someone’s integration – so let’s just deal with it!

The MALC research identified many cultural issues – far too many for the scope of this report. Cultural issues are, like everything, a two-way street. Depending on one’s background, it may be easier or more difficult to negotiate Canadian culture, stopping in the right place, knowing when to speed up, slow down or take an alternate route. We hope that this research and the resulting resource, Learning How to Learn in Canada, will help all of us better navigate.

The “Distance from the Mainstream,” Figure 3, shows how origin, experience and age, among other variables, influence one’s adaptability and integration. These factors make it exceedingly difficult to predict how people will fare in our systems. What we can do though, is acknowledge the existence of Canadian systems, including what makes them work, why they are set up the way they are, and try to be open with our students about “how we do things around here.” Adult students, in particular, need to be masters of their own ships. As educators, coworkers and decision-makers, we must do our best to show people how things are done here and how to transfer their understanding to new situations by learning metacognitive strategies.



There are 3 main systems for consideration for the success of the adult ESL learners at MALC:

a. Communication Systemb. Classroom/Education Systemc. Work System

It should be noted as well, that while this project focuses on immigrants’ integration and success in the Canadian academic and workplace systems, anyone outside the Canadian system will struggle with these issues to some extent.



Figure 3: Distance from the Mainstream31: variables that can affect language acquisition and integration

31 Designed by Angela Chotka. The placement of the ovals shows how the distance from the mainstream may vary given different circumstances in education, age, sex, etc.

M

Germanic language, parent Canadian Citizen, attended school here for 3 years as

a child, strong community.

Attended school sporadically, outside, few resources, in Canada only a few years, from rural village and has oral tradition.

Young female, from culture where education is not particularly valued; strong sense of women’s duties and of requiring permission from male head of family.

Young, technology-savvy, male, language very different than English; educated in home country in system similar to Western system

Eastern European heritage, post-secondary education in home country, older.

MAINSTREAMYoung, educated in home country with strong

family/school support; cultural exposure to North America, education system similar, Latin-based language.

Former British colony, parents educated, attended school regularly for 10 years.

i. Communication System

How do I ask for a favour?

When does “no” mean no?

How do I tell someone to back off?

How do I convey that I need help and not lose face?

What do you mean it has to be in writing?

This email is so rude! There’s no salutation, no greeting and no closing.

There are many implicit rules around communication – but we struggle to articulate them. The average person, born and raised in Canada, needs much intervention to handle day-to-day situations let alone difficult negotiations. How do we teach someone from outside how to do this?

Added to these challenges, a second-language learner is someone who does not understand the system, speaks the language as a second or third language and, often, faces discrimination. The nuances, body language, intonation that are used to communicate are often lost or misunderstood by people from different backgrounds.

The curriculum resource, How We Do Things Here, attempts to make these conventions, processes and systems explicit. We include real situations that people face in life in order to illustrate and expose parts of “the way things are done around here.”

ii. Classroom/Education System

Why do I have to work in a group?

Tell us what we need to know and let us write the test!

What is “a great love story?”

Why isn’t tragedy the war in Sudan/former Yugoslavia/what happened in Rwanda?

What kind of school is this? The teacher doesn’t know everything?

Why are these people allowed to come in late?

How on earth can I analyze this text?! I am not a learned man.

a. In the Classroom

“I don't know the system - it is different to participate freely - ask questions, participate, and so on.”

“The teachers explain more in Africa, here they just give us papers to read, in Africa we write more on the board. Language problems are still the hardest part. Writing about myself is difficult - I don't like this kind of writing. I wrote compositions , some in Sudan, but here essays were more difficult. In Sudan, we write what teacher put on blackboard and learn what was written on board. Homework was first time for me. In Sudan, 1+1, then exam is based on that. Here, 1+1, they will mix it with 1/1 and 1-1 etc to make it confusing for us. We memorize in Africa, it will stay in your mind, you remember it forever.”

Expectations of the students in the classroom are, not surprisingly, culturally-embedded. In the Canadian classroom we value:

Team work Extroversion – vocal participation Facilitation skills Independence Initiative

See Table 5, Canadian Classroom Expectations for a more complete listing of classroom expectations in the Canadian system.

Some of the behavioural expectations will be harder for immigrants to accommodate since one does not simply “unlearn” behaviour overnight. But the key seems to be in the identification and discussion of these expectations. Answering the cultural questions

often involves a discussion around why which inevitably involves the teacher asking him or herself that question as well.

b. Suggestions to Teachers:

Framework in which to “hang” informationGive your students a clear, detailed outline of your course. Talk to them about why they are learning what they are learning and how it relates to their progress in this course, the larger education system, workplace and further upgrading. Remind them regularly of why they are studying what they are. Encourage them to see connections and explain what gets valued here.

Use confusion to ask questionsWhen you see someone looking at you with nervousness, panic or a lack of comprehension, address it. Stop for a moment and think about what you are asking. Is there an assumption that you haven’t thought of? Ask a question – Have you done this before? Do you know why I want you to do this? Be prepared to examine your own assumptions.

Encourage interruption and questioning Remind students to ask questions. For some students who are familiar with a much more formal classroom environment, this will likely be very difficult. It is not easy to suddenly “unlearn” cultural behaviours just because the setting has changed. Help students get used to this by noticing signs that suggest they might not be understanding such as looking down at their desk or talking to their neighbour. Use these opportunities to model ways of interrupting politely, disagreeing appropriately and showing agreement. Yes, there are only certain ways that we in Canada consider it acceptable to do this! Now, can you identify the language, structures, tone and body language that accompany that and teach it to someone outside the culture?

Encourage learners to help each otherSome students might think they can only learn from the teacher. Or, they may come from a very competitive environment where they did not help each other. One of the best ways of learning something is by explaining it to someone else – not to mention the practise in communicating and understanding from someone else’s perspective.

c. Canadian Classroom Expectations32

Table 5What assumptions are there

in our expectations?We ask our learners to:

In Fact:

Demonstrate a broad understanding of Canadian life

Will probably lack vocabulary and experience basic to an understanding of Canada and its principally western culture. They will also lack much of the shared knowledge that makes up so much of your communication. (Nursery rhymes and stories; Sunday school in a predominantly Christian society; common literary and TV references, especially Shakespeare.

Locate and integrate several pieces of specific information in extensive and visually complex formatted texts.

Not only will the formats be strange (government forms, workplace documentation), they may also deal with totally unfamiliar issues.

Access information, and also to present ideas and information, using a variety of techniques (multimedia).

May not be familiar with handling the media (Internet, library, recording equipment)that is expected.

Observe gender portrayals in literature, inclusion and exclusion, stereotyping, respectful and disrespectful displays.

The subliminal messages may be impossible for a newcomer to assess because they are in direct opposition to the expectations of the student. (avoiding eye contact to show respect, gender roles)

Address audience appropriately and in correct context.

May not know the Canadian audience. May have had very limited contact with children, teens, elders, women outside of immediate family or ethnic community since arriving in Canada.

Evaluate the subtleties and distinctiveness of ideas and information.

Abstract ideas and subtle distinctions are the last steps of language acquisition.Some topics will be totally foreign to the learner’s experience

Has confidence, sensitivity and flexibility to deal with audience feedback

Confidence will generally be low. May have great difficulty reading the audience reaction—-body language, restlessness, expectation of participation.

Able to scan and skim texts to extract information rapidly and effectively.

May need a lot more time to identify main ideas and locate key words. May not distinguish main idea from details.Separating essential information from a wealth of detail is a Benchmark 11 skill.

Edits for verb use, subject and verb agreement, pronoun reference, parallel structure, spelling, capitalization and punctuation, proper references quotes, etc.Neatness and formatting

While editing for a native speaker implies improving style and checking for errors overlooked, the ESL learner will have many doubts about all of these points and will need much more time and assistance to do the editing.

Students invite and reflect on the responses of others to ensure that their communication is clear and achieves their purposes effectively.An atmosphere that invites risk-taking is essential.

Not likely to feel comfortable with peer feedback unless very well integrated to the class. ‘Others’ are readily available to mainstream students; they can test materials on family members or friends from different walks of life. The newcomer's family probably does not speak English and contacts outside the family and ethnic community will be limited.

Formulates goals and plans for personal language learning based on self-assessment of achievements and needs.

Relatively recent in our school system. Completely unknown in many other countries where goals and plans are pre-determined and from ‘above.’

32 Observations from reviewing the Foundations for S3 & S4 ELA Curriculum, Lisa Petit & Judith Hayes.

Explain how new knowledge reshapes understanding of texts.Evaluate implications of differing perspectives.

Difficult vocabulary and difficult concepts, new to the student—it will take time and guidance to ensure that the exercise itself is understood.

Constructing Argumentative/Expository EssaysA Filipino high-school graduate, on completion of a ESL Workplace writing course commented that she had always thought that an essay was just a whole page of sentences. In fact, this is how students are taught to write in many countries. We refer to the style as circular, as going around and around the topic, as opposed to the linear arguments we in Canada favour. We tend to prefer to read arguments that a fully developed for us, and we might ignore valuable information if it is not presented in this format.

Introduction to Research SkillsA typical assignment involves formatting skills and integrating sources from the internet. Mainstream students will draw on a much broader range of sources simply because of their familiarity with Canadian publications, libraries and organizations, and, above all, real live people who can orient their research. How information is organized, how to access resources, the ability to discuss the research with family and other students will be much more challenging for someone with an ESL background.

Stylistic AnalysisAsking students to analyze texts, particularly to paraphrase and criticize writing is sometimes disconcerting. They may have done most of their reading in religious texts and it would never occur to them that a text could be manipulated or taken apart to study its mechanisms.

