Teaching Pre-Literate Adult Refugee Students PDF

Making It Real:
Teaching Pre-literate Adult Refugee Students
Tacoma Community House Training Project
Making It Real:
Teaching Pre-literate Adult Refugee Students
Written by Alysan Croydon

Illustrated by Jamie Treat
With contributions from Anita Bell and Jamie Treat
This project would not have been possible without the helpful insights
and support of Marilyn Bentson and the technical expertise of Marla German
Developed by Tacoma Community House Training Project
Funded by the Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Section

of the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services
2005
making it real: teaching pre-literate adult refugee students

Table of Contents
TEACHING SPEAKING AND LISTENING SKILLS ..................................................................... 1

Getting Started........................................................................................................................ 3
Controlled Practice Techniques ............................................................................................ 5
Oral drills ............................................................................................................................ 6
Visual substitution drills ..................................................................................................... 7
Picture stories ..................................................................................................................... 8
Grids ................................................................................................................................... 9
Line-up ........................................................................................................................ 10
True / false .................................................................................................................. 10
Other grid activities .................................................................................................... 11
Information gap ................................................................................................................ 14
Lists ............................................................................................................................ 14
Pictures ....................................................................................................................... 15
Picture story or sequences .......................................................................................... 15
Maps ........................................................................................................................... 15
Board games ..................................................................................................................... 16
Dialogs and role plays ...................................................................................................... 17
Conversation Activities ........................................................................................................ 18
Bridge Activities ................................................................................................................... 21
Sorting and categorizing ................................................................................................... 21
Ordering and sequencing .................................................................................................. 21
Comparing ........................................................................................................................ 22
Matching ........................................................................................................................... 22
Tools and Techniques for Conversation / Applied Practice ............................................. 23
Magazine pictures............................................................................................................. 23
Picture cards ..................................................................................................................... 23
Matching ..................................................................................................................... 23
I like / dont like ......................................................................................................... 24
Sorting ........................................................................................................................ 24
Practicing present tense .............................................................................................. 24
Ordering ...................................................................................................................... 24
Realia ................................................................................................................................ 24
Drawing / maps................................................................................................................. 25
Brainstorming ................................................................................................................... 25
Board games ..................................................................................................................... 27
Other games ...................................................................................................................... 28
Card games ................................................................................................................. 28
Childrens games ........................................................................................................ 28
Active games .............................................................................................................. 28
Guessing games .......................................................................................................... 28
Picture game ............................................................................................................... 28
Object game ................................................................................................................ 29
Ten things ......................................................................................................................... 29
Role plays ......................................................................................................................... 29
Working with visuals of situations: the stranger at the door ............................................ 30
Introduction activities ................................................................................................. 30
Listening activities...................................................................................................... 32
Speaking and literacy activities .................................................................................. 32
Listening Activities ............................................................................................................... 33
Total Physical Response (TPR) ........................................................................................ 33
TPR with a series of actions ....................................................................................... 33
TPR combined with common language areas ............................................................ 34
TPR with a sequence .................................................................................................. 35
TPR on paper .............................................................................................................. 35
TPR with a picture ...................................................................................................... 35
Exercise routine ................................................................................................................ 36
Demonstrated response ..................................................................................................... 36
Same or different ........................................................................................................ 36
True / false .................................................................................................................. 37
Personal information .................................................................................................. 37
Chalk talks ........................................................................................................................ 37
Identifying pictures ........................................................................................................... 38
Listening exercises ........................................................................................................... 39
Putting It All Together ......................................................................................................... 39
Introduce ........................................................................................................................... 40
Controlled practice ........................................................................................................... 41
Bridge activities ................................................................................................................ 42
Applied practice................................................................................................................ 43
Review and repetition ....................................................................................................... 44
Pre-literate level 1 ............................................................................................................. 45
TEACHING READING AND WRITING .................................................................................. 46

Approaches to Teaching Reading ....................................................................................... 47
A Continuum of Beginning Literacy .................................................................................. 49
Pre-literate......................................................................................................................... 49
Non-literate ....................................................................................................................... 50
Semi-literate ...................................................................................................................... 50
Non-Roman alphabet literate............................................................................................ 50
Literacy Basics ...................................................................................................................... 53
Holding a pen ................................................................................................................... 53
Making shapes .................................................................................................................. 53
Directionality .................................................................................................................... 53
Paper orientation ............................................................................................................... 53
Tracing .............................................................................................................................. 53
Study skills ....................................................................................................................... 54
Meaning Based Approaches ................................................................................................ 55
Getting started: reading first words .................................................................................. 55
Sight word activities ................................................................................................... 57
Sight word sets ..................................................................................................... 57
Sight word wall ..................................................................................................... 58
Target letter chart .................................................................................................. 59
Worksheets ............................................................................................................ 59
Games ......................................................................................................................... 60
Memory ................................................................................................................ 60
Board games ......................................................................................................... 60
Bingo .................................................................................................................... 60
Student Generated Material .............................................................................................. 61
The Language Experience Approach (LEA) .............................................................. 61
The news ..................................................................................................................... 64
Community language learning ................................................................................... 66
Writing labels and captions ........................................................................................ 68
Teacher Generated Material .............................................................................................. 69
Re-writes ..................................................................................................................... 69
Simplifying ................................................................................................................. 70
Picture stories ............................................................................................................. 71
Building literacy into work with grids ....................................................................... 71
Parts to Whole Approaches .............................................................................................. 72
Lists ............................................................................................................................ 72
Rhyming words........................................................................................................... 72
Bingo .......................................................................................................................... 73
Word families.............................................................................................................. 73
Sound discrimination ................................................................................................. 73

Activities that teach the alphabet ............................................................................... 74
Connecting the alphabet to sounds ............................................................................. 74
Writing and letter formation ....................................................................................... 75
Play human computer ................................................................................................. 77
MANAGING A MULTI-LEVEL LITERACY CLASS.................................................................... 78
Strategies for Teaching Multi-level Groups ....................................................................... 78
Needs assessment ............................................................................................................. 78
Grouping strategies ........................................................................................................... 79
Whole groups .............................................................................................................. 79
Small groups ............................................................................................................... 79
Cross-ability groups and pairs .................................................................................... 80
Same-ability groups and pairs .................................................................................... 80
Individualized work .................................................................................................... 80
Activities for Multi-level Groups ..................................................................................... 80
Dialog journals ........................................................................................................... 80
Pictures ....................................................................................................................... 80
Grids ........................................................................................................................... 80
TPR on paper .............................................................................................................. 81
Clocks ......................................................................................................................... 81
Dialogs and stories ..................................................................................................... 81
Low-level literacy ................................................................................................. 82
More advanced literacy ........................................................................................ 82
Self-access materials................................................................................................... 82
Tasks ........................................................................................................................... 84
Managing a Multi-level Class .......................................................................................... 85
Planning for a Multi-level Group ..................................................................................... 85
Useful Publications........................................................................................................... 85
CHECKLIST FOR PRE-LITERATE LEVEL 1 ............................................................................... 86
Speaking / Listening ............................................................................................................. 86
Basic language .................................................................................................................. 86
Greeting and leave taking ........................................................................................... 86
Personal information .................................................................................................. 87
Asking and answering questions ................................................................................ 87
WH questions .......................................................................................................... 87
Numbers, letters, time, time and date ......................................................................... 88
Social interaction ........................................................................................................ 88
Other language .................................................................................................................. 90
Banking, shopping, and money .................................................................................. 90
Health ......................................................................................................................... 91
School ......................................................................................................................... 92
Housing....................................................................................................................... 93
Community services ................................................................................................... 93

Transportation and directions ..................................................................................... 94
Employment................................................................................................................ 95
Reading and Writing ............................................................................................................ 96
Literacy basics .................................................................................................................. 96
Numbers and alphabet ...................................................................................................... 96
English sounds .................................................................................................................. 97
Tracking Progress ................................................................................................................. 99
The First 100 Commonly Used English Words ............................................................... 100
LEARNER PROFILES ...........................................................................................................101
Sambath ............................................................................................................................... 101
Fatuma and Awad ............................................................................................................... 102
Pao ........................................................................................................................................ 103
ESL RESOURCES ................................................................................................................ 104
Websites ............................................................................................................................... 104
Culture ............................................................................................................................ 104
Language ........................................................................................................................ 105
Books .................................................................................................................................... 106
Language ........................................................................................................................ 106
Comprehensive texts ...................................................................................................... 106
Literacy ........................................................................................................................... 107
Culture ............................................................................................................................ 108
Introduction
Imagine what it must be like for pre-literate adult refugees arriving in the United States. They may
not have climbed stairs before let alone used an elevator or escalator. They may have never held a
pen, yet are faced with computers and other technologies. They are used to passing information
orally but not in writing since they are not literate in their own language. They love their children
but cannot discipline them the way they are used to. They may be fearful about doing the wrong
thing because of lack of cultural knowledge and language skills. They are concerned about how
they are going to survive. What a bewildering and frightening world it must be.
These refugees are already survivors. They may have experienced trauma related to events in their
own country, the country of first asylum, or from resettlement in the United States. They may have
health problems, mental health difficulties, and lots of questions. They may have lived in the United
States for many years, or they may be relative newcomers. Whatever their background and situation,
one thing they all have in common is a need to speak, read, and write in English.
Pre-literate adult refugees present a number of challenges for teachers and programs. Unlike other
learners who are literate in their own language, pre-literate students may have had no formal contact
with written language before. Teachers cannot rely on students taking notes to aid memory and
promote self-study. Learners may need basic instruction in how to hold a pencil and other literacy
basics that we take for granted in a literate culture. Pre-literate learners may not recognize common
pictoral representations that teachers often use to represent objects with literate learners. Pre-literate
learners may not have handled books and papers or be familiar with the cultural expectations in the
classroom. Where and how do you start teaching these learners? What do you need to teach them?
What do they need and want to know?
Whats in This Book?

