How prior learning experiences influence adult learning in formal settings

1. How prior learning experiences influence adult learning in formal settings John Hellermann Kathryn Harris NairánRamírez-Esparza Clemence Richard Stephen Reder Patricia Kuhl

2. Learners with little previous formal education… • make little or very slow progress in additional language learning • Standardized assessments • Progress through program • At national, state and local levels

3. Illustration of lack of formal education • Li clip 1 • http://www.labschool.pdx.edu/Viewer/viewer.php?pl=Lilearnssociointeractivepractices

4. Formal education… • fosters development of particular cognitive skills • recognition and organization of non-utilitarian, abstract concepts • meta-strategies for organizing such abstract information • available for use in different contexts within formal educational settings (Cole, 1978; Scribner & Cole, 1981)

5. Formal education… • fosters development of particular cognitive skills • generalization of problem solving strategies across contexts • explanation of strategies for problem solving (Scribner & Cole, 1973; Sharp, Cole, & Lave, 1979) • Recall of random lists of numbers • Some research suggests correlation between formal education and L2 development (Green & Reder, 1984)

6. Literacy differences and L2 development • Literacy level influences L2 acquisition (Tarone, Bigelow, & Hansen, 2009) • Literacy and schooling highly correlated, difficult to tease apart (Scribner & Cole, 1978)

7. Illustration of student with formal education • Jose assisting with, initiating task interaction • http://www.labschool.pdx.edu/Viewer/viewer.php?pl=Lilearnssociointeractivepractices

8. Lack of formal education… • Learning for this population: contextualized, local • Research has not shown how lack of formal learning appears in classroom interaction • How does this lack of experience affect classroom interaction, crucial in adult ESOL classrooms?

9. Our goals • describe and codify socio-interactive practices of adults with little formal education • analyze differences in socio-interactive practices between learners with little or no formal education and learners with formal education • observe differences in expression of personality in the classroom

10. Data • large corpus of video-recorded classroom interaction recorded 2001-2005 (4000 hours) • developed by Steve Reder (PI) & Kathy Harris • Lab School setting (6 cameras, 5 microphones) • Adult learners of English, Portland Community College all skills classes • almost 700 students participated • funders include US Department of Education and US National Science Foundation

11. 5 learners reporting no formal education Three ten-week terms classroom video analysis Learning behaviors in the classroom Our starting point

12. Developed coding system for learning behaviors for learners with little formal education Language learning in tasks Understanding, starting, extra learning behavior Use of resources whiteboard and print resources, asks for help Engagement Enjoys tasks, attentive Interaction Assumes an expert or novice role Personality Displays extraverted or introverted behavior Next step

14. participants • 20 level ‘A’ students • 10 ‘low’ formal education (low education) • 10 ‘high’ formal education (high education)

15. 5 coders observed and coded three learners for 2 minutes every ten minutes of one 3-hour class session.

16. Socio interactive variables comparing low and high education

17. Socio interactive variables correlated with BEST Literacy

18. Personality variable

19. Personality variable • Low education learners • Display of introverted behavior correlates negatively with BEST Reading-Writing scores

20. 67–year old woman from Taiwan Immigrated to the U.S. in 1993 No experience with formal education Interactions 10/14/2002 (3rd week of English class) 3/31/2003 (21st week of English class) 5/1/2003 (25th week of English class) Illustration of change‘Li’

21. Li, week 3 • teacher assigned Shen and Li to sit together • teacher comes to the students’ desk at the start of the task • The task: students ask one another three questions about daily routines • What time do you get up? • What do you do in the afternoon? • Do you watch T.V. in the evening?

23. Li, week 21 • Li is working with Reinaldo • Task: share biographical information from name card • What is your first name? • What is your last name? • What is your language?

27. Li, week 26 • 2 points during class • Early warm-up activity • Later, pair task

28. Li week 26 • Early in class, warm-up activity • Teacher has asked students what time they get up in the morning • Students are to stand and place themselves in order from earliest to latest

29. Li, week 26 • Later in class, pair task • Li is working with Pedro • Similar task to in week 3 • Instructions written on the board and printed in students’ textbooks • What time do you get up? • What time do you watch T.V.? • What time do you go to work? • What time do you go to sleep? • What time do you eat lunch?

32. Implications for teaching learners with little formal education • These learners need more time to progress through a program • Accommodations: • an additional class below the first level • add an extra class at each level

33. Implications for teaching learners with little formal education • These learners more often: • assume novice role in interaction • let partner start activity • Accommodations: • Tutoring on ways to participate in the classroom • Match up mentor students with low education students • Watch video of classrooms to help learners identify classroom socio-educational practices

34. Your questions and comments jkh@pdx.edu harriska@pdx.edu • Ramírez-Esparza, N., Harris, K. A., Hellermann, J., Richard, C., Reder, S., & Kuhl, P. (forthcoming). Socio-interactive practices and personality in adult learners of English with little formal education. Language Learning.