Content-Learning Tasks for Adult ESL Learners: Promoting Literacy for Work or School

Abstract

Teachers of English as a second language (ESL) are often on the frontline of working with adult ESL learners who are facing a difficult developmental pathway to academic and/or economic success. These learners come to the task of learning English with widely varying schooling experiences, degrees of first language literacy, and English language proficiency. A workplace that increasingly demands considerable content knowledge, critical thinking abilities, and excellent communication skills has led to a greater emphasis on academic skill development from the earliest stages of literacy and language learning, and has highlighted a need for continuing this emphasis for those transitioning into vocational or academic studies. A known but not often implemented approach to adult ESL learning, contentbased instruction, is a viable response to this situation. Content other than language is common in ESL materials, but making learners accountable for actually learning this content is often secondary to language skill development, if considered at all. However, learning the content naturally motivates deep processing of language and the use of higher order thinking skills, which are foundational for high levels of literacy. This article provides teachers of adult ESL learners, vocationally or academically oriented, with the rationale, guiding principles, and examples of that focus on content learning through text-engaging tasks.

‘We acted like ELLs’: A pedagogy of embodiment in preservice teacher education

“…In (2) the teacher educator conveyed one aspect of her conceptual understanding of second language reading instruction. She continued, explaining that the embodied lesson’s task sequence allowed learners to make ‘multiple passes’ through the text, in order to promote both understanding of the reading and recycling of language, which encourages vocabulary acquisition (Ewert, 2014, p. 273). Several teacher-learners expressed emergent understanding of this pedagogical concept of ELLs making multiple meaningful passes through a text, though they did not use Anne Marie’s academic terminology.…”

A Study on Motivational Strategies of Adult Second Language Acquisition from the Perspective of TESOL Teaching

“…By applying content-based instruction, instructors can build a positive connection of adult learners' practical appliance of the language and the class materials, adult learners can be more motivated because they spend most of their learning time on learning specific contents that related to their life and work, rather than basic language skills, but in the meanwhile their language and literacy skills will be proved implicitly. Content-based instruction also have disadvantages, as the instruction and study method used in this strategy focuses more on appliance, and views language learning more as mastering a skill, learners' critical thinking ability, collaboration, and interpretation won't be as strong as the result brought by systematic learning (Ewert, 2014) [14] .…”

Teaching Strategies that Motivate English Language Adult Literacy Learners to Invest in their Education: A Literature Review

“…Employment is an immediate settlement need for ALL, as many immigrant learners do not possess the literacy skills required to obtain a job in their new environment (Ewert 2014;Gerner 2018). In addressing this need, Ewert (2014) suggested that 'success hinges on meaning-based classroom instruction organised around content' (p. 268).…”

“…In addressing this need, Ewert (2014) suggested that 'success hinges on meaning-based classroom instruction organised around content' (p. 268). Although contentbased instruction is unusual in English classes for newcomers, Ewert (2014) asserted that ALL are motivated when the content is related to settlement. LINC students learn language through content, such as shopping, going to the doctor and employment.…”

“…LINC teachers are struggling under the influx of low-literate refugees from the Middle East and East Africa in particular, due to inadequate training in adult literacy learner instruction (Ewert 2014, McHardy andChapman 2016). In some contexts, it has been found that even when training is provided, teachers are not always implementing the training they have received (Crevecoeur 2011;Gerner 2018), and often resort to teaching as they were taught (DeCapua, Marshall and Frydland 2018;Ewert 2014). Traditional teaching approaches have offered few strategies to help English as a Second Language (ESL) adult literacy learners (ALL) increase their motivation and investment in learning (ESL ALL will hereafter be referred to as ALL).…”