This book attempts to answer these questions and reviews some effective practices for teaching preliterate adult refugees. It describes techniques and activities that support these practices. It is
divided into sections on teaching speaking and listening skills and reading and writing skills.
Although their literacy level is what makes pre-literate students especially challenging to teach, oral
language still needs to be developed and actually developed first as many of the approaches to
teaching literacy described here rely on learners reading their own words. Each of the sections on
teaching language skills provides examples and descriptions of useful approaches, techniques, and
activities. There is a checklist of language competencies that learners who are new to the language
need to know, a section on teaching multi-level groups, and information on resources that teachers
and service providers can use.
LEARNER PROFILES
Throughout the book, you will read about the experiences of four learners Sambath, Fatuma,
Awad, and Pao and their teachers Ann, Mike, Chris, and Brenda. While the descriptions are
fictional, the learning situations and experiences reflect stories from real students. Their
backgrounds and situations represent a cross-section of adult pre-literate refugees.
TEACHING SPEAKING AND LISTENING SKILLS

It is a hot day. Fatuma sits on the outside steps of her second floor apartment. Sounds drift
up from the street below, neighbors, and radios and televisions in other apartments. It is a
stream of sound. There are bursts of laughter and Fatuma wonders what everyone is
saying. A woman approaches up the stairs, and says something. She is not sure what. The
woman moves on. Thank you, Fatuma whispers in English. It is the only thing she can
think of in English right now. She feels embarrassed and longs for a real conversation. She
wants to tell her she is hot, she is afraid, she knows a lot of things, and that she is happy
because her children will soon be coming home from school.
Learning to speak another language can be stressful, time consuming, and confusing for adults.
The needs of newcomers are vast and their ability to handle the complex world of the United
States is limited by the amount of English they know and their familiarity with the culture.
Learning to speak English is one of the first steps they can take to get control of their lives. First
comes the ability to understand and then to speak. So, they need time to focus on building
exposure to hearing the language and using some new vocabulary and short phrases. They also
need to develop some oral competency that should be developed before attempting to transition
into reading and writing their new language.
To be a competent speaker of another language, you need to develop both accuracy and fluency.
Getting it right so you can communicate a simple message is essential. However, Level 1
students have to tackle complex situations where more than a few simple words suffice. So, they
need to be able to quickly put together utterances of what they do know. As teachers, we need to
provide opportunities for both kinds of learning and find the balance between unstructured
conversation and controlled practice of new language.
Making It Real: Teaching Pre-literate Adult Refugee Students
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A balanced program has carefully constructed practice opportunities where students learn and
practice new language that you introduce to meet their needs and fulfill their purposes. In
addition, there is time for students to use their new language to communicate messages and their
own meaning. It is like constructing a house. Students need structured building blocks of
language to make a structure, but the house also needs to be decorated with the students
personal stamp.
Fatuma and her tutor Mike had been practicing saying what food Fatuma liked. They had
done various controlled activities related to food. Near the end of the session, Mike asked,
What do you like in America, Fatuma? A torrent of things spilled out I like go school,
I like job, I like bus no walking, I like study.
Your students desire to speak will depend on how urgent or meaningful the stimulus or concrete
hook is. The hook can be rather contrived, where you are controlling the language the students
use, or can be real opportunities for speaking, where your students are in control and make
decisions about what language they are using. The following sections on controlled practice
techniques and conversation activities give suggestions for handling both of these types of
interaction.
As a general rule, build oral competency before introducing the written form of the language, as
some approaches to literacy rely on students being able to read their own words.
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Getting Started
Starting to speak in a new language requires a number of skills to come together at once. Your
students need to hear and understand the meaning of the message and respond to it. However,
students need plenty of time to hear the language without having to make verbal responses. The
section on listening activities gives ideas on how to build in opportunities for students to hear
language in context without the burden of having to formulate verbal responses. The lower a
student is in terms of level, the more time you will have to spend on listening and recognition
activities.
Fatuma and Mike were reviewing colors by looking at magazine pictures. Fatuma, point
to red. Thats it. Point to blue. Point to green. No, thats yellow. Green. Green. Point to
green. Thats it. Point to black. Today you remembered four colors!
Adults forming words and phrases in a new language require patience, empathy, and
encouragement. They have to retrain muscle groups in the mouth and throat to make unfamiliar
sounds. It can be embarrassing and awkward for students when they twist their mouths into new
positions. Therefore, give lots of time to practice simple dialogs and phrases so they become
automatic. Build in lots of repetition. Repetition does not have to be choral parroting of
language. There are a number of ways to build in meaningful repetition. See the section on grids
for ideas.
Exposure is another important concept. Your students will probably not remember something if
they meet it only once. They need to have bits of language they know recycled back in various
contexts a number of times. For example, if you had worked on greetings, be sure to bring back
this language when working on a dialog for shopping. This way, they can ask for a price and
greet the shopkeeper.
Level 1 students will most probably have already learned some limited English words and
phrases. A good starting point is to get to know your student and get some basic information
from them. Following that, choose items from the checklist section on Basic Language on page
76. This section contains some initial words and phrases for social interaction, giving personal
information, and saying numbers and dates. As students gain some ease in managing some
everyday tasks, you will be able to start introducing some of the conversation techniques listed
below and go beyond basic language to choose other topic areas that you know are relevant to
your students immediate needs.
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Other items that are worth teaching early on are:

The language to express feelings
Im happy / sad / angry.
The language for classroom directions
Stand up / repeat / copy / write.
The language for classroom items and ways to ask for them
A pencil / eraser please.
I need paper / scissors.
Social language of the classroom that can be used in many other daily contexts
How are you?
See you tomorrow.
Introduce question types by building understanding first. Students at Level 1 will not fully
master Wh question types, but provide plenty of exposure in hearing them.
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Controlled Practice Techniques

Beginning students need a curriculum that carefully builds grammatical structures and
vocabulary and gives them opportunities to practice these new language skills in a controlled
environment. Focused practice of new items is helpful, limiting use of other language. For
example, students may practice a dialog for getting someones attention in different contexts or
learn the names of food items. It is a chance for them to get it right or focus on pronunciation.
Pao was working with his teacher Brenda on a dialogue to give greetings. How are you?
Im fi, Pao replied. Like this fiNE, emphasized Brenda. NNNNNN, fiNE. How
are you? Im fine. How is your wife? Brenda asked. My wifine, thanks. WiFE.
FFFFFFF wife, responded Brenda. How is your wife? My wife fine, thanks. Brenda
holds up her fingers repeating Paos words and pointing to her fingers as she does so. She
stops when she comes to the missing word My wife hmm fine. Whats this? My wife
IS fine.
Identifying each small step or piece of the language puzzle you are teaching allows you to assess
and give your students feedback so you and they can see how they are doing.
Sambath was working on writing the days of the week with her teacher. Great, Sambath,
you remembered to write all the days with capital letters. Look at this one we did last week.
Only Monday has a capital letter. Youve got it!
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ORAL DRILLS
Oral drills are a classic technique to build confidence in students and help them memorize
chunks of language. They focus on accuracy, and, by speeding up the practice, are a foundation
for building fluency. They allow students to practice getting their mouths around new language.
And they can practice chunks of language in isolation. Devise drills that are meaningful where
students can give answers that are true for them rather than have students perform grammar
gymnastics such as, the apples are in the big hat or the apple is in the small hat.
Whats your phone number?
Whats your address?
720-4590
143 South Pearl Street
Procedure
Use picture cards as cues for drills.
Hold up a picture and have students say the sentence.
Deal the cards out faster to speed up fluency.
Have students pick cards and say the sentence.
I went to the store / park / hospital / school.
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VISUAL SUBSTITUTION DRILLS

Visual substitution drills can help students understand how sentences are put together, and
encourage them to create original sentences based on a particular structure. In this example,
students begin with a visual representation of the statement I eat rice every day. Add other
frequency expressions, such as once a week and twice a month. Give students plenty of practice,
pointing to each slot of the sentence as students listen, repeat, or say it on their own. Paying
attention to students mastery and interest, add more options for each slot of the sentence, such
as the object, verb, or subject. Ask for student suggestions along the way.
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PICTURE STORIES
Create simple picture stories to illustrate an experience of your own or to help re-enact an
experience your students have related. By controlling the language in this exercise, you can
model useful language that students will need to tell a story of their own.
Procedure
Show the pictures one by one to the students.
Ask simple questions to identify people, context, time, and what is happening.
Review from the beginning and give a short phrase that summarizes each picture:
My arm hurt.
I called the nurse.
I went to the hospital.
My husband was worried.
I came home late.
Have students repeat the phrases.
Keep reviewing by going back to the first picture and inviting a student to say the phrase.
Hand out pictures to students for them to recall the story on their own.
Invite students to tell a story of their own that the topic evokes.
Listen to the story or write it down as a language experience story if you wish.
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GRIDS
Grids work well with pre-literate students since little literacy is required. Pictures, symbols,
single words, or short known phrases are used. A grid is a matrix that provides a structure for
controlled oral practice and provides a bridge to conversation. The following activities are based
on the sample grid.
Procedure
Introduce the topic or vocabulary set. Use pictures, a dialog, TPR, discussion, etc.
Elicit or put the pictorial information on the grid. With a group of students, add names to the
column on the left. This is a good natural opportunity to ask for names and spelling if they know
it. If you are teaching just one student, add names of friends and family members and include
yourself.
Model the new language. Grids most naturally lend themselves to questions and answer format,
but statements also work well.
Can you sew by hand?

