“Beyond the Life
Boat: Improving Language, Citizenship, and Training Services for Immigrants
and Refugees”
by Heide Spruck Wrigley, Literacywork International.
This paper is a chapter in a forthcoming boo: Belzer (Ed.), Toward defining and
improving quality in adult basic education. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
“Real World Research:
Combining Qualitative and Quantitative Research for Adult ESL”
by Larry Condelli, American Institutes for Research,
Washington, DC, USA and Heide Spruck Wrigley, LiteracyWork, San Mateo, CA, USA.
Proceedings from the 2005 conference were compiled into a book that can be reviewed
and purchased through one of the following two websites: http://linguistlist.org/issues/17/17-2913.html
or http://lotos.library.uu.nl/index.html
Procedings from the 2006 conference were compiled into a book that can be purchased
by contacting Nancy Faux at Virginia Adult Learning Resource Center, Virginia Commonwealth
University. Please contact her by email at: nfaux@vcu.edu.
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Adult Literacy Research
in Ontario – This website provides access to bilingual (French
and English) research publications and to information that demystifies the process
of doing literacy research. Adult Literacy Research in Ontario connects to Ontario-based
adult literacy research. Like NALD,
this site links to national and international sites outside of Ontario, but only
to those sites relevant to research in adult literacy. (http://research.alphaplus.ca/)
ERIC –
The Education Resources Information
Center, a US-based, federally funded website, produces a database
of journal and non-journal education literature. The ERIC online system provides
the public with a centralized Web site for searching the bibliographic database
of more than 1.1 million citations going back to 1966. More than 107,000 full-text
non-journal documents (issued 1993-2004), previously available through fee-based
services only, are now available for free. (http://www.eric.ed.gov/)
Illiteracy Map of the World – Teachers and
others may find this illiteracy map of the world dated 1999 useful in presentations,
publications, and other print and interactive media and materials. For more information
and to request authorization to reprint visit: http://www.mapsofworld.com/thematic-maps/world-illiteracy-map.htm.
German language readers may search for maps through the Deutsch web portal: http://www.mapsofworld.com/deutsch.
LINCS –
the Literacy Information aNd
Communication System – is a US-based online
information and communications network for adult and family literacy and it contains
information regarding technologies in the context of literacy instruction and a
rich database of local, regional, and nationally developed materials. (http://www.nifl.gov/lincs)
MPI
– Migration Policy Institute
is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank based in Washington, DC dedicated
to the study of the movement of people worldwide. The organization's website houses
the Migration Information
Source, an online database that offers current and authoritative data on
international migration, as well as analysis from migration experts around the world.
(http://www.migrationpolicy.org/about;
http://www.migrationinformation.org/datahub)
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The following Web sites are listed in alphabetical order by country name. Additional
links to helpful literacy websites may be added. Please submit your website ideas
to one of the LESLLA members found on the Contact Us page.
Australia
ACAL
– The Australian Council for Adult
Literacy promotes adult literacy and numeracy policy and practice.
The Web site provides information and links to publications, state sites, other
links, and interactive live webpages for information exchange. (http://www.acal.edu.au)
ALNARC
-The Adult Literacy and Numeracy
Australian Research Consortium
represents a national collaboration between five university-based research centres.
Major features of consortium activity have been the development of a 'visible culture'
of research in Australian adult literacy and numeracy - including research conversations,
increased documentation of research projects, sponsoring practitioner researchers
to investigate their own practice, and collaboration with state literacy and numeracy
councils to foster debate about the links between research policy and provision.
(http://www.staff.vu.edu.au/alnarc/)
Indigenous
Learners and Language - The mission of this website is "improving
the educational outcomes of Indigenous students through a focus on the Aboriginal
English/ESL interface." The site offers information, publications, studies and research,
teaching resources and ideas, and other links. (http://www.tesol.org.au/esl/index.html)
NCELTR
- The National Centre for English
Language Teaching & Research
is the centre for English language at Macquarie University. The Resource Centre
offers bibliographies and research guides including a bibliography of resources
for teaching adult literacy. (http://www.nceltr.mq.edu.au/)
SAALT
- Suppoprting Adult & Applied
Learning & Teaching delivers professional development
and projects which support adult and applied learning and teaching. The site offers
professional development resources, information, readings, and additional links.