Literary analysis One of the first problems will be the length of the texts. ESL learners rarely have the speed needed to cover more than a few pages of text and it is labour intensive. They need to re-read and seek clarification constantly. It is harder for them to retain ideas in order to relate them to the theme.

d. Classroom Observations

While the teaching style of the two teachers observed differed significantly, in observing the classes, the researcher tried to fit into the classes as the teachers wished. One teacher wanted the researcher to participate in the class through journal entries, discussions, group work and other activities. The other teacher preferred a lecture-style class with the researcher as unobtrusive as possible. The researcher did, however, interrupt on a few occasions to ask the learners what they understood or to help them if they approached her.

Table 6Profile of 30S Classes at McLeod Adult Learning Centre, Fall

2001Class

AClass

B

Number of classes observed 8 6Women in class 6 9Men in class 12 5Average age of class members (years) 27.5 35Average length of time in Canada (years) 4.25 8.85Average years of education in home country 11.86 10Respondents reporting feeling always or almost always comfortable in class

6 13

Respondents reporting not feeling comfortable in class 5 1Respondents reporting not feeling confused in class 6 12Respondents reporting almost always or usually feeling confused in class

5 2

e. Lessons Learned:

For Directors of Learning Centres it is important to select instructors who demonstrate more inclusive types of behaviours and have greater understanding and willingness to discuss cultural assumptions. The Supervisor/Director has to have an understanding of the cultural issues that most often create classroom challenges and spend enough time with the teacher to see what is happening. A Director also requires a level of knowledge and sensitivity to provide meaningful feedback to the teachers. For instance, a Director may expect a student to comment assertively if they are having trouble in a class or with a teacher and it may be more difficult for a Director to take student feedback seriously if it is given somewhat indirectly and/or tentatively.

These findings pertaining to the classroom have implications for the workplace as well. For workplace managers and executive, it is important to realise that to work successfully with people from different backgrounds, co-workers, supervisors and managers need to possess many of the same competencies as the teachers who encourage learning about cultural barriers. In discussion with workplace partners, the researcher discovered that many of the behaviours that perpetuate cultural barriers are exhibited by the supervisors and managers that are least successful working with immigrants and people from different backgrounds.

Table 7 Teacher Behaviours that Affect Cultural BarriersTeacher Behaviours that encourage

learning about cultural barriersTeacher Behaviours that

perpetuate cultural barriers

Teacher greets students on arrival, chats with them.

Little people contact – not looking up, no greeting on arrival, not addressing people by name

Asks for permission from learners to rearrange the room to a less teacher focused arrangement; also more conducive to sharing as all students can see each other.

No formal or informal needs assessment – have they studied English formally? What is their formal education? Have they been in school recently? Why are they here?

Outline of course, discussion about journals, what they are, why we use them and asks if this is common from their backgrounds.

No explanation of purpose of this course – began with the topic of “direct/indirect questions.” Why?

Using Cultural Learning Opportunities:[for the situations on the right, these are suggestions of how to use the opportunities]

Student stands up to introduce other student: This could have been used to discuss classroom culture here and how it may be different from learners’ previous experiences. The teacher could ask other students about their classroom experiences and explain that, while we appear less formal here, there are still rules as to our classroom behaviour.

Student wants to write things he doesn’t like about Canada: use this as a way of probing some of the differences – and likely difficulties – the student may be experiencing. Many students may feel the same way. The teacher needs to be open to comments on Canada, Canadian society and, perhaps, may actually explain a bit about why something is done the way it is and help the students to negotiate it.

Using inappropriate language: Often when students use dictionaries, the terms may be archaic, too formal or inappropriate. In this situation, this could lead to a discussion of how we categorise, political correctness and the importance of paying attention to language.

Cultural Learning Opportunities lost: Acknowledgement of some confusion, frustration could lead to discussion that could be very helpful in learners better navigating the system here. Often, obvious confusion and puzzlement are opportunities to discuss differences or aspects to life that students find perplexing: Student stands up to introduce other student,

teacher says and gestures, “no, no, sit down,” Teacher instructs, “Write things you like

about Canada.” Student asks if he can write things he doesn’t like instead, but this comment/request is ignored by the teacher.

Teacher often ignores quizzical looks from students.

1. Teacher laughs at student’s use of the term Caucasian and says, “no, no, we don’t use that word,” but doesn’t explain why or have a discussion about it. Student returns to his desk, completely confused as his culture categorises people based on skin colour therefore it is perfectly correct to him, although from the teacher’s reaction he knows something is wrong. He checks the word in his dictionary again, points to it and asks the researcher why he can’t use it.

Teacher uses language found in broad, Canadian contexts. Teacher models phrases and structures students are likely to encounter.

Very formal and archaic language and structures, without explanation:

2. “Let’s turn our attention to these two gentlemen.”

3. “You have some relatives here, I assume?”

4. “tardy” “Let’s turn to today’s task”

Tries to address what may be culturally-constructed ideas: asks what qualities make a hero; when

students respond with an answer that does necessarily fit, for example “rebellious,”

Culturally-biased assumptions about knowledge base:

5. Holocaust – used in class without context. After the class, the researcher asked if they knew what it

teacher discusses how sometimes a rebel is considered a hero while in other situations may be considered an outlaw, depending on who is deciding. Then talks about the conventions about “hero” here which are different for many students. They could see how “hero” in the context of literature is not just their own idea of hero.

was: 3 students knew, 15 did not. When the researcher explained it as the extermination of Jewish people in Europe during the 1940s, most knew what it was but not by this name.

Acknowledges life and life pressures and how they may impact on schooling: “If something bad happens, with your kids or

you have a bad day at work, don’t feel badly if you couldn’t come for these reasons. We want you to be successful so please come back.”

“If there are bus schedule problems, please tell me. I don’t want anyone waiting for an hour because they missed a bus by 3 minutes!”

Learners not treated as adults: Teacher calls/gestures students to the front

of the room without looking up to discuss essay while rest of class waits, listens and watches.

Teacher tells the students, “raise your hand, raise your hand” during a discussion rather than teaching the gambits necessary for proper participation and negotiation of group discussions.

Teacher takes what learners say and relate it to the topic being discussed; establishes relationships among concepts to help learners understand where ideas fit.

Belief that there is one right answer. Teacher 1: What is fiction? Student: Something not real. Teacher 1: No. We mean imaginary.

Students seem comfortable with each other and the teacher.

Not paying attention to local context and how learners will use the information: Student describes his area of Khartoum as a

“suburb” in his essay and the teacher tells him it’s the wrong word based on an American, strictly urban planning, definition. The researcher found the student’s use of “suburb” correct. The student is puzzled as this is the use of the word he has learned in Winnipeg and the teacher is not explaining to him why he considers it wrong. The researcher questions the teacher and is told that her understanding of the word “suburb” is exclusively a Winnipeg definition to refer to suburb as an area that is incorporated into one city area – that St. Vital and Lindenwoods are not suburbs. A proper suburb by this definition is Minneapolis-St. Paul.

Asks students to define terms or describe process. Teacher seemed aware of behaviour indicating lack of understanding (looking at the desk, flipping through notes) and would call on people who did understand or use the opportunity to explain term again.

Checking comprehension – rarely happened. People were not asked if they understood. Learners were often treated with what appears to be condescension when they did ask for clarification. Consequently, learners would furtively try to help each other and rarely ask the teacher for clarification of instructions or assignments.

Teacher looks at every student while speaking and called on every student throughout the class. With the less confident students, teacher would ask them questions quietly while moving around the room.

Teacher tended to focus only on certain people in the class. Teacher stayed at front-centre of room.

Talks about/introduces self, participates in activities where students are asked to share personal information (journals, check-in, check-out)

Teacher is not participating in information sharing activities such as journal-writing.

Teacher asks students to describe problem-solving Teacher seems to “withhold” information from

process. Students struggle; teacher describes process – taking pieces of information, put them together and make something logical out of it – “which you all did” – then describes how they will use this same process to look at a piece of factual writing, make some notes, put them in a step-by-step format and create a summary. This process is then related to academic, work and home-life situations.

learners; won’t relate to other objectives of the class or paint clearer picture. When asked about this, teacher explains that teacher feels the learners will confuse issues. Does not seem to want to give learners tools to take responsibility for their learning; consistently keeps them somewhat off balance.

There was less attrition, more interaction with the teacher, more interaction among students and a more comfortable environment in the class where the teacher demonstrated more behaviours that encourage learning about cultural barriers.

iii Work System

But my sister’s husband’s sister is ill! I couldn’t come to work – a family person had to stay with her children.

You work 40, 50, 60 hours per week?

I am expected to do all these many different things at any time?

We did this better in my country – why is everyone angry when I say this?

These Canadian people “look” busy all the time – why don’t they just relax? They get the same amount of work done.

But I’m only 10 minutes late for this meeting.

a. Workplace Issues

Working with our workplace partner, Palliser Furniture, as well as tapping into the experience of the researcher, we considered the workplace dimension of cultural barriers. We found the sources of the cultural barriers to be similar to those found in the school system. Discussions with other workplace professionals confirmed that the issues are very similar in many work situations.

Discussions with HR professionals revealed numerous issues in the workplace that relate back to the cultural issues discovered as issues in the school setting. Cultural issues pertaining to the workplace can be grouped as:

1. understanding and demonstrating how to prioritise tasks, 2. understanding and demonstrating how to organise information, 3. little understanding of how to access resources 4. understanding and applying expected process5. communication styles such as body language, handling conflict

1. Establishing priorities that have meaning in the Canadian workplace, is often confusing to people from other backgrounds. Meta-cognitive strategies, those strategies that help learners become aware of their own learning and how this relates to a larger picture, are as crucial for success in the workplace as they are for success at school.

2. Problems with organising information are seen in resumés and with many tasks in the workplace. An employee at Palliser Furniture had been applying for different positions for some time and could not even get an interview. Finally, a Human Resource professional took a look at his resumé and reworked it. The next time he applied for another job, he was called for an interview. In comparing the original version and the reworked version, I noticed that the original version was organised chronologically, while in Canada, more appropriate is a resumé that responds to the job advertisement/description directly by emphasising those characteristics in the resumé. The original resumé had spelling mistakes (suggests sloppiness), no specific skills were listed nor grouping of skills into categories and the capitalisation, spacing were inconsistent. The writer of the resumé is trying to take the information deemed relevant


from her/his understanding and drop it into the prescribed format: the form is correct but the content is wrong. Of course, misses in this area have grave consequences for immigrants.