Can you sew with a machine?
Can you swim?
Can you use the computer?
Do you like pizza?

Do you like tea?
Do you like ice cream?
Do you like crab?
Mark the students answers on the grid.

Repeat for the next student.
Whenever students are ready, they can take over the role of the questioner. Grids can also be
handed out for students to complete in groups, rotating the role of asking questions.
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Line-up
If students need more practice with the target language in order to complete the grid, set up a
line-up. Have students line up facing each other. Have students ask each other the questions.
Move a student on one side of the line from one end of the line to the other. Students shuffle one
partner to the right, facing a new partner. Repeat the process until everyone in the line has paired
with everyone on the other side.
Once the information on the grid has been elicited, recorded, modeled, and practiced in this way,
pick and choose from these optional practice and literacy activities below:
n
True / false
Make statements about the information on the grid. Mohamed likes pizza. Point to the squares
on the grid as you do so. Have students identify it as true / false or right / wrong. Repeat a
number of times.
n
Other grid activities
Point to squares silently and have students produce appropriate statements.
Practice various types of questions and answers:
Yes / no questions
Do you like pizza?
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Does your daughter like pizza?
Either / or questions
Does Hawa like pizza or ice cream?
Who likes ice cream? Hawa or Mohamed?
Wh questions
What does Mohamed like?
Who likes ice cream?
Have students count, add, compare, contrast, analyze, summarize, generalize, or speculate
about the information on the grid.
What do most people in your family like?
How many people like crab?
Do many Somali students like coffee?
Learn words and phrases to make connections.

I like pizza, but my daughter doesnt.
Mohamed likes tea and coffee.
Introduce new vocabulary and structures.

Everybody / nobody
Nobody likes tea and coffee.
Conjunctions
Hawa hates red but loves blue.
Negatives
My husband doesnt like rain.
Third person statements
They like tea and crab.
Discuss the information in a general way.

How often did you eat it?
Where did you get it?
How did you cook it?
Did you eat it in _____ ?
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Ask anything that the students can understand in this context that helps to extend the
practice.
Practice literacy activities.
Match vocabulary words on index cards to various squares in the grid.
Complete cloze (fill in the blank exercises).

Mohamed likes _____ .
Read true / false statements

Hawa likes pizza.
Combine parts of sentences to match information on the grid.

My husband likes tea.
Have students respond to written questions.

Do you like ice cream?
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INFORMATION GAP
Students work with a partner. Each one has incomplete information. The aim of the activity is
for students to exchange information so that each has complete information. Information gaps
work well to focus students on target language. Students may be asking questions to exchange
information, working with lists, pictures, or grids.
Procedure
Seat students so they cannot see the other students paper. Sometimes having a visual barrier
such as a book standing up on edge is helpful.
Model how the activity works the first few times you use it. You be Student A and have a
volunteer or other student play Student B.
Model the language necessary to complete your part of the information.
The following ideas all assume that the students are working in pairs. They each have partial
information. Each type of information gap can be modified for different target language.
n
Lists
One student has a list of numbers, the other has a blank sheet of paper. Works for phone
numbers, prices, and times.
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Pictures
Use pictures of objects or places or items with prices attached / colors / different numbers of
items / pictures of places and their opening times. Students practice asking the questions you
have already introduced. How much is the sofa? $80.
n
Picture story or sequences
Each student has pictures to complete a simple picture story. They tell what they have and decide
together what order they should be in.
n
Maps
Use simple maps with places and street names marked. Students ask for the location of services
or places.
Information gap activities also provide an excellent context to introduce the language of asking
for clarification. This language is very helpful and necessary for completing information gap
activities. There are many ways to ask for clarification. Some helpful ways include:
The what is on the top shelf?
Repeat again please.
What is #2?
722-43?
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BOARD GAMES
Games can provide focused practice with the added benefit of taking some of the focus off the
language itself. Single vocabulary items, questions, and phrases can all be practiced with board
games. You can cut pictures from magazines or draw items on the board. You need a basic board
design, die or spinner, and a game piece for each player.
Add pictures of clothing, objects, food, or any vocabulary you want to practice. Students who
land on the item have to name it or use a sentence or phrase that is your target language. For
example, He is wearing pants or just pants.
As students learn sight words, you can write single words on the game squares. For example,
Address for What is your address?
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DIALOGS AND ROLE PLAYS

Many early acquired structures can be helpfully practiced through four to six line dialogs.
Ensure that some of the dialog is language that is already known to the student. Introduce only
one question and answer or a new phrase.
Procedure
Provide context for the dialog by showing a picture of where you say it or drawing something.
Model the dialog a couple of times or play a tape so students hear the whole thing. You may
want to change hats or point to different people as you say their part.
Point to the picture of the person who is speaking and see how much students can recall what
they heard.
Have students repeat the line after you.
Continue on to elicit the response for that line.
Have students repeat after you.
Go back to the beginning and motion to two students to say the line and response.
Go on to the next line of the dialog.
Repeat for the subsequent lines of the dialog until the students are able to say most of the
dialog.
Put students in pairs to perform the dialog with each other.
Have students perform again making sure that everyone gets a chance to say both parts.
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Conversation Activities
You may introduce grammatical structures, phrases, and vocabulary to meet common daily
situations, pick and choose between competencies on a competency list, or follow a published
course book. In addition to this, students need to practice language they already know, make new
connections, and have the opportunity to initiate communication in a less structured way.
Students experience internal Aha! moments which come from needing to get their meaning
across in spontaneous speech.
Awad came late to class. Chris, his teacher, greeted him and asked the standard, How are
you today? Awad went over to the check-in chart and put his name card under the
unhappy face. Oh, you are not so happy today, Awad. Why? My son doctor, he said.
Oh, I am sorry. What is the problem? Awad paused, He-he Awad pantomimed
vomiting. He is vomiting. Eh, say again. Vomiting, replied Chris. Vomiting,
vomiting, Awad mumbled as he took his seat.
Creating openings for students to speak without planning out what they will say provides
balance in the curriculum and gives you an opportunity to assess if your students can carry over
language they have used in a
controlled setting to a more
authentic, natural context for
speaking. Providing open-ended
stimuli helps you learn about your
students lives. This helps students
generate language that is meaningful
and appropriate and give ways for
students to talk about their life
experience.
The life experiences of many
refugees may have been traumatic, so
giving students chances to express
feelings and worries should be an
important part of class time. The
more you know about your students
lives the more relevant and tailored
curriculum can become. In addition
to struggling to meet practical daily
needs in a completely new environment, many refugees have deep-seated emotional issues from
witnessing or being the victim of violence and trauma. Anxiety, depression and Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder are common.
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Fatuma had been learning some basic vocabulary to talk about daily routines. She was
looking at pictures and naming the actions, cook, clean, eat. Did you do the same
in Kenya in the camp? Yes, same. She picks up the picture that represents wash clothes.
Wash clothes very, very hard, Kenya. Hmm, why was that? Very hard. Tell me
more. Go walk many, many time. You walked a long way to wash clothes. Yes, very
scare. It was scary to walk far? Yes, walk far, some people hit. Bad people. Did that
happen to you? Eh? Bad people hit you? Yes, many time. Hit me. Talk bad. Im
sorry. Yes.
Having a concrete springboard is essential with Level 1 students. Giving students the time and
language to share their past lives with you gives them the motivation to learn English. Personal
expression is the most critical. Pictures, drawings, realia, and videos provide an initial starting
point. Students can describe and name things they see, relate them to other areas of their
experience, and talk about their feelings. You can construct simple conversations around them
with prompt questions and invite them to say more. Vary the question types you use. Start with
yes / no questions and either / or questions, as they provide lots of clues to the answer. However,
they do not lend themselves to conversation. Once you build an understanding of question types
that begin with Wh words such as Where, When, How, Who, and Why, your students will be
able to tell you more about themselves and their experiences.
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Make the most of every opportunity to give your students a chance to practice the words and
phrases they know. Ask questions about personal information and practice social language in the
classroom, since chances are slim for this to happen too often for Level 1 pre-literate learners
outside of class. Good morning, How are you?, See you next week, Im sorry, Have a good
weekend. Greetings and goodbyes at the door are all real moments, so think of them as part of
the lesson. They are worth teaching to your students to get right. Practice these in the main part
of the lesson, and then see if they get it right in the real context at the beginning and end of each
class.
Successful conversation requires good listening skills, a relaxed atmosphere, and an eagerness to
communicate. These are gifts you can offer students, and you will be amply rewarded with high
interest conversations even with very beginning students. Low level students can cope with very
high interest, personalized items even if it is beyond their level. Conversation activities help to
practice language students already know and provide opportunities to combine language in new
ways and new contexts. They generate new language by acting as a hook for conversation,
provide genuine communication opportunities, and can serve as warm-up activities. They may
develop into ideas for longer lessons and give you specific ideas about next steps to recycle back
in your linguistic curriculum. For example, a student may say I no like in a conversation activity.
It gets the message across at the time, but you can then set up a controlled practice activity for a
subsequent lesson to give practice in
expressing, I dont like. Conversation
activities reveal many teachable moments.
A good flow of activities begins with the
introduction and controlled practice of new
language where students are repeating words
you bring to the table. Practice then extends
to activities where students get more choices
within a contrived activity. The processes
described below provide these bridge
conversations. Finally, students need free
conversation times where they can have
control of the input and connect learning to
their own personal lives.
Beginning students do not have a lot of
hooks to hang new language on. Open
unstructured conversation will be limited to
your students giving one word or short
phrases as responses. As they get to know
you better and become more confident with
their English, you will have more authentic and extensive conversations. Warm ups and class
closings are times to have free authentic conversation. Do not underestimate the value of
informal talk.
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Bridge Activities
A number of processes can be applied to many areas of vocabulary that give short spurts of
practice and exposure to saying names of items in ways the students put together themselves. For
example, you may bring in a bag of assorted clothing items. Sorting, matching, ordering, and
comparing can give openings for practice.
SORTING AND CATEGORIZING

