What good have i done today

My goal today was to start my section on the students of ESL classes, try to explain who and what they are. I think a good picture of the many different kinds of ELL's will better support my argument that there is not one overruling tactic of teaching that applies to all students. ESL to me is a field of adaption, more so than another field.
Today i wrote two paragraphs on ELL's describing the differences and similarities. For example some students are almost fluent in speaking English but cant read or write in English or their native language, some on the other hand can read and write but have no speaking capabilities.
I think i made a good start on this section, but i need more.

What i wrote today in class

Well i did about one and a half paragraphs. The purpose was to set up my topics on the two different schools of thought regarding ESL theories. I explained why both feel they way they do. I will now have to go more indepth about what both are saying and exaplain some theories, with some examples of real ESL teachers.

revising plan based on peer review

What I would need to do to revise my bibliography according to my peer reviews would be to better describe how I will utilize my sources in my paper. I have to agree with this assessment and will try to comply, also will add some teacher interviews. But overall it got good reviews. Brett liked mine how it is.

Stephen Swisher

Comp.4

Annotated Bibliography

11.15.07

Annotated Bibliography: ESL Theories and Pedagogies and how they relate to Truman College’s ESL programs

My query that I wish to answer with this research paper is how to ESL theories and pedagogical ideas hold up in real life. My goal is to speak to actual ESL teachers at Truman, this was proving to be hard, but as soon as I donned my private eye hat I was able to line up some interviews. So what I wish to see is how helpful are ESL theories in a department where there are more differences than similarities in the student body. How can you have a successful teaching pedagogy in a classroom more almost as many different languages are spoken than there are people in the class. Also most teaching pedagogies rely on simple facts like all the students are the same age, have similar amounts of schooling or share same goals but ESL does not have that luxury.

The research I have come across has not been astounding or unexpected but it has raised some questions that hopefully will be answered by further reading and ESL Teachers. It seems to me there are two schools of thought on ESL theories, the one that think ESL pedagogy could be universal and the ones that believe that each ESL class is different and therefore demands different methods. Pretty much all of the articles I have read agree that ESL students are very diverse, but only some try to incorporate aspects of different ethnicities and cultural tendencies in the classroom. Shonde Nero argues in her article

“Language, Identities, and ESL Pedagogy” that teaching ESL can also force American morals on students, so she advices to teach other types of English as well like different dialects. But overall ESL is very broad topics which have many factors which need to be considered and I think my research has covered some of them and I am looking forward to writing a coherent research paper.

Do it yourself ESL: ESL that Evolves with the students

The Changing Role of ESL in Bilingual Education

Milk, Robert D. University of Texas at San Antonio, TESOL Quarterly, Vol.19, no.4 December 1989

http://www.jstor.org/jstor/gifcvtdir/ap005054/00398322/ap060076/06q00040_1.1gif?jstor

Milks’ article talks about the differences of teaching ESL, foreign languages and a bilingual classroom. He talks about how you can’t compare learning a foreign to ESL. The main factor states Milk is that one is taught in the speakers’ native country by a teacher who speaks the same language at the students and learning is part of a grade not life. ESL on the other hand is not taught in the students’ language or country and is a matter of survival. Whereas a foreign language student comes home to his native environment and is able to speak his mother tongue, the ESL student is always at odds with his environment and is focused on assimilation. Bilingualism comes into the equation from either schooling in the students native country or from being second or third generation but still not fluent in English, speaking a mish-mush of English and the native language. Milk adds that some cultures have mix language of English and Spanish because they feel alienated from both cultures.

This is a reliable source because it is written by a teacher of ESL who obviously has experience in both the teaching and the pedagogical sides of ESL. The only thing that would give me pause about this source is that it was written in 1989, but I think the topics and solutions talked about by Milk are still prevalent today and have also been touched on by Nero in her writings. I will use this source to make my argument stronger about needing a new approach to ESL and how this rings true at Truman.