3. Accessing Resources is an issue when people do not understand how to take the initiative with their own learning and functioning in the workplace. Workplaces today often provide little job orientation and, for many people, the process of starting a new job feels like “sink or swim.” In these situations, those most successful at integrating into the new workplace rely very heavily on cultural skills that allow us to establish relationships with our co-workers to guide us to resources, skimming and scanning of manuals, information storage systems and the like in order to learn “the system.”

4. Process for our purposes can be defined as protocols around issues such as sick leave and how to follow-up on different situations at work. An example of a process issue could be around what might be termed “manipulation.” The grey zones related to manipulation, i.e., whether an action is just getting something you need or dishonesty, are different for everyone, but somewhat culturally dependent. Some people come from backgrounds where manipulation equals survival so manipulation is not seen as wrong. Yet, transplanted to a new situation with a different set of values, this manipulation may be seen by co-workers or supervisors as outright dishonesty and result in reprimand or even loss of employment.

Another example of process can be exemplified by how one works. The mode of functioning called multi-tasking, which is at least partially culturally informed, is learned. Multi-tasking is seen as a desired skill in Canada for many positions since many things are getting done at once. This desire for efficiency, measured in terms of output, is in strong contrast to other definitions of efficiency which may value quality and craftsmanship more highly, or the building of relationships in the accomplishment of one’s work.

5. An example of communication revolves around body language and the perception by some that certain people “look lazy or unmotivated.” Moving at different speeds, having a “slouchy” posture, a shuffling gait may be interpreted as having less output as well as a poor attitude. Consequences for those perceived as “lazy or unmotivated” include a lack of commendation and lack of promotion. However, production statistics show that those who are perceived as “unmotivated” often perform in the middle range of output.

Informal interviews with immigrants about the workplace suggest that they are often working in lower-end jobs – jobs with lower pay, less status and requiring lower skill levels. The immigrants feel that is the result of a lack of English language competency and/or a lack of recognition of their foreign education and credentials. In the area of credentials recognition, Canada is a particularly poor performer, whether as a result of general ineptitude, a lack of desire to change or racism, is debatable33. Canadian organisations and businesses benefit in the short-term from paying a lower wage to an

33 Immigrant Skill Utilization in the Canadian Labour Market: Implications of Human Capital Research, Jeffrey G. Reitz, 2001; Immigrant Success in the Knowledge Economy: Institutional Change and the Immigrant Experience in Canada, 1970-1995, Jeffrey G. Reitz, 2000; Assessment of Overseas Qualifications and Skills: A Comparative Analysis, Prepared by the National Institute of Labour Studies, Mark Cully, Tom Skladzien, Flinders University of South Australia, 2001; Does a Rising Tide Lift All Boats: The Labour Market Experiences and Incomes of Recent Immigrants, 1995 to 1998, Ekuwa Smith & Andrew Jackson, 2002.

experienced and more highly-skilled worker. Over the longer-term though, Canada loses by not fairly utilising the experience and expertise as well as becoming a less desirable destination for the highly skilled and highly educated immigrant.

Example 1: A cardiologist, published in various medical journals and who has been working in the field for about 15 years works as a research assistant with the National Research Council. His starting salary was in the low $20, 000s; after 4 years work, it was raised to $28, 000.

Example 2: An engineer who worked for multi-nationals in his home country works for a local company. He does the work of an engineer with the title of technician and, after 4 years with this company, recently received a pay increase to $25, 000 per year. He trains Canadians who have a high school education and make more money than he does.

Example 3: An individual with a high school and several recognized computer proficiency certificates plus project management experience from a non-English speaking country (although he took his education in English) is told he must redo Grade 12 English and mathematics and other university entrance credits in Canada to be accepted into university. Through prolonged advocacy on the part of McLeod Adult Learning Centre he was accepted directly into another university’s business computing program. However, what would have happened if he had not encountered someone willing to champion his case?

With the increasing use of PLAR, some immigrants are encouraged that it will be somewhat easier for them to get a job in their field at least in a related position. However, the experience at McLeod indicates that the links between institutions for PLAR are by no means transparent, and major time and energy commitments are necessary by the PLA-hopeful and his/her advocate to achieve successful PLAR outcomes.

These issues are most pervasive amongst visible minority people and, as numerous studies indicate, visible minorities generally take the longest to integrate economically.

b. Detailed Cultural Issues related to the Workplace

The following are examples of some of the kinds of cultural issues in the workplace.

Gender-role related: Questions about a woman’s husband or insinuations about dating or sexual relations can cause severe distress to people from cultures that encourage segregation. Women partnered with men on particular projects or working only with men or men having a female supervisor or manager can negatively affect “teamwork” without a manager understanding what some of the barriers may be.

Lack of understanding of “how things work here” has serious implications for immigrants due to a fear of losing one’s job. This is often exacerbated by a limited understanding of how to access resources and assistance.

Lack of movement in company, especially by visible minorities. Reitz’s research shows that European immigrants have the highest return on coming to Canada while Asians and Blacks continue to have the lowest.34

Misunderstandings of body language and gestures. Perception of scowling as lack of motivation or irritation when it could simply be

someone thinking seriously.34 Literature Review on Immigration: Sociological Perspectives, Peter S. Li, 1996.

http://www.plarinmanitoba.ca/plar_main_e.html

Looking “lazy” and “unmotivated” when one moves slowly or slouches. “stopping and talking to everyone on the way to the washroom” which might

relate primarily to one’s status in their community and the expectations of that community for one of its members.

Process issues – following correct procedures for reporting sick time, asking for time off, clarifying pay issues, dealing with co-workers or problems with supervisors. Understanding that there is a process that is generally clearly articulated (Street Smarts)

Doing the work of a higher level and being paid for lower level; pay inequity costs immigrants heartily35.

A resumé comparison of an immigrant and his resumé rewritten by a Canadian shows interesting results. While the immigrant understands that the information needs to be in the form of a resumé, the content is wrong. This is yet another example of not actually understanding how to “read” the situation and answer accordingly. In addition, the immigrant had been applying for different jobs at Palliser Furniture for some time and could not get an interview. Once his resumé was reworked he was called in for an interview the next time he applied for a new position.

35 Immigrant Skill Utilization in the Canadian Labour Market: Implications of Human Capital Research, Jeffrey G. Reitz, forthcoming in Journal of International Migration and Integration

Table 8Comparison of “Canadian” Resumé and “Immigrant” Resumé

Immigrant Resume “Canadian” resume Perception of Immigrant resume vs. Canadian

Overall Format – inconsistent headings’ font and location, spacing,

Consistency – polished, organized, focused

Disorganized, sloppy

Thrown together without much thought

Incapable of accessing proper resources to improve resume

I don’t want this person doing anything requiring quality

Spelling and grammar mistakes; inconsistent capitalization,

Very few A couple of mistakes – well, ok, English is their second language

Many mistakes – why didn’t they speak to a Native English Speaker to get them to proof their work?

Will this person be able to communicate at work?

List of jobs, starting with first jobs

Skills and Abilities/Competencies

That’s a nice list of job titles and descriptions, but what can this person actually do? What can they do for me?

List of course names Courses listed as Professional Development and related to career

What do these courses have to do with their career? Are they professional courses?

List of volunteer positions Volunteer work listed as Experience or the skills gained in volunteer positions highlighted for reader

What did this person do at these places?

c. Meta-cognition in the Workplace

Scenario 1: I approach my boss and tell him that I am taking Saturday off. My boss appears angry and says “No, you’re not. We’re going to need you on Saturday.” I get mad too at the boss and I don’t speak for a week or so.

Scenario 2: A couple of weeks later, I see a co-worker go up to the boss and ask if he could speak to him about something. The boss looks up and asks what is going on. My co-worker explains to the boss that he needs Saturday off. My co-worker tells the boss that he knows it’s an inconvenient time but he really needs the day off. Our boss looks a little nervous but says, “Yeah, ok. We’ll manage.”

Scenario 3: A few weeks later I have a doctor’s appointment and need to leave work early. I ask my boss if I could speak to him for a minute. I try to remember to explain to him that I need the time off – instead of telling him I need the time off - and ask if we can work something out. I am surprised and happy when my boss kind of smiles at me and says I can leave a couple of hours early for my appointment.

These are some of the applications of meta-cognitive skills: the skills and knowledge that allows us to be aware of our own learning and the process involved in getting us there. In working with ESL learners, the greater the awareness of where they are at and how they are missing the mark, the greater the likelihood of being able to address the problem as learners then will understand where the difference is and hopefully what is behind it.

While for some time, concepts around meta-cognition in teaching have been prevalent, it is still quite common for teachers as well as learners to not really understand meta-cognition. For more information, see Teaching Meta-cognition.

D . OTHER FINDINGS

MALC students were assessed using the Canadian Language Benchmarks Assessment (CLBA) in October 2001 and June 2002. A number of the results were surprising. While research suggests that learners need at least a CLB 6 to attempt 40S ELA, a number of MALC learners entered with less and made surprising gains. Others, however, actually lowered their CLBA scores.

The researcher spoke with some of the learners who made gains of two or more CLBA levels to see what they identified as their keys to success.

Tips for Teachers and Students:

i. Class attendance

“I had a good teacher; she didn’t get angry when I asked many, many questions.”The learner felt that by being in every class she had the opportunity to ask questions. She implied that by not attending classes, a student forfeits their right to ask for the teacher’s assistance.

“Michael, [student facilitator], he worked with me, always he had time.”Again, this learner felt that by attending regularly at MALC, a student could access help and extra resources.