Sort into clothes for men / women / children / seasons / color / fabric. Have students tell you how
they separated things into groups. Sort by the ones students know the word for and those they do
not.
ORDERING AND SEQUENCING

Sequence from biggest to smallest, oldest to newest, by the sounds of the first letter in the names
of the clothing.
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COMPARING
Which clothes can you wear in your country? Why / why not?
MATCHING
Which clothing is good for Meuy, a student in the class? Why? For you? For your son?
Which clothing do you wear on the weekend / outside / for work?
Which clothes have problems? What are they? What can you do?
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Tools and Techniques for Conversation / Applied Practice

MAGAZINE PICTURES
Pictures from magazines, such as National Geographic, where students see pictures of their area
of the world and people like themselves, are useful to stimulate language. Here are some very
simple things you can do with them.
Procedure
Name colors and objects.
Count things.
Say what people are doing.
Compare what people are doing in the pictures to the US or another area of the world.
Answer simple questions about the picture.
PICTURE CARDS
Picture cards of single items can be easily prepared. They avoid written language for pre-literate
learners and can be manipulated. You can play and create games, practice questions and
statements, and make up impromptu dialogs. Here is an example of things you can do with food
cards.
Matching
Find two cards the same and name what you have. Play the memory game where 2 cards are
turned over at a time. The item should be named.
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I like / dont like
Students pick cards for foods they like and say.

I like ________ .
n
I dont like ________ .
Sorting
Sort foods by color, by season, by the words they know and cant remember, and by the initial
sound of the word.
n
Practicing present tense
I eat ________ .
n
I dont eat ________ .
Ordering
When students are familiar with alphabetical order, they may put the cards in order according to
the initial sound of the word.
Picture cards of objects, furniture and appliances, clothing, activities, and occupations all work
well. Make the cards at least 3x5 so they can be seen from the front of the room.
REALIA
Real objects are excellent aids to introduce vocabulary and also extend practice. Pre-literate
students may not be adept at reading pictures and graphics. Bringing the real thing to class
where possible avoids confusion. There are many ways to use them: name the object; tell what
you can do to it (chop, peel, put on, open ); or ask a question with it (can you give me, where
is).
Realia suggestions
Pile of clothes
Medication containers
Maps
Cooking utensils
Fruit and vegetables
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DRAWINGS / MAPS
Build conversation around the drawings. Model what you want. It is easier to show what you
want rather than to explain. Having a drawing allows you to ask questions. There are many kinds
of maps and drawings:
Map and drawing suggestions
A map of your day, a typical week, a typical day at work

A floor plan of your house
A picture of your house in your country
Draw something you like and dont like and say why
A time line of important events in your life
A drawing of your family
BRAINSTORMING
Pictures or drawings help focus attention and give a visual hook. Here is an example of a
drawing that was done to talk about life in a refugee camp:
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Procedure
Give students one or two ideas to start.
Dont write down the list. It is distracting for pre-literate students to have print before them.
Point to the part of the picture that is being discussed.
Make simple drawings on the board to aid memory and recall.
Brainstorming suggestions
Things people do in a refugee camp

Go to school / Work in the garden / Wash clothes / Take care of children / Cook / Carry
water
Good things in camp

School / House / Friends
Bad things in camp

People sick / Not enough water / Not enough food / No job
Brainstorms that divide things into good / bad or I like / dont like bring out a lot of useful
information and really stretch students to use their English.
Having a job
Not having a job
Taking the bus
Driving a car
Living in _______
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BOARD GAMES
Board games can be made easily to provide open-ended practice. You need to create a game
board, have a game piece, a die or a twister. You can practice whatever language you want by
drawing pictures or writing a word on each square.
Procedure
Introduce the board.
Have students choose a game piece (tops of colored markers work well) Students can ask for
yellow please.
Show where to start and finish.
Model how to play. Throw the die, move your piece, and ask or tell about the square you land
on.
Pass to the next person.
There are plenty of opportunities to recycle language the students know (like saying the numbers
that appear on the die) and also you can provide language to play the game as appropriate, Your
turn, Throw it, Whos next?
Board game suggestions
Use WH questions the students know

Where / What / How
Use yes / no questions

Are / Can
Draw pictures to review a vocabulary set

Have students name or ask What is it? for the square they land on.
Have students say something that uses the vocabulary word. I like pizza, or I have a car.
Color or number the squares

Have students name the color or number they land on.
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OTHER GAMES
If you are teaching a group of students, games can be a way to spark students attention, bring
out their competitive spirit, and take the focus away from the language itself.
n
Card games
Card games such as Go Fish give students practice using vocabulary and asking for things.
Childrens games
Childrens games such as Hopscotch and Simon Says practice numbers and actions.
n
Active games
Active games such as marbles, bowling (bean bags and almost empty water bottles), and
shuffleboard practice numbers.
n
Guessing games
Guessing games with pictures and objects are a fun way to practice questions.
n
Picture game
You have a picture that the students have not seen. You may tell them the topic. It is a family.
Students have to ask yes / no questions about the picture. Is there a baby? Is it a big
family?
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Object game
The picture game can be played with objects in a bag. Put a number of objects in a bag. Have
students guess what objects are in there by asking questions as above. They can pass the bag
around and pull out an object. They have to say the name of the object and say something about
it or ask a question about it. Students can pull out a comb and say comb, blue, I have a
comb, or Do you want a comb?
TEN THINGS
Have students tell you ten sentences about themselves beginning, I am, I can, I have,
or I like You can adjust the number to suit the level of your students. This may produce
such sentences as, I am live in Seattle. Accept all offerings at the time they are given. Other
students may catch the mistake. You may choose to address this in a subsequent lesson, or you
can provide gentle correction of all incorrect sentences at the end of the activity. This activity
can also be applied to reviewing vocabulary. Name 10 things that are big / small / green / you
can eat / you can wear / you have in your kitchen / in the classroom.
ROLE PLAYS
Dialogs can be scripted in advance to introduce and practice new language. Role plays are not
scripted but provide a context or situation where language previously practiced would likely be
needed. Students may or may not use the language you have introduced for the situation. It is
helpful to have a picture or sketch of the situation or simply describe where you are. Students
generally play themselves in that situation. Common role play situations include asking for
directions or asking for something in a store, in a clinic or hospital, on the job, with landlords,
neighbors, and in schools with service providers and teachers. You can recycle greetings and
phrases you know your student understands to make the role play longer. You can throw in new
things that would likely be said in that situation to see how your students cope and respond.
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WORKING WITH VISUALS OF SITUATIONS: THE STRANGER AT THE DOOR

A picture or better still, a real object can be used to get across the meaning of vocabulary and
to set up controlled practice activities. Pictures that depict scenes, situations, and issues are very
useful for stimulating conversation and preparing students for problem posing and literacy
activities.
Problem posing comes from the work of Brazilian educator Paolo Freire who used it to develop
native language literacy. This approach uses a code a picture, object, or situation that
represents a problem in the community that has been researched over a period of time. Using
careful, structured questions, a facilitator can discuss an important issue before moving on to
literacy activities.
Problem posing can be used with English language learners who have an understanding of all
question types. Pictures that show difficult, challenging, or hot issues can be used with Level 1
students to practice question types in readiness for true problem posing activities at higher
levels. Listen for critical incidents in the lives of your students. You may be able to represent
them through a picture, an object, a short skit, or dialog. The same pictures may also be used in
many ways to practice other language that your students know.
n
Introduction activities
If a situation resonates with students, they will often jump in and talk about the situation without
prompting. However, it is helpful to scaffold the questions start with easy and go toward more
complex so that all students can be included.
1 Begin with yes / no and either / or type questions
Is this a man or a door?
Is she inside or outside?
Is this a man? Is this a door?
Is she happy?
Is he sitting or standing?
2 Ask wh questions
This is a good context to introduce recognition of wh question types since there is a natural
context for them. Point to items on the picture as you ask the questions.
What is this?
Where is she?
How many people are there?
How does the woman feel? Why?
What can she do?
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3 Ask personal reflection questions. Use gestures to help communicate meaning

How do you feel?
Has this happened to you? Tell me about it.
What did you do?
How did you feel?
n
Listening activities
1 Use Total Physical Response

Incorporate words that students are already familiar with.
Point to the woman, man, door, window, etc.
2 Embellish the picture
Color the skirt green, the door blue, etc.
3 Ask true / false questions
Give students a way to make a non-verbal response: hold up a card, nod, or say yes / no.
There are 2 people. There are 2 women. There are 2 windows
4 Add to the picture
Draw a cat next to the door.
n
Speaking and literacy activities
1 Use flash pictures

Give students about 10 seconds to look at the picture. Display momentarily by holding the
picture or showing it on an overhead. Have students recall what they saw.
2 Tell the story of or describe the picture
3 Write a caption or label parts of the picture
4 Create a situational dialog between people in the picture
5 Create a Language Experience Story and add follow-up activities
6 Discuss / name the feelings of people, activities, and problems
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Listening Activities
As children learning our first language, we have many months to hear and observe what is going
on around us before we have the desire or confidence to speak. Adult students surrounded by a
new language similarly need time to hear new language and become familiar with how it sounds
without being forced to make verbal responses. Students who are in this initial silent period need
models of language in context, lots of visual support for meaning, and techniques specifically
focused on listening to build confidence and provide exposure in a focused way.
Later on, students not only have to speak but also to monitor input and check what is being said
to them. Speaking a new language is tiring, and even higher level students welcome the
opportunity to focus on listening.
TOTAL PHYSICAL RESPONSE (TPR)

