Print resources for Adult English Language Learners
November 12, 2019 5:20 AM Subscribe
If you have experience with teaching/tutoring adult English Language Learners, which published resources do you consider to be essential? For the purpose of this question, I’m only looking for PRINT materials that deal with any/all aspects of English Language Learning for adults—day to day survival skills, workplace , health, etc. I’m looking for print resources that would be used by educators, as well as by students. Suggestions for materials for learners at all levels are welcome. Thanks!
This is secondhand from a family member who taught professional writing to learners who already had basic proficiency: newspapers are an accessible source of fresh material to expand familiarity and fluency. The conventional funnel format and 'five W's' of newspaper writing makes it well suited to learning. The context is established up front, characters are clearly introduced, events are related by narration or quotation and the concepts and information get increasingly specific as the article goes on. (Not unlike textbook exercises.) The idioms and figures of speech used in news-writing are commonplace and predictable, which is helpful in absorbing their usage.
Just the full Sunday NYT provides a lot of material about different aspects of living across the different sections. USA Today's writing is simpler. Local and regional papers may have more immediately relatable news and lifestyle content for learners, but especially on the smaller side may not be well enough edited to be used as an instructional text; and they tend to have a stronger political slant, often conservative and potentially xenophobic.
posted by snuffleupagus at 6:54 AM on November 12, 2019
Just the full Sunday NYT provides a lot of material about different aspects of living across the different sections. USA Today's writing is simpler. Local and regional papers may have more immediately relatable news and lifestyle content for learners, but especially on the smaller side may not be well enough edited to be used as an instructional text; and they tend to have a stronger political slant, often conservative and potentially xenophobic.
posted by snuffleupagus at 6:54 AM on November 12, 2019
For reading, my tutees like having questions that assess their understanding of the text they read. State assessments of English Language Arts are great for this, as questions are developed by professionals, and are therefore likely to be non-trivial. (I try to avoid the fiction pieces before about grade 8 reading level as they seem somewhat childish, however, I have found non-fiction to be applicable to low literacy levels.) You can Google “[State_Name] ELA assessment sample questions” to get released passages and questions. I have found that giving a a passage as "homework" and then going over the answers the following meeting is the most efficient use of our time.
For Reading:
- English for Everyone is a great resource
- K-12 reader
- E-reading worksheets
For grammar:
- All Things Grammar
- Perfect English Grammar (this one is British)
- Ventures Workbooks have been great with the putting information together and basic grammar aspect.
For vocabulary
Improving/Building/Advancing Vocabulary Skills series has been fantastically challenging, but very useful.
If I may take this opportunity share an observation – the tutees don’t know English. They are not stupid. I’ve been struggling with my organization’s push to teach “life / survival skills”, as sometimes that push seems to come from that “no-English == must not know how to read a map / must not realize they are sick and need a doctor / etc.” viewpoint. Please, please, please be careful with how you communicate non-language issues.
posted by Dotty at 10:43 AM on November 12, 2019 [1 favorite]
For Reading:
- English for Everyone is a great resource
- K-12 reader
- E-reading worksheets
For grammar:
- All Things Grammar
- Perfect English Grammar (this one is British)
- Ventures Workbooks have been great with the putting information together and basic grammar aspect.
For vocabulary
Improving/Building/Advancing Vocabulary Skills series has been fantastically challenging, but very useful.
If I may take this opportunity share an observation – the tutees don’t know English. They are not stupid. I’ve been struggling with my organization’s push to teach “life / survival skills”, as sometimes that push seems to come from that “no-English == must not know how to read a map / must not realize they are sick and need a doctor / etc.” viewpoint. Please, please, please be careful with how you communicate non-language issues.
posted by Dotty at 10:43 AM on November 12, 2019 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks for these suggestions, everyone.
And yes, recognizing that English Language Learners do possess life skills is incredibly important. They do often need assistance in acquiring the English vocabulary needed to function in environments where English is spoken, such as a hospital or medical office—which is of course very different than assuming they don’t know when they are sick/need medical care.
posted by bookmammal at 11:02 AM on November 12, 2019
And yes, recognizing that English Language Learners do possess life skills is incredibly important. They do often need assistance in acquiring the English vocabulary needed to function in environments where English is spoken, such as a hospital or medical office—which is of course very different than assuming they don’t know when they are sick/need medical care.
posted by bookmammal at 11:02 AM on November 12, 2019
Oxford Picture Dictionaries if you not already using those.
posted by book 'em dano at 12:25 PM on November 12, 2019 [1 favorite]
posted by book 'em dano at 12:25 PM on November 12, 2019 [1 favorite]
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posted by NotLost at 6:42 AM on November 12, 2019