Emergency Preparedness in ESL Instruction

1. Emergency Preparedness in ESL Instruction Chris Conley Seattle Central Community College 2008

2. Assists Students in Adapting to a New Environment • Students have moved from one geographically unique area to another, each with its own hazards and methods of dealing with them. • Example: People’s response to an earthquake in China vs. US YouTube - Earthquake Footage of Collapse from Inside • Example: My student from Africa who had never experienced an earthquake was taken by EMP to hospital during class the day after 2001 earthquake in Seattle.

3. Abundant Real-Life Language Learning Materials • There are many materials, both in English and students’ first language, full of language, vocabulary, readings, writing opportunities, critical thinking, family interaction, and relevant life skills. • Videos, readings, charts, Internet searches, fill-in-the blank…

4. Easy Application to ESL • Simple to incorporate: Look for opportunities to expand usual lessons to include emergency prep. • Example: contact cards for Level 1. Just fill in names and phone numbers. • Example: When talking about prepositions of place, students draw household maps. Add questions about where are the exits, what could fall in an earthquake, what is your family plan?

5. Variety of Learning Contexts • Students learn with • Other students in class • Family at home • Neighbors (SNAP) in their communities • Other agencies (Red Cross Language Bank) • AND THEIR TEACHERS: teachers role model by preparing at the same time students do.

6. Expand Student Interests • As with any teaching topic, students can find and explore new interests such as geographic sciences, social work, community activism, volunteering.

7. Citizen Engagement • Students have opportunity to connect with community by creating neighborhood support networks. • Example: SNAP

8. Personal and Group Empowerment • When people are knowledgeable of and prepared for a disaster, there is an element of personal empowerment, confidence and calmness to the individual and their family. • If one person is prepared in an emergency, it is one less person agencies and governmental offices need to help.

9. Information and Preparedness Gap • There is a gap between immigrant and non-immigrant populations • Example: Former SDART Program. Seattle Times reported on March 27, 2006 “City statistics indicate that Rainier Valley and Beacon Hill have the lowest participation in the SDART program…” and affluent neighborhoods organized the majority of SDART groups while some less affluent neighborhoods had none. • Example: People use charcoal and generators inside during power outage in December 2006 in Seattle. Seattle Times reported on December 17, 2006 a “carbon monoxide epidemic” after 55 people were treated for CO poisoning at Harborview Medical Center. “…patients treated … were largely low-income, non-English-speaking people who may not have known the risks,” which included a large group of Somali residents “who had been cooking and warming themselves over charcoal grills brought indoors.”