TPR is a classic technique for use with beginning students. Students are presented with a series
of commands and get exposure to hearing them and seeing them performed. It is a technique that
can quickly build confidence and is low stress as students are not required to make spoken
responses. There are many variations on this central technique where students may perform
actions, draw, manipulate cards, pictures, or objects, point to pictures, or demonstrate a response
that indicates comprehension.
Every TPR lesson has three stages:
1
2
3
Listening and observation

Practice
Comprehension check
TPR with a series of actions
Select objects and high frequency actions that can be combined together to create a TPR series.
Some vocabulary will be previously known to the students. Do not overload students with new
items. Combine words your students already know with a few new carefully selected items.
Key / paper / pen (new vocabulary)
Give me / pick up / put down (previously learned)
Pick up the paper

Pick up the key
Pick up the pen
Put down the paper
Put down the key
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Put down the pen

Give me the paper
Give me the key
Give me the pen
Procedure
Listen and observe.
Demonstrate the full series of actions while giving the command.
Students watch and listen.
Practice.
Invite students to perform actions with you as you continue to model language and yourself, so
students have to rely on listening only.
Comprehension check.
Give the commands, but mix up the order from the order you were using before.
If at any time students become frustrated or respond incorrectly, back up a step in the procedure
and provide more support.
Please see Tutoring ESL: A Handbook for Volunteers, Tacoma Community House Training
Project, for further explanation and examples.
Repeat the series in a subsequent lesson. If students are able to recognize the commands without
much difficulty, then add objects or actions to the series. If students are hesitant, then repeat the
series until they can respond with more confidence or combine two actions in one command, but
do not add new items. Pick up the paper and the pen. As students get lots of exposure to a
limited amount of language with no ambiguity of meaning in a TPR series, the script lends itself
to use for early reading activities.
TPR can be used to teach absolute beginners almost anything you can demonstrate. It works best
to teach vocabulary in groups such as food items, furniture, clothing and so on. You can choose
useful verbs that naturally combine with these items. For example, with furniture and appliances
you could introduce turn off and turn on. If you just want to introduce a set of nouns, do so with
one or two verbs that are well known, such as point to.
n
TPR combined with common language areas
Classroom and numbers

Stand up / sit down / point to / look at
Clap one time / jump two times
Parts of the body
Touch your nose.
Hold your arm / leg / nose / chest.
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Food, clothing and tools

Point to the apple.
Pick up the shirt.
Give the hammer to Juan.
Put down the shoes.
Prepositions of place
Put the shoes under the table.
Put them in the cupboard / on the chair.
n
TPR with a sequence
TPR can be made into a natural sequence of

actions and combined with cooking, handicrafts,
operating machinery, or an area of language where a
sequence of commands naturally exists, such as in a
doctors physical exam. Follow the procedure outlined
above to work through the sequence of actions. Students will enjoy doing something real like
sewing on a button, preparing something to eat, or operating an appliance or machine.
n
TPR on paper
TPR on paper follows the same theory, but the students are drawing a picture that you are
dictating to them. This is a helpful activity to provide practice in recognizing known words. It
cannot be used to introduce new vocabulary. You may have a series of numbered pictures:
#1, draw a happy girl and a sad girl. #2, draw a small car and a big car. You can dictate one
picture, being careful to give one command at a time. In subsequent lessons, you may go back to
the pictures and give more commands. #1, color the girls dress green. #2, write your name
next to the car you like and draw a circle around the small car.
TPR on paper can be an excellent way to practice words for directionality such as, left corner,
middle, top middle and classroom commands that you might use in literacy activities like above,
below, beside.
n
TPR with a picture
When using TPR, manipulating pictures is a good way to keep lessons active when using real
objects is not feasible. Present or review any new vocabulary:
top / middle / bottom / left / right / drawer / shelf
cabinet / hammer / tape / screwdriver / needle / key
Demonstrate and then instruct the student to put objects in various places.
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EXERCISE ROUTINE
Developing an exercise routine with students is a great way to give exposure to a set of
commands. Movement, music, and rhythm are also added benefits. Build recognition of
prepositions of direction, parts of the body, and simple actions. You may give the directions
yourself as you do the routine or put them on tape. You can ask someone else to record the
routine on tape, and this gives the students exposure to hearing a variety of voices and accents.
Arms up. Arms down. Head to the left. Head to the right.
DEMONSTRATED RESPONSE
In the following activities, students are asked to demonstrate a response to show understanding
rather than using words. They may raise their hands, show cards, or say just one word. Practice
the response you expect a few times before you start.
n
Same or different
You can check pronunciation discrimination or understanding with this simple response. Teach
the words same and different. Hand out two colored cards to students, one for same, and one for
different. Read out your script and have students choose between the cards.
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For pronunciation
Ship, sheep
Ship, ship
Chip, chip
Chip, cheap
n
13, 30
40, 40
15, 50
16, 16
True / false
Make statements about a picture. The picture should be large enough for all to see clearly. Have
students hold up pictures to show true or false.
I see four cars. There are 2 trees. There are 3 houses.
n
Personal information
Have students hold up cards or say true or false as the information relates to them.
I am a student.
I have 2 children.
I am from Liberia.
I am married.
I have a job.
I live in a house.
I have been here 2 years.
CHALK TALKS
Beginning students do not get a lot of input that is both rich in content and comprehensible.
Since you are aware of what level of language your students know, you can become a great
source of rich input. You will need lots of visual support to get your meaning across. These short
talks provide students with language and meaning in context. It may be as simple as finding a
good picture book with adult themes that you can tell the story for and show the pictures. You
might talk about an experience youve had or what you did on the weekend or on vacation using
a series of drawings on the board or paper. These talks generally lend themselves to the students
wanting to add their comments or tell their own stories on similar themes. You can then supply
appropriate language to them as necessary.
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IDENTIFYING PICTURES
You need a set of about four pictures. The pictures should be similar but not exactly the same.
Have the students identify which picture is being described by a process of elimination. You can
easily draw your own pictures and number them. You can tailor the pictures to introduce
recognition of items you are working on.
There is a house. The house has four windows. There is a tree. The tree has apples.
There is a family. There are three children. There are 2 boys and a girl. One of the boys is a
baby.
Procedure
Show the pictures to students.
Read the short script through once at normal speed.
Read again, pausing briefly after each sentence.
Have students select the picture being described by telling or indicating which picture was
described.
You can also use this technique to help develop discrimination between similar sounds. Develop
cards with pictures that have similarities.
The boy is by the table.
The bag is by the table.
The cat is on the floor.

The coat is on the floor.
Read the sentences describing the pictures or play a tape recorded version. Have the students
sort through the cards and put them in the order that they hear them.
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LISTENING EXERCISES
Procedure
Read out a list or simply written text containing examples of vocabulary words you have
introduced.
Give the students a set of picture cards.
Have students point to or hold up a picture card when they hear that word.
As students gain more vocabulary, you can make a listening grid with categories. Have students
make slash marks in the appropriate column as they hear you read a paragraph that contains
words that fall into the labeled categories.
Putting It All Together

Introduce
Introduce new words and phrases in
context. Use pictures, realia, mime, and
gestures.
Gets meaning across.
Provide a model of the language
Allows for time to hear new language.
Provide listening activities for students to

hear the language without having to speak.
Provides additional exposure.
Show how you form sounds. Give clear

enunciation.
Shows students how to do it.
Controlled Practice
Use controlled practice activities.
Builds confidence for students. Gives few

opportunities to make errors. Stop students
to correct them as necessary.
Bridge Activities
Use bridge activities to give students
chances to work independently with new
material
Allows you to help those who need more

support. Gives opportunities for students to
try on their own. Assess whether students
are redy to go on or provide additional
controlled practice.
Applied Practice / Conversation

Have students apply language to a real life
situation / context.
While you stay out of the way and let the