Language, Identities, and ESL Pedagogy

Nero, Shonde J. School of Education, St. Johns University, 8000 Utopia Parkway, Queens, NY, 11439, USA, 2005

This academic paper argues that English Language Learners (ELL’s) are changing in both identity and in linguistics. Nero argues that ELL’s can no longer be put into simple categories like: native and non-native speaker, monolingual and bilingual, “which do not adequately capture the full range of students’ linguistic identities and repertoire.” Because of the huge numbers of immigrants coming to America each year, ESL pedagogy has to properly accommodate this. Nero tells the reader how the many differences in schooling and background can affect the ELL’s learning capability and “calls for pedagogical practices that recognize and respond to the similarities and differences in the backgrounds and needs of this diverse population.” This is an extremely helpful source in that in backs up facts I have gathered from Truman College. Facts like that 120 countries and over 50 languages are represented in Truman’s ESL courses.

By having read this article I can compare data from other states to that of Truman see if there are any similarities. This seems like a very authoritative journal because it was written by a professor who did a private study and survey of her ESL students compiling data on their backgrounds, ESL comprehension and ethnicities. I would say this paper has no biases and its goal is to start the ball rolling on updating ESL courses. The only thing that could hinder its relevance is that it was published in California and not Illinois but since her data agrees with that I have learned about Truman I am confident this is a reliable source.

Teaching ESL: A Note Against the Authorities

Pierstorff, Don K. The Language Game, Long State City College, California

http:/www.jstor.org/jstor/gifcvtdir/ap001814/00138274/ap030671/03a00300_1.3gif?jstor

Pierstorff is a City College teacher of ESL and writes in his essay about having just been to an ESL conference and how absolutely useless it was. He talks about how in the 60’s there was supposed to be this groundbreaking new way of teaching grammar to ELL’s called TG Grammar. But says Pierstorff it had one major flaw, its theories were conducted toward “ideal speakers and ideal listeners.” Having been a teacher for over four decades Pierstorff was pretty confident in saying that ESL has anything but “ideal” speakers. He gives examples of the many differences his students have and then ends his essay or rant by saying we can all learn from other ESL theories and pedagogies but in the end we’re the only ones that actually teach the class, so we do what’s best. “we may all listen to advice on how to carve up the whale, but it is, after all our whale.”

Once again I think this is a very helpful source to my paper because it is from a City College teacher which Truman is also and it gives the teachers perspective on ESL pedagogy which is what I’m hoping to ask ESL teachers at Truman. Although this essay reads like a rant, the author also has some examples of his students and teaching techniques that back them up.

Teaching Techniques and Updates

ESL Composition Tales: Reflections on Teaching

Lonon, Linda and Kroll, Barabara, Eds, Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, Pp.vii+179, 2002

This is a book that reflects on the “short” history of ESL and how many of its pioneers of theory and pedagogy are still alive and teaching today. This collection of essays written in the early days of ESL is compared to the new ideas of ESL and many of the old ideas are revised by the original authors. The book tells how in the early days there was not real instruction for the teachers, so they put their students through “tedious exercises” and being overall too structured. This book tells how the teachers did not adapt like they do today.

This is probably the most reliable source that can be found on this topic because it is a composite of ten ESL theorists’ ideas and how they have revised them. This will be used in my paper as a background of ESL and the different theories in ESL and how they are used.

Teaching Adult ESL Learners

Yang, Yi Massachusetts Department of Education, The internet TESL Journal

http://itselj.org/techniques/yang-Adultlearners.html

This is a teaching tool for ESL teachers. This article was written by Yang who is a ESL teacher and has had experience teaching immigrants and wants to help other teachers by giving them some of her techniques. Yang starts her article out by telling the reader some of her and her student’s backgrounds, she stresses the fact that most of her ELL’s have had little to no schooling in their home country. Yang also talks about that most of her students were under finical and family stress that “prevented them from fully concentrating” on their work. Because of the varying degrees of schooling and home lives, her students had had, Yang wanted to develop a curriculum that attempted to envelop all of her students. In her article she gives tips on how to teach listening, reading and overall help and promoting higher expectations and language development.

