Number 2 Fall 2011

Transcription

Number 2 Fall 2011

VOLUME 43 NUMBER 2
FALL 2011
CATESOL NEWS
What Does a Lobbyist Do … and How Does It Help CATESOL?
Historical Role of a Lobbyist
The earliest usage of the term “lobbying” in the
US dates to 1808, when the word was used in the annals of the 10th Congress. By 1829, the term “lobbyagent” was used in the New York State Capitol. This
term was ultimately shortened to “lobbyist,” and that
term has been used ever since as a means of defining
a person who works on behalf of a citizen or group to
By Jeff Frost
CATESOL Legislative Advocate
I
have been an education lobbyist for almost 25 years and have represented CATESOL before the State Legislature, State Board of Education, and Commission on Teacher Credentialing for 13 years. During this
time people have asked, “Exactly what is it that you do?” If people are still
asking that question perhaps it is time to explain my job to CATESOL’s
members.
Mark Your Calendars ...
October 15: San Diego Regional Looks Ahead
to Change, Transition, Innovation
ike that guy in the Super Bowl commercial who mistakenly thinks that he has sent
an email with “Reply to All” and then runs all
around town trying to undo what he has done,
I need to retract one thing that I wrote in the
Summer CATESOL News, but more on that later. First a reminder of what I wrote that was correct: San Diego will have its Regional CATESOL Conference 8 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday,
October 15, at the San Diego County Office of
Education. The conference
theme is “Creating the Future Now: Change, Transition, and Innovation.”
Those of you reading this
online, spend 30 seconds
enjoying the commercial I
mentioned above and wondering how you could use it
in your classroom in a futThacher
ure lesson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9xGw-SWej8. (Are we all
Continued on page 16
October 22: LA Regional
Just Around the Corner—
Register Today!
November 5: Northern
Regional to Showcase
Teaching and Research
By Jennifer Perez
LA Regional Conference Publicity Chair
By Betsy Gilliland
Northern Regional Conference Co-Chair
T
T
By Jim Brice
SD Regional Conference Publicity Chair
L
he 2011 LA Regional CATESOL Conference, “Bridges to Success: Pathways and
Transitions,” will be hosted by the NOCCCD
School of Continuing Education English-asa-Second Language Program on Saturday,
October 22, 2011. This one-day conference
will be held 9 a.m.-5 p.m. at Cypress College.
This exciting event will offer participants the
opportunity to learn about new methods in
teaching, advances in instructional technology, and information that is essential for both
he Capital Area Chapter of CATESOL and
the UC Davis Department of Linguistics are
pleased to be hosting the Northern Regional
Conference November 5 in Wellman Hall at UC
Davis. Under the theme “Showcasing Teaching and Research,” the conference will focus
on both practical teaching ideas and the research that CATESOL members and UC Davis
faculty and students are doing in the fields of
ESL, second language acquisition, education,
and writing. A strand of sessions throughout the
Continued on page 4
Cursive Handwriting:
Should It Be Taught in Schools?
By Cassandra Giesen
ICIG Coordinator
S
ome years ago, when I was still new to
teaching, I taught a high school freshman English class. A Shakespearean act
from Romeo and Juliet was the focus of our
discussion that day. As I stood at the whiteboard, I decided on a whim to write our discussion questions in cursive. Big mistake.
As my students filed into the classroom, I
was greeted with howls of protest. What was
I doing? Did I expect anyone to understand
the gibberish I had just written?
Also in this issue …
President’s Message........................2
Making Membership Easier..............2
CATESOL Advocacy......................3-5
Oakland 2012 Preview..................6-7
NNLEI Issues...................................8
Seeking Mentorship.........................8
Special Lessons Section.............9-12
Education Foundation Report .......13
In the Chapters.........................14-15
Nevada State of the State..............17
Aiding Reconcilation in Class.........20
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
W
riting this in midsummer, I wanted to take
this opportunity to provide you brief snapshots of what your CATESOL Board of Directors has been working on.
CATESOL’s annual
conference in Long Beach
was well received by 1,191
participants, including 368
presenters and 122 exhibitors and sponsors. Karen
Dennis, Pearl Alvarez,
Tony Arn, Staci Johnson,
and Tim Chavez led a great
committee of 42 volunteers
in preparing and executing
three packed days of great professional development to meet CATESOL’s number one goal
of supporting quality teacher preparation and
professional development. Our next annual
conference will be held in Oakland in April
2012. The planning committee has already met
several times and continues to plan an exciting
new conference format for 2012 under the direction of Judith O’Loughlin, Jayme AdelsonGoldstein, Lori Howard, Lynne Nicodemus, and
Paige Endo and their growing committee. You
are welcome to volunteer and assist.
The CATESOL Board of Directors continues to realize that budget constraints are a way
CATESOL NEWS
of life and to seek cost-effective approaches to
all our activities without sacrificing quality. As
a result, our usual face-to-face meetings are being replaced by online virtual meetings. We will
be meeting online throughout the coming year
via an Adobe Connect meeting room sponsored
by the Outreach and Technical Assistance Network (OTAN). On the plus side, this means that
we won’t have transportation costs associated
with our board meetings and we can invite all
of our chapter coordinators and interest group
coordinators to join us. We had a productive
meeting in late June with great discussions during our breakout sessions and look forward to
more throughout the year ahead. If you have a
topic for the board to discuss, please mention it
to your chapter, your regional conference chair,
your interest group, or your level. Your CATESOL Board is here for you. Feel free to contact
us through your Listserv group or our capable
general manager, Don Sillings, at catesol@
catesol.org.
The exciting news about this publication,
our CATESOL News, is that we are now online
accessible. We are going “green” by making the
publication available at our website through a
members-only password. Your board has been
discussing this for about a year and we finally
made that decision when we looked at the price
FROM YOUR GM
(ISSN 1070-387X) is a publication of
CATESOL, a professional association
for those concerned with the teaching of
English as a second language or dialect
and with bilingual education.
Making Membership Easier:
All rights revert to the author upon
publication as long as CATESOL News is
credited when the work is published in the
future, in print, online, on CDs or DVDs, or
other electronic means.
G
The current issue of CATESOL News
is available through membership only.
CATESOL News is published four times
annually, in spring, summer, fall, and
winter by:
The California Teachers of English
to Speakers of Other Languages
P.O. Box 9200-338
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
www.catesol.org
DEADLINE FOR WINTER 2011 ISSUE:
NOVEMBER 15, 2011
Send copy and photographs to:
CATESOL News,
[email protected]
INQUIRIES ABOUT MEMBERSHIP OR
PROBLEMS
SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO:
CATESOL General Manager
(559) 366-4936 • [email protected]
EDITING and PAGE LAYOUT:
KAREN BLESKE
2 • CATESOL NEWS • FALL 2011
CATESOL Now Offers
Installment Payment Plan
reetings from the
Central Office. A major duty of the general
manager is to maintain
membership records and
remind members when it’s
time to renew. Unfortunately, despite all our best
efforts, our CATESOL
membership count has
declined steadily through
the past couple of years to the current level of
1,800 members. Most of the decline can be attributed to the economic situation in California
and Nevada that has led to severe reductions or
elimination of teaching positions and programs,
which makes it more difficult for our colleagues
to join or to remain in CATESOL.
Ironically, it is at times such as these that
membership in CATESOL becomes extra important, as CATESOL seeks to educate the public and legislators about the impact that their
budget decisions have on society, now and in
of publication and our current cash flow. It’s a
decision that resonates within many households
today as adult schools, colleges, and universities are struggling through the California and
Nevada state budget negotiations.
More professional-development opportunities are coming your way. Our regional
conference committees are in high gear planning for the three upcoming conferences in San
Diego, Cypress (LA), and Davis (Northern).
Chapters are also planning throughout the summer for fall events. In addition to conferences
and local workshops, CATESOL is now beginning to offer online webinars for members. Be
sure to invite an ELL, ESL, or EFL colleague
to join you as you explore these opportunities
for new ideas for your classrooms and schools.
Look for more information here in the News or
on our website under “Conferences.”
Enjoy your summer and take a bit of time
to plan for your classes. Look at the middle Lessons Section for new lesson ideas sponsored by
the CATESOL Education Foundation here in
the News. Connecting and networking with colleagues is the best way to strengthen and support your own professional development. Reach
out and share.
Margaret Teske
EDITOR’S NOTE
I
hope you enjoy this issue of the CATESOL
News, which is now going “green” in full
color, no less. As always, it’s just packed
with news of events, past and forthcoming, and a section devoted to CATESOL’s
advocacy work, along with the work of the
Education Foundation
and stories from and
lessons for the classroom. Please do keep
sending in your best
lessons to share with
your fellow members.
If you have artwork to
go with your lessons
and articles, all the
better. Please send any
artwork as a separate jpeg attachment. The
ideal length for articles is no more than 800
words. Shorter is fine too. The deadline for
the Winter issue is November 15, 2011. I
look forward to hearing from you.
Karen Bleske
For the Record
In the Summer issue, the book discussed
at the ICIG conference presentation was misidentified. The title of Guy Deutscher’s book is
Through the Language Glass: Why the World
Looks Different in Other Languages.
CATESOL ADVOCACY
TESOL Advocacy Day: Targeting ESEA Reauthorization
By Judith B. O’Loughlin
R
ecently I joined more than 40 other TESOL
members representing more than 25 U.S.based affiliates in Washington, DC, for TESOL
Advocacy Day 2011, held June 6-7. This year
was the sixth consecutive year for TESOL Advocacy Day, and it featured a new format, along
with an opportunity for any TESOL member,
not only affiliate representatives, to participate.
The event was expanded to feature a full day
of issue briefings and activities around education legislation and advocacy, followed by a full
day of visits to Congressional offices on Capitol
Hill. The goals of Advocacy Day were not only
to lobby on key issues for TESOL and my affiliate, CATESOL, but also to provide an interactive learning experience for affiliate representatives on elements of advocacy. By the end of the
event, TESOL members had visited the offices
of more than 100 representatives and senators!
Responding to recent action in Congress
and from the White House, TESOL Advocacy
Day 2011 was focused on the reauthorization of
the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
(ESEA), now revised as No Child Left Behind
(NCLB). To maximize the impact of TESOL
Advocacy Day, key members of Congress serving on the education and appropriations committees in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives were identified for meetings. This year, I
met with staff from the offices of representatives
from the following districts, all involved in the
Education and Workforce Committee, including
Duncan Hunter (R-52nd District), George Miller (D-7th District), and Lynn Woolsey (D-6th
District). I also met with staff from the offices
of Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein
to discuss TESOL’s recommendations for ESEA
reauthorization and the impact of the current law
upon English language learners in California. I
also provided Nancy Pelosi (D-8th District and
House Minority Leader) with information about
TESOL and TESOL policy statements.
To fully prepare for Advocacy Day, each
affiliate representative and TESOL attendee
was required to do several things in advance.
For example, I had to set up individual meetings
with Congressional representatives. To assist
with this, TESOL provided me directions and
guidance, as well as the list of specific representatives and senators to contact. This required
persistence. I first sent emails and got only a few
responses, suggesting I contact the particular
congressman’s scheduler, which I did. In some
cases, that also produced no response. I finally
tried both a combination of phone calls and
follow-up emails to each of the congressmen
on the Education and Workforce Committee
and was finally able to schedule my meetings.
It wasn’t that any scheduler was unavailable
or unapproachable; they were just all so busy
Advocacy Day 2011 drew more than 40 participants. Judy O’Loughlin appears in the bottom row, last
on the right.
“Although I had often written to my
senators and representatives about English
learner needs, I felt rather nervous
about speaking face-to-face,” explained
Judy O’Loughlin from California. “But
once I started to talk to each of these
Congressional and Senate aides about my
own personal experiences and those of
colleagues throughout the country, I spoke
from my heart and they listened! It was
really amazing!”
