“Citizenship Prep”

1. “Citizenship Prep” 3rd Annual English Literacy and Civics Education Conference January 24, 2014 Mt. San Antonio College Jennifer Gagliardi Milpitas Adult School jgagliar@musd.org ppt available at www.uscitizenpod.com Resources and Strategies for the USCIS Citizenship Interview

2. Citizenship Class Hours Tuesday and Thursday 6:00-9pm Typical Class Schedule: 6:00 Watch Citizenship Videos or a Practice interview ex: Success at your INS Interview or Citizenship Today 6:-:630 Vocabulary Review and Quiz: Alphabet, Numbers, Dates, Addresses, New Citizenship Vocabulary words, etc. 6:30-7:30 Read and Discuss Citizenship Textbook: Citizenship: Ready for the Interview by Lynn Weintraub or other textbooks 7:30-7:45 Break 7:45-8:15 Further discussion about the Citizenship Textbook reading 8:15-8:30 Dictation and Quiz 8:30-9:00 Practice Citizenship Interviews

3. Textbooks Cengage/Heinle 2010 US Citizen, Yes!, 3rded. New Readers Press Ready for the Interview Citizenship Passing the Test Citizenship Literacy Skills workbook Pearson-Longman 2009 Voices of Freedom, 4th ed. Future U.S. Citizens (*ebook, 2011) Cambridge12/08/08 Citizenship Now! CD/DVD Best DVD: An McDowell’s Citizenship: Success at Your CIS Interview 2008

4. ESL/Citizenship Enrichment “Holding the Bag” (a high beginning ESL novel) by Ana Gianola, 978-1-56420-544-5 Negasi is a Washington DC taxi driver from Ethiopia who has been in the U.S. for many years and has a family. He accidentally becomes involved in a robbery and faces a moral issue. uscitizenpod: Prepare for your citizenship interview and Martin Luther King Day with a multiple choice test about Krestos Negasi's interview and 10 USCIS questions.(pdf)

5. Class Requirements • Attend classes on Tue/Thu 6:00-9:00pm • Participate in class activities. • Take an ESL Placement Test • ESL Placement test are given every 2 months. (Plan ahead!) • Call 408-635-2692 for test dates. • Take two CASAS ESL tests. • A Pre-test and Post test show student learning gains. • Citizenship students will take their ESL CASAS tests in the Citizenship class. • Take two U.S. History & Government CASAS Tests. • Pass one oral Interview (based on the N-400).

6. Speak English, please! An applicant's verbal skills are determined by the applicant's answers to questions normally asked by USCIS Officers during the naturalization eligibility interview. USCIS Officers are required to repeat and rephrase questions until the Officer is satisfied that the applicant either fully under- stands the question or does not understand English. If the applicant generally understands and can respond meaningfully to questions relevant to the determination of eligibility, the applicant has demonstrated the ability to speak English. From: Scoring Guidelines for the English Portion of the Naturalization Test

7. USDOE Nat’l Reporting System Educational Functional Levels • Individual can understand simple learned phrases and limited new phrases containing familiar vocabulary spoken slowly with frequent repetition; • can ask and respond to questions using such phrases; • can express basic survival needs and participate in some routine social conversations, although with some difficulty; • and has some control of basic grammar. Low Intermediate ESL? CASAS Basic Skill Levels for Oral Language SPL 4 Functions satisfactorily in basic survival and very routine social and work situations. Participates in simple face-to-face conversations dealing with familiar topics. Gives oral directions to do a familiar personal or work-related task of several steps. Participates in simple telephone conversations. Makes statements, asks and answers questions in the simple present, past and future tenses on familiar topics.

8. CASAS ResourcesLife and Work Reading ESL Test Series FINGERPRINTING Room 108 M - F 8 am – 4 pm No appt. necessary. Sat. by appointment only Room 109 Pre-test 185R #4 Model Standard: Interpret simple authentic materials on familiar topics (newspaper articles on current events, social letters, public information notices) Sample questions: Where do you for fingerprinting from Monday to Friday? When do you need an appointment for fingerprinting? Erika’s Fingerprint Appointment Notice!

9. CASAS Reading for Citizenship Tests (951R/952R) •Target population: Low beginning ESL students •Competencies Assessed: Reading comprehension in a citizenship context (These tests do not measure knowledge of the government and history of the United States.) •Test Administration: ◦One-on-one or group administration ◦Multiple-choice questions ◦Large-print, reusable test booklet CASAS Implementation Training is required to administer the Reading for Citizenship Tests.

10. CASAS Citizenship Interview Test (CIT) The Citizenship Interview Test (CIT) is a standardized oralassessment that assesses the speaking skills of adult ESL and citizenship learners. The CIT helps programs determine if an individual is ready to pass the USCIS naturalization interview. Target population: High beginning to advanced ESL students Competencies Assessed: Personal identification Topics from the N-400 Application for Naturalization This test does not measure knowledge of the US gov’t and history. Test Administration: One-on-one interview format (approx. 15 to 20 minutes ) Training is required to administer this test. A self-training manual provides a training CD and certification exercises.

