Return-Path: <nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id j9JL1SG04281; Wed, 19 Oct 2005 17:01:28 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 19 Oct 2005 17:01:28 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <8C7A307010A0A5B-FA0-1362@FWM-D40.sysops.aol.com> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: robinschwarz1@aol.com To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-ld@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-LD:4947] Fwd: [NIFL-ESL:11175] research on English Only instruction for beginning X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"; format=flowed X-Mailer: AOL WebMail 1.1.0.14204 Status: O Content-Length: 6022 Lines: 187 -----Original Message----- From: Robinschwarz1 To: nifl-esl@nifl.gov Sent: Tue, 18 Oct 2005 11:53:31 -0400 Subject: Re: [NIFL-ESL:11175] research on English Only instruction for beginning adult ESL students? Paul-- do you mean beginning as in no literacy at all plus no listening speaking skills, or beginning as in no English listening speaking skills ? These are two VERY DIFFERENT needs.....Robin Schwarz -----Original Message----- From: PAUL ROGERS <pwaynerogers@yahoo.com> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-esl@literacy.nifl.gov> Sent: Mon, 17 Oct 2005 16:48:02 -0400 (EDT) Subject: [NIFL-ESL:11175] research on English Only instruction for beginning adult ESL students? Does anyone know where I can find research on the use of English Only instruction (versus bilingual classes) for beginning adult ESL students? --- PAUL ROGERS <pwaynerogers@yahoo.com> wrote: > A few people have asked about how to use Pumarosa in > class - enclosed is an essay I have written. > > PUMAROSA.COM > INTRODUCTION > Pumarosa.com is a free, bilingual, phonetic, > interactive and "student centered" English as a > Second > Language (ESL) website for Spanish speaking > students, > usually adults. It also serves as an effective > introduction to the use of a computer because it is > easy to navigate. > Presently, the web site is divided into two > sections: Beginning and Intermediate. It contains > about 30 lessons, arranged step-by-step, from the > alphabet to lessons on all the verb tenses. > > WHY BILIGUAL AND PHONETIC? > Pumarosa is bilingual and phonetic for a > number > of reasons. > First, it is bilingual because adults in general > have > a more difficult time learning a foreign language > than > children or young adults. Therefore, a bilingual > approach is useful especially when certain concepts > need to be explained. > Secondly, English is a difficult language to > pronounce due to the fact that many sounds simply do > not exist in other languages. And adults, compared > to > children, have difficulty reproducing certain > English > sounds. > At the same time, if a student cannot easily > say > a certain word, it is likely that he or she will > also > have difficulty understanding that word when it is > spoken. > A phonetic approach addresses this problem and > acts as a facilitator in learning English and > therefore as a transition to English Only classes. > Also, and more importantly, when a student is > able to pronounce English with a certain degree of > ease, the student will feel more comfortable and > will > acquire more confidence. Conversely, not being able > to > pronounce a language can lead to feelings of > inadequacy. A confident student will learn more > quickly. > > HOW PUMAROSA WORKS > Let us follow a typical student, whom we will > call Maria. Maria enters the class or computer lab > where there are about 20 other students. She is > greeted by the instructor who leads her to her > computer. The instructor explains in Spanish what > Pumarosa is and how it works. Maria puts on the > headphones and begins clicking on the first lesson, > the alphabet, listening to the pronunciation of the > letters and usually repeating the letters out loud. > Maria's first class of about 90 minutes > consist > of her navigating a her own speed exploring the > various lessons and becoming accustomed to using the > mouse, etc. > At the end of this class, Maria is given a hard > copy of the lessons contained in the Beginning > section, plus an audio cassette or audio CD of most > of > those lessons. > On certain days, the instructor divides the > class into two gr0ups according to level, and > conduct > live classes in an adjacent room. In the live > classes, > the instructor reviews some of the Pumarosa lessons, > focusing on any problem areas, such as pronunciation > for Beginners and verb tenses for Intermediate > students. > After Maria has had an opportunity to study > most > of the lessons on Pumarosa, usually within 3 weeks, > the instructor gives her a CD with text lessons, > containing essays to read, quizzes, rhymes, etc. > The > quizzes also provide an opportunity for the student > to > begin to write in English. > > > FUTURE LESSONS > Future lessons of Pumarosa will include essays, > poetry and songs geared to the adult learner. One of > the most important elements of learning a language > is > reading. However, it is necessary to find material > to > read that is both interesting to an adult and at the > same time not too difficult, vis a vis vocabulary. > Songs, poetry and plays can serve this need. > > PUMAROSA AS A STANDARDIZED COURSE > Many adult ESL learners are also migrant workers. > And > many ESL classes often suffer because many students > do > not remain for the entire semester. If Pumarosa > became > part of the program in various states, > hypothetically > students can travel from San Diego to Seattle and be > able to continue their study of English in a > systematic way. > > PUMAROSA AS A TEACHER'S AIDE > Minimally, Pumarosa can act as an effective > teacher's aide, especially in a multi-level class, > with students who speak languages other than > Spanish. > As few as 3 computers in such a setting will help > create an interesting class. > > PUMAROSA AS A > DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAM > An expanded Pumarosa, accompanied by text > books, > text CDs, audio CDs and eventually video taped > lessons > could serve as a complete ESL distance learning > course > that can be integrated into already existing adult > education programs. > Paul Rogers-PMB 349-110 North Olive St. Suite E > Ventura, California, 93001, 805-403-9743 > > > > > > __________________________________ > Start your day with Yahoo! - Make it your home page! > > http://www.yahoo.com/r/hs > __________________________________ Yahoo! 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