students do what they can and keep
assessing how students are actually using
language.
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INTRODUCE
Begin by introducing the new language in a context to provide a guide to meaning. Let your
students see and hear you give clear models of the language.
Pao was working on language to describe the location of tools on shelves. Brenda, his
tutor, brought in some small tools such as a hammer, nails, screws, and screwdriver. He
already knew four of the names of the tools. Brenda showed him a picture of a supervisor
motioning a worker to some shelves in a workshop.
She pointed to the supervisor and asked, Whos this? Pao said , Manager. Brenda
pointed to the worker and Pao said, Mechanic.
Brenda presented the new words top, middle, and bottom by pointing to the shelves. She
repeated them slowly. She pointed to the supervisor, modeled his directions, and pointed to
the shelves.
Put the nails on the middle shelf.
Put the hammer on the top shelf.
Put the screws on the middle shelf.
Put the saw on the bottom shelf.
Brenda brought out a picture of empty shelves and some picture cards of the equipment.
She repeated the directions and placed the cards on the picture of the shelves. She gave the
picture cards to Pao. First she checked recognition of the pictures. She said, Show me a
saw. Show me some nails. Show me the top shelf. Finally, she gave Pao the directions and
motioned for him to place them on the shelves.
They collected and shuffled the equipment cards. Brenda modeled the word, and Pao
repeated them. Screw and screwdriver were challenging. Sk, sk, sk, sk, scr, scr, scr, he
repeated, to get the consonant cluster clearer. F, f, f, f, f, they repeated. Shelf, shelf,
shelf. Pao kept omitting the f sound from this word. Brenda exaggerated how her teeth bit
down on her lip to make the final f sound.
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CONTROLLED PRACTICE
Shift from your providing the models and the students being receptive to having the students use
the language in a limited context. Here, language choices are controlled and the activity, while
not realistic, is contrived to provide focused practice opportunities.
They did some quick substitution drills with the cards. Brenda pointed to a card and a
shelf, and Pao gave the directions. Put the ______ on the ______ shelf. They repeated
the more challenging directions a few times.
Brenda then had Pao give her directions and she placed the cards on the picture. Then they
did an information gap activity. Each had a picture with some things on the shelves, but the
pictures were different. Brenda picked up a picture card and gave the direction that
matched her picture, Put the hammer on the middle shelf. She did this for all the objects
in her picture and then motioned for Pao to give her directions and said, Tell me. He
picked up a card and said, Bottom shelf. Brenda motioned for him to continue with the
others. They compared pictures at the end.
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BRIDGE ACTIVITIES
Set up an activity for students to do with little assistance. You can then work with students who
you have already identified as needing more support. The students who are doing the bridge
activities are gaining confidence, and the teacher is checking to see if they are ready to go on to
the next step. If they are not ready, return to controlled practice again.
Brenda brought out a pile of picture cards she had kept from previous sessions. She chose
all singular nouns. Some were classroom objects, some were food items, and some were
tools. She handed them to Pao along with the blank picture of shelves. She demonstrated
what she wanted him to do. He arranged the picture cards on the picture of the shelf any
way he wanted. Are you ready? Okay, tell me what you want. Pao described which
shelves to put the items on. Brenda marked where she was putting the items on her copy of
the shelves. When he was done she checked with him. The rice is on the top shelf. The
eraser is on the middle shelf. He checked on his copy. Brenda then gave him a worksheet.
It was open-ended and had ten single commands on it with the noun and the shelf location
removed.
Put the _________ on the _________ shelf.
Brenda placed pictures in the blank spaces and read the sentence for Pao. She then
motioned for him to place any cards he wanted in the spaces. When he had placed the
cards, she had him read back the sentences he had created. When he had read the
sentences, Brenda flipped over the picture card and showed the written word on the back.
Although most of these nouns were not sight words for him, he was able to read the
sentence, turning over to check the picture when he was not sure. He then copied the nouns
into the blank spaces from the back of the card.
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APPLIED PRACTICE
In this stage, students apply what they know to a new situation. With Level 1 students, you
cannot have authentic native speaker-like conversations, but you can approximate them. Choose
a situation or role play where your students can use the language they already know and combine
it with any new language they can.
Brenda and Pao went to the supply closet and looked at the shelves. She said, Tell me,
and Pao identified the things he knew like paper and pencils and books. There were four
shelves, so Brenda pointed to the top and Pao said, Top, and she pointed to the bottom,
and he said, Bottom. She pointed to the middle shelves, and Pao said, Two shel.
Right, you could say two middle shelves, Brenda said. Lets clean up. They removed a
lot of the things from the shelves. She then let Pao decide where to put the things. Brenda
said, Where shall we put this? Pao would sometimes indicate and sometimes say in
words where it should go.
In the classroom, they looked again at the tools. Brenda pointed to the picture cards and
asked, At home? Do you have this at home? If Pao said Yes, she gestured and said,
Where? He motioned with his hands in and out and looked around the room. He pointed
to a drawer and Brenda supplied, Drawer. In Thailand, did you use these? Yes, Pao
replied. He pointed and named the things he used.
Brenda then went back to the original picture of the supervisor. She pointed to the
supervisor and to herself and said, Me, and she pointed to the worker and said, You.
Brenda started an impromptu role play. Good Morning, Pao. Good morning. How
are you today? Fine, thanks. Pao, put the book on the middle shelf, please. Thanks.
Oh, can you put the hammer on the top shelf? The pen goes in the drawer.
Pao looked confused at the last one. Ask me again, coached Brenda. Pao said,
Again. The pen goes in the drawer.
Pen? repeated Pao. Yes, in the drawer. He put it on the picture of the shelf. Whats
this? Brenda asked. Shelf, he said. Do you remember drawer. She enunciated more
slowly. At home, in your house, the hammer is in the drawer. Ah! Pao turned around
and pointed to the drawer of the cabinet.
Brenda got out a picture dictionary and turned to the picture of a supermarket aisle. Tell
me she invited. What do you see? Pao named some food items. He sometimes said short
phrases like, coca-cola top shel. Juice, Brenda would prompt. Where is the juice?
Top shel, he replied.
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REVIEW AND REPETITION

Pre-literate students need a lot of repetition and review of new language. At this beginning level,
any tiny piece of the puzzle that you can keep reviewing is enormously helpful. Just like learning
anything, the more chances you have to do it, the easier it becomes. The curriculum can be
spiraled to practice the same language in different contexts, and over time, additional language
can be added to flesh out a situation previously taught to extend language competency in that
situation.
Fatuma, who first came to class with minimal language, is learning greetings and leave
takings. After she has practiced a greetings dialog in the context of greeting her teacher,
Mike shows her magazine pictures of people greeting each other. He points to one person
and says, Hello. He points to another and motions for Fatuma to respond. Hello, how
you? The pictures show different people in new situations greeting each other. When Mike
shows Fatuma a picture of people in a hospital waiting room he says, Hello, how are
you? Fatuma responds, No fine! Youre right. Hes sick, Mike responds.
Students will need to meet this language many times in different contexts. Firstly, provide
authentic contexts for them to use this language with you as you meet and greet them. In
addition, when you move on to learning something from, lets say, the health section, review the
greetings and leave takings they know and include them in a new context. By switching the
context and using the language again in the classroom, street, clinic, and so on, you can provide
review and practice. It builds confidence so even if that day your students are struggling with the
new language, they should have opportunities to use the language they know and feel more
confident with.
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Once students have learned bye, bye, you can introduce and add see you tomorrow. Once
this language is intelligible, and stated from memory although still spoken with some hesitation,
move on to other items in the Basic Language section of the checklist.
We are constantly working with this idea of reviewing what is known and incrementally adding
new items that extend the practice and also review the language. Students such as Fatuma may
learn the names of nouns.
A book.
Then, you might add a color
A red book.
Followed by numbers
Two red books.
Add an action
Give me two red books.
Add a context and create a dialog
Hello. How are you today?
Fine, thanks.
Give me two red books, please.
Here you are.
Thanks.
PRE-LITERATE LEVEL 1
Upon completing this level, student will be able to:
Understand carefully phrased, simple sentences in controlled classroom settings and in some
everyday situations.
Express some personal information and simple needs in very short learned phrases or
sentences in controlled environments and with great difficulty in real situations.
Read some familiar common sight words and symbols.
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TEACHING READING AND WRITING

Awad is waiting at a bus stop. He looks down at the bus number and street name written on
a piece of paper and wonders if hell ever get there. He looks up and gazes at all the words
he sees around him zooming by advertising billboards, street signs, signs on buses, and
people reading newspapers. He knits his eyebrows to concentrate harder as a bus
approaches. Is this the right one? He steps in front of the bus and compares the destination
to the words on his paper. He takes a deep breath and gets on the bus.
It can be a bewildering world for those who cannot read and speak English. It takes courage and
nerve to go out in the world, but it is essential for survival. There is so much to learn and very
little time to become self-sufficient. Therefore, it is crucial to find out what our students need
literacy for in their lives and to provide curriculum in literacy that works toward these real goals.
Teaching literacy parallels teaching spoken language in that we want students to read things that
they already know the meaning of and use material that has relevance and interest for them. All
the learners we have met in this text are beginning in terms of literacy but already have ideas
about what they want to use reading and writing for in their lives.
Sambath is thinking about her retirement. She wants to become a citizen so she can ensure
state benefits in her old age. She needs to pass the citizenship test.
Fatuma would like to reduce her grocery bill and wants to be able to read the ads from the
supermarkets and fill out forms.
Awad is concerned about getting a job. He wants to access resources that will help him.
Pao has a large family. He would like to be able to read some of the material that comes
home from his childrens schools.
Although each of them has needs in English beyond their current literacy level, Meaning
Based approaches to literacy use material relevant to their goals that will help make small
steps toward meeting their needs.
Sambath can learn basic sight words to move her towards being able to do a dictated
sentence in the citizenship test.
Fatuma can learn how to read prices and quantities of food.
Awad can learn sight words that commonly appear on job application forms.
Pao can learn how to complete a simplified permission slip for a school field trip.
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Reading and writing another language requires being able to learn the alphabet and the sounds of
the letters and to learn how to form the letters in writing. However, learning these skills is not an
end in itself. Instruction should be focused on what students can do with these skills to read and
write what is necessary in their lives. Adult learning theory tells us that students are much more
likely to be motivated and stick with a program if they can see the relevance to their lives, with
curriculum content that reflects their personal situation and is responsive to their needs.
Approaches to Teaching Reading