“If I wasn’t there one class, I didn’t know what was going on next class. I was totally lost.”This learner felt that the continuity gained by attending classes regularly was very important to his success. He maintained that missing a class resulted in being confused for the entire next class, falling behind and even trying to get help from the teacher and classmates later was not effective.

ii. Consistent Work

“For me, I had only half an hour per day because I was working. But I changed to English dictionary and that helps way more than English-German. I learned many new words.”This learner understood how to manage his own learning. He understood that forcing himself to increase his English vocabulary and “thinking” in English would pay off.

“I didn’t do too much homework but I did some every day.”This learner felt that 15 minutes on his homework each day helped him much more than a 4 hour session one day per week.

“I practised every day. Think, think, think until I figure it out. Sometimes I make 3 or 4 rough copies.”

iii. Social-Affective Factors

“Here, I don’t have any stress. I have freedom here in Canada and my mind is working. Before I was nervous and I was worried, now my mind is free. I know if I work hard I have a good future in Canada. I have a safe life here.”



Table 9 CLBA Results, McLeod Adult Learning Centre, 2001-2002Bold = Increase 1 CLB Level; Bold italic = lower score;

Bold Underscore = Increase of 2+ CLB LevelsClass Sex Age Origin Previous

Education (Years)

Initial CLBA

LS/R/W

Final CLBALS/R/W

Evening F 45-49 Asia 5 7/3/6 7/6/5Day M 25-29 Africa N/A 5/7/3 5/7/4Day M N/A Not Available N/A 8/7/6 8/7/8Day M 30-35 South

America10 8/7/7 8/7/7

Day M 25-29 Asia 15.5 5/6/5 6/7/6

Day F 20-24 Asia 10 4/5/3 4/6/7Day M 20-24 South

America9 5/6/4 8/8/6

Day F 20-24 Africa 5 5/3/5 7/6/5Day M N/A Africa N/A 5/7/6 5/5/5

Day M N/A Eastern Europe

10+ 6/6/4 8/7/6Day M 20-24 Asia 11 5/5/3 5/5/3Day M 20-24 South

America8 8/7/3 8/7/6

Day N/A N/A Not Available N/A 5/7/4 6/7/5Preparatory F 25-29 South

America6 7/6/5 7/6/5

Preparatory F 30-34 South America

6 7/3/4 8/6/5Preparatory F 35-39 South

America7 4/3/3 6/6/5

Preparatory F 25-29 South America

9 5/5/4 5/6/5Preparatory F 45-49 Asia 6 6/3/3 6/3/3Preparatory F N/A Not Available N/A 5/5/5 7/6/6

Evening F 40-44 South America

9 8/7/7 8/8/8Evening F 30-34 South

America7 5/6/7 7/7/6

Evening F 35-39 South America

8 8/7/8 8/7/8Evening M 20-24 South

America9 6/3/6 6/7/6

Evening F 35-39 Asia 12 5/7/6 5/7/5Day/

EveningM 50-54 Asia 16 5/7/6 6/5/6

5. How We Do Things Here: Increasing Cultural Understanding of Canadian Workplace and Learning Systems, A Curriculum Resource for Learners, Educators and Workplace

A. RATIONALE

This resource, How We Do Things Here: Increasing Cultural Understanding of Canadian Workplace and Learning Systems, was designed to address the needs identified in the research. The Guide to the Teachers outlines some of the information that will help teachers who are not overly familiar teaching ESL Learners. As well, the sections on Teaching Metacognition and Cross-Cultural Awareness are very useful for teachers/supervisors/managers to consult to improve their success working with people from different backgrounds.

The Guide to Learners outlines some of the issues identified in the MALC research project from the perspective of the learner. This is material that would be very useful as a first lesson to orient people to the teachers’/schools’ expectations as well as what the source of some difficulty may be.

The Writing Unit, Reading Unit, Meta-cognition and Communication - Social Skills Unit work together to address skill gaps identified. The Other Resources Section is a compilation of lessons, websites and suggestions. Consult How We Do Things Here: Increasing Cultural Understanding of Canadian Workplace and Learning Systems for more information.

B. TABLE OF CONTENTS: CLICK HERE

6. Concluding Comments

I just hope all this information from me and others help the government of Canada to understand and help people from other countries to have a better life in Canada and at the same time, I'm sure they will contribute with positive thing to Canada. Thank you.

- MALC student

I really enjoy English study and the teacher we have. I was scared to go back to school after so many years, now I am happy I did and if everything goes well, I am planning in

finishing high school.36 - MALC student

Cultural understanding is a huge barrier to success to people who are, in some way, outside the standard education or work system. More specifically, cultural understanding is intertwined with appropriate use of language, particularly where more formal and/or sophisticated communication is required. The implications of not being able to learn the system are serious: lack of opportunities in education and work and isolation, and its associated problems, from the community. As one of the MALC student puts it, “ [people from other countries] will contribute with positive thing to Canada.”

We, supervisors, managers, teachers, administrators and decision-makers need to apply metacognitive strategies to our own situations and interactions in order to better interpret our own behaviours as well as the behaviours of others. This will allow us to share with others, “how we do things around here”, so everyone can have the best opportunities for success in this place we all call home.

I have freedom here in Canada and my mind is working. Before I was nervous and I was worried, now my mind is free. I know if I work hard I have a good future in Canada.

- MALC student

36 This learner didn't speak English when she arrived, started with Readers’ Digest and is now reading The Edible Woman. She says that math was always difficult, but school was good.

McLeod Adult Learning Centre Follow-up Research

November 2002 – January 2003

I. Purpose

To determine if the 41G, Learning How to Learn in Canada SIC, offered concurrently with 30S English at McLeod Adult Learning Centre, is helpful to students

To gather feedback from learners from Fall 2002 program at McLeod Adult Learning Centre

II. Process

a. Interviews: The project researcher formally interviewed 7 learners using the survey tool

developed for the project. The project researcher informally interviewed approximately 10 other learners

through conversations before/after classes; while assisting them in classes, in common areas at McLeod Adult Learning Centre or at social events for McLeod Adult Learning Centre staff and students.

The project researcher spoke with the instructor of the 41G & 30S classes as well as the student facilitator at McLeod Adult Learning Centre for their feedback on the adjunct course.

b. Classroom Observations: The project researcher observed 5 - 41G & 30S daytime sessions. The project researcher observed 4 – 41G & 30S evening sessions.

III. Findings

a. Main Findings:The 41G course is thought by the learners to be very helpful. The following are comments directly from the learners:

“41G is too helpful for me. I understand lots of new vocabulary. Helpful for other classes like biology. We learn better writing and so on.”

“41G is very helpful because the concept of establishing 41G has been achieved. We are upgrading our English language, we learn some baic points before 30S. 30S is more specifically literature; 41G addresses our broader problems.”

“41G is very helpful for learning English speaking – we can talk with teacher a lot. There are many useful topics – last week technology. We talk a lot.”

“41G helps prepare for Math and 30S – helps especially with 30S. We learn to write essays, paragraphs, hobbies. I think I learn a lot in this class.”

Everyday, I catch a lot of English words [in 41G]. Math teacher speaks quickly so this helps – some words I use in that class too.

“41G is not very useful to me. I was suspecting more help with 30S. But it does help in a way because I’m talking more English. Don’t see a strong relationship between 30S & 41G.”1

“41G it’s a help for me. I have more knowledge from there about people, generations, community. I got more knowledge about English, some higher language than 30S.”

The learners are seeing the application of topics discussed in 41G in other classes as well, such as math and biology. Even the student who wrote that “41G is not very helpful to me,” and does not see a strong relationship between 30S & 41G recognizes that he is speaking more English. Not seeing a strong relationship between 30S & 41G is a good sign, as the skill development targeted in 41G is meant to be far-reaching.

b. Other Findings: Students are generally younger, many under 30 years of age. The majority of student have at least 10 years of education in their home country. Their future job goals involve study at university or college. Many of the students have been in Canada less than 5 years.

i. Reasons for Coming to School 7/7 to improve English Other: “to get familiar with Canadian culture” 5/7 to get into university or college

ii. Reasons for Coming to McLeod Adult Learning Centre: Many students (3/7) cite having had a friend or relative come before and tell

them that McLeod was good. Other students (2/7) cite the assistance they received in planning for their

future employment and study goals. 2 students were referred by other language/literacy services.

iii. Teacher uses very clear instructions: oral and written, step-by-step on the white board. Example:

Cause and Effect EssayTeacher tells students, I’ve given you the structure and the material, so you are working on organizing the essay.

“The object is, if we’re searching for a new job, how can we best be prepared? We’re going to take it backwards. Imagine you’re the employer and think about the skills needed for that job. If you identify the skills an employer wants, then you can think about the questions an employer might ask.”

Teacher walked through the entire week’s plan with learners. Teacher uses graphic (diamond shape) to illustrate the structure of essay

& paragraph:

iv. The multi-level nature and differing needs of the classroom continues to provide one of the greatest challenges to the teacher. For instance, some of the students want strictly grammar while others want to study literatures and others yet want to work on resumes.

IntroductionIntroductory

Sentence

Main Body3 – 5 Supporting details or

information

Concluding ParagraphConcluding Sentence

Raw Data

Sex Class Age Years in Canada

Previous Education

Employment

Goal4 F 4 E 21, 21, 22,

23, 26, 281.5, 3, 3.5 years

10 Pharmacy

3 M 3 D 41 15 years 4 Electrical Engineer

2 - 3 months

12, 12, 12, 13, 15

Unsure

9 2 - NursingParamedicUniversity

The following questions are from the survey developed for the initial research, Appendix 4

19/20. Have you gone to school in Canada? If so, what type of school did you go to?

Yes, MALC last year.

Gone to school in Canada: Applied Linguistics, 2 courses; RRC 4 months; WEC and ESL Salvation Army. Told at WEC that English was too good for their courses and forwarded to MALC.

Yes, RRC, 6 months; Success Compu College, AccPac 6-8 months.

Yes, RRC, 6 months.

2 - No school in Canada before MALC.