(From TESOL Connections, July 2011,
“TESOL Advocacy Day: A Great Success,”
by John Segota,
http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/tc/index.asp)
scheduling meetings with many other organizations and individuals. It amazed me, that while
I waited to meet with Senator Feinstein’s legislative aide, that it took three receptionists to
answer the phone calls, which did not stop in
the 10 minutes I waited. Another surprise was
a phone call from Senator Boxer’s scheduler to
personally set up a meeting with Senator Boxer’s legislative aide, Patrick Scandling.
Scheduling also involved figuring out how
to pace my meetings so that I was able to walk
from one office building to the next to arrive at
least 10-15 minutes early for my appointments.
My biggest fears were getting lost, even with my
map, how to use the Metro to my best advantage
going from one building to the next, and actually finding the congressperson’s office within
each building. Each of the legislative aides was
so helpful with scheduling, helping me work out
a reasonable plan for the day, providing me with
suggestions about how to get from one place to
another easily, and, in one case, Rep. Jerry McNerney’s legislative aide (Teresa Frison) pro-
vided me with an official business visitors pass
to ride on the Senate subway so that I could be
on time for my meeting with Senator Feinstein’s
legislative aide (Christine Epres) in the Hart
Senate Office Building.
I was sent talking points and background
information on ESEA reauthorization so that I
could begin to familiarize myself with the issues. I filled a three-inch binder with this information and read voraciously in preparation.
When I arrived at the full-day briefing meeting,
I was given another binder with even more information! I was also given a spiral book titled
Congress at Your Fingertips: Standard Version,
which contained information on every senator
and representative in the US, the committees
each served on, and the location of his/her office, and maps of the Capitol and Metro system.
To help make their Congressional meetings more effective, during our first day’s meeting we were also encouraged to find examples
from our own programs, teaching experiences,
work with English language learners, classroom teachers, and administrators to illustrate
the talking points. Having taught both K-8 ESL
and grades 2-4 special education mathematics
(a group with a few of my ELLs), I planned to
focus on the concerns about teacher evaluation
based on student performance alone. I planned
to describe my personal journey working with
both of these populations, and the concerns of
many of my colleagues in every state and how
this would affect my own evaluation should I be
solely judged on student performance. In most
of my meetings I was asked what would TESOL
suggest, what would I suggest, and what would
be most appropriate for teacher evaluation.
Most of my colleagues planned to point to multiple measures of teacher evaluation, recognition of strengths before looking for weaknesses,
and ongoing support for teacher improvement
CATESOL NEWS • FALL 2011 • 3
CATESOL ADVOCACY
What Does a Lobbyist Do?
Continued from page 1
influence government actions. I have represented client groups for more
than 25 years in the State Capitol of California and would simplify the actions of a governmental lobbyist as someone who acts as a “tour guide” on
behalf of his or her client. The jobs are similar. If you take your family to
Europe for a vacation, you can do all the research on where to stay, what
to eat, and what to see. You can also make a stab at communicating with
the locals. However, if you have limited time to prepare or focus on these
tasks, you might find it prudent to hire a tour guide to help you navigate in
the most efficient and enjoyable manner.
While this analogy is not perfect for what a lobbyist does for a client,
it is quite similar. Lobbyists know the members of the legislature, governmental agencies, and the Governor’s Office. They are familiar with the
all the key staff, the customs of the legislature, and the rules of how a bill
moves through the legislature. Lobbyists are also knowledgeable about
how to draft bills and how to find legislators who are willing to author a
specific type of bill. These are all things that a client could do but clearly
does not have the time to learn. This is my job on behalf of CATESOL.
Lobbying Role With CATESOL
As CATESOL’s advocate, I focus on an array of issues and priorities.
I monitor all education legislation to determine the impact a bill will have
on ESL teachers and EL students. When it is appropriate, I work with the
two socio-political coordinators and the board to support or oppose specific bills. At times, the organization will sponsor a bill that has significant
policy importance. This year CATESOL is a cosponsor of AB 124 (Fuentes), which will require a complete overhaul of the English Language Development Standards. For all bills on which CATESOL takes positions, I
provide testimony before legislative hearings and meet with both legislators and staff on behalf of CATESOL to make sure they are aware of our
priority issues and the importance of a particular bill. Involvement with
this bill will expand awareness of CATESOL and create new opportunities
for us to affect other education-policy areas in the future.
I also monitor the state budget process and support funding in areas that are a priority for CATESOL. In previous years, this has included
opposing the “maximum categorical flexibility” proposal that was a part
of the 2008-2009 budget. This policy change was a very significant issue for the Adult Education Level members of CATESOL. I also work
with all levels of CATESOL to make sure that the level chairs are aware
of the impacts of the budget on their levels. In areas in which there are
significant consequences for CATESOL members, I work with the sociopolitical coordinators and the board to establish outreach opportunities
with other state-level organizations that have similar interests. Finally, this
outreach and the contacts with other state-level organizations and leaders
help CATESOL implement strategies for counteracting policies such as
maximum flexibility.
Opening Doors and Creating Opportunities
While the activities related to legislation and the budget are important, they are not the only tasks I handle for CATESOL. Just as in the
analogy of the “tour guide,” I have gained access to key policymakers in
the legislature, Governor’s Office, and state administrative agencies. In
this capacity I serve as the messenger from CATESOL on key ESL issues.
Here are some examples:
ESOL Credential. In 2007, CATESOL determined that it wanted to
pursue a proactive effort to establish a secondary credential for English as
a Second or Other Language (ESOL). The organization drafted a position
paper that was designed to provide a policy road map for the Commission
on Teacher Credentialing (CTC). Based on this paper, I was able to meet
Photo by Anthony Halderman
CATESOL lobbyist Jeff Frost works closely with Socio-Political
Coordinators Lisa Ireland (center) and Bette Empol.
with key staff members and to set up a meeting between CATESOL leaders and key CTC staff members, which ultimately led to the Commission’s
developing an advisory committee to make recommendations on an array
of issues related to ESL teaching in the secondary level. In 2009, the CTC
approved a set of policies that implement much of the original CATESOL
position paper.
ELA Frameworks. I testified before the State Board of Education
(SBE) and negotiated behind the scenes on the board’s policy on how
English language learners were addressed in the new English Language
Arts frameworks. The development of this policy was quite contentious
and did not end as well as CATESOL would have liked, but I was able
to ensure that the organization was at the negotiating table and that our
policy priorities were addressed and understood.
Input to the Common Core Standards. In 2010, the State Legislature and the SBE were providing input into the draft of the Common Core
Standards (CCS) that were being developed by the National Governors’
Conference. CATESOL believed that the CCS did not adequately address
the needs of English language learners. CATESOL developed a set of recommendations for changes to the CCS and sent those to legislative leaders
and to the superintendent of public instruction, who was a participant in
the drafting of the standards. This effort, while not ultimately successful
in gaining significant changes to the CCS, did serve as a way to share our
policy concerns with the SPI, the members of the state board, and key
policymakers in the legislature. This work also proved to be very helpful
as the state board addressed the Common Core Standards issue once more
in early 2011.
Race to the Top Legislation. In 2009, the legislature and SBE
worked diligently on its grant for Race to the Top (RTTT) funding. This
effort resulted in two new bills being passed and signed into law in a very
short time. Two of the key issues addressed were on the way student test
data should be collected and how it should be used in the evaluation of
teachers. CATESOL strongly opposed any effort to make student test data
the sole, or even the most significant, component of the evaluation process. The organization believed that any legitimate evaluation process for
teachers or principals must include an array of factors, including student
demographics, the academic status of the school, classroom evaluation
of each teacher, the availability of local resources, including instructional materials, and student and teacher support. To be legitimate, teacher
evaluation must be a comprehensive process in which student test data is
used as one component of a long-term analytic review of student progress.
CATESOL communicated directly, through our advocacy efforts, with
the author of this bill, legislative leaders, and other statewide organizations, including the California Teachers Association. These efforts paid
off when the final version of the bill included the need for student test data
Continued on page 5
CATESOL ADVOCACY
Legislature Directs Attention to English Language Learners in 2011
By Jeff Frost
CATESOL Legislative Advocate
W
hile the 2011 legislative session has been
dominated by efforts to balance the state’s
$26 billion budget gap, there has also been an effort by key legislators to craft solutions that will
address the needs of English language learners
in our schools. In talking to legislators and education policy staff I find a real sense of optimism
that with a new governor there is a real chance
for success in some policy areas that been closed
in earlier years.
Part of this optimism is directly related to
the election of Governor Jerry Brown. Brown returned to Sacramento after a more than 30-year
absence. During his time between gubernatorial
shifts, Governor Brown has focused a great deal
of attention on education. As mayor of the city of
Oakland he was very active in efforts to reform
the Oakland USD and has opened and helped
to fund two charter schools in Oakland. In one
of his first moves as governor this year, he appointed Dr. Michael Kirst, the renowned education professor emeritus from Stanford, as his
primary education advisor and as the president
of the State Board of Education.
With this sense of optimism, several bills
have been introduced that, if passed and signed
into law, will have a significant impact on K-12
education in general and on ELLs in particular.
The bills below have been supported by CATESOL and active advocacy for them is taking
place in the state capitol. CATESOL is also cooperating, wherever possible, with other groups
such as the California Teachers Association, the
Association of School Administrators, and the
Californians Together Coalition. We are also
meeting with newly elected members and educating them on the need to improve educational
options for English language learners.
The key bills include:
AB 124 (Fuentes)—Academic Content:
English Language Advisory Committee
This bill establishes an English Language
Development Standards Advisory Committee
for the purpose of ensuring high-quality instruction for English language learners as the state
implements the academic content standards in
English language arts. Additionally, the bill requires the committee to update, revise, and align
the English language development standards
adopted pursuant to existing law to the state
board-approved academic content standards for
English language arts.
exempts a person who has attended, for three or
more years, at least one of which shall have been
in a high school, and graduated from a secondary school from paying nonresident tuition at
the state community colleges and the California
State University. A companion bill, AB 131, still
in the Senate, also provides that people attending and graduating from technical schools and
adult schools, as well as high schools, would be
included within the scope of this provision.
AB 189 (Eng)—Education Funding for
Categorical Programs; Adult Education
This bill will ensure that all funds for adult
education and several other programs in Tier III
of categorical flexibility are given greater protection from being eliminated. The bill would
require that should a local school district governing board consider an action to close a specific
categorical program, including adult education,
that it would have to call a special public hearing
to discuss and vote on the specific action.
AB 250 (Brownley)—
Instructional Materials
This bill deletes the submission schedule
for specified instruction materials and sets a new
schedule for the adoption of revised curriculum
frameworks and evaluation criteria by the board
for mathematics and English language arts to accommodate the adoption of the Common Core
Standards. Additionally, the bill requires the Instructional Materials Commission to establish
directions to publishers to align all lessons, as
appropriate, with English Language Development Standards and incorporate strategies to address the needs of EL students.
AB 532 (V. Perez)—Public School
Accountability Act
This bill amends the Public Schools Accountability Act by requiring pupil assessments
to be valid, reliable, and comparable assessments
for pupils who are limited-English-proficient
and for pupils with developmental disabilities.
The bill also requires the results of the primary
language assessment to be used in any measure
or results reported for the state’s assessment system or in any successor system.
AB 815 (Brownley)—Seal of Biliteracy
This bill would establish the State Seal of
Biliteracy to recognize high school graduates
who have attained a high level of proficiency in
speaking, reading, and writing in one or more
languages in addition to English.
