Teaching Learning :: VALBEC Presentation May 25 2012


 

Teaching learning: a practical workshop for teaching low L1 literacy ESL learners

Emelia Bishop and Chris Morris, Wyndham Community and Education Centre

 

The needs of low first language (L1) literacy ESL learners often differ from ESL learners with L1 literacy. ESL learners who could be considered pre-literate, non-literate or have had little formal schooling in their L1 present unique challenges to ESL teaching and learning strategies and practices. For these low L1 literacy ESL learners and for the teachers of these learners, ESL classes become as much about teaching how to learn as about teaching ESL. In this practical interactive workshop we aim to demonstrate how we planned and taught a unit of work 'Community Connections' that sought to meet the needs of low L1 literacy ESL learners. Opportunity will be provided for participants to discuss their own successful teaching and learning strategies. The workshop will be hands-on with many take-away resources that can be used in the classroom.

 

 

Units of Work Presented:

 

Emelia's ESL Unit of Work - 'School'

Chris's ESL Unit of Work - 'Us Karen'

 

Please click on the links above to view the units and the resources developed and used. Please feel free to distribute, copy, reproduce and use with your learners!

 

Workshop Discussions:

 

A participant collaboration. A table compiled from the participants contributions in the workshop on two areas of teaching and learning for low L1 literacy learners. Word document mind map of the table here - for all you visual peoples.

 

 

Learning Skills Student's Need- from map activity

Student's Learning Needs

Team work / Sharing

Understanding different learning styles                           

Encouragement Learning to learn
Calling out / inviting / asking questions Learning through games

Locating and matching visual clues 

- matching colours

Understanding different learning styles

Using prior knowledge

- shapes, jigsaw pieces, countries, colours

How to ask questions

Risk taking/ experiment

Guessing

Trial and error

Learning from each other

Visual skills     

- recognition of colours/ letters / shapes/ symbols/ picture

Learning from models
Turn taking Remembering instructions/ formal education
Tactile Learning the teacher's name
Reading / Scanning Getting to class on time
Engagement

Organisational skills

Listening Developing habits

 

A big thanks to all who attended the workshop.

Emelia and Chris.