26. Why did you come back to school?

Other reason – to get familiar with Canadian culture; to improve knowledge about every subject.

I know I need to know more. To learn to read and write and to improve my English.

2 - To improve English, to get high school, to get into college.

To get into college to study nursing.

To get a better job.

To improve English, get a better job, get into university.

27. Why did you come to McLeod Adult Learning Centre?

3 - My friend told me about it.

Went to Transcona Literacy Program. They said no., Went to Elgin and asked for information. Lady there said I don’t need ESL. “I speak fast and you understand me fine,” she said. She gave me some phone numbers. I called many places and MALC was last.

Referred by ALT.

Someone talked to me and helped with goals for the future and MALC is close to home and times of classes are convenient.

Someone talked to me to help me with my goals for the future.

45. What is easiest in your English class?

Reading and listening are the easiest.

The writing is not so difficult.

Reading & Writing

I like a lot of talking even if I make mistakes. I want to finish my hesitation in English. If I speak a lot of English it helps to write too.

Talking to the teacher and asking to the teacher.

I understand the pronunciation from my teacher. She speaks very briefly. Reading and writing are ok.

Reading and Listening are easy.

46. What is most difficult in your English class?

Most difficult is grammar, specifically prepositions.The spelling is difficult. To read instructions is difficult.Coming up with a good response/idea to certain questions; to get started.

Homework, writing, speaking. I have a lot of mistakes in verb tense. I know the tenses but I don’t know why I make mistakes. I think I have a weakness in vocabulary.

Difficult to use the words even though I know the meaning; I found difficult all the different meanings that we have to learn, so we can understand what we are studying. Reading things I am not interested in.

Sometimes when she gives us long words, I don’t understand that.

Grammar in general; essays in particular.

48. What do you like about your English class?

Everyone is very friendly – teachers and students. This is not the same in other classes.

I like to discuss and give your opinion, have the opportunity to speak and see what they think. I don’t like when someone in my group doesn’t want to participate – then I feel I am wasting my time there.

Everyone is friendly; mixed with different nationalities and we share our views.

I feel free to ask without feeling stupid.

No punishment and teacher is not going to push us on anything.

After reading, asking questions, sit in groups and exchange ideas.

78. Any other comments, opinions or information you would like to share with me?

Learner 1:41G is too helpful for me. I understand lots of new vocabulary. Helpful for other classes like biology. We learn better writing and so on. I’m so glad to be here especially the teachers very kind, very friendly. I don’t feel like I came from another country, no discrimination. I feel really happy being in this school.

Learner 2:The kids criticize me [interviewee’s own children]. Sometimes they help but it’s hard. My kids do well in school. At beginning in school, I thought I was always wrong but I was learning a lot. Now, some work just don’t click – it is not so difficult, I’m tired. No enough time to do homework. I feel frustrated in class lately because when we did essay, put all the work in there. I think we should do more reading in time class – we have no time to do it. I will feel successful for all of these (to get better job, learn more English, move to Grade 12 English, get into college…) I want to understand what I read, to go to university/college if I have the money. The base is language.

41G class is same as English class. I don’t find much difference between the classes. Pretty close. Teacher always explains.

Learner 3:Public school is more haphazard; sometimes teachers aren’t paid so must take 2nd job to live and then aren’t prepared.

41G is very helpful because the concept of establishing 41G has been achieved. We are upgrading our English language, we learn some baic points before 30S. 30S is more specifically literature; 41G addresses our broader problems. She uses simple English words for us to learn; it’s for beginners to school here.

Successful if all things. The environment is good. Teachers are trying their best. Student/Teacher relationship is very ok. They take care of us and are very helpful. Much respect between everybody here. No sign of misconducts.

Learner 4:41G is very helpful for learning English speaking – we can talk with teacher a lot. There are many useful topics – last week technology. We talk a lot. She gives us consecutive lessons – she’s very good.

41G helps prepare for Math and 30S – helps especially with 30S. We learn to write essays, paragraphs, hobbies. I think I learn a lot in this class. Everyday, I catch a lot of English words. Math teacher speaks quickly so this helps – some words I use in that class too.

Learner 5:At first I thought 41G would be grammar, etc. I lost interest after 2-3 weeks. We talk too much about these things – Grapes of Wrath, John Henry and Old Man & the Sea. I found strange that sometimes teacher spent too much time with their students and how friendly could be the relationship between student and professor. No real barriers, if I really want to do it, I know I can do it. Sometimes people don’t understand what you say, so barrier, especially on the phone. 41G is not very useful to me. I was suspecting more help with 30S. We spend too much time on the same things. We should do more essays and grammar. But it does help in a way because I’m talking more English. Don’t see a strong relationship between 30S & 41G.

Learner 6:I will feel successful if I move to Grade 12 English, get into college and get to know more people. 41G it’s a help for me. I have more knowledge from there about people, generations, community. I got more knowledge about English, some higher language than 30S. I would like more lessons like 6 lessons in 1 semester; pace is too slow. Would like more lessons in each semester. Teachers and everybody is good and nice.

Learner 7:41G is helping us to improve our language. We see pictures and know how to explain. Michael gives me some assignments to do at home; it helps me a lot. There are questions and answers so I can check. Anyone you meet is prepared to assist you. There is no discrimination.

8. Glossary

ALT – Adult Language Training Centre, provincial government branch of Immigration and Multiculturalism; responsible for provision of ESL services to adults in Manitoba.

BICS – Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills: the language skills needed for everyday personal and social communication.

CALP - Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency: the language associated with native language literacy and cognitive development. These are the language skills needed to undertake academic tasks in the mainstream classroom.

CLB – Canadian Language Benchmarks; The Canadian Language Benchmarks (CLB) are descriptions of a person's ability to use English to do certain tasks. The CLB describes learner's placement on a language continuum in three skill areas - Listening and Speaking, Reading, and Writing. The CLB are divided into 12 different levels from the most basic at level 1 to the highest at level 12. The Canadian Language Benchmarks Assessment includes levels 1 - 8. http://www.language.ca/

Canadian Citizen – Someone who has the full privileges of Canadian citizenship. Currently requires 3 years residency in Canada. Eligible for all government-sponsored programs.

ELA – English Language Arts in the Manitoba education system.

Landed Resident – Someone who has been given status that confers most benefits of Canadian citizenship with the exception of a passport. Eligible for all government sponsored programs.

MALC – McLeod Adult Learning Centre

PLAR – Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition

Refugee Claimant – Someone who has claimed Canada as a “safe haven” and is in the process of having their case heard by the refugee panel. Eligible to work only by special permit and eligible for government-sponsored programs.

Student Visa – Someone who is visiting Canada as a student and is not eligible for government-sponsored programs.

Appendix 1 Adult ESL Research Project at McLeod Adult Learning Centre

Researcher: Angela Chotka

To English 30S Native English Speakers (NES):

Hello! Currently there is a research project underway at McLeod Adult Learning Centre and I’d like to ask for your help with it. The purpose of this research is to understand more about Adult English as a Second Language (ESL) learners studying high school English in Manitoba.

The ESL Adults in the 30S English program have had their English language skills assessed using the Canadian Language Benchmarks Assessment (CLBA). The CLBA assesses people in 3 different areas of language: listening/speaking; reading; and, writing. In order to compare ESL learners with NES, I would like to ask for volunteers to take the CLBA. The assessment would take about 3 hours of your time and would involve you going downtown to take the assessment. If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out the bottom of this sheet and return it to Phil. Angela will contact you with further details.

The assessments will take place during the last week of November or the first week of December at the Adult Language Training Centre, 5th Floor – 213 Notre Dame Avenue, Winnipeg (the Electric Railway Building beside the TD Centre on Portage and Main).

If you have any other questions, please feel free to contact me by email or by phone.

Angela Chotka

Yes, I am interested in participating in the Adult ESL Research Project at McLeod Adult Learning Centre.

Name: _________________________________________________________________

Phone: ___________________________ email: ______________________________

I am available:

TimeAvailable

Monday Tuesday Wednesday

Thursday Friday

9am-12pm

26 Nov 27 Nov 28 Nov 29 Nov 30 Nov

1-4pm 26 Nov 27 Nov 28 Nov 29 Nov 30 Nov9-12 03 Dec 04 Dec 05 Dec 06 Dec 07 Dec1-4pm 03 Dec 04 Dec 05 Dec 06 Dec 07 Dec

Comments:

Appendix 2

Adult ESL Research Project at McLeod Adult Learning Centre

Researcher: Angela Chotka

Consent to be Interviewed

I, ___________________________________, agree to participate in the above project. The purpose of the project is to understand more about Adult ESL learners studying high school English.

Angela Chotka is conducting the experiment. There is a Steering Committee involved that has approved the project.

I understand that I will not receive any money for participating in this project. I understand that I will share my ideas with Angela through individual interviews and/or group discussions. Angela will ask me questions about my ideas about learning, about school in Canada and in my home country and how I think I could do best in school.

Angela will contact me directly to arrange a convenient time for the interviews. The interviews could be at McLeod Adult Learning Centre or another place that is convenient. I can also ask questions and I can refuse to answer questions. I understand that the information I give to Angela is confidential. I understand that I will not be identified in the results of this research project. This information, without my name, may be used for other research projects.

I agree to participate in this project.

My signature: __________________________________________

Date: ________________

Researcher’s Signature: __________________________________

Date: ________________

Appendix 3 Canadian Language Benchmarks OverviewDeveloped by Lisa Petit from the Canadian Language Benchmarks Documents

12

11

Learner uses English at a very high level, higher than average mainstream speakers of English. Able to cope with academic, business, social and technical situations. Can negotiate and manage conflictive situations, write proposals, persuasive articles, research papers and abstracts, read and view authentic materials for pleasure. Can evaluate and revise the writing of others.

10

9

Learner is no longer learning to read, write and listen; rather s/he is reading, writing and listening to learn. This is the area identified by Red River College for many of its training programmes. The learner is conscious of how language is used to persuade and influence and can begin to develop an appreciation for literary style and nuance. This is the level of much high school English.