AB 130 (Cedillo)—Student Financial Aid: SB 753 (Padilla)—CELTD Testing Reform
Eligibility: Dream Act of 2011
This bill would require the California EngThe governor has signed AB 130, the Cali- lish Language Development Test (CELDT) to be
fornia Dream Act of 2011. Specifically, the bill conducted during a three-month test period com-
mencing with the day after 65% of the school
year has been met. The bill would also require
the CDE to provide the score a pupil achieves to
the parent or guardian of the pupil in English and
in the language reported on the home language
survey, if possible, and with the scoring information delivered with terminology the parent can
understand.
As the legislative session moves forward
our support for these bills will create other opportunities for CATESOL’s lobbyists to advocate for ELL students and to send the message
that ESL teachers need additional resources,
including professional development and textbooks that are fully aligned to improved ELD
standards. With new leadership in Sacramento,
there is confidence that progress will be made. It
is an exciting time. We urge all CATESOL members to contact their local legislators in support
of these important bills.
Lobbyist
to be collected but was very limited in how that
data would or could be used in the evaluation of
teachers.
Final Comments on a Lobbyist’s Work
While a tour guide can work as hard as possible to provide an enjoyable trip, the success of
that trip is also dependent on the client. It has
been a pleasure and an honor to represent CATESOL and its members for more than 12 years. A
lobbyist can be only as successful as the client
will allow. The membership of CATESOL has
a vast knowledge of how to provide services to
EL students and how to best prepare teachers to
work with EL students. This knowledge comes
from both a practical classroom-based perspective and from a research perspective. It is this
knowledge and understanding that I try to share
every day with members of the legislature, the
Governor’s Office, and the administrative agencies that have an impact on public education.
Clients also need to know when and where
to best use their advocates. In this regard, it is
very helpful to have knowledgeable and hardworking socio-political coordinators and a board
that represents the full breadth of CATESOL
interests. Working cooperatively, we are able to
develop strategies and priorities that allow the
organization to be successful and make a real
difference in the lives of teachers and students.
My job is to be creative, work to find alliances,
openings, and political and policy opportunities.
Being able to represent CATESOL makes that
job easier than most.
CATESOL 2012 OAKLAND:
Pre-Conference Institutes
Thursday, April 12, 2012, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.
PCIs give conference attendees a chance to
learn and collaborate with presenters on handson workshops of various topics, levels, and
interest groups. Here are a few of the confirmed
presenters:
•• Marsha Chan, Pronunciation
•• Mark Roberge, Generation 1.5 Writing
Issues
•• Laurel Pollard, Multi-Level Instruction
•• Dorothy Zemach, Intensive and Extensive
Reading
Separate conference registration is required. See
the pre-conference handbook.
CATESOL 2012
42nd Annual State Conference
April 12-15, 2012
Oakland Convention Center &
Marriott City Center Hotel
Oakland, California
Oakland, also known as the bright side of the bay, has much to offer
in sightseeing and attractions. Our conference will be held at the Convention Center and Marriott City Center Hotel in the heart of downtown, so
you will be within walking distance of many shops, restaurants, and the
BART public transit system.
A few attractions not to be missed are the scenic and beautiful Lake
Merritt, which has a three-mile walking path around the lake as well
as boat rentals and gondola rides, and the famous Jack London Square,
which offers breathtaking views of the San Francisco skyline and exquisite dining options. Explore Oakland and see its true beauty!
The call for proposals for the CATESOL 2012 state conference,
Deeply Rooted, Always Growing (April 12-15, 2012), is now available on
the CATESOL webpage.
Look under the CATESOL conference tab for the link. As in years
Continued on page 7
www.catesol.org/annualconference
By Shannon Woodworth
CATESOL 2012 Publicity Coordinator
W
hat better place to explore the deep roots of our love for language
and culture than the ever-diverse and bustling city of Oakland, California? If you are a local resident of Northern California or are looking for
a chance to visit the Bay Area, you will find much on offer at the 42nd annual statewide CATESOL conference April 12-15, 2012. Our many conference teams, led by CATESOL devotee Judith B. O’Loughlin, are hard
at work to create an eclectic and momentous event for our local and international TESOL community. We would be honored to have your presence
as an attendee, presenter, or volunteer. Your support not only contributes
to but also builds our language learning and teaching community for future generations to come. Please mark the date on your calendars and visit
our website frequently as next year’s program begins to develop. Here are
a few highlights of the events to come.
Paramount Theater and Oakland City Center
Photos courtesy of OCVB
DEEPLY ROOTED, ALWAYS GROWING
Sunday Workshops
Sunday, April 15, 2012, 9 a.m. to noon
Free with conference registration
Always a popular part of the
CATESOL conference and an exciting
opportunity for conference goers;
attend a half-day, hands-on, practical
session open to anyone who has
registered for the full conference.
Gena Bennet, teacher educator at
Cornerstone University; EAP instructor
at George Washington University,
and author of Using Corpora in the
Language Learning Classroom
Workshop title: An introduction to
developing corpus-based materials
and activities
Target audience: all levels, all contexts
Dana Ferris, professor and associate
director for Lower-Division Writing at
UC Davis, author of Treatment of Error
in Second Language Student Writing
and Response to Student Writing
(among many other texts)
Workshop title: Teaching grammar in
the writing classroom
Target audience: secondary-C/U
educators, teacher educators
Keith Folse, associate professor of
TESOL at the University of Central
Florida and author of more than 50
ESL-related texts, including Vocabulary
Myths: Applying Second Language
Research to Classroom Teaching
and the Oxford American Dictionary
Vocabulary Builder
Workshop title: Selecting, explaining,
practicing, and testing vocabulary
Steven Brown, professor of English
and ESL coordinator at Youngstown
State University and author of
Teaching Listening, Active Listening,
and Listening Myths: Applying Second
Language Research to Classroom
Teaching
Workshop title: Best practices for
teachers of ESL listening
to meet face-to-face to share ideas, refine skills,
past, all proposals are submitted electronically and seek out the best ways to serve our learners.
Please consider submitting a proposal! For
and the due date for the proposals is Monday,
questions
on proposals or the submission proNovember 14, by 11:59 p.m. PST.
cess,
please
contact Lori Howard and Jayme
Presenters have the option to give a research-based or practice-based session, a post- Adelson-Goldstein at catesol2012submissions@
er session, a workshop, or a panel. Panels and gmail.com.
workshops run 90 minutes, and poster sessions
are 60 minutes. The research-based and practicebased sessions are also one hour long; however,
this year presenters may choose to do a “paired”
session, presenting for half the session on one
topic with another presenter taking the other half
of the session to present on a related topic. This
is an excellent option for first-time presenters,
researchers, or those who would like to demonstrate a single game or activity.
The three and a half days of our CATESOL
conference provide an opportunity for us, as
Photo courtesy of OCVB
members of a statewide community of practice, Gondola on Lake Merritt
Reflections on Award-Winning Research, Conference Participation
By Chris Van Booven
Editor’s Note: As part of the Adult Level rap
session at Long Beach 2011, Chris Van Booven,
Graduate Student Research Award winner and
an MA TESOL student at the University of Southern California, presented his study on adult twoway bilingual immersion. Chris’s thoughts on
participating in the conference and a summary
of his research follow.
I
t was a tremendous honor to be named the winner of this year’s CATESOL Graduate Student
Research Contest. After dedicating months to
my research project, “A case for the adult twoway bilingual immersion,” I felt truly gratified
to have earned the recognition of my peers and
mentors in my field. Through my work with the
“I HABLO U” Spanish and English language
program in Los Angeles, I have come to believe
very much in the adult TWBI model, and it was
very rewarding to find that other TESOL professionals could also see its promise.
The personal highlight for me was surely
the college-university level rap session, for
which I was asked to prepare a short presentation to explain the fundamentals of my study. I
was delighted to have the opportunity to share
my work with fellow researchers and practitioners. Their feedback was thoughtful and very
encouraging. Several echoed my sentiments
regarding the advantages (and disadvantages)
of adult TWBI, others offered suggestions to
strengthen the experimental design, and still others expressed interest in adapting the program
design to other contexts.
Hearing such a diverse range of perspectives gave me a great deal of valuable insights
into aspects of my study that I had not consid-
ered, and when I approach this or similar themes
in future projects I will make certain that I take
into account the many lessons that I learned at
the conference.
I investigated two-way bilingual immersion (TWBI) as a potentially viable pedagogical
model for adult language learners. In the absence
of existing research on adult TWBI, I conducted a brief review of the literature on TWBI at
the K-6 level to consider what lessons could be
learned and applied to adult TWBI programs.
Key issues in adult second and foreign language
education were examined to create a profile of
predictable learning characteristics for the learners in adult TWBI programs. Based on the implications of the literature review, I developed
an exploratory study for a nonformal, community-based adult TWBI program in Los Angeles
known as I HABLO U. The results of the study
suggest that while adult TWBI shares many of
the learner and administrative challenges documented in K-6 TWBI programs, adult learners
in TWBI programs contend with a unique set
of problems and also enjoy a number of advantages that K-6 learners may not experience. The
educational disparities and motivational differences between the English learners and Spanish
learners in I HABLO U occasionally resulted in
inequitable learning opportunities; however, the
symbiotic relationship that developed between
the English learners and Spanish learners created a “safe” and power-free learning environment
that ultimately increased affect for learners of
both language groups. The novel data presented
in this study—and particularly this last phenomenon—suggest that further studies are needed
to better understand how adult TWBI programs
such as I HABLO U fit into the larger body of
research on TWBI.
INTEREST GROUPS
Catching Up With NNLEI Issues
By Li-Fen Lin
NNLEI-IG Coordinator 2010-2012
T
he CATESOL Annual Conference is the biggest educational event in a
year for the CATESOL organization. April’s conference in Long Beach
was again an inspiring and informative experience. As one of the missions
of our NNLEI interest group is to encourage research, publishing, and
presenting on issues related to non-native English language educators and
teachers in preparation in California and Nevada, I was pleased that in addition to the NNLEI-IG featured session, several concurrent sessions also
addressed non-native teacher issues. Here are the highlights.
The Non-Native Language Educators’ Issues Interest Group’s featured session was “Non-Native Language Educators in Hiring Practices:
How to Succeed, Fit In, and Create Our Own Space.” The presentation
was given by Li-Fen Lin, current NNLEI-IG coordinator, Professor Kathi
Bailey of Monterey Institute of International Studies, and Hee Jin Kim
of CSU, San Marcos. The presentation covered issues of covert discrimination when NNESTs apply for positions in our field. Professor Bailey,
president of TIRF, The International Research Foundation for English
Language Education, also talked about research on NNESTs sponsored by
TIRF. She shared why TIRF chose this topic as one of its funding priorities. I was delighted that we had in our audience not only NNESTs but also
NESTs and professors in TESOL programs. The audience and presenters
had a very interesting discussion on NNESTs in hiring practices.
On the same day, Susan Yang and Mike Malley from Azusa Pacific
University presented a paper titled “Exploring New Possibilities in Teaching English Pronunciation by NNESTs.” They argued that NNESTs can be
better qualified for teaching pronunciation in EFL contexts. Scott Phillabaum and Stefan Frazier from San José State University presented their
survey study on issues varying from language proficiency to L2 pragmatics that arise when working with NNESTs. In their session, “Best Practices for Working with NNS MA TESOL Students,” they offered a working
set of “best practices” for work with NNESTs in MA TESOL programs.
In the afternoon, Kathi Bailey, Yulia Nikolskaya, and Patricia Szasz from
Monterey Institute of International Studies examined the situation of
NNESTs from the perspective of an administrator, a teacher educator, and
an ESL/EFL teacher. Their presentation was titled “Getting Past Perceptions: Strengths of Non-Native-Speaking Teachers of English.”