(http://www.saalt.com.au/links.html)
Canada
Centre for Canadian Language
Benchmarks - The Centre for Canadian Language Benchmarks is the
centre of expertise in support of the national standards in English and French for
describing, measuring and recognizing second language proficiency of adult immigrants
and prospective immigrants for living and working in Canada. (http://www.language.ca)
NALD - The
National Adult Literacy Database
Inc. is a Canadian-based, federally incorporated, non-profit service organization
that fills the need for a single-source, comprehensive, up-to-date and easily accessible
database of adult literacy programs, resources, services and activities across Canada.
It also links with other services and databases in North America and overseas. (http://www.nald.ca/)
International
UNESCO - Founded
in 1945, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is
today composed of 191 Member States. UNESCO deploys its action in the fields of
Education, Natural Sciences, Social and Human Sciences, Culture, Communication and
Information. Goal 4 of UNESCO is to Improve Adult Literacy by 50 Per Cent-this goal
calls for a certain level of improvement in adult literacy by 2015 - it says that
it should be 50 per cent better than it was in 2000. The needs of women should receive
particular attention. In addition, all adults should have opportunities to go on
learning throughout their lives. (www.unesco.org)
United Kingdom
National Association for
Teaching English and other Community Languages to Adults (NATECLA)
- NATECLA is the national forum and professional organization for ESOL practitioners
in the United Kingdom. Individual members work in colleges, adult education centers,
and in the community as teachers, managers, examiners and assessors, inspectors,
and teacher trainers. For over 26 years NATECLA has shared expertise and participated
in new developments in this specialized field. NATECLA holds an annual conference,
which has been an established event in the ESOL calendar for many years. (http://www.natecla.org.uk)
NIACE –
The National Institute for Adult
and Continuing Education is a non-governmental
organisation in the UK working for more and different adult learners. NIACE both
represents and advances the interests of all adult learners and potential learners
– especially those who have benefited least from education and training. (http://www.niace.org.uk/)
NRDC
– The National Research and Development
Centre for Adult Literacy and Numeracy is a national centre dedicated
to conducting research and development projects in the fields of adult literacy,
numeracy and ESOL. The UK-based NRDC is a consortium of partners, who are specialists
in the fields of literacy, numeracy and ESOL. (http://www.nrdc.org.uk/index.asp)
United States
CAELA –
The Center for Adult English
Language Acquisition was created to help states
within the US to build their capacity to promote English language learning and academic
achievement of adults learning English. This federally funded website provides an
ESL
resource database, which categorizes and annotates over fifty documents
of interest to teachers, administrators, students, and researchers interested in
adult ESL. When available, the database links directly to documents online. In addition,
the site provides a web page on statistics and data related to adult English language learners
and is currently developing a set of annotated links that deal specifically with
research in adult ESL and adult education. (http://www.cal.org/caela/)
Glossary
of Second and Primary Language Acquisition Terms –
This is a useful list of terms and definitions used by ESOL/ESL/ELL teachers, teacher
trainers, and researchers. (http://www.earthrenewal.org/secondlang.htm)
The Literacy List
– This website contains a large collection of free Adult Basic Education and
English language ELL/ESL/ESOL Web sites, electronic discussion lists (“listservs”),
and other Internet resources for adult basic skills learners, teachers, and tutors.
The resources have been suggested by adult literacy and ELL practitioners. (http://alri.org/literacylist.html)
MPI
– Migration Policy Institute
is an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit think tank based in Washington, DC dedicated
to the study of the movement of people worldwide. The organization's website houses
the Migration Information
Source, an online database that offers current and authoritative data on
international migration, as well as analysis from migration experts around the world.
(http://www.migrationpolicy.org/about;
http://www.migrationinformation.org/datahub)
NCSALL - The
National Center for the Study
of Adult Learning and Literacy
is a US-based, federally funded research and development center focused solely on
adult learning. NCSALL's efforts are dedicated to improving practice in educational
programs that serve adults with limited literacy and English language skills, and
those without a high school diploma. (http://ncsall.net)
Virginia Adult Learning Resource
Center (VALRC) – The VALRC provides adult
education and literacy resources, publications, and training for teachers of adults
in Virginia. (http://www.valrc.org/)
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ALE Wiki
– The Adult Literacy Education
Wiki was created in November 2004 for practitioners, researchers,
and learners to present and answer important questions in adult literacy education
practice. We hope it will help teachers, tutors, administrators and other practitioners
to easily find professional wisdom and research regarding specific practice questions.