An effective literacy program provides the right balance between Meaning Based approaches
and Parts to Whole approaches. The right balance will differ for each student. It depends on
where they are starting, the time they have available to study, and the way they learn. A reading
program should have opportunity for students to apply literacy in a real way to meet their needs
as well as time spent on bottom-up processing where students learn how to sound out the
constituent parts of a word.
In Meaning Based approaches, students learn what whole words look like without breaking them
into separate sounds. High frequency words, such as the, my, and she; words commonly found in
environmental print such as stop, walk, and address; as well as high interest, emotion-laden
words such as baby, war, and job can be taught early because they have immediate application
and are meaningful to students. In this kind of approach, students are learning to read complete
language in sentences and in authentic contexts.
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Awad is working with Chris on filling out forms. First, Chris orally reviews some of the
questions on the form. What is your first name? Awad. What is your last name?
Abdallah. Can you tell me your address?
Then Chris provides index cards with the statements written on them one word on each
card:
My
first
name
is
Awad
Chris asks him to read the sentence. Then she asks, Point to the word, Awad, and then to
the word name. He looks at the card and points to name. She then brings out a variety of
forms. Some are simplified and some are real. With the index card of the word name, Awad
looks at each form in turn and circles where he sees name written. Finally they review and
Chris points out a few places that he missed.
In Parts to Whole approaches students learn the sounds the letters and combinations of letters
make. As you teach the sounds of the alphabet, embed these sounds in words that are
meaningful.
Fatuma was learning the sound for the letter M. The name of the letter is M. The sound is
mmmmm, modeled Mike, exaggerating his lips. Mmmmmmm, Fatuma repeated.
Sound mm like man, said Mike, as he pointed to a picture of a man. Mmmm, like in
your sons name, Mohamed, said Mike. Mmmm like milk, supplied Fatuma. Mike
wrote all the M words on a list.
The alphabet and sounds of letters are abstract concepts. Literacy is a puzzle; no part has
meaning unless connected to another part. Get sounds into words and words into sentences that
your students can use in daily life. Endless drilling of sounds with flashcards can become a
memory game and has no connection to meaningful use of literacy. Refugees have only eight
months of refugee cash assistance in which to get themselves acculturated and ready for the job
market. An approach that introduces only sounds will take too long before students can do
something with this skill.
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A Continuum of Beginning Literacy

We are teaching a huge variety of students. Some may be able to communicate their needs orally
but not read and write in English. Others may be a beginner in all skills. In order to better
identify where to start and what approaches will work with students, we need to find out who our
students are and what their history is with the written word.
Every student is going to have varying experiences and this affects the materials you select, your
instructional focus, and the rate of your students progress. Beginning literacy can be viewed as
a continuum.
PRE-LITERATE
Pre-literate students come from an oral language tradition. Awad and Fatuma speak Af-Maay,
which is a language that is not written. For his reason, the concept of communicating through
reading and writing can be difficult to grasp. Holding a pen and opening a book are all new
experiences. It is important for pre-literate students to have a foundation of oral language skills
before focusing on reading and writing.
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NON-LITERATE
Non-literate students come from a culture with a written language, but they have had little or no
exposure to literacy in their first or second language. Sambaths first language is Khmer. It has a
written form, but she did not have any formal schooling and did not learn any native language
literacy. For non-literate students, instruction should still emphasize the connection between
spoken and written language.
SEMI-LITERATE
Semi-literate students have some but minimal literacy in their own language. They may be very
nervous and hesitant and lack confidence in their literacy skills.
NON-ROMAN ALPHABET LITERATE

Students may speak and are literate in a language that does not have a Roman alphabet. Some
writing systems are alphabetic and some are not. Chinese is symbolic where symbols represent a
word or idea rather than separate sounds. Arabic is alphabetic where the symbols represent
sounds, but it is not a Roman alphabet. Students from these backgrounds can transfer skills from
one language to another even if the script is completely different. These students have usually
had some schooling in their native language. If you have an opportunity to watch your students
read or write in their native languages, note their comfort level. Do they write with ease? If so,
they probably have good native language literacy skills.
If you are unsure where your students lie along this continuum, try the following activities. If
students are pre-literate, you may find them unable to complete any of the tasks.
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Can my students write their names in English?
Can my students identify any basic sight words from cards?
When pointing to the following letters, do my students have a concept of what sounds
they make?
Can my students complete an English alphabet cloze exercise?
Can my students copy sentences in English?
Can my students read simple sentences in English?
Can my students write simple dictated sentences?
What are my students educational backgrounds?
Whatever you discover about your students levels, what you teach must have meaning for them.
Start with oral language and begin to make connections to the written word.
Here is a list of differences and some similarities between literate and non-literate English
learners.
Literate Learners
Non-Literate Learners
Learn from print
Learn by doing and watching
Tend to be visually oriented
Tend to be aurally oriented
Make lists to remember
Repeat to remember
Spend years learning to read
Have limited time for learning to read
K now they can learn
Lack confidence in their learning ability
Learn best when content is relevant to their lives
Learn best when content is relevant to their lives
C an distinguish between important and less

important points
May accept all content as being of equal value
From What N on- Readers or Beginning Readers N eed to K now, The Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning, 1999
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Non-literate students may have difficulty with other visual concepts. Simple drawings for
houses, furniture, and so on may not be recognized. For some, two-dimensional pictures may not
be viewed in the same way. Therefore, maps, charts, graphs, floor plans, and other simple
schematics which help literate people organize information will all be challenging for nonliterate students to figure out. You have to teach students the skill of how to read schematics.
Using a pointer or your fingers, show how to track vertically and horizontally to locate
information.
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Literacy Basics
When students are pre-literate and have had little or no exposure to literacy education, they will
need to start with some literacy basics before attempting reading and writing activities. Some
students may have difficulties in seeing shapes and patterns. Try using non-print sources to help
with this such as wooden block puzzles and use Cuisenaire rods to represent words. You may
also need to work with paper orientation, pen holding, directionality, and tracing before starting
any kind of writing or copying.
HOLDING A PEN
Demonstrate for students how to hold a pencil between the thumb and first two fingers about an
inch above the point. Check that the end of the pencil is pointing back towards the shoulder of
the writing arm, and the pencil is held an inch above the point. The index finger controls the
pressure and should rest on the pencil. Demonstrate both right and left handed. Students should
imitate you. Often students grip the pencil too tightly, so help them to relax their hands by
shaking them out every so often.
MAKING SHAPES
Demonstrate and have students practice drawing lines, circles, and patterns. Start with having
students tracing over models you have prepared and gradually move to them producing the
model on blank lines.
DIRECTIONALITY
Students need to recognize left-to-right and top-to-bottom directionality. Draw lines on the board
or paper from left to right. Have students copy, air drawing from left to right and / or drawing
with fingers on the table. Provide paper for students to trace lines from left to right. Repeat for
top-to-bottom directionality.
PAPER ORIENTATION
Students need to know how to orient their body to paper on a table. For right-handed students,
the paper should be perpendicular to the edge of the table. The left-handed paper position is
about a forty-five degree angle from the edge of the table.
TRACING
Provide a number of worksheets for each student with their own name printed on them. Dont
expect students to recognize or write their names at this point. Have students trace over their
name. Keep observing them and note how they are holding the pen.
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STUDY SKILLS
Pre-literate students have little experience with paper, pens, and books. They will need help to
organize their worksheets. If possible, have students purchase a lined notebook and a binder or
folder for filing papers. Number the handouts you provide so students can organize them. Use
colored paper to photocopy any especially important pages so they can be located easily. Take
time with students to organize their work as they go along. An organized notebook helps to
facilitate home study. Leave space at the top of each worksheet for them to write their name and
the date. Students will become familiar with the sight words and get practice in writing these
concepts. Help students with book orientation. Show what margins are used for, how to turn
pages to write on both sides of the paper, and where to write the date.
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Meaning Based Approaches

Meaning Based approaches to literacy focus on having students learn whole words. They
develop a bank of sight words. As the collection of sight words grow, they can be used to create
sentences and stories and provide a basis for phonetic analysis. Meaning Based approaches
include meaningful reading words that students commonly find in their environment, studentgenerated texts where students read their own words, and teacher generated material where
students read texts based on classroom activities or material carefully selected and graded for
content by the teacher.
GETTING STARTED: READING FIRST WORDS