The next day, Li-Fen Lin presented the research paper “An Ethnographic Case Study of Teacher Identity.” This presentation explored ethnographically how two non-native-English–speaking student teachers
draw on discourses available for them to define themselves, to negotiate
their positioning, and to shape their professional development in a U.S.
MA TESOL program. Later, Marla Yoshida, Roger Dupuy, and Shiva
Yaghoubi from UC, Irvine offered tested action steps through live stories
and video clips of successful NNESTs and NEST teacher trainers in their
session, “Gaps, Bridges, and True Stories of Non-NEST Adventurers.”
The Graduate Student Forum also included a presentation related to
non-native language educators’ issues, a paper by Hiromi Takahashi from
Biola University, titled “Non-Native English-Speaking Teachers’ Language Proficiency, Anxiety, and Learning Strategies.” Takahashi reported
the results of an online survey of 72 NNES teachers and trainees in ESL/
EFL settings on their self-perceived language proficiency, anxiety management, and language improvement strategies.
In sum, this was quite an informative conference. Quite a few presentations were related to NNEST issues, and they were all excellent. We
hope this trend will continue at the 2012 CATESOL Conference in Oakland and also at regional conferences. I thank all of those who presented
at these sessions and those who attended these sessions. I hope we will
continue to promote awareness of issues related to non-native teachers
and world Englishes through conference participation and presentations.
Mentorship: A Mentee’s Quest
By Anthony Halderman
Community College Level Chair
“
Some people like to lord over what little power they have,” remarks
a good friend and colleague. This particular colleague possesses a
great command of his discipline, and he earns soaring praise from both
faculty and students. In 2001, our college awarded him outstanding
teacher of the year, an honor he received as the college’s youngest instructor to receive this award. His comment resonates with me as I try to
define and execute the meaning of mentorship.
Like many of you, I have both witnessed and personally experienced what I tend to call self-inflated, academic posturing. This element
exists as one of the by-products of academia. You know the type of colleague I’m writing about. These colleagues, for a variety of reasons,
want people across their campus to know that they possess a heightened
degree of knowledge, power, and/or influence.
I’m a member of our college’s mentorship committee and have
mentored a few other part-timers at my college. I’ve also team-taught
and mentored several of Cal Poly University’s CATESOL program students, and I have personally sought out mentors for my own professional
growth. As a result, I’ve concluded that the best mentorship experience
is a bottom-up process, not a top-down process.
The best mentor is not necessarily assigned through academic hierarchy, seniority, or a predetermined mentor/mentee matchup. This topdown paradigm officially exists across many campuses and it’s a great
place to start. I, too, participate in this top-down paradigm because as
a member of our college’s mentorship committee I help match veteran
instructors with the newly hired. However, I’m convinced that the best
mentorship experience lies in the mentee’s selecting his or her own mentor for reasons that most compel the mentee.
We all require motivation and inspiration in our professional lives.
Consequently, the responsibility lies with us to seek out that individual
who stimulates us most. This individual(s) might be from another division or discipline. Your mentor may even be teaching at another college
or university. Your mentor may even be a former university professor.
People inspire us in different ways. Professional growth can arise from
our interactions with a wide range of folks. The best mentor is not necessarily assigned through academic hierarchy, seniority, or a predetermined mentor/mentee matchup. Only you can decide who best mentors
you. Happy mentor seeking!
Anthony Halderman teaches part-time at Cuesta College and Cal Poly
University in San Luis Obispo.
Ethiopia Mission Seeks ESL Teaching Team
By Loretta Davis
A
mission group has invited
me to lead a group of ESL
teachers to return for a fifth summer to Ethiopia, where we will
give about 80 elementary school
teachers extra ESL development
in a one-month summer school
session beginning in June 2012.
The group has asked me, as ESL
team leader, to assemble a new team of ESL teachers for summer 2012.
The approximate dates are June 21-Aug. 2 and the approximate cost
will be about $4,000. If you are interested in learning more about this
English mission opportunity or applying for it, email Loretta Davis at
[email protected].
Loretta Davis is an instructor at Coastline Community College.
CATESOL News SPECIAL SECTION: Lessons
Introducing Paragraphs to Beginning-Level Writers
5. Ask a volunteer to try to recite the
complete paragraph aloud. Other students
may help if the volunteer gets stuck.
By Jennie Longmire
The main objectives of this lesson are
to teach beginning-level students how to
write a paragraph on notebook paper and
the meaning of the words “paragraph,”
“shape,” “title,” “indent,” and “margin.”
These objectives are achieved by way of a
memory game.
I have found using this memory game
produces better results from low-level
students than simply teaching paragraph
formatting and immediately asking
students to write a paragraph of their own.
This memory game reinforces proper
paragraph formatting, and other aspects of
writing, in a fun and memorable way.
A secondary benefit of this lesson is
that students are introduced indirectly to
parts-of-speech vocabulary and the be
verb. These concepts could certainly be
taught before this lesson, but I prefer to
use this activity as an introductory one and
therefore write new terms such as “noun,”
“pronoun,” “verb,” and “be verb” on the
board but spend little time reviewing them.
Also, since this is a lesson that I use
in the first week of my writing class, I find
it gives students a fun way to interact and
get to know each other.
Procedure:
1. Write or project a paragraph similar to
the following one on the board. Read the
paragraph aloud to the students. Make
sure students understand the meaning of
the sentences.
About Me
My name is Jane Learner. I am an
ESL student. I am from Ukraine. Now I live
in Sacramento. I am married. My husband
is a construction worker. We have two
children. Their names are Ben and Sam.
My hobbies are traveling and swimming.
I also like to read mystery novels. I am
happy to be in this class because I want
to learn English.
6. Next go through and erase all of the
verbs. Tell the students you are erasing all
of the verbs. Briefly explain about verbs if
you wish. Again have a student recite what
he or she can remember of the complete
paragraph.
7. After verbs are gone, erase pronouns.
Then erase nouns. Have the students
recite the whole paragraph after each set
of words is erased.
8. 2. Ask students to notice the shape of
the paragraph. Point out the title, the way
the first line is indented, and how the
sentences follow one another directly. I like
to write the words “paragraph,” “shape,”
“title,” “margin,” and “indent” on the board
as I explain the meaning of them.
3. Tell the students they are now playing a
memory game. Give them a few minutes to
read the paragraph to themselves and try
to memorize it. At this point no writing or
note taking is allowed.
4. When time is up, erase all of the be
verbs from the text. Tell the students you
are erasing all of the be verbs. Briefly
explain about be verbs if you wish.
About Me
My name __ Jane Learner. I __ an
ESL student. I __ from Ukraine. Now I live
in Sacramento. I __ married. My husband
__ a construction worker. We have two
children. Their names __ Ben and Sam.
My hobbies __ traveling and swimming.
I also like to read mystery novels. I __
happy to be in this class because I want
to learn English.
About Me
My __. __ an ESL __. __ from __.
Now __ in __. __ married. My __ a
construction __. __two __. Their __ and
__. My __ and __. __ also __ to read
mystery __. __ to be in this __ because __
to learn __.
When the paragraph gets to this point,
erase it all. Then put the class into groups
of three or four. Pass out a copy of the
paragraph-formatting handout. Answer
any questions about new words on the
handout. Then ask the students to work
together to reproduce the paragraph.
One student should write the paragraph
using proper formatting while the others
remember the sentences. Ask the students
who don’t write to check the paragraph for
proper formatting when the paragraph is
finished. Prizes can be given to groups for
perfect paragraphs.
9. Ask some groups to read their results
aloud to the class. Finally, put a copy of
the complete paragraph back up onto the
board. Ask all students to check their work
and notice any mistakes they made.
10. Pass out a copy of the handout. Ask
students to write an About Me paragraph
about themselves using correct paragraph
formatting.
Jennie Longmire is an ESL instructor at
Sierra Community College.
This special section is funded by the CATESOL Education Foundation.
Conducting Conversation Circles: A Few Tips
By Xenia Lal
I facilitate an ESL conversation circle for adults in the community at my local public library. The circle is a drop-in informal space
held once a week, and it lasts from one hour to one and a half hours. It provides an opportunity for learners to practice and improve
their English speaking. The learners already have a midintermediate to advanced English speaking ability. The conversations are
usually light and informal, but I do try to make them interesting and engaging. To do so, I like to integrate unique topics (i.e., the
unexplained, inventions, small businesses) and unique questions into general topics (i.e., food, music, movies). Consequently, many
times I have had to make sure learners have enough information about each topic we will discuss in the circle. I have developed
a guideline that helps me present some of these unique topics. The guideline below has become my simple way of giving learners
enough information about the topic of conversation, and it can be recycled with new content and conversation questions. I have
organized it in stages—Warm-Up, Conversation, Postconversation Language Check-In—and the time set in each stage is really up to
you. However, the conversation is the main part of a conversation circle, so I always try to set about 45 minutes for that stage.
1. Warm-Up
a. Pictures:
I have used many types of images—magazine cutouts, my own pictures, postcards, comic strips or a single comic, and so
on—related to the conversation topic and asked students to talk about the image. For example, I have used a comic to generate
spontaneous speech and discussion about the image, its dialogue and message, and connected this warm-up activity to the rest of the
conversational goals.
b. News Stories/Articles:
I often use stories from the news to provide students with enough information on the conversation topic. Sometimes, I have
used the news story together with an image because it seems to provide further information that the students need for the ensuing
conversation.
When using a news story, I have brought in a very brief one or summarized it to a short text because of the time limit and focus of
the conversation circle. I have taken the following two steps when using a news story:
••
••
Preteach any new words from the news story before students listen, watch, or read the story or text.
Students briefly discuss the story they listened to, saw, or read.
2. Conversation
After they discuss a picture or news story, it is in this stage that students should have enough information to answer the
conversational-type questions about the topic of the day. You can find many great questions at http://iteslj.org under the “Questions”
tab. Or make up some questions of your own.
Below is a list of ways I have used the conversation questions:
••
••
••
Cut questions into strips and put into a box or jar. Have each student pull out one strip, read the question aloud, and provide
his or her answer. You can encourage the other students to ask follow-up questions.
As a whole group, have students take turns reading and answering the question. In round-robin fashion, one student asks his
or her neighbor the question while the neighbor answers. Then the person who answered asks his or her neighbor the same
question. Continue until everyone has had a chance to both ask and answer each question.
In pairs or small groups, have students take turns asking and answering questions while the teacher or facilitator circulates
around the room and provides feedback on pronunciation, grammar, or anything else you or your students want to focus on.
Sometimes I follow up with a few more questions when the student does not know how to answer; I try to ask easier questions that
may not be on the list for the day. Additionally, I encourage personal stories. I sometimes do this by offering a short story of mine that
relates to the topic.
3. Postconversation Check-In
Depending on whether the circle is a class or an informal space, you may want to take notes and leave a few minutes after class to
discuss language issues. I sometimes provide error correction as it happens, especially if students make few errors.
Xenia Lal teaches at Castro Valley Adult and Career Education, and she is a volunteer ESL conversation circle facilitator for the
Hayward Public Library.
Conducting Conversation Circles: A Few Tips
Lesson Plan 1: Road Trip Conversation
Materials: “Action” pictures that may depict people going on a road trip.
You can find these pictures in travel magazines such as Amtrak, AAA’s
Via, or local city magazines (found in tourist centers and hotel and carrental lobbies). You will also need a picture of your own that students will
not use, so you can model an activity (I used a picture of a family studying
a map while standing by their car with canyons in the background).
Warm-Up
1. First, ask students if they have ever traveled long distances by car or
train; either they drove or someone else did. Inform students that today’s
topic is on road trips. Before they begin with the conversation questions,
they will create and then tell a very short story about the “action” pictures.
