Teaching remains an art, and excellence remains rare – especially in a bureaucratic age. The ancient Socratic methods and modern enlightenment ideals have increasingly fallen out of favor in American public schools – from elementary and middle school to high school and adult school.
The gap between the desires and needs of our students and the bureaucratic mandates of our local educational authorities grows wider with each day. For instance, my local school board just opened a new high school in Los Angeles that cost a mere $350 million dollars. That comes out to almost $200,000 per enrolled student – just for the building! The principal also boasted that the new building, Roybal Learning Center, was “graffiti-free”. Wow! Can you imagine that?
How did this happen?
“God made the idiot for practice. Then he made school boards.”
Mark Twain (1835-1910), American novelist and humorist
Unfortunately, Twain’s quip remains as relevant in the 21st century urban America as 19th century rural America.
Do English language learners, or English as a Second language students, learn better in sheltered programs? Should students receive some instruction in their native language – and if so, for how long? Are there clear differences to effectively write and speak fluently?
Teaching Language Learners: What the Research Does – and Does Not – Say , a 19- page article published in American Educator attempts to summarize current studies, detail the differences between studies, and introduce a more nuanced language to a very passionate debate. Claude Goldenberg, the author, writes in a clear, accessible style – and explains various bureaucratic jargon as he goes reviews the material. This article, written for American public education teachers in a union publication, deserves a large readership.
The article made numerous important points, including:
- a majority of ELL students are actually born in the United States (Why????);
- smaller class sizes matter;
- some intensive instruction in the primary language, for an unknown duration, helps improve target language abilities in writing;
- huge debate continues over best practices over duration and purpose of primary language instruction;
- teaching English language learners from countries with low literacy than teaching students who bring strong academic skills in their native language (shock, shock!)
- written skills remain far below national standards, especially in high school;
- oral skills often lack written skills in ESL/ELL students;
- students have difficulty moving from intermediate oral skills to achieving actual fluency;
- standard tests seldom test oral skills, leading to speaking skills being somewhat neglected in ESL/ELL classrooms.
Personally, I found the first two pages a bit annoying with its predictable complaints implying the impossibility of a second grader, particularly an ELL second grader, learning everything that is expected by state mandates. Yet when Goldenberg moved beyond the predictable “union” frame “our impossible job” and actually starting summarizing two major meta-studies of ELL practices,he provided a balanced, informative, and level-headed article filled with illuminating details.
As an adult educator, I also thought the article made a powerful argument for a huge expansion and deepening of adult education programs if a solid majority of ELL students are actually born in the United States. Why should millions of children born and raised in the United States be unable to speak English? If you believe that speaking English helps students live in the United States and language and culture are related, then this article provides a litany of troubling details about the state of ELL instruction and public education programs in general.
This sometimes ugly debate over language policy will probably heat up as McCain and Obama attempt to make distinctions in their immigration and education policies. Perhaps this article will help clarify the complicated issues that go beyond bumpersticker solutions.
“There’s only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that’s your own self… Every man who knows how to read has it in his power to magnify himself, to multiply the ways in which he exists, to make his life full, significant and interesting.” —Aldous Huxley
I found this quote after grading another pile of ESL papers. Somehow it spoke to me!
Why do you recommend using classic quotations in ESL classrooms?
“If a nation expects to be ignorant and free…it expects what never was and never will be.”Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), U.S. President and principal author of the Declaration of Independence
Classic quotations, like proverbs, brings in many insights from religious leaders and philosophers that go back even more than 2,000 years such as Buddha, Confucius, Aristotle, and the Biblical prophets in a compelling, succinct manner. These quotations remind us that some conversations have spanned centuries and cultures.
Further, you can pair two, three, and more quotations to present a wide range of ideas, beliefs, and perspectives. Some quotations might make you laugh, some might make you sigh, and a few might even annoy you.Yet bringing “the wisdom of the ages” into your English language classroom elevates the discussion. It can also encourage students to feel safer in presenting their idea.
This effective teaching technique helps ESL students both join the conversation, and add their own ideas. Our classrooms should be a lively place where students can explore ideas and experience free speech.
Including classic quotations also helps preserve the insights and comments of well-known and significant cultural figures. This technique helps both teachers and younger ESL and EL/Civics students escape the too-common delusion that the world began when we were born and provides a larger perspective. Sometimes knowing the speaker and historical era invites another way of looking at our modern lives.
Finally, a stunning number of both adult education and college students need to be introduced to significant artists, writers, leaders, and philosophers from the past. Academic literacy requires some degree of cultural and historical awareness. I always include the dates and identify the occupation of various figures to both introduce and gently cajole students into seeking out more information on significant cultural and historical figures.
Is adding the birth and death dates of authors really necessary? Perhaps not, but it certainly adds context. Plus, given the actual state of common knowledge among ESL students, including dates helps share the national story. After all, something is profoundly wrong with American education when a majority of American high school seniors in public schools can not name the war that occurred when Abraham Lincoln was president. I believe including quotations, in context, provides a small counter to this shocking level of historic amnesia.
I remain confident that our ESL students, especially adult immigrants seeking naturalization as U.S. citizens, will develop a solid grasp of our nation’s history. Throwing in a few quotations from historical figures can only help.
“Liberty can not be preserved without a general knowledge among the people.”John Adams (1735-1826),U.S. President and contributor to the Declaration of Independence
A good society helps its citizens flourish and visitors feel welcome.
A good society also invests in education, including teaching immigrants enough English that they can use their considerable intelligence, creativity, and skills in the workplace.
Unfortunately, low standards in public education have eroded support for government sponsored education programs. Worse, the few underfunded English as a Second Language programs usually provide only the most basic English skills. Students learn to listen and read at about 4th grade level, and speak like a child with a very limited vocabulary.
From my perspective as an English instructor and former adult ESL teacher, the current adult ESL standards too often only teach immigrants passive skills like listening and some minimum reading. English language programs, whether designed for vocational skills or general language, must include speaking and writing. If people can’t hold a conversation in English, their job prospects remain rather limited!
A frontpage article in today’s Los Angeles Times points out the obvious problem. America, or at least Los Angeles and California, have become dangerously dependent on foreign trained labor for many professions from nursing to engineering. Lack of Skilled Workers Will Lead to a Fiscal Crisis noted the headline that spoke for itself. The acute shortage has lead, as so often, to a lower of standards and more workplace problems.
When will the employers and voters decide to invest in real, serious, quality English languages for immigrants? And why are immigrants trained in English programs abroad so much stronger, better, and more effective than the adult ESL programs here? After all, immigrants have many more opportunities to speak English and learn outside of the classroom than students in Korea, Taiwan, Mexico, Argentina, or France.
Again, the case for dramatically expanding and raising the standards of our English as a Second Language programs seems clear.
Unfortunately, reason and government policy do not always co-exist in the United States! What about in your country?