8

7

Learners have mastered the more complex grammatical structures and have expanded vocabulary to comfortable speak and write on a wide variety of everyday topics. They can identify levels of formality and adjust their language to familiar situations. They can offer opinions and advice properly. They can read texts of up to 10 pages on familiar topics or follow complex instructions. They are beginning to use language for academic purposes.

6

5

At this point, the second language learner can handle familiar, everyday situations in the community or at the workplace. They are able to ask for explanations, clarify their meaning, listen to short talks or read about a variety of subjects. Errors in pronunciation, grammar, spelling and punctuation may cause misunderstanding at times.

4

3

Simple structure is mastered at this stage. Messages are short and are limited to very basic, daily routine situations. There are frequent errors and often a need for clarification and repetition. Can read and write very short simple texts with recognisable spelling and punctuation. Vocabulary is quite limited.

2

1

Beginners. May be able to copy text accurately in order to fill in personal information forms. Can perhaps recognise single vocabulary items or short phrases. May be able to recognise and say the numbers and letters in order to identify themselves. May respond to familiar greetings.

Appendix 4

Adult ESL Research Project at McLeod Adult Learning CentreResearcher: Angela Chotka

Phone: 772-6451 Email: [email protected]

Personal InformationPlease change any information that is incorrect.

1. Last: 2. First: 3. Class:

4. Ph: 5. Address:

6. Sex: 7. Age: 8. Country of Origin:

11. Number of years in Canada: 12. Employed?

13. Employer: 14. Job:

15. Job in Home Country: 16. Job Goal:

Education

17. Years of education in home country: 18. What grade/level did you complete in your home country? ___________________

Less than high school High school Some college/apprenticeship Some university Graduated from college/apprenticeship Graduated University: Level? _____________

19. Have you gone to school in Canada? _______________20. What type of school did you study in Canada?

ESL classes: Where? ________________ How long: __________________ Elementary School in Canada High School in Canada: Last grade attended: _______ College: Area of study: _______________________________ University: Area of study: _____________________________ Other: ____________________________

Very Good Bad21. How do you feel about school? 1 2 3 4 5Tell me about it:

22. How did you feel about school in your country? 1 2 3 4 5Tell me about it:23. Did you study literature in your country? ________________________If you did, how did you study literature?24. How do you think you learn best?

By talking with others in a group With the teacher talking most of the time and I just listen By knowing an outline of the course and reading before the class so I can

prepare By doing homework and reading after the class By listening only By listening and taking notes Other: ____________________________________________

25. How do you think you are expected to learn in your English class? By talking with others in a group With the teacher talking most of the time and I just listen By knowing an outline of the course and reading before the class so I can

prepare By doing homework and reading after the class By listening only By listening and taking notes Other: ____________________________________________

26. Why did you come back to school? To improve my English To get high school credit To find a job To get a better job To get into college To get into university To learn to read To learn to write Because my husband/wife/children wanted me to finish school Other: ______________________________________________

27. Why did you come to McLeod Adult Learning Centre: Someone talked to me to help me with my goals for the future It was easy to register for courses at McLeod McLeod is close to my home McLeod is close to my work I can park for free at McLeod My friend came here before and said McLeod was good McLeod is on a bus route I like the feeling/atmosphere at McLeod The people in the office are helpful and friendly There is childcare at McLeod The times of the classes are convenient Other: __________________________________________________

English Class at McLeod Always Never

28. I understand what I am supposed to do in class. 1 2 3 4 529. I understand the teacher’s instructions. 1 2 3 4 530. I feel confused in class. 1 2 3 4 531. I feel comfortable in class. 1 2 3 4 532. I ask questions in class. 1 2 3 4 533. I think I am stupid in class. 1 2 3 4 534. I think I am learning a lot in my class. 1 2 3 4 535. I feel like I am always wrong in my class. 1 2 3 4 536. I feel frustrated in my class. 1 2 3 4 537. I think we should talk more in class to share

more ideas. 1 2 3 4 538. I don’t want to speak in class because I think

someone will laugh at me. 1 2 3 4 539. I can easily tell you what I study in class. 1 2 3 4 540.I can tell you why I am studying each topic

in my class. 1 2 3 4 541.I think the people in my class are interested

in my perspective. 1 2 3 4 542.I think my teacher is interested in my ideas

in the class. 1 2 3 4 5

43. I think I am doing well in my English class. 1 2 3 4 544.In my class, I talk to:

The teacher Other students No one

Cultural Questions45.How is learning and studying at McLeod different from when you went to school in

your country?46.What do you find easy in your English class?47.What do you find difficult in your English class?48.What do you find strange in your English class?49.What do you like about your class?50.What don’t you like about your class?51.What tasks do you find most difficult? Why do you think that is?52.What does the teacher usually do in your country?53.What does the student usually do in your class?54.What is the relationship between the teacher and student usually like?55.What is the relationship between the students normally like?56.Do you think there are cultural barriers that make it difficult for you to understand

what you are trying to learn? If yes, what do you think these barriers might be?57.If you could make your learning experience easier, what would you change?58.Anything else you’d like to tell me?

Social Questions Agree Disagree

57. I feel good about myself. 1 2 3 4 558. I respect other people. 1 2 3 4 559. I take my own notes in class. 1 2 3 4 560. I set goals for myself. 1 2 3 4 561. I am pleased with my life. 1 2 3 4 562. I get along with my family members. 1 2 3 4 563. I am worried about my family. 1 2 3 4 564. I ask questions when I do not understand. 1 2 3 4 565. I think people in my class are interested in my ideas. 1 2 3 4 566. I am a confident person. 1 2 3 4 5

67. I like to learn new things. 1 2 3 4 567. I can cope with change. 1 2 3 4 568. I talk to people outside my family. 1 2 3 4 569. I listen to other people’s ideas. 1 2 3 4 570. I am a friendly person. 1 2 3 4 571. I give my own point of view. 1 2 3 4 572. My husband/wife/children are happy I am in

school and try to help me. 1 2 3 4 573. My parents/sisters/brothers are happy I am in

school and try to help me. 1 2 3 4 574. My friends are happy I am in school and try to

Help me. 1 2 3 4 575. My co-workers are happy I am in school and try

To help me. 1 2 3 4 576. My supervisor/team leader is happy I am in

School and tries to help me. 1 2 3 4 577. I will feel successful if:

I learn more English. I get a job. I get a better job. I move to Grade 12 English. I graduate from high school. I get into college. I get into university. I get to know more people. Other:________________________________________________

78. Any other comments, opinions or information you would like to share with me?Note to Users: Check for comprehension of questions and formats for answering. Some people are unsure of using the scale 1 – 5 Agree – Disagree.

Appendix 5

Appendix 6

Sample Lesson, The Foresee Approach to Integrated ESL Instruction:

Lesson 1: Introductory Lesson on the Weather (Text Questions Technique)

Objectives:

Content Objectives: To learn about the important parts of a weather report To learn about weather forecasting

Language Objectives:Skills: Listening: to note take; in group discussions Speaking: to compare and correct answers in group discussions Reading: a weather report; for specific information to verify answers to

questions Writing: To complete declarative sentences in answer to questions

Linguistic Knowledge:

Vocabulary DevelopmentWeather, condition, atmosphere, weather report, predict, forecast (noun and verb), include, exclude, information, kind, temperature, degrees Celsius, above zero (plus), below zero (minus), low, high, wind, calm, windy, wind-chill, sky, clear, sunny, cloudy, containing, mainly, rainfall, snowfall, precipitation, flurry, scattered, occasional, blizzard, rise, set, newspaper clippings, stand for, details, define, definition, term thermometer, instrument, meteorologist, layer

Structures Present tense to express habitual behaviour or conditions Subject – verb agreement Passive voice (is called, is measured) Declarative sentence form Pluralization of nouns (flurry-flurries) Frequency of adverbs (always, usually, often, sometimes) and their

position in sentences “If” clauses used to express conditions Noun suffix –tion; verb suffix –ing

Discourse Features Discourse markers: however, in other words, in contrast, both, also Sequence markers: first, second, third, fourth, finally Theme-rheme structure – what you say about the topic Paragraph unity

Functions Reporting text-based information by writing declarative sentences Defining (both the regular and “is called” patterns)

Learning Strategies:Metacognitive Strategies

Advance organization, selective attention, organizational planning, self-monitoring, self-evaluation

Cognitive Strategies Prediction – guessing what the article is about Inferencing – making guesses about content during discussions and note

taking Imagery – using the visuals on the newspaper weather forecasts Note Taking – when listening to the dictation of the article Deduction/induction – when expanding notes into complete sentences Auditory representation – repeating words and phrases mentally while

taking notes Resourcing – using newspaper clippings (short weather reports)

Social-Affective Strategies Cooperation Questioning for clarification

Materials:- A sheet of visuals about the weather – one week of weather reports from newspapers.- A written text (article) about the weather- A list of questions about the written text

Appendix 7

Participants Comments from MALC Survey

44. How is learning and studying different from when you went to school in your country?

At home, texts for every class; fewer classes; more structure; rarely worked in groups; called to boardIt is different b/c here if I have any ideas I can talk directly to the teacher (b/t the classes too); people in the office are very nice, very easy to speak to.It's about the same - listening to the teacher when she explains, doing work in class and homeworkIt's too long ago!

Teachers are very friendly. There is always student participation in the class.

Teacher & students are more open with each other here in expressing ideas or opinions. Teacher is really interested in us. I like the journals, it gives everyone a chance to express feelings and to get to know each other better and also to understand each other better.

we speak fluent english in Canada school.It is easier because you really want to learn and the teacher is so nice.

I feel better about learning here than in my country.In my country, many stupid people live. They are very old fashioned. They kicked me out of school just because my religion was different from them.Actually, it's [school is] easier [here]

Teachers in my school in Ethiopia were educated in North America and went back to Ethiopia to teach so some things are similar.When I went to school in my country, I took science courses like biology, chemistry, physics, math in one semester, but in this school no chance to take them all at once.