2. Hand out images and have students work in pairs discussing what
they think is happening in the pictures. Model this activity by holding up
a picture that students will not use and stating who the people are in the
picture (family), where they are going (the Grand Canyon), and what
they will do when they get to their destination (camping near the canyon,
swimming in a nearby lake, going horseback riding, etc.)—add details as
necessary. Give them about five minutes to construct the story. Tell them
they have to speak for one to two minutes. Therefore, they may want to
add a good amount of detail to the story.
3. Circulate around the room and offer questions that students can answer
about the picture in order to give them ideas of a story to create or if they
are having trouble making something up: for example, “Are these people
going to the beach? Which beach?”
Call on pairs or groups of students to describe the made-up road-trip
story for their respective pictures. You can encourage those listening to ask
any follow-up questions if they like.
Conversation
Facilitate conversation any way you like. You can also find some
suggestions online. Note: For question 4, you may want to preteach the
word “stranded” or explain it when you get to that question.
Conversation Topic: Road Trips
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
What are some distant places that you have traveled to by car (in the
US or your country)?
Do you like to drive? What do you like or hate about driving?
What is the longest trip you have ever taken by car or train? What
kinds of things did you see on the road? How many stops did you
make?
Has your car ever broken down and left you stranded on the side of
the road? Who helped you?
What kinds of things do you pack for a long drive?
Is there a place you would like to travel to by car or train that you
have not been to before? What place is it?
Postconversation Check-In
Discuss any language issues.
Lesson Plan 2: Environment and Global Warming–Related Conversation
Materials: Single political cartoon comic depicting skepticism about global
warming (a Google search provides these results); print out comic as full
page on 8.5 x 11-sized paper (or any size as long as it is big enough for
students to see). Short text.
Warm-Up
1. Hold up comic and ask students questions about it—for example, What
is happening in the comic? Why do you think people might think global
warming is not real?
2. Get a few answers from the students and then inform them they will
read a short text concerning Californians’ perceptions on global warming.
Before they begin reading, preteach the following words: environmental
policies, perception, poll, renewable energy, greenhouse gas emissions.
3. Have each student read one or two sentences aloud from the story from
the news, below.
Californians’ Perceptions on Environmental Issues
and Climate Change
In 2006, many people in California were very concerned about the
earth. They worried that the earth was warming too much and called on
the state government to do something about environmental policies that
might contribute to global warming.
However, a recent news article, in 2010, reported that that perception
has now changed but only among whites in the state. Instead, ethnic
Californians now show more concern for environmental issues in the state.
The news article appeared in newamericamedia.org, and it reported that
a new poll found that ethnic Californians demonstrate more support for
environmental policies in the state.
The survey was used to measure support for AB 32, the state law
that reduces greenhouse gas emissions. The results showed that large
percentages of Asians, African Americans, and Latinos favored the law. On
the other hand, the survey showed there was far less support for the law
among whites.
It seems that the strongest support for AB 32 comes from ethnic
groups who are optimistic that this law can create new “green” jobs (i.e.,
renewable energy, solar energy, waste reduction).
Source: http://www.cdlponline.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=activity2&topicID
=5&storyID=242
http://newamericamedia.org/2010/08/minorities-drive-californiaenvironmental-movement.php
Conversation
When students finish reading, ask them if they had heard of AB 32
before reading about it here. Then ask them what they understood it is and
if they would support such a law. You may want to ask a question such as
“Have you witnessed any changes to environmental policies in your city or
neighborhood? How have they worked or not worked?”
Continue the conversation with questions about environmental issues
such as the ones below:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Do you ever worry about global warming? What kinds of things do
you think you can do to help reduce global warming?
Do you think solar energy will become common in a few decades
from now? Why or why not?
Do you think that the energy industry can lead to more jobs creation?
If so, how?
How do you think the world would be different if everything was
powered by solar energy?
Can you give us any ideas on how to minimize the use of plastic bags
and foam boxes?
Postconversation Check-In
Discuss any language issues.
Teaching Pronunciation: 10 Simple Guidelines
By Paul Mori, DMA
Being effective in teaching pronunciation need be neither
complicated nor time consuming. Keeping lessons simple and
efficient can keep your class running smoothly. With a few simple
reminders, both new and experienced teachers can do this.
1. Motivate your students
The important predictor of student success in pronunciation is
motivation. You have probably noticed that the students who want
to improve do improve in the end. Keeping your pronunciation
lessons easy to understand and fun, and helping your students
hear and experience their improvement, are vital.
2. Foster hearing
Pronunciation is as much about hearing as it is about
producing sounds. Students who have problems with
pronunciation commonly cannot hear the subtleties of English
pronunciation. No matter how often you say “repeat after me,”
some students cannot improve because they cannot hear well.
Teachers have two tasks. First, they must help students
with their listening discrimination skills, first to hear the correct
pronunciation and then to help students hear themselves. Second,
to do this, teachers need to hone their own listening skills.
Teachers who can hear exactly what students are doing, and do it
quickly, are more effective.
But even more important, when students hear well they can
hear the rewards of their efforts and emotionally experience how
good it is to pronounce things beautifully.
3. Use visual tools and analogies
Using visual tools and analogies to portray sounds can
especially help those students who are not helped with “repeat
after me” methods. Important syllable stress, pitch patterns,
important words in a sentence, and timing/duration/rhythm can all
be shown visually, either in pictures on a whiteboard, or even with
just your hands. Visually animate sounds while modeling both the
correct and incorrect pronunciations.
4. Develop a sign language
By definition, students with pronunciation issues cannot
always say difficult sounds accurately. Therefore, use some
kind of sign language to check the accuracy of their hearing. For
minimal pairs, students can show with their fingers a “one” or
a “two” to show that they hear the first in the pair, say “fan,” or
second, say “van,” whichever of the pair that you choose to say.
Similarly, you can show which you hear when your student is
reciting, and thus give quick and easy-to-understand feedback.
5. Engage classmates as allies
Teachers have many reasons to engage students in pair and
small-group work in pronunciation practice. Students need time
to practice patterns in which they are not inhibited, but in which
they still receive some feedback. In addition to having them do
things such as minimal pairs together, such as “bean/been/bin/
ban,” teachers can give exercises that emphasize the differences
such as “thirty and thirteen,” “can/can’t,” vowel and consonant
identification, and other similar discrimination activities in which
speakers and listeners both are active.
6. Keep it simple and fun
To maintain motivation, keeping things simple is so important.
Although teachers need to be aware of the complexities of
pronunciation, students need to perceive things easily and quickly.
On one hand, teachers should be aware of IPA symbols and/or
their sounds, but on the other, they should use real-life but simple
words that students can easily grasp and remember.
Students can much more easily remember the IPA “I”
sound with simple, high-frequency words such as “it, is, in” or
in easily remembered sentences such as “it is in the bin” or “it’s
been in the bin” than with the IPA symbol. Think of these simple
“reference words” as a kind of pronunciation “scaffolding,” where
pronunciation errors in more complex words can be corrected by
the students by remembering those simple building blocks.
7. Choose your battles
No teacher has enough time to fix everything, so choosing
what to work on is necessary. Here are some guidelines to help:
Choose cases in which a small pronunciation error is critical and
choose those that motivate students. For example, the difference
in the vowel sounds represented by “seen, sin, send” is far more
important than for “caught and caulk.”
8. Have students bring the outside world in
Have students bring to class instances in which they have
not been understood outside the classroom, and give them the
“real” pronunciation of forms such as “have to/has to” (“hafta/
hasta”), “want to” (“wanna/wansta”), or other idiomatic patterns, as
students are often motivated to learn idioms.
9. “Repeat after me”—only if you have to
Although “repeat after me” should be avoided in many
situations, when necessary it should be carefully used. Use it in
the early stages of teaching to offer practice for students working
on motor skill practice. In conjunction with slow practice to aid
listening and speaking, teachers need to model normal (fast)
speech so that students will perceive and eventually grasp larger
segments and pitch, which are critical in natural-sounding speech.
10. Look beyond consonants and vowels
Even if all the consonants and vowels are corrected, a
sentence is not natural sounding at best, and at worst the
meaning is not clear. Pitch and duration are important, even if
students don’t believe it. Take “OK,” for example. Depending on
how it’s said, it can have various meanings. “That restaurant is
OK,” said enthusiastically with a high pitch, means “it’s great.”
“OK” said flat, and low, without a pitch change, means “it’s
mediocre,” and in a low pitch means “I’ll go, but I’d rather not.”
Teaching pitch may be a tough sell, but teachers have the
responsibility to teach pitch, as pitch is crucial to syllable stress,
word stress within sentences, phrases (“chunks”), and sentences.
Everyone can get to be great at teaching pronunciation, but it
takes practice to remember the principles to be effective. Keep
reminding yourself of simple things that will guide both you and
your students to pronunciation success.
Paul Mori teaches at Kaplan International in Santa Barbara.
EDUCATION FOUNDATION
The Report: Be an Angel and Support CATESOL’s Mission
By Dan Fichtner, PhD
Education Foundation President
Don Sillings
Education Foundation Treasurer
T
he CATESOL Education Foundation has
been busy since our Long Beach conference,
and we have made progress in raising funds. Remember, your donations to the Education Foundation do make a difference! Every donation to
the Education Foundation is 100% tax deductible since we are a 501(c)(3) public charity.
The newly created CATESOL Angel Fund
helps us sponsor various activities at our annual
conferences. You can follow its progress by going to www.catesol.org/foundation. The Education Foundation also has many other ongoing
projects that it supports: The Capital Area Chapter’s Cloudburst Fund, the Gordon Johnson
Memorial Fund, the Orange County Chapter’s
Scholarship Fund, the Tippy Schwabe Grant,
and the Gail Weinstein Circle Scholarship Fund.
You can read more about these programs on the
Foundation website. Besides these worthwhile
activities, the board is discussing other ways to
help the teachers of English learners to better
reach and teach the English learners we meet
daily in Nevada and California. Professional development is key to the success of meeting the
needs of our English learners, and we are investigating ways to perform that service.
Since we are a 501(c)(3) public charity,
every donation to the Education Foundation
CATESOL
Education Foundation
accepts donations of
cars, trucks, boats, motorcycles,
and recreational vehicles
through
1-800-766-CARE 1-800-766-2273
www.cars4causes.net
is 100% tax deductible. There are many ways
to donate: Just go to the CATESOL Education
Foundation site on the CATESOL website,
www.catesol.org/foundation, and look them
over. Via PayPal, Cars4Causes, directly by
check, or an automatic monthly or annual donation are all possible means
of donating to our worthy
cause of supporting our
mission of receiving and
administering charitable
funds and donations necessary to support the advancement of CATESOL’s
educational goals. We help
provide educational opportunities to teachers of English learners and also help
Dan Fichtner
inform the general public
about the strengths and needs of these students.
So go to www.catesol.org/foundation and determine how you can help us make this happen.
In the last several years, CATESOL has
experienced reduced revenue from its conferences and membership fees as a result of the
job uncertainty that teachers have been under;
in some cases, CATESOL operating funds have
had to be used to pay for conference shortfalls
Membership
the future. CATESOL’s education program
takes the form of official position statements
and the work of its legislative advocates in California and Nevada, based on the latest research
data and on the experience of our members. The
more members who are represented by CATESOL and the more attendees at our workshops
and conferences, the stronger our voice can be
in speaking to the public and to our legislators.
The force of numbers is critical!