Students who are beginners in all skill areas first need to develop some oral competence before
tackling reading. It is vital that students who have always expressed themselves orally
understand the meaning of the words they are learning. Much of the spoken word may appear as
a stream of sound. Use colored math rods to represent words. You could also use beans or
colored index cards. Although students have very little English, they often have an urgent need
for document literacy. To fulfill their life roles, they need to fill out forms, read schedules, and
understand notes. They quickly need to learn as sight words the terms they encounter in these
documents.
Start with common questions, phrases, and sentences that they recognize orally. Use one rod or
bean to represent each word. Say the utterance, and while you do this, place one representation
of each word down on the table.
What
is
your
name?
What
is
your
phone
What
is
your
address?
number?
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It may be completely new to students to see words represented in print. Using colors to
differentiate the words may help students to see grammatical patterns. Being able to see patterns
is the beginning of unlocking reading. You might point to a color rod in a number of utterances
and say, What is this word? You can invite students to make other utterances in the same
pattern. You or they could place the rods to represent the words. Following this, you can
introduce the written form of the words. As you point to the rods, ask students to repeat the
utterance as you place a written word for each rod. Then read the utterances back with the
students.
Follow-up activities may include copying the utterances, answering the questions, mixing and
unjumbling the word cards, and identifying key words such as name in other contexts.
Representing words with something other than the written form of the words is a helpful first
step for students who have never had experience with the printed word before.
Fatuma was working on recognizing her address. Mike brought six colored index cards to
class.
What is your city? Tukwila. Show me the pink card. Fatuma pointed to it. Write
your city on the pink card. Fatuma could not write the city from memory. She looked
through some other practice worksheets. T-t-t-t, prompted her teacher as she scanned
for the word. What is your zip code? 9-8-1-1-8. Show me the blue card. Write
your zip code on the blue card.
They continued this way until all parts of the address were written on cards.
Now, Fatuma, show me your street. Fatuma pointed. Say your street. Tukwila
International Boulevard. What color is the card? Yellow.
Once all parts of the address were reviewed, they arranged the cards together on the desk
in the correct order. Fatuma then copied the address onto a simplified form and filed the
index cards in her word bank.
Other common useful first words are those found in environmental print. They are words that
appear on signs, notices, and commonly encountered documents.
Examples of these include:
STOP
WALK
WOMEN
MEN
TELEPHONE
NAME
CLOSED
OPEN
Notice how these all appear in upper case letters. Many teachers choose to first teach recognition
of upper case letters, because they appear so frequently in signs and environmental print and
because the letters have more significant differences between them that are easier to spot.
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Have students copy any printed words they come across that they think might have relevance for
them. Discuss what they think the words might mean. Discuss where they saw the word. When
words are connected to reality this way, when they are seen to be part of the students
experiences, they are more likely to be learned, retained, and used.
u
Sight word activities
Once students develop a few sight words, build in redundancy by reviewing and practicing these
words in various ways.
n
Sight word sets
Students can keep a set of their own sight words. These can be stored in an envelope or small
box. Students can then review their sight words on their own. They can match the words to
separate picture cards or flip the cards over to show a student-drawn illustration on the back. For
self-correction, a great final activity in class is to add a new sight word to the bank. Students can
access and review their sight words whenever they want. Once there are 10 or so words in the
bank, words can be categorized by first letter or by topic. Have students divide the words into
two piles labeled words I know by myself and words I need help with. Students can keep a tally
of the words I know pile so students get a sense of progress. Use these key words over and over.
Students can sequence them to create sentences.
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Sight word wall
Record new sight words in some way. Create a word wall. This can be done by topic area.
HOME
cook
clean
SCHOOL
pen
book
WORK
job
Or alphabetically:
M
man
milk
Mohamed
N
name
no
new
You can often point to the place for students to access the information themselves when they ask
for help by having print all around the room.
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Target letter chart
Worksheets
Draw lines to match words and pictures
Pre-literate students are not familiar with how worksheets operate. You will need to teach all
operations such as drawing lines to match. It may be helpful to do the activity on index cards
first of all so students can manipulate the cards and then transfer to a worksheet.
Circle the target word

Cross out words that are not target words
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Games
Memory
Students have a set of word cards and picture cards face down. In pairs, they turn over one
picture card and one word card at a time. If they match, the student keeps the pair. If they do not,
they are replaced face down again, and the second student turns over two cards. Once students
gain confidence in recognizing these words, you can remove the picture card and transition to
finding matches between two word cards.
n
Board games
Create a board game with sight words written on squares of the board. If students can read the
sight words they land on, they may stay there. If they cannot read them, then they go back to
their previous space and another student takes a turn.
n
Bingo
Create bingo cards with sight words on them.
All of these activities with sight words can be modified for use with learning letters and sounds.
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STUDENT-GENERATED MATERIAL
For students who have a basic level of English, it is difficult to find appropriate high interest,
low-level reading material they can master. Therefore, student-generated reading material
provides print that they can comprehend. It is based on the idea that students read their own
spoken words. This approach avoids vocabulary and grammatical structures that students do not
know. Material that is developed from interacting with the students is the heart of the matter.
Both speaking and listening are integrated and provide the starting point. The activities
described in this section are based on this premise. They build from what students can say to
what they are able to read and later to what they can write. Many of the activities integrate skills
and build naturally from one skill to another.
u
The Language Experience Approach (LEA)
The Language Experience Approach (LEA) promotes reading and writing through the use of
personal experiences and oral language. Beginning literacy learners are guided through a
discussion of an experience and then on to a transcription of that experience. These
transcriptions are used for other reading and writing activities. In LEA, all communication skills
reading, writing, listening, and speaking are integrated. It is a process that is personalized,
communicative, and creative. Vocabulary and grammar use are determined by the learners own
language use. Students talk about the experience and then see their words transformed into a
written text. Connecting written and spoken language may not be something students have done
before. A real experience, picture, photo, student drawing, anecdote, or shared experience such
as a field trip are all possible prompts to get LEA stories.
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Pao was discussing his work experience with Brenda. So, in Thailand, what was your
work? My work farmer. Only a farmer? You worked building houses too, right?
Yes, work little time build house. Did you work for a company? I dont know. Did
you work by yourself. No. I work Thailand people. You worked with people from
Thailand. Did you get money every month? No month. Work one day get money. Oh,
so you worked for one day and then you got money at the end of the day. Yes. How
long did you do this? Ummm, maybe one month. I dont know. Man tell me come work. I
work. Sometimes no work. Did you like building houses? Yes, I like. Okay, lets
write down your story about work. Tell me again about your work in Thailand. Brenda
picks up a pen and a clean sheet of paper.
In Thailand, I work farmer. I work build house.
Brenda writes what Pao says. She asks, Did you like working as a farmer? Did you like
building houses?
Pao continued and Brenda wrote:
I like work farmer. I like eat. I like build house work Thailand people.
In Thailand, I work farmer. I work build house. I like work farmer. I like eat. I like build
house work Thailand people.
Brenda then read over the complete story a few times, sentence by sentence, pointing to the
words as he read them.
Show me Thailand in the story. Pao furrows his eyebrows and concentrates hard. He
spots the word and points to it. Thailand comes two times in the story. Circle Thailand
two times. She hands Pao the pen. Can you circle the word I? Pao completes this
quickly with no hesitation. Great! Show me work in the story. Pao looks at the story
and cannot pick out the word. I think work is in your word box. Brenda points to the box
containing Paos sight words. They shuffle through the cards until they find the word.
Brenda holds up the card. This is work. Can you find this in your story? Pao looks at
the story and picks out one of the examples of the word in the text.
Although originally intended for use with individual students, LEA can also be used effectively
with groups. The benefits of writing the students language verbatim may no longer be so valid
in a group effort. A group-written piece where many voices are contributing tends to be created
with the teacher who may paraphrase statements to help students formulate thoughts. Asking
questions such as, How else could we say it? or Do you mean? or Maybe we can say it like
this... It requires delicate balance to produce a text that students can practice reading. It helps for
the teacher to make choices as to what gets written down while being faithful to what the
students are trying to communicate. It is helpful to set up a group experience and then create an
LEA story to follow it.
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Possible experiences
Taking a field trip
Planning a party
Making a food or beverage
Making a craft
Making cards (holidays, get well, thank you)
Once there is a written text, there are many activities that can be integrated into the experience.
Possible activities
Read with the students a few times. Model it first and then have students shadow your
reading read along with you.
Have students circle key words / words they know / important sight words or repeated words.
Select words from the story and have them written in list form for students to practice out of
context.
Write the story with each sentence on a separate strip of paper. Post the strips out of order.
Have students rearrange sentence strips to tell the story.
Write the story word by word on cards and have students work together to recreate it.
Include word-attack strategies. Have students group words in the story by the same
beginning sound or ending sound.
Have students match words with pictures.
Create a cloze and delete every eighth word or key words.
Connect to ongoing literacy work. Have students add words to their dictionaries, word boxes
or a word wall.
A note about errors

It can feel very strange to write down grammatically incorrect or incomplete utterances. The
value of this activity is for students to focus on reading their own words so there is no distracting
unknown vocabulary and structures. Honor the students authorship and write down exactly what
they say. The students will read and remember what they said, not a doctored, corrected version.
However, you do not need to ignore these errors. They provide helpful clues as to what you need
to review or introduce in a subsequent lesson.
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The news
Informal chatting at the beginning of a session is a common and helpful activity. This activity
formalizes the process a little further and creates a class newsletter. It can become an ongoing
and repeated activity. Creating classroom routines such as this helps students predict what to do
and feel comfortable with the process.
Generate ideas by having a sentence starter that everyone completes.
On the weekend I ____________ .
I feel ____________ , because ____________ .
I like ____________ .
You may also start by discussing and sharing good and bad news or reviewing a past event.
Students then work on writing their sentence in a notebook. You may transcribe the news for
someone unable to write. Students then post their sentences on large paper with markers, sign
their name, and then circulate and read each others news.
Type up the news on a handout and bring it to the next class. Have students find their name and
read over their news. Have a group reading of the text.
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Many follow-up activities can be generated from this text. Have students circle common or
repeated words, answer questions about the text, write / speak their own follow-up questions
about the news, or jumble sentences and have students work on grammar, sentence structure, or
punctuation. It is a great activity for a multi-level class as the follow-up activities can be tailored
to individual needs.
Weekend. I busy. I cook and shopping. Sada
My weekend busy. I clean house and cook a lot. I go work. Enat
My weekend very sick. Manh Choy
Weekend busy. Very fun. Crabbing, cook. Meuy Finh
Circle:
cook
weekend
How many students cooked? ____________________

How many students cleaned house? ____________________
Who was sick? ____________________
Who went shopping? ____________________
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Community language learning
Community language learning is a technique that requires students to record a conversation or a

series of utterances onto a tape. The tape is then transcribed to create reading material and
provide a text to practice grammar, word-attack skills, and reading skills. You may set a topic for
discussion or leave it open depending on the level and interests of the students. Topics such as
the weekend, my family, and my job work well. This is a chance for students to extend the oral
practice of phrases and sentences they already know.
Procedure
Seat students in a circle. Tell them they are going to have a conversation. The facilitator moves
around the outside of the circle.
Place the tape recorder in the center. A hand held microphone really works better.
Invite the students to begin. When the first student is ready, hand her the microphone and have
her record her voice on the tape. The student may want to check with you or ask you for help. If
it is a long utterance, the student may want to record it in chunks.
Have the next student respond to