It is different; I find school here very easy and not too strict. Too easy, too relaxed, even adult schools in Colombia demand more; Not too easy in ESL class but too easy in computer class.Classes were ok at McLeod.

In McLeod the teacher respect the students; we are adults. In my country, the teachers always think we students, they like to control us.

Because I'm a bit older, I’m more confident. In Sudan, so afraid to speak, so shy. I couldn't speak or anything. Now English is so difficult. We wrote essays in Sudan but to oppose something, I am so afraid to do this.

Everything is different. Canadians have many chances to talk to each other and the teacher. In Korea, student doesn't speak and studying by yourself. We have many private tutoring lessons. Most people in Korea study very hard because they want to go to a better university.

All the students are the same. And nobody make fun about you.African people don't take advantage of their opportunities [said by African male]. They are lazy when it comes to learning.

45. What do you find easy in your English class?

listeningSpeaking with people in the class & writing the journal.journalsJournal writing

method of teaching, I fully understand.reading; no problems with journal.journalsshow and tell picture.the journals, the little projects that the teacher gives us.talkingnothingit's not easy for me.Everything is hard about it.Everything is hard at the beginning. After you learn, every thing comes easy.working in a groupNot easy, I'm struggling.Nothing - English is too difficult for me.It's hard. But I'm trying to make it easier.the grammar we are studying is easy because theoretically I know it.Grammar was easier

Nothing was easy but learned a lot from teachers in McLeod.

46. What do you find difficult in your English class?

writing - in English; structure & organization is similarWriting essays, writing stories & sometimes reading the story is too difficult; sometimes the vocabulary is too much.main idea - always too narrow. Don't even know what an essay is; writing is difficult.Speaking; I don't use English regularly – I speak German almost all the time.nothing.writing - but not with journal. Problems with essays here and in Russia - can't put things into my own words.to write a story; coming up with the idea is difficult. Spelling - past tense verbs, forming past tense, sentence structure is ok and organization is ok.meaning of each wordso far, so good - no problem.nothing, even writing is ok.everything - grammar, vocabulary, teacher talking in class.all the written assignments; even in German, essay writing was difficult, especially structure.spelling, reading, writing.to pronounce a word - some words are longer; it's hard to spell it or say it.Writing requires more effort than reading.

to write essays - writing is difficult mostly because of the language; structure is similar to Czech.Writing is the most difficult - writing journal, writing stories. Mostly because of English - even writing a correct sentence is difficult.Everything.Grammar lessons and essays.writing/composition/spelling is very difficult.Reading was difficult as was answering questions. The teacher gave you something to do, he explained it but there was no example, that was hard for me.English was difficult - had to ask help from friends. Can't understand what information to put into essays. We have ideas, hard to explain in English.Essays are most difficult. My husband from Poland helped - he was here from 14 years old.

47. What do you find strange in your English class?

journal is difficult because my days are all the sameno, nothing strange.nothingSometimes people don't share ideas in a group - this isn't good.Information about culture. Names of people, events. Kinds of fish - focus on fish in one teacher's class. Pronunciation is different - reCORD, Record; talking about climate, and weather. I enjoy, it's good.nothingto learn more idiom.nothingnothing in English class. In Math in Real World is very hard. I don't have enough time for homework. Math - velocity - I don't understand, nobody helps me, not other students, not Mike, not husband.It is strange that we don't talk about good pronunciation and learn new vocabulary in our English class.The teacher is sometimes weird - he thinks we are little children - if we do not sit still, he gets mad. He will find something wrong with everything. After working on a topic many time, suddenly the teacher will decide it's not a good topic.when some people don't have chance to talkEverything is strange after being out of school for so many years.I don't find anything strange.Nothing - I'm eager to learn.Everything is strange for me.nothinghow to write composition/essay is new for me; accents of teachers and other students - used to write essays but the English (spelling) is too difficult.We never do something like collecting the thing you did - the score was not calculated fairly - I didn't understand it.Nothing strange - I was very happy to be there. It was not easy. English is so different from Portuguese - until I let go of the Portuguese way, structure, I couldn't progress in English.Nothing Strange – teacher explained very well [comment from student in 2000 class].

48. What do you like about your class?

nice teacher

the atmosphere - with the teacher 7 students we can understand each other; the teacher makes a game or talks about sometimes very clearly, we feel at ease.I like that the teacher looks at everyone; makes eye contact with everyone. When I went to school, teacher only looked at people who were smart and moved on when they got it. Math teacher is very nice too.Discussion.everything - especially working in a group; reading a story and the little test afterwards.journals, see 44. Teacher is really nice and fellow students are friendly.more attention to my teacher.so far, everythingI like to talk and to write.I would like more listening and grammar.good to talk with classmates. Math is very easy for me. English, I'm learning a lot, very quickly.the little stories we read in class.I like people (teachers, students) and also that I'm learning.working in a groupTeacher is so attentive when you ask a question - no favouritism & students are together, all together, all of us want to help each other.Everything because I am interested in English.that I'm learning; some nice studentsdiscussions, interesting history but teacher doesn't make his explanation easy and I have trouble understanding.He was trying his best to assist me even if I was failing, sometimes he give you time, "You know what student name, I want to help you."

49. What don't you like about your class?

nothinga few people come in late & it interrupts the class.when people come very late and then talk on cell phone during class; can't concentratethere must be table-talk daily only for 15 minutes. There should be more speaking by students in teacher’s class - should be talking daily. We see examples of stories, poems, but we should talk more. But other class is more nice this way, journals sharing, groups making problem given and discussed together.When students interrupt the teacherI like them all.nothing

nothing.on one day we have 1000 new wordsNothing really - well almost everything the teacher is doing.Being there - the idea of getting there - it's like work.I don't like when I do the same assignment every day as writing about myself.At this moment, everything is OK.nothing.Nothing because everything about English is fresh for me.He gives a lot of writing assignments - maybe 1 or 2 per week is ok, but so much writing - no text book so I could prepare before. If I was absent and we had a text, I could prepare.

I think it was my fault - homework piled on me. I was working two jobs, taking school and I have a family.Math teacher was very mean. 29 students - only 10 people finished with her. I had 70%, she said in front of everyone, "[student name], why don't you go to the other class, it's easier." She told my friend to explain to me so I changed to consumer math - teacher was much better. She had more than 35 students because everyone changed to her class.

50. What tasks do you find most difficult? Why do you think that is?

Writing - because we need more vocabulary the structure of the sentence from my language is very different from English, so we make sentences based on Vietnamese but it's not correct. Reading= new vocabulary; difficult.Summarize an article is very difficult. To put in our own words, got main idea but to put it into our own words, very difficult.

Writing something about culture. I don't know about the traditions & names of food, persons & places. Would like to learn more about culture in class too - so many customs - young people go out and live alone, live without marriage, single parents problems. We cannot imagine to go outside with a girl - we never sit beside our wife in front of our parents, even after marriage. Extended family living together - grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, etc - so many problems youth face living alone. But I think people are very caring about others here, liberal. Look after family in Pakistan but don't care about strangers. Almost the opposite here.

writingspelling of some words.summary, maybe I don't6 understand the whole story.it is sometimes difficult to form the right sentences and also the spelling or where and what is capital. Has started proofreading/revising so has developed good strategies. mathwriting, prepositions,Literature; verbs. Literature even in Spanish was hard. Being in English is even harder. Newspaper/magazines, more general for many different levels of readers. Literature is

much more difficult because of vocabulary, expressions, many words that I've never heard before.

grammar

Listening. Writing is a big problem because I can't apply my vocabulary.grammar because it's so much more difficult than in my language.Writing & Grammar

51. What does the teacher do in your country

The teacher always talks, most of the time - sometimes they give questions and we have to answer at home.Most of the teachers do not work hard, even they do not take interest in the job assignment.talks; assigns readings, calls on students.From my experience, 20 years ago, almost the same as here. Maybe less expression of opinions.Same in Canada - teacher helping kids till the kids understand.

She wasn’t' as good at explaining and since I had German and Spanish, I have some difficulty understanding Spanish.They are very strict. They not listen to students.Teaches many new wordsThe teacher gives us the homework & the next day is a reviewTeach the students; same as here.It's about the same; teachers require more individual work.Just teaching - the teacher doesn't have many chances to talk to students because in Korea there are too many students in a class.Ttry to teach the students, like all teachers

52. What does the student usually do in your country

we just listen - we don't talk much, different from here. We do a lot of homework.working; participate in class workThey do the work assigned to them.lots of homework.mostly we have our turn to recitesits quietly and listens until the teacher was done lecturing then you get a chance to talk.don't pay attention very much - but not me.some are coming late every dayIf they are interested in learning, they pay attention.working individuallyStudy - ask question to teacher.Asking and answering the questions.

53. What is the relationship between the teacher and student usually like (in your country)?

can talk freely to teacher and ask for help; the class stays together; teacher changesNot very close like here, not easy to speak to the teacher. The teacher is always very serious, very disciplined.not friends, but helping studentsrespectful - like friends.Not so close, not so far. more close relationship between teacher and student, here is a close relationship - the teachers know the names of students, I have 120 students in Pakistan and know 4-5 students names.

depends on teacher - old ladies, always angry, you wear a short top, they think, "Oh, she can't learn or be intelligent."not as open, some do more lecturing, you have to know many things by heart.comfortable

A lot like here, except you couldn't talk back to the teacher, then you were sent to the principals office immediately.friendlyhere it is friendly. Teacher beat me for not doing homework, here the teachers don't care. the teachers in Ethiopia are stricter.fairly relaxed.as between boss and subordinatesstudent respect teacher almost like parent - you're a bit afraid to can't speak so much.

like friend in Canadato be polite and friendly.