Just as our members struggle in financially
tight and uncertain times, CATESOL struggles
to overcome economic challenges. Workshops
and conferences are a vital service of any professional association. When memberships and
event attendance decrease, even as costs for
events (mailing, printing, meeting space rental,
equipment rental, etc.) continue to climb, the organization is faced with critical choices. Many
and increased borrowing has occurred. For this
reason, the CATESOL Angel Fund was created
to specifically help offset the increasing costs of
the annual conferences. CATESOL is seeking
Angels like you to help.
Keep the CATESOL Education Foundation
in mind during these fiscally difficult times.
Sincerely,
Dan Fichtner
Don Sillings
organizations automatically resort to substantial
increases in membership rates and conference
fees. Others consider temporarily reducing fees
to attract more people, but this is not realistic
as our operating costs continue to rise. Instead,
we are making major efforts to provide our services at reduced costs to the organization, such
as providing online workshops that are free to
members and presenting members with the option to make up to six installment payments toward membership fees via our PayPal account
and automatic deduction from the member’s
credit card, debit card, or checking account. Six
monthly installment payments of $10 buys a
regular membership; six payments of $6 buys a
membership for a student, aide, or retired member. The intent of this offer is to make it possible
for more members to be counted among the
educators in California and Nevada who seek a
professional and effective atmosphere in which
to serve their English language learners.
Don Sillings
www.catesol.org
IN THE CHAPTERS
Technology, Video, Grammar to Come Together at OC Chapter Workshop
By Carol Bander
Co-chair, Publicity, Orange County Chapter
M
ark your calendars for CATESOL, Orange
County Chapter’s fall workshop with Dr.
John Liang at Biola University in La Mirada
from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, October 1,
2011.
If you’ve been lucky enough to attend one
of his previous workshops, you have experienced how his innovative and creative use of
technology, firm pedagogical background, combined with his good humor and engaging personality, show us how to enhance and enliven
our grammar teaching. The workshop, “Teaching Grammar with Digital Media Technology,”
demonstrates how digital media technology offers diverse opportunities and possibilities that
can make grammar learning active, productive,
and entertaining. As Dr. Liang says, “A series
of carefully designed activities, from structural
manipulation to communicative tasks, from
awareness raising to error analysis, from skillfocused practice to skill-integrated learning,
will be demonstrated.” He will also provide
the pedagogical principles for using digital media to teach grammar and he will demonstrate
techniques for creating digital media. Come prepared to participate actively!
Dr. Liang is associate professor and chair
of the Department of Applied Linguistics and
TESOL at Biola University. His research and
Dr. John Liang will lead Orange County
Chapter’s fall workshop, dedicated to enhancing
grammar teaching.
teaching interests include pedagogical English grammar, ESL materials, second language
reading and writing, technology for language
learning, and NNEST teacher development.
Apart from his scholarly publications, including
refereed journal articles, book chapters, ESL
textbooks, conference proceedings, and practical teaching articles, Dr. Liang has also been a
frequent presenter at the national, state, and regional TESOL conferences. With this presentation, his total will reach more than 30! A native
of China, Dr. Liang holds a PhD in TESL/TEFL
from the University of Texas at Austin. He received his MA in English from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and his BA in English from
Jinan University, Guangzhou, China.
His awards include the Pearson Longman
Spirit of Teaching Award and Rick Sullivan
Award given by CATESOL in 2009 and 2001
respectively. He also received the TESOL Professional Development Scholarship in 2002
and was recognized by Biola University for his
work in mentoring peers.
Come early to have a continental breakfast
and visit the exhibits. Generous breaks will allow for additional ample time to mingle with
and meet other instructors and visit the publishers’ displays. A boxed lunch, available for $12
and ordered by the preregistration deadline, can
be enjoyed indoors or outdoors picnic style.
The preregistration fees are as follows: CATESOL member $35, nonmember $45, CATESOL
member student $15, nonmember student $25.
Check the www.catesol.org website and click on
“Conferences” for a downloadable registration
form. The registration form must be received no
later than September 15. For more information
contact Chapter Coordinator Zena Sekimoto Wu
at [email protected].
Carol Bander is professor of ESL and German
at Saddleback College and a former president
of CATESOL.
Capital Area Chapter Says ‘Thanks,’ ‘Welcome’
Calling Bay Area Chapter Members!
By Leslie Freeland
Chapter Coordinator
T
T
he Capital Area Chapter would like to give a big “Thank you!” to Dr. Reiko Komiyama for presenting an engaging, practical, and interactive demonstration during
our 2011 Spring Workshop—she addressed how certain strategies can be used in the
classroom to increase students’ intrinsic motivation to read. From
having us create our own posters to experiencing the actual theories
being presented, Dr. Komiyama kept everyone busy and engaged.
Dr. Komiyama is an assistant professor in the TESOL Program at
CSU, Sacramento, where she teaches courses on second language
theory and pedagogy, and linguistics. She has taught EFL and ESL
in various settings, including K-12, higher education, and adult
education.
The Capital Area Chapter of CATESOL meets six to eight
times per year to host two workshops. Our planning meetings are
on Friday evenings at local Sacramento restaurants or coffee shops.
The planning meetings are for volunteers, steering committee
members, and anyone else who would like to learn more about the
Capital Area Chapter of CATESOL. Everyone is welcome!
Our chapter also will be playing a role in the Northern Regional Conference on
November 5, 2011, at UC Davis. Many volunteer positions are available so please
contact us to see how you can become involved in this important event.
For information about our planning meetings, our chapter, or volunteering for the
Northern Regional Conference, please contact Chapter Coordinator Leslie Freeland
at [email protected]. For further details about our chapter and our upcoming
events, please refer to our website at http://capitalcatesol.weebly.com/index.html.
he Bay Area Chapter has started its planning for the 20112012 academic year and is looking forward to another
great year of working together. Planning meetings are scheduled for July and August and the chapter welcomes ideas for
future events. This past year focused on the use of technology in and out of the classroom through the use of wikis,
blogs, and interactive whiteboards.
If you would like to get involved with the chapter and/
or share ideas, please contact Dr. Debra Reeves-Gutierrez
or Jessica Craig-Huynh, the co-coordinators of the Bay
Area Chapter, at. [email protected] and Jecraig74@
gmail.com. Looking forward to hearing from you! Also,
please check out the chapter website at http://catesolbayarea
.wordpress.com/events. See you soon!
Check Out Revived Steinbeck Chapter
G
ood news—the CATESOL Steinbeck Chapter (Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties) is being
revived! We’re planning social events and meetings this
summer and fall, and we’ll be holding a workshop on October 22. Want details? Find us on Facebook! If you’re
interested in helping revitalize the Steinbeck Chapter,
volunteering at an upcoming event, or providing input,
please contact Katie Dutcher at [email protected].
IN THE CHAPTERS
Los Padres Chapter Events—
Reﬂections, Roses, and Ronna
Los Padres CATESOL Chapter Presents
2011 Fall Conference
Preparing for Success
Santa Barbara City College
Saturday, October 15
8:15 a.m.-4 p.m.
Los Padres CATESOL warmly invites you to our annual Fall
Conference, at Santa Barbara City College overlooking the
sparkling Pacific. The conference will include more than 20
workshops, panel discussions, publisher’s exhibits, continental
breakfast, catered lunch, raffles, and more!
Plenary address by Ronna Magy
Professional development specialist, author, community of practice
facilitator at California Adult Literacy Professional Development
Project (CALPRO). Consultant/teacher educator at Family Literacy
Support Network, Los Angeles County Office of Education. ESL
National Series consultant and author at Pearson.
Submit your proposal now!
*We are now waiving all presenters’ conference fees!
Attend our Fall Conference at no charge!
*Early submissions will receive advance notice if their proposal has
been accepted! Don’t wait!
Register Online at: http://www.catesol.org/chapconf.html
Read more at: http://www.lospadrescatesol.org
Make this your well-deserved vacation day
in sunny Santa Barbara!
Reconcilation
soldiers. How can you allow her to talk about
him this way?” he challenged me.
Most Americans know that name only in
connection with the Ho Chi Minh Trail, a supply
route from China through Laos to South Vietnam for the communist fighters. The scene of
many war newsreels and documentaries, it was
where heavy fighting and many US casualties
occurred. It has been said that more bombs were
dropped on the Ho Chi Minh Trail than in all the
battles combined in World War II.
“Mr. Nguyen, I understand your feelings,”
I said. “Remember, Ho Chi Minh is not my
hero; he is Koi Kim’s hero. And in America all
people have the freedom to express their ideas
and feelings about political leaders and others.
As long as people don’t slander others, they are
free to state their own opinions. But, you have
the right to disagree. There is always a time after
the presentations for questions or comments. If
you want to say something, then would be the
By Hilary Tomczik
Los Padres Chapter Coordinator
T
he Los Padres Book Fair and Share brought teachers together for the
latest publications and to hear reflections on both the national and state
conferences. Late spring is a great time for this kind of double event as
the annual conferences are still fresh in mind. Teachers lingered to enjoy
posters and presentations on the highlights of both conferences as well as
an array of materials by publishers.
Our July event was a Summer Social in the Rose Garden near Santa
Barbara Mission. It was a relaxed picnic-style gathering. Socials are a
great way to attract members and bring in less active members; this one
attracted 40 people, including new teachers. It’s an opportunity to showcase the fall professional development programs and chapter conferences.
Ronna Magy will be our plenary speaker for the Los Padres Conference on October 15. We are already receiving presentation proposals
and aim to present a wide variety of speakers and workshops to serve
the diversity of teaching situations in the area and overseas. The stunning
location, overlooking the ocean from Santa Barbara Community College,
always draws presenters and attendees from a wide area.
We have redoubled our efforts to increase membership on the South
Coast with a recruiting effort to the wider reaches of the Los Padres chapter. A poster session at this year’s conference has been advertised to entice students and novice teachers to take a first step toward making presentations. UCSB Education graduates and TESOL Certificate students
at UCSB Extension have been targeted with invitations and fliers. In the
present economy, larger numbers of college graduates are attracted to
overseas teaching as a relatively “recession proof” occupation; through
CATESOL we aim to maintain local links and networks with those who
travel to teach in other parts of the world.
Summer for our operating committee has been busy and fun at the
Los Padres Chapter. We wish all teachers success, both here and abroad,
and encourage them to spread to their colleagues the many benefits of
membership.
time to say it.”
The next Monday, near the end of class
when the presentations were given, awkwardness was in the air. Koi Kim told her story about
Ho Chi Minh. To her he was a hero because he
always championed the position of the poor
people. He sought free public education for the
masses of the Vietnamese people, even women’s rights. Although his leadership during the
war was controversial, at least in Communist
Vietnam he was almost universally acknowledged as a great progressive leader. To her he
will always be the image of progress for Vietnamese people.
Thoi Nguyen sat and listened to her presentation. When it was over, as usual I asked for
questions or comments from the class. Thoi said
nothing. But I saw him talking to Koi Kim after
the class. He was looking at her with a new degree of respect, and he politely talked in English
with her about her presentation. He congratulated her and said he really learned something.
He said that a mountain looks different from
different sides. Who would have expected such
a breakthrough from a man of his age who had
been through what he had 35 years ago? The
transformation I saw could cleanse and exorcise
many demons from a man’s mind.
If even archenemies can be reconciled,
we should be able to see the humanity in every
face on earth. Tyrants and regimes devastate our
populous in every decade, but portraying the
people, a nation, race, religion, or ethnic group
as villains is never the answer. How can we help
people who have been emotionally wounded
through the inhumanity of war begin to look at
others, even groups of people on the other side
ideologically, as real human beings? We are all
human. There are no real villainous nations. Perhaps peacemaking should have a renaissance.
I will never forget this moment of healing.
As I continue to teach people from all over the
world, I look for these edges of conflict for opportunities of growth and movement toward a
more wholesome humanity.
James Strode is adjunct faculty at Sierra College and Cosumnes River College.