This will prove to be very helpful when I get a chance to talk to actual ESL teachers and I can ask them if the tips given in this article would be helpful or not. This also could go with Pierstorff’s article who said it was ok to take advice but in the end it’s your whale.

Truman College (this will have more sources)

Darnton, Ann, Personal interview, November, 7^th

Ann Darnton, is the assistant dean of Adult Education at Truman College.

In my interview with her I got some good background on the ESL program at Truman Colleges, I also found out that Truman has the biggest ESL department in the State. WE disgust such issues as how the classes work (there are 9 levels), why enrollment has suddenly slowed down in the last couple of years, if there are payment plans for the students, the diversity of the student body and many more questions.

Mrs. Darnton was a very great source to get and she helped me get a better understanding for how the actual system works, how ESL looks like in practice and from an administrators point of view. Although she did not allow me to talk to her teachers I did find a way of contacting some Truman ESL teachers and am currently waiting for a response. Mrs. Darnton’s interview will be used to give a background of Truman and to give some answers as to why some students may choose to learn ESL else where.

Contract Proposal

Stephen Swisher
Comp. 4
Contract Proposal
11/5/07



ESL Teaching Theories:
How theory is practiced at Chicago’s Truman College

This topic struck me because my father is a teacher at Truman College and he alerted me to the fact that the enrollment for ESL courses have grammatically decreased in recent years. This got me thinking, many Americans and politicians say (complain) that if you are going to live in America than you should speak English. If we agree with policy makers, that this is an important problem, who is responsible for the cause? Is it up to the national or state government to provide this service of teaching English to immigrants or up to the immigrants to learn English where they can. Mulling this question around in my head, I wanted to know how the whole process works, the theories of ESL and how it is put its put to practice.

I already have some experience in ESL because both of my parents have taught English overseas, my mother in China and my father in Germany and Austria. I lived in Vienna, Austria in my sophomore year of high school saw how English was being taught. So I was curious to see how the topic is taught differently to different groups of people.

My questions about this topic would be, how available are these courses being made to immigrants? are they affordable? What subjects or topics are stressed most in these classes? How is ESL theory different from practice? Do Truman teachers use the theories and practices I have read about? What techniques work best for them? It would interest me to hear some stories about some students and how they might have learned best to? To what do students respond best to? Writing, speaking, or listening? Do ESL students learn differently because most are adults learning a language? And lastly how does the US citizen test correlate with ESL?

Sources…so far. My main source is the head of the language department
at Truman College and anyone who he can get to talk with me. I would love
to talk to some teachers and students. I have just contacted an ESL teacher at Truman and hope to set up an interview.
Secondary sources are: essays written by
Paul Kei Matsuda, like, “Composition Studies and ESL Writings: A
Disciplinary Division of Labor”
“Composition and the Courses in English for Foreign Students” by
William Marqaurdt
Teaching English as a Second or Foreign Language by Marianne Celce-Muarica

The Changing Role of ESL in Bilingual Education by Robert D. Milk
Teaching ESL: A Note against Authorities by Don K. Pierstorff