11. Multiple choice listening test. • Students listen to thirty recorded questions. • Each question is repeated twice. • The questions are based on the new 100 questions. • Practice audio files are available at: https://www.casas.org/home/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.showContent&MapID=3231 CASAS Gov’t/History LISTENING TEST for Citizenshipformerly CASAS Citizenship Field Test 889, supersedes 963/964 Practice Red and black Red, white, and blue Black and white White, gold, and green Question 1 • John Adams • Thomas Jefferson • George Washington • Alexander Hamilton

12. CASAS EL Civics Objective Example ELC: Citizenship Preparation 40.4(Oral, Written Beginning Low – Advanced) Respond to questions about the history and government of the US in order to be successful in the naturalization process. 1 *Discuss basic historical events or patriotic symbols. 2 *Describe the colors and design of the American flag and discuss the meaning of the stars and stripes. 3 *Identify the three branches of American government. 5 *Write dictated sentences about U.S. history and government. 6 *Name the President of the United States, the Governor of California, the Mayor of the city, and other government officials. 7 Read, discuss, and/or write about issues relating to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Additional Tasks: Prepare for a USCIS Interview Student will participate in a mock oral USCIS interview. Practice Dictation Write a Letter or an Article related to the Constitution or Bill of Rights

13. uscitizenpod.com • Daily posts about citizenship preparation • USCIS news • US Government news • N-400 and USCIS 100q • Student work • N-400 scripts • Podcasts • Videos • Quizzes • Audio

14. USCIS.gov 1. Forms: N-400 Application for Naturalization and other forms 2. Citizenship: Apply for and learn about Citizenship 3. Español: USCIS.gov en Español 4. Check your Case Status 5 Make an InfoPass Appointment 3 2 1 4 5

15. www.uscis.gov/citizenship

16. Beginning, Intermediate, and Theme Handouts that encompass all four language skills: speaking, listening, reading, and writing. www.uscis.gov/citizenship/teachers/lesson-plans-and-activities

17. Study Materials for the English Test: Vocabulary for the Naturalization Interview: Self-Test 1 http://www.uscis.gov/USCIS/Office%20of%20Citizenship/Citizenship%20Resource%20Center%20Site/Section%20Items/INTERACTIVE%20Section%20Items/Vocabulary%20Activities%20for%20the%20Naturalization%20Test/uscis-vocabulary-test-1/uscis_test1.html

18. Study Materials for the English Test: Vocabulary for the Naturalization Interview: Self-Test 2 http://www.uscis.gov/USCIS/Office%20of%20Citizenship/Citizenship%20Resource%20Center%20Site/Section%20Items/INTERACTIVE%20Section%20Items/Vocabulary%20Activities%20for%20the%20Naturalization%20Test/uscis-vocabulary-test-2/uscis_test2.html

19. Study Materials for the English Test: Understanding Commands for the Naturalization Interview http://www.uscis.gov/USCIS/Office%20of%20Citizenship/Citizenship%20Resource%20Center%20Site/Section%20Items/INTERACTIVE%20Section%20Items/Vocabulary%20Activities%20for%20the%20Naturalization%20Test/uscis-vocabulary-test-3/uscis_test3.html

20. Study Materials for the Civics Test www.uscis.gov/citizenship/learners/study-test/study-materials-civics-test

21. americanhistory.si.edu/citizenship/

22. Quick List of Internet Resources CASAS Bibliography of Citizenship Materials https://www.casas.org/home/?fuseaction=home.showContent&MapID=808 EL Civics www.elcivics.com ClinicLegal.org Catholic Legal Immigration Network, Inchttp://cliniclegal.org/resources/translations-citizenship-test OTAN: ESL/Citizenship/EL Civics: Sites to Use with Students http://www.otan.us/browse/index.cfm?fuseaction=browse&catid=10607&showlinks=true OTAN Jefferson Adult School citizenship Moodle (Kay Johnson) http://moodle.otan.us/course/enrol.php?id=47 (requires enrollment) SPL.org (King County) Seattle Public Library Citizenship Resources http://www.spl.org/audiences/literacy-and-esl/citizenship-help SFPL.org San Francisco Public Library Citizenship Resources http://sfpl.org/index.php?pg=2000011201 USCIS www.uscis.gov, USCIS on YouTubeand USCIS on Twitter and USCIS Citizenship Resource Center www.uscis.gov/citizenship uscitizenpod.com also on Facebook, YouTube, & Twitter/ VOANews and VOAVideoon YouTube www.youtube.com/user/VOAvideo

23. EL/Civics Online EL/Civics Onlineis a unique professional development opportunity for ESL instructors and volunteers who wish to incorporate EL/Civics content into their adult ESL classrooms. 

24. citizenshipworks.org/prepare/

25. Financing Citizenship • The New Americans Campaign • Citizenship Works • National Immigration Forum: The Bethlehem Project • Opportunity Fund • www.uscitizenpod.com/2014/01/the-new-americans-campaign.html Several organizations are trying educate their communities about the immigration and citizenship process plus assist with financing.

26. I-90 Fee Waiver • USCIS acknowledges that increased fees represent a burden to low-income applicants. • Household income must be 150% below Federal Poverty Guidelines. • I-90 request household financial information. • Applicants (who request a fee waiver) must submit I-90 with N-400 (or other forms)

27. The End For further information, see CASAS.ORG https://www.casas.org/home/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.showContent&MapID=674 CASAS.ORG/ELC https://www.casas.org/elc/index.cfm?fuseaction=COAAPSList.welcome USCIS.GOV USCITIZENPOD.COM For further info, contact Jennifer Gagliardi at gagliajn@yahoo.com or uscitizenpod@gmail.com. Thanks to the students and staff of Milpitas Adult School, SJSU MATESOL, and the USCIS. In love and gratitude to the immigrants to the United States!

28. Thanks, Teacher! We love you! www.uscitizenpod.com