We also hope researchers will share and discuss their findings here and learn about
key questions, experience and knowledge from the field. (http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/Main_Page)
What is a Wiki?
Inter-sections
? This blog discusses topics of migration, past and present, in all its
forms including refugees, diasporas, exile, return, temporary, labor, and tourists,
and related issues of identity and community organization. The blog is
a moderated forum for sharing ideas, impressions, commentaries, reactions, and announcements
from scholars alongside community voices. (http://intersections.wordpress.com/)
What is a blog?
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Systematic Training of Tutors and Teachers of Adult ESL Learners (2009) -
This interactive powerpoint presentation is a professional development resource
for tutors working with adult ESL learners without first language literacy skills.
The presentation briefly describes the ESL program; student backgrounds; best teaching
practices and learning activities. This presentation was given at the 2009 COABE
conference. http://www.coabe.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=proDev.
The Adult ESL Training Video Project - A major obstacle to affordable,
accessible ESL classes for adult immigrants is the shortage of well-trained ESL
teachers. The New Americans Horizon the Foundation has developed these videos to
enhance the development of ESL teachers, Teaching ESL to Adults: Classroom Approaches
in Action.
Illiteracy Map of the World - Teachers and others
may find this illiteracy map of the world dated 1999 useful in presentations, publications,
and other print and interactive media and materials. For more information and to
request authorization to reprint visit: http://www.mapsofworld.com/thematic-maps/world-illiteracy-map.htm.
German language readers may search for maps through the Deutsch web portal: http://www.mapsofworld.com/deutsch.
Bringing Literacy to Life: Issues and Options in Adult ESL Literacy
This book, authored by Heide Spruck Wrigley and Gloria J. A. Guth for the US Department
of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education, provides a combination of
background information, advice for teachers, and examples of good teaching. A blend
of theory and practice, this book is meant to help practitioners and programs make
informed decisions about teaching literacy in their own particular context. The
ten curriculum modules, written by teachers in the field, are meant to illustrate
some of the best practices that adult ESL literacy has to offer. You can also see
Heide?s teacher training videos illustrating teaching methods for LESLLA and other
ESL learners on You Tube. http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=literacywork&page=1
Language Issues: The Journal of NATECLA - The National
Association for Teaching English and Other Community Languages to Adults (NATECLA)
publishes this journal as a forum for ESOL professionals to share experience and
ideas. It explores the area between academic research and classroom practice, discussing
effective teaching, training and management of ESOL.
www.bordercivics.org
– English Literacy Civics is a site with a wealth of information and resources
for project-based learning in the communities of ESL and Literacy learners. Lesson
plans for projects are free to teachers.
www.youthliteracy.ca
– Promising practices and research results for teaching literacy skills to
youth at risk, based on a project funded by Literacy BC.
www.mcedservices.com
– Online and paper resources for the ESL Literacy classroom, health information
(reading a prescription, following medicine labels) in English and other languages.There
are also phonics stories that students can read online, print, and do follow up
activities on. The stories and information are also provided as listening activities.
www.jennyhorsman.com
– Jenny Horsman, author and explores the impact of violence on learning and
offers insight for instructors and learners.
www.learningandviolence.net
– A collaboration of research and classroom practices related to violence
and learning, initiated by Jenny Horsman. The site includes free printable instructional
activities and resources.
www.englishexpress.ca
– This is a site with online stories for literacy learners. Many of the stories
include audio tracks, so learners can listen as they read.
www.literacyservices.com
– Grass Roots Press – sells adult literacy learning and instructional
materials.
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FUNDING SOURCES
LESLLA welcomes ideas for inclusion of various international funding sources. Please
submit your information for consideration to any of the LESLLA members listed on
the Contact Us page.
CALL FOR PAPERS
LESLLA welcomes topics for the Call for Papers web page. Please submit your information
for consideration to any of the LESLLA members listed on the Contact
Us page.