REGIONAL CONFERENCES
October 15: San Diego
reading this online? Is there still a paper version of the CATESOL News?)
Are you back or did you get sidetracked online? For those of you linear
readers, I will continue with San Diego Regional CATESOL Conference
news. Marian Thacher will be the plenary speaker. She will talk about
21st-century skills and answer your questions about them: What are they?
Do you have them? Do your students need them? How do we integrate
them into instruction? Many 21st-century skills are 20th-century skills in
a new context—the digital world. As a result of advances in technology,
reading has changed, writing has changed, and so have what we do and
where and how we do it. So come find out what all that means for ESL
teachers and language learners. You can get more information about the
conference and submit your proposal online at www.catesol.org. (Scroll
down to “Conferences” and then click on “Regional” and the link to San
Diego Regional).
As mentioned above, and in conjunction with the theme, the plenary
will feature ESL educational technology pioneer Marian Thacher. She is
a former San Diego ESL teacher and the current director of OTAN (the
Outreach and Technical Assistance Network), the state leadership project
that provides support for instructional technology for literacy and adult
education teachers in California. Marian has long been an advocate for
mentoring ESL instructors on ways that they can integrate fundamental
ESL pedagogy with emerging technologies. Her emphasis has always
been on the integration of technology and not just technology for the sake
October 22: LA
ongoing professional development and for preparing our students as they pave the way to their
future.
The plenary speaker will be Sarah Lynn,
teacher trainer, a FUTURE Series author, and
coauthor of Business Across Cultures. Sarah
Lynn has taught ESL and EFL for more than
20 years in the US and abroad and also teaches
part time at the Bridge Program at the Center
for Workplace Development at Harvard University. She holds a master’s degree in TESOL from
Teacher’s College at Columbia University.
The conference will also provide an opportunity for professionals to present their research
and practices on relevant issues in the field of
TESOL. To submit presentation proposals addressing the conference theme, log onto www
.catesol.org/laregional and click on “Submitting
of technology. In fact, she is one of the founders of the statewide Technology Integration Mentoring Academy (TIMAC), which is based in Sacramento and under OTAN’s direction.
Now to my retraction of my article in the Summer CATESOL News:
It has to do with the keynote speaker’s interesting background. As reported in the last issue, Marian Thacher is a former steel mill worker, factory
worker, political organizer, and ESL teacher, but alas, I misreported that
she marched with Martin Luther King Jr. in the 1960s. She didn’t. (She
didn’t say that we would go to Mars and back by the end of the decade
and bring ESL teachers, just in case. She didn’t broker the Paris peace
talks. She didn’t help Al Gore invent the Internet.) I am sorry about the
reporting error—she did later participate in a march that retraced one of
King’s marches and was attacked by skinheads, so her heart was in the
right place, even if her age didn’t allow her to be there at the same time
as MLK. Nonetheless, she is still one of my heroes and a role model for
what ESL teachers can do with technology to improve their teaching and
help their students.
The San Diego Regional CATESOL conference will offer much
more than technology-based teaching. Workshops will cover an array of
ways that ESL teachers are addressing changes, transitions, and innovations with their students and themselves. Leave your crystal balls at home
and please come to the San Diego Regional CATESOL conference 8 a.m.3 p.m. on Saturday, October 15, at the San Diego County Office of Education to see the future of ESL teaching and learning up close and in person.
Jim Brice is an assistant program chair for ESL in the San Diego Community College District Continuing Education program.
Your Proposal Online.” All proposals are due by
September 2, 2011, at 5 p.m. Conference fees
for 2011 appear below. Online registration is
available on the website at www.catesol.org/
laregional.
Calling all volunteers! Volunteering ensures the smooth flow of the conference, and
it’s a great way to network with others in our
educational field. There are a variety of areas
in which to volunteer and many shift options to
choose from. Volunteers can enjoy the conference before and after their scheduled shift and
will receive a complimentary lunch! (Online
preregistration and payment will be required
for all volunteers, including paying for lunch,
which will be reimbursed after the conference.)
To volunteer, visit the website www.catesol.org/
laregional and click on the “Volunteer Interest
Form.”
We look forward to seeing you in Cypress
on October 22, 2011!
Conference fees
Preregistration
By midnight, October 9, 2011
On-site registration
Check/cash only
Members
$45
$55
Nonmembers
$55
$65
Students/Aides*
$35
$40
Lead presenter
$30
*Students must provide proof of enrollment
*Aides must provide a letter from their supervisors
November 5:
Northern
conference will highlight current UCD research
projects at all levels, from elementary school
students to adult language learners, addressing
current issues in policy, methodology, curriculum, and learning. Other sessions throughout
the day will emphasize dynamic and innovative
teaching methods in demonstrations and handson workshops.
We invite proposals for sessions (demonstrations, papers, workshops, and posters) focused on either research or teaching or a combination of the two. The deadline for proposals
is October 3. Other highlights of the conference
include publishers’ exhibits, level rap sessions, a
keynote speaker, opportunities to network with
colleagues and friends, and a taco truck lunch!
Registration will be available on the CATESOL
website.
Co-chairs for the Northern Regional are
Betsy Gilliland and Ellen Lange, working with
a stellar committee of volunteers from across
the region. We are still welcoming volunteers to
the planning committee and on the day of the
conference. Please contact Betsy at betsygilli
[email protected] or Ellen at ejlange@ucdavis
.edu to join the team. For more details, check
out our website via the CATESOL Regional
page: http://catesol.org/regional.html.
Advocacy Day
in multiple ways (sustained professional development, collaborative teams and groups at and
across grade levels, etc.).
In terms of K-12 English learners, planning for me involved discussing ELL proficiency levels and why a “one-size-fits-all” annual
assessment does not provide adequate information about student progress. I planned to talk
about how multiple measures of assessment and
growth models would provide more information
about student growth.
Our June 6 full-day briefings and activities
began with a welcome from TESOL Past President Brock Brady and a welcome from TESOL
Executive Director Rosa Aronson. The event
was led by John Segota, director of advocacy,
standards, and professional relations, and Ellen
Fern of Washington Partners, LLC, TESOL’s
legislative consultants. The day featured a briefing from Congressional staff to present the
“view from the Capitol Hill” on ESEA reauthorization and the key issues under debate, as well
as a similar briefing with representatives from
the National Education Association and the National Association of Secondary School Principals. In addition, Dr. Rosalinda Barrera, assistant deputy secretary and director of the Office
of English Language Acquisition (OELA) at the
U.S. Department of Education, provided an update from OELA and discussed the Obama administration’s proposal for reauthorizing ESEA.
After these briefings, a series of activities
were held to review aspects of the legislative
process as well as how to prepare for meetings
with members of Congress. We had the opportunity to role-play as members of Congress
in a mock hearing to discuss a piece of legislation and to have a mock debate on the floor
of Congress to try to pass legislation. We were
also provided key information to prepare for
our meetings and given the opportunity to plan,
through discussion with other colleagues and
practice, our meeting talking points. We learned
that the average length of a meeting was approximately 15-20 minutes, that we should thank our
legislative aide for the time to meet, present our
key points, ask for any questions he or she may
have, offer to continue to provide resources and
Cursive
I learned that day that a large percentage
of my native Spanish-speaking students had not
learned cursive handwriting. I also discovered
that a majority of my native English-speaking
students, educated in U.S. public schools their
entire lives, barely knew how to read or write
cursive, either. The teaching of cursive in American public schools is on the decline. A recent
New York Times article laments the fact that “the
sinuous letters of the cursive alphabet … are going the way of the quill and inkwell” (Zezima,
2011, para. 2).
information about ELLs (for example, a folder
of information about TESOL, TESOL advocacy
and position statements) and, of course, follow
up with a thank-you email.
On June 7, I went to Capitol Hill to meet
with California legislative aides. In each case,
the meetings were positive. There was concern
about the recognition of the needs of ELLs in
both instruction and assessment, preparing all
teachers to be able to work with ELLs in their
academic settings, and the “big” questions about
testing. Everyone listened, wanted to know
more about TESOL, English language proficiency standards, and student proficiency levels.
It was surprising to me that most of the aides I
met were unfamiliar with proficiency levels or
that there were English language proficiency
national standards. I spoke to the importance
of understanding the progression of second
language acquisition and learning and how important that was to understand when assessing
ELLs annually and appropriately. As a result of
three meetings, I asked TESOL to provide the
congressman’s aide a copy of the TESOL PreK12 English Language Proficiency Standards,
which John Segota personally delivered for me.
At the end of the day, we shared our experiences and what we learned. It was interesting
to hear what other people experienced on their
visits. Everyone had positive experiences and
“ah-hah” moments similar to mine, including
finding out that our congressional aides were
unfamiliar with ELL academic and social language development, proficiency levels, standards, and with TESOL and affiliate organizations. One unexpected experience I shared was
Senator Boxer’s legislative aide’s interest only
in California legislation in what CATESOL supports in California. Jeff Frost provided him with
the current list of bills supported by CATESOL.
More information about TESOL Advocacy
Day will be available at http://www.tesol.org. If
you are interested in learning more about your
Congressional representatives, and the legislative issues TESOL is tracking, go to the TESOL
U.S. Advocacy Action Center at http://capwiz
.com/tesol. It is an excellent link to help you
become an advocate, by providing letter-writing
suggestions and models for writing to Congress.
Should cursive handwriting be part of a
school’s curriculum, or should it be dropped in
favor of computer technology and keyboarding
courses? The issue is a contentious one, with
both sides arguing with as much passion as the
other. According to ABC News, cursive instruction is no longer mandatory in 41 states (Huff
Post Education, 2011, para. 4). Moreover, public schools are increasingly debating whether it
should be offered at all. Many school districts
believe that teaching penmanship steals valuable time and resources from state assessment
preparation. In years past, cursive handwriting
NEVADA
The State of the State:
Nevada’s Finalized Budget
Bette Brickman
Nevada Representative
N
evada’s biannual legislative session has just
ended, and the smoke has cleared from both
bills being rushed through at the last minute and
Governor Sandoval’s exercise of the veto. Details will still be worked out, possibly taking up
to two years to complete (and just in time for the
next legislative session), but below are some of
the highlights of the legislation that affect K-12
and higher education.
K-12
Lonnie Shields, CATESOL’s Nevada lobbyist, has supplied these details for K-12.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Teachers and staff will be asked to take a
2.5% pay cut, to pay a percentage of their
PERS (defined benefit) contribution, and to
forgo step increases. Failure to do this will
probably result in larger class sizes, reductions in force, and closure of schools.
AB 222—This bill creates the TeacherLeader Council, which will design a
performance evaluation system for both
teachers and administrators. Ratings will
be “highly effective, effective, minimally
effective, or ineffective.”
AB 225—Educators who for two consecutive years receive below-average evaluations will be put on probation.
AB 229—This creates a program of pay
for performance and “enhanced compensation” and specifies that layoffs cannot
be based on seniority alone. It also adds
“gross misconduct” to a list of reasons for
firing an employee.
Higher Education
The Board of Regents implemented a 2.5%
salary reduction and an unpaid furlough of six
days per year for employees, resulting in a combined pay reduction of 4.8% (of which 2.5% will
not be eligible for retirement contributions). The
educators affected are tenured, tenure-track,
professional, classified, and “shift differentials”
(bilingual pay and other salary enhancements).
However, one bright side is that adjunct faculty
will not have their salaries reduced.
The next legislative session may see a rollback of some of the salary and benefit reductions as some of temporary taxes slated to sunset
have not, and Nevada’s economy seems to be
inching toward improvement.
I would like to thank Linda Gannon, outgoing Nevada representative, for all of her assistance last year and for being such a patient
mentor.