54. What is the relationship between students normally like?

Very good - we help each other.usually groups of people that stick togetherhelp each other with homework, studying, etc.good.students are helping each otherstudents do homework together, friendly, opento learn moreIn our school, there was too much the upper class, the medium class & the lower class, I didn't like it.students help each other in IndiaI don't talk to all the people in the ESL class but some special friends.help each otherthey competeif one of the students is good in math & the other is good in physics, they help each other.groups/cliques like here; help each other out.students make group - smart students, etchelp each other.friendto not be scared to talk to the teachers - here I can talk to the teachers; before I went home.

55. Do you think there are cultural barriers that make it difficult for you to understand what you are trying to learn? If yes, what do you think these barriers might be?

NoI have no idea.not really - the language makes it difficult to learn. Math (consumer), very comfortable but it's hard.Yes, but I hope, problems will be solved. NoNononeThere may always be some things that you don't agree with or that are from another perspective but other than that, I fit right in.not reallymath is difficult because of language.YesJust learning a new language is difficult. I don't think there are any cultural barriers.I think only language barriersyes,yestrouble with essays and thinking in another language.Yes

Yes

YesNo - just language

What do you think these cultural barriers are?

Language problems, customs, traditions, girls and boys studying together - in Pakistan, no coeducation. Very liberal atmosphere, good conditions, teachers highly qualified, generous, cooperative.

I don't understand summarizing - what it is.still pronunciation is difficult; even in my mother tongue.

Different structure make me confuse. For example, in English: "I am a boy." but in Korean, "I a boy am."

I don't know the system - it is different to participate freely - ask questions, participate, and so on.

The teachers explain more in Africa, here they just give us papers to read, in Africa we write more on the board. Language problems are still the hardest part. Writing about myself is difficult - I don't like this kind of writing. I wrote compositions , some in Sudan, but here essays were more difficult. In Sudan, we write what teacher put on blackboard and learn what was written on board. Homework was first time for me. In Sudan, 1+1, then exam is based on that. Here, 1+1, they will mix it with 1/1 and 1-1 etc to make it confusing for us. We memorize in Africa, it will stay in your mind, you remember it forever. Present teacher now very good - speaks loud and clear.

In India, just told us put information in essay - not intro, body, conclusion.

I had written essays in Portuguese, same information, same structure. [teacher 2] showed us easier ways to structure. [teacher 1] showed so many. It takes me twice as long to read.

56. If you could make your learning experience easier, what would you change?

stop work; have babysitterstop work, not have to worry about money.quit my job, bring my 3 kids to a babysitter, go to school during the day like other students do, for the whole day.I think there is no change to make it easier - just work harder but maybe a bit slower in class, not so fast.more time for studyingI sometimes don't have the energy, nor the time for lots of homework, that's why I am glad we don't have too much homework.come on time to classJust keep on doing what I'm doing. Really enjoy my work, get lots of meaning from it.My mom looks after my son - she works evening shift. She tries to help.use more time for homework; maybe not work but I have to live too.

not finding it difficult.

speak moreeducation never ends.to start thinking in English.to know English better, for math, for everything.

57. Anything else you’d like to tell me?

enjoying math. I haven't seen Mike; don't have trouble, tired but like schoolonly taking English; haven't used Michael.Trouble understanding math problems because of English language; sometimes has trouble understanding the questions. If I had known in first year, I would have started High School then.

two days per week are short. Evening class is only 2 days per week would like more time in evening. I like the teacher too.

I work full-time, have 3 children, all students, living at home, plus 2 international students and my husband goes to CMU and works full-time also. So the work at home usually is on my shoulders. Sometimes I am just plain and simple tired. So coming to school for me is a pleasant change of atmosphere, from work and family life.

I enjoy a lot even though I always comes late.Really likes teaching style here that you can speak to the teachers, and they get involved.

Look in ESL classes some people have good vocabulary but some people they don't know the vocabulary but they know grammar but all people are in class together. They have to separate each other. After this course, I don't take any more ESL classes, it's a waste of my time. Teacher is nice but he doesn't like to teach grammar. "I would not take a course with this teacher, not again."

Came to see Mike once for help with assignment ; [teacher] still gave me B/B- on assignment after Mike's help.

phone conversation (10 Jan 02): I stopped coming [to MALC] because of problems back home. They need supporting – I needed to get other job; my sister died and left 4 children, nobody is responsible - oldest child is 13. We need $1500 to help the family. I have a car loan and I have to pay my apartment. Maybe in September, I will try to get back again. I don't know if I can sponsor 4 children. I told my brother to go to school now and get a better job then I can go after. My brother didn’t' get a high school diploma. I have university in Spanish (Cuba); studied 4 years of a 5 year program.

I like the way the government helps people from other countries to finish school and motivate them if they want. Very flexible hours - even weekends you can find something (school) if you want.

Going through financial problems right now, working full-time and part-time jobs. Family in Sudan, parents, brothers and sisters (6, aged 3 - 17) depend on him. Not much support here - wife isn't working, studying at UM, trying to get into medical school. Wouldn't approve a student loan for her because husband could support her. He's currently making less than $25,000 per year and couldn't get loan for her.

I would like to speak more with people to learn English. I need more and more practice speaking. If I need help, I can ask my husband. It's important to be with my daughter and husband talking. Sometimes I ask another student for help, sometimes with Math but he has become very competitive and now he annoys me and my friend.

Math - not bad. Math back home, I'm good at it. Consumer math is new math - it's not easy but I try. Came to Michael once - "I think I understand my teacher better - no need to come back later."

English is too hard but I like English. In the morning, I am very sleepy.

I am still thinking in Romanian lots; I think it's trouble with English. In math I get confused. Lots of times Mr. Mike helps me with Math but it is not enough.

We can't prepare at home so it is difficult. He tries to give an example, he tries to respond to every question. Mike is a good man, very social, you feel Mike like your friend - I learned with him one day. He gives me many exercises that can help me. I thought the class would be difficult for me, I assumed the other students would know much more than me but now I am fine.

40S less difficult than 30S – One teacher gave us good information, really good information, and many examples. Another teacher has different method, "no, this is not right", "no, that's not good". I ask the teacher, teacher says "ok", then changes. I wrote introduction, "No , you have to change." Every student complaining why the teacher doesn't give enough information what wants. All students complain. Another teacher gives us full information: you have to write this, you do this."

I should never have stopped but my son came from Brazil, he was 3 years old. I have lost most of the English I learned - almost 10 years out of school - I had to take care of my son. I have no family here - was married, now divorced. My son is 18 - still here. He likes it, speaks only English, no Portuguese. He quit in Grade 10 - difficult phase of his life. Still doesn't want to go back to school. He doesn't keep jobs. When I started taking ESL my writing was perfect and I forgot everything.

I tried to do something for me - I have 3 kids, my first priority. I have to learn more English. I started the class but it wasn't what I think. It was too low. I could write, I know grammar but there were people who couldn’t say sentence in English. The teacher was good teacher but had to teach too low. I am thinking about accounting.

78. Any other comments, opinions or information you would like to share with me?

having trouble with math; teacher rushed b/c we were behind; doesn't sleep if she can't understand the math; now classmate helps her regularly. Has trouble finding the main idea - always too narrow. doesn't know what an essay is. Worries about "is it worth it?" wonders if she should just stay home and be a mom. Went to Kindergarten here.

I liked High School in Paraguay more, we were from 9 different countries but the teacher had rules to keep it orderly. For example, yesterday after break, we were to read story and answer questions and people were coming and going and laughing and talking and I couldn't finish. If we have to read, it should be quiet!

Computers are kind of frustrating, so fast - the computer teacher has an accent and talks too fast and more for the people who know the computer and we don't get steps on paper - she says it and we try to write it down. I am lucky because on each side of me I have people who speak English as first language who help me a lot. I never get help from Mike - for math, ask my husband. For computer, I wait until next computer class. Our computer at home is different, we don't really have homework, we have to do it there. Didn't understand evaluation, thought it was for teacher so didn't want to say anything negative. In math & computers, some dropped. In computer class, teacher is not worried about student.

I really enjoy English study and the teacher we have. I was scared to go back to school after so many years, now I am happy I did and if everything goes well, I am planning in finishing high school. I don't like the computer class too much. I think there are too many students in that class, some are very good and I don't know what they are doing there because they are very advanced in computer and then there are others like me who did not grow up with a computer and have not even touched the computer until I started in that class. The teacher seems to be bothered when I ask for help, so I sometimes don't feel comfortable asking for help. Sometimes I am very frustrated because of that. [note: Didn't speak English when arrived, started with Readers’ Digest, now reading "Edible Woman". Math was always difficult, school was good. Read literature in German or Spanish in Paraguay.]

I also feel more confident in myself to be very talented real estate agent. I want to speak fluent English and sharp ear to listen. Thank you.I am really grateful - there were barriers because you had to pay extra for courses but now we can go. I would encourage anyone to go. Computer class - having fun rebuilding memory, exercises for your brain. Had played with computers before, not first time. The class isn't for total beginners. Math is really enjoyable. I like this sheet [that he is being asked his opinion.] I understand more quickly when I was younger. In '99 or 2000 went to University of Winnipeg, they studied my documents and give credit in math, physics & chemistry. Other courses we have to see if you are approved - need to improve English. Writing is better than speaking - writing is easier. Most problem is to know every word and how to pronounce. Math was easy.I'm here aren't I?" "All these questions, sound like the police." [note: After these comments, student left then stopped me in the parking lot, came and tapped on my car window and apologized, telling me he was acting like a child and thought he was very rude with me. Commented that he was mad towards me because I was asking him questions that made him think about things.]

I want to take physics and chemistry but the schedule makes it impossible - want to graduate from High School as soon as possible - chemistry & physics (real physics) are conflicting.

I just hope all this information from me and others help the government of Canada to understand and help people from other countries to have a better life in Canada and at the same time, I'm sure they will contribute with positive thing to Canada. Thank you.

Coming to school as an adult is pretty good. The teachers are so flexible, they know their subject and they're there to help the students.

i