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NYS TESOL Applied Linguistics Winter Conference March 1, 2014 Strategies for Encouraging Adult ELLs to Speak English Outside of Class. Alexandra Dylan Lowe SUNY/Westchester Community College alowe44@verizon.net http://blog.tesol.org/author/alowe. Why are we here?.
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NYS TESOLApplied Linguistics Winter ConferenceMarch 1, 2014Strategies for Encouraging Adult ELLs to Speak English Outside of Class Alexandra Dylan Lowe SUNY/Westchester Community College alowe44@verizon.net http://blog.tesol.org/author/alowe
Do you recognize any of these students? • A student who doesn’t answer the telephone when it rings at home. • Or who asks for Con Ed’s Spanish-speaking customer service representative • Or who shops only in Brazilian stores where they can speak Portuguese.
Recognize any of these? • Or who only goes to doctors who speak Japanese. • Who wouldn’t let their children have play dates with American children because they are afraid to speak to the playmates’ mothers. • Or who uses an online book reading service to read a bedtime story to their children rather than read in English to them.
Rome wasn’t built in a day . . . . and neither is self-directed learning
Self-directed learning:5-step process Step 1: Consciousness-raising on Day 1 Step 2: Advice from fluent ELL’s Step 3: Discovering the secrets of successful ELLs Step 4: Making a Personal English Plan Step 5: Success Books Logs - Tracking implementation of the plan
Step 1: Consciousness Raising from Day 1The Mixer:“How do you practice Englishoutside of class?”
Step 2: Advice from Fluent Non-native Speakers of English Liliana: • No more TV in Spanish. • Keep the TV on in English when you are home. • You have to make a plan for yourself. • Find someone you work with and ask them to how say this or that. • Read in English. • Talk to old people. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LPRK3P3C6A
Step 2: Advice from Fluent Non-Native Speakers of English Eugene: • Seek out English speakers and imitate them. • Talk to yourself in English. Try to think in English. • Play your favorite DVDs over and over again, picking up new words each time. • Jot down new vocabulary words and idioms. Use them right away.
Step 3: Discover the secrets of successful adult ELLs • Run away from people who speak your language. Be in contact with as many English speakers as possible. Ask them to correct you. • Expose yourself to America and to American culture. Avoid stores and other locations in the U.S. where they speak your language. • Watch movies and TV without Spanish subtitles. Use English closed captions. • Just try to speak – if necessary, use gestures. • Try to think in English. • Keep a pencil and a notebook with you to write down new words and expressions.
And still more “secrets” • Talk to somebody with modern tools, such as Skype, Facebook, YouTube, QQ. • Watch TV. • Don’t hang out with Arabians. • Carry a notebook around and write down new vocabulary words • Don’t to [sic] make Japanese friends • Read newspapers • Listen to music and try to find out the lyrics. • Don’t be affraid [sic] of asking when you don’t know the meaning.
MY PERSONAL ENGLISH PLANMarch 2014 Here are 3 ways I plan to spend more time speaking English this month: 1. 2. 3. I plan to spend _______ minutes/hours speaking English every day. Here are 3 ways I plan to spend more time listening to English this month: 1. 2. 3. I plan to spend _______ minutes/hours listening to English every day.
Edgar’s Plan “In my job, at least one small word or a short phrase I’ll add to every people I receive, not only with the “Hello, how are you?” This method will be the beginning to a possible conversation. 20 people a day I say hello, 3 of them answer me back, I’ll have talked at least 3 persons every day. And it’s only the beginning.”
Getting Ahead in English Outside of ClassSuccess BookLog for the week of ____________________, 2014 Log for the week of __________________ , 2014
Success Book World Record 45 hours in one week !!
Some of the changes students start to make: • They start answering the phone at home. • One student started scheduling weekly play dates for her son with an American boy his age, and then would spend 2 hours talking with the boys’ mother. • A Mexican waiter started sitting with the American waiters at the communal meal after work, rather than sitting with the Mexican busboys.
And still more changes . . . . • Seeking out English-speaking co-workers • Talking to their cable company’s customer service rep in English • Talking to strangers in public settings • Helping their children with their homework and reading to their children in English • Ramping up their own reading – downloading audiobooks from the library (Dreams of My Father, Fifty Shades of Gray, Harry Potter)
And even more changes . . . • Talking to the customers at their husbands’ small business (garage, upholstery business) • Going out for a beer with teammates after a soccer game instead of heading home. • Joining “Meet Ups” • Joining a student club on campus. • Volunteering
Resources Getting Ahead in English Outside of Class: Next Steps, http://blog.tesol.org/getting-ahead-in-english-outside-of-class-next-steps/ Getting Ahead in English Outside of Class, Day 1, http://blog.tesol.org/getting-ahead-in-english-outside-of-class-day-1/ Lowe, Alexandra Dylan, “Self-Directed Learning: Personal Speaking Plans for Adult ELLs”(TESOL Connections, December 2012), http://newsmanager.commpartners.com/tesolc/issues/2012-12-01/3.html Lowe, Alexandra Dylan, “Self-Directed Learning Strategies for Adult ELLs” (TESOL Connections, March 2012), http://newsmanager.commpartners.com/tesolc/issues/2012-03-01/2.html
Thank you for joining me today! Alexandra Lowe (914) 329-0166 alowe44@verizon.net http://blog.tesol.org/author/alowe