Teaching English as a Second Language and many more…

factness

Whom could I talk to who could provide me with information that has factness about this question?Factness: Well I would first have to make a list of all the qualified people whom I could engage in lively conversation. I would assume that a few professors, students, theorist, administrative people would work just fine, but I would like if possible to talk to a politician who signed on the bill cutting ESL funding to get his side of the matter. My first goal would be to read some essays written by people both knowledgeable and passionate about ESL. With my new found knowledge I could ask the right questions to the people who are currently active in either learning or teaching ESL. The students would have valuable factness because they’re the reason ESL exists and the ones effected by the law. Teachers could give me factness on their thoughts on if the program was working, if they’re better now and how this law has impacted their ability to teach. The administrators could give me fact and factness on the economical side of matters. What measures were taken before to give students finical aid, how has it changed and how much does an ESL course at a CCC cost? Also someone that might shed light on how this impacts the bigger picture, maybe even talk to a person who no longer can afford ESL courses and therefore can’t find work…that might be good. A politician could give me the factness on why cutting scholarship funding is a good idea and how he sees it effecting (or not effecting) the migrant community. I would like to round up all of theses factness facts and compile them together and then see who has the most factual factness. There I said it.

contract proposal rough draft

Stephen SwisherComp.410/28/07Project proposal My Project Proposal for ESL in Chicago’s City Colleges specificallyFocusing on Truman College. 1. This topic struck me because my father is a professor at Truman Collegeand he alerted me to the fact that in the last few years there has been adecrease in ESL enrollment, but not a decrease in overall enrollment of“foreigners” So I was interested in way this would be happening. To thebest of my knowledge the decrease in enrollment has to do with a new lawthat was passed that cut funding, loans or scholarships to students in ESLclasses. But like I said I don’t know the details, I will have toinvestigate. So my motivation for this class would be to understand whysomeone would cut funding for ESL classes and how they are being utilizedin classes, especially the writing aspect. Are students taught to fill outapplications, loans or other vital documents?2. My thoughts on this topic are: How can we live in a country where wecomplain about the migrants not speaking English and then cut funding forESL? I think we should have more programs in more places, maybe even free,I think we do but I would like to find more out about them. I don’t knowtoo much about this subject but I am interested and have some goodsources.3. I want to understand who should be responsible for migrants learningEnglish, the state and its schools or the individual? Also how and whatis being taught in regards to composition? What is the exact definition ofESL? How does the citizen test and ESL relate and are the compatible?4. Sources…so far. My main source is the head of the language departmentat Truman College and anyone who he can get to talk with me. I would loveto talk to some teachers and students.5. Secondary sources are: essays written by6. Paul Kei Matsuda, like, “Composition Studies and ESL Writings: ADisciplinary Division of Labor”7. “Composition and the Courses in English for Foreign Students” byWilliam Marqaurdt8. Teaching English as a Second Language and many more…I still have a lotof research to do.



Responce to Blog questions for Monday








When the general public considers the subject I’m working with, what are the issues, questions or concerns that they think are important to discuss? Do these questions and concerns differ from those of the scholarly discourse community?
The general public would like to know how accessible these ESL classes were before the passing of the law and how it changed. Also in regards to writing what are the requirements for the class, what are they taught? I would personally like to know what the curriculum looks like. I just thought of something in order to write a comprehensive report I would probably have to specify what level of ESL I would focus on. Would it be people who could barely speak? People who can speak but not compose? I don’t know either I will have to see where this project takes me. To get back on track, the questions the public might have would be concerning: Accessibility of ESL courses, importance on writing, how many levels there are between beginner and graduated, also the colleges responsibility of making sure students get the proper ESL courses, making sure they are affordable and provided and convenient times. For the most part I think the scholarly discourse community would ask the same or similar questions, but they might focus more on the actual ESL classes and on composition theories for second language students.In discussions of my subject, what are some of the status quo assumptions that appear to go unsaid but nonetheless seem almost universally believed? For example, if I am exploring how writing should be taught in high school, what do most people tend to believe about the kinds and amount of writing that high school students should do? What do people believe writing teachers should do to prepare students for the world beyond high school? How do people believe that teachers should respond to students’ writing?
The status quo for ESL students would be the need to learn enough English as to get by in America. This would include the ability to fill out government forms, applications and be able to understand bills. I assume that there is not much essay writing going on in theses classes, the focus is on work related courses. The teachers goals would be for their students to integrate into American society smoothly with the necessary tools.