Cursive
was routinely taught through the sixth grade, sometimes longer. But in
today’s high-stakes world of standardized tests, more and more school
districts are teaching cursive in third grade only, and then they are offering
fewer lessons. Why teach cursive, the argument goes, if students are not
going to be tested on the skill?
A 2007 Vanderbilt University–sponsored handwriting study found
that a majority of “primary-school teachers believe that students with fluent handwriting produced written assignments that were superior in quantity and quality and resulted in higher grades—aside from being easier to
read” (Graff, 2010, para. 14). Proponents of cursive instruction offer an
array of compelling arguments. There are, for example, strong cognitive
benefits to cursive instruction. Since a first step in developing cognitive
abilities is the development of fine motor skills, cursive practice fosters
the development of eye-hand coordination. Cursive writing also allows
one to write more quickly and with greater precision. “Accordingly, the
brain develops faster and stronger by the fact that ideas can be expressed
more readily” (Geiger, 2011, para. 4).
Opponents of cursive instruction use words such as “archaic” and
“redundant” to describe what they believe to be an irrelevant and outmoded feature of today’s school curriculum. If anything, they argue, cursive
should be taught as an elective, like calligraphy. Given the precious and
limited instructional hours in a typical school day, more emphasis should
be placed on the teaching of core subjects.
Advocates of cursive instruction counter that cursive is much faster
than printing. Outside the US, in many non-English and former English
colonies, cursive writing is first introduced and taught in kindergarten,
where it is “more efficient and more natural when mastered before print”
(Geiger, 2011, para. 1).
It has been well documented that students with learning challenges—
particularly dyslexia—benefit greatly from cursive writing. “Dyslexic
children often confuse “b” and “d” in print form, but it is almost impossible to reverse these letters in cursive” (Bruner, 2011, para. 2). Cursive
advocates point out that much of our history was recorded in longhand.
The Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were written
in cursive. Abraham Lincoln wrote the draft of the Gettysburg Address
using the art of cursive. And art it is.
I am an unabashed supporter of cursive learning. I still use it daily.
Cursive also serves as a link to my history, in particular to my grandmother, Gladys, a public school teacher in the Los Angeles Unified School
District for 30 years. A university graduate in 1904, she would wait 16
years before the 19th Amendment was passed so that she could, at last,
have the opportunity to vote. Her private journal, written in delicate and
precise cursive, tells me this. And her handwriting—with its meticulous
cursive flourishes and curlicues—provides me a tangible, poetic link to a
woman who fervently believed that education was both a gift and a right.
References
Bruner, M. (2011, January 27). Is cursive handwriting worth the time and
effort? Education News. Retrieved from www.educationnews.org/
commentaries/insights_on_education/106583.html
Geiger, M. (2011, May 11). How cursive writing affects brain development. Helium.com. Retrieved from www.ktradionetwork.com/
health/how-cursive-writing-affects-brain-development
Graff, A. (2010, January 29). Should kids be taught cursive writing in
school? SF Gate. Retrieved from www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfmoms/detail?entry_id=56277
HuffPost Education. (2011, March 30). Schools debate cursive handwriting instruction nationwide. The Huffington Post. Retrieved from
www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/30/cursive-handwriting-instr
_n_842069.html
Zezima, K. (2011, April 27). The case for cursive. The New York Times.
Retrieved from www.nytimes.com/2011/04/28/us/28cursive.html
2011-2012
BOARD
OF DIRECTORS
2011-2012
CHAPTER COUNCIL
President
Margaret Teske
[email protected]
Past President
Lynne Diaz-Rico
[email protected]
President-Elect
Nina Ito
[email protected]
Secretary
Anne York-Herjeczki
[email protected]
Treasurer
Tim Chavez
[email protected]
General Manager
Don Sillings
[email protected]
Elementary Level Chair
Maggie Beddow
[email protected]
Secondary Level Chair
Patty Hubble
[email protected]
Adult Level Chair
Jack Bailey
[email protected]
Community College Level Chair
Anthony Halderman
[email protected]
College/University Level Chair
Sharmin Khan
[email protected]
Intensive English Programs
Level Chair
Erika Rose
[email protected]
Nevada Representative
Bette Brickman
[email protected]
Chapter Council Chair
Belinda Braunstein
[email protected]
Interest Group Facilitator
Julie Ciancio
[email protected]
Bay Area Chapter Coordinators
Jessica Craig-Huynh
[email protected]
Debra Reeves-Gutierrez
[email protected]
Capital Area Chapter
Coordinator
Leslie Freeland
[email protected]
Inland Empire
Antoaneta Bonev
[email protected]
Los Padres Chapter Coordinator
Hilary Tomczik
[email protected]
Northern Nevada Chapter
Coordinator
Kathy Miner
[email protected]
Orange County Chapter
Coordinator
Zena Sekimoto Wu
[email protected]
Saroyan Chapter Coordinator
Gene R. Urrutia
[email protected]
Southern Nevada Chapter
Coordinator
Sylvia Villalva
[email protected]
Steinbeck Chapter Coordinator
Katie Dutcher
[email protected]
Yosemite Chapter Coordinator
Lisa Simao
[email protected]
Student Representative
Julia Schulte
[email protected]
INTEREST GROUPS
Intercultural Communications
Coordinators
Cassandra Rhine Giesen
[email protected]
Valerie Kiadeh
[email protected]
Nonnative Language Educators’
Issues Coordinator
Li-Fen Lin
[email protected]
Part-Time Educators’ Interest
Group
José López-Mercedes
[email protected]
Teaching English in the
Workplace Coordinator
Cynthia Fagan
[email protected]
Technology Enhanced Language
Learning Coordinator
Kristi Reyes
[email protected]
PUBLICATIONS
The CATESOL Journal Editors
Mark Roberge
[email protected]
Margi Wald
[email protected]
CATESOL News Editor
Karen Bleske
[email protected]
General Editorial Information
Mark Roberge
[email protected]
Advertising
Tiffany Ingle
[email protected]
CONFERENCES
For information about
CATESOL Annual Conference:
Judy O’Loughlin
[email protected]
For information about advertising in
official CATESOL publications (including
conference publications):
Tiffany Ingle
[email protected]
For information about exhibiting at
CATESOL annual conferences:
Monica Snow
CATESOL State Exhibits Coordinator
[email protected]
California Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages
A Professional Association for Those Concerned With Teaching of English
as a Second Language or Dialect and Bilingual Education
P.O. Box 9200-338, Fountain Valley, CA 92708 Ph: (559) 366-4936 Fax: (888) 832-0501
Rev. 092011
CONTACT US/JOIN US
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Title:
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Ms. First Name:_____________________ Last Name: ______________________________________________
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(You may choose more than one.)
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3.
Please select the position at which you work.
(You may choose more than one.)
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CATESOL
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CATESOL Annual and
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Upcoming
Events
2011
September 24
Saroyan Chapter Workshop
October 1
Orange County Chapter Workshop
Saroyan Fall Conference
October 15
San Diego Regional Conference
Los Padres Fall Conference
October 22
Los Angeles Regional Conference
Steinbeck Chapter Workshop
November 4-5
Southern Nevada
November 5
Northern Regional Conference
2012
March 29-31
46th Annual TESOL Convention,
Philadelphia
April 12-15
43rd Annual CATESOL Conference,
Oakland
ADULT LEVEL
Aiding Reconciliation in an ESL Class
By James E. Strode
Ignoring the hidden national, ethnic, or
racial conflicts on our roll sheets and in our
classes does not help us be aware of potential
problems before they erupt in class. This excerpt
from a case study shows the potential of healing
and reconciliation that exists in our classrooms
when people from regions of our globe who have
been cultural or physical enemies meet. This
case study involves two people from the same
city (Saigon/Ho Chi Minh City) who were classmates in my adult education class. Although
they were born at the same spot on the globe,
they were born a generation apart. The interpretation of historical events and worldview had
changed radically in that city during the interim. They did not see eye to eye. I became aware
of a potential conflict and tried to play the role
of mediator. The classroom environment set the
stage, the assignment outlined the script, but the
two students ad-libbed their parts admirably.
The result was fundamental change.
M
ost teachers are aware that what we do in
the classroom has a larger purpose. We
are not just teaching English or life skills or
any other subject that might be written about
our classroom objectives or student learning
objectives (SLOs). Ultimately we are teaching
what it means to be a good human being. And
it is probably no revelation to most ESL teachers that the ESL classroom is a prime milieu
for reconciliation or peacemaking. I hesitate to
use the word “peace” because somehow it has
become a four-letter word, and I don’t want to
alienate my readers. Words such as “reconciliation,” “bridge-making,” or “finding common
ground” are much more palatable. Nevertheless,
because we find in our classrooms students from
all over the world, we inevitably get interesting
combinations: students from Korea and Japan,
from Israel and Palestine, or from Georgia and
Russia. Are they going to get along as if the past
never existed? Hardly! Therefore, we as teachers and facilitators of interaction are in unique
positions to witness dynamic change. I was
privileged to observe such a personal conversion in my classroom several years ago.
They were both from Vietnam; Thoi Nguyen, not his real name, was from Saigon, and she
was from Ho Chi Minh City, the same place, but
essentially a different world. Koi Kim, not her
real name, was the youngest student in the class
at 19 years of age; conversely, he was one of
the oldest, in his late 50s. She was shy but eager
to learn. She was always paying attention and
on task. Although she rarely volunteered questions or answers during full-class discussions,
in small groups and informal settings she was
enthusiastic about trying her English skills. She
was bright and a fast learner. She wrote down
everything in her notebook.
He was dignified and quiet, but he showed
confidence when he had time to prepare ahead.
He also spoke little and wrote many notes. He
studied them at home, but he wasn’t a fast learner and asked similar questions more than once.
He had been in the US for more than 20 years;
she had arrived in the US less than four months
before enrolling in adult ESL classes. He was
not very confident with his English skills, but
she was gaining important knowledge and skills
at an admirable rate. He could have been her father, and it was plain he liked her. But he did not
seek out opportunities to be her partner during
collaborative exercises. He watched her from
afar, as many others did. She held him with respect, but she also seemed to keep her distance.
In the first few weeks of my listening and
speaking class, we discussed our heritage and
families and prepared country group presentations. During this time the two of them worked
together, but they did not always see eye to eye.
They shared the same place of birth, but they
did not share the same perspective. He had fled
from Vietnam in 1975 when the US lost the war
and all sympathizers fled for their lives. He was
airlifted out of Saigon at the last minute before it
fell and became Ho Chi Minh City. She grew up
without firsthand experience of the war, after it
was long over. She knew only the rebuilt Ho Chi
Minh City, modern with high skyscrapers and
scars of war carefully hidden and paved over.
It was during the next major assignment
that their differences became evident. Their assignment was to tell about and then write about
one of their heroes, the person they admired
most. They could choose one of their family
members or any person who had character and
admirable qualities. She chose Ho Chi Minh. To
Thoi, this wartime leader was his archvillain.
How would this ideological conflict play out?
As the teacher of the adult ESL class, I had
many opportunities to talk to both of them about
their projects. My main goal during this assignment was to help them express their thoughts,
feelings, and ideas in English about something
that they were truly interested in. This assignment has always produced excellent work from
my ESL students. I became aware of the anguish that Thoi was feeling after he witnessed
her practicing for her final presentation, which
was scheduled for the next Monday. After class,
when all of the other students had left, he came
up to my desk with a very serious look on his
face. “Did you know that her hero is Ho Chi
Minh?” he asked me. “Yes, I was aware of that,”
I said. “Well, he was the worse villain of the
Vietnam War. He was responsible for the loss of
lives of thousands of Vietnamese and American

Number 2 Fall 2011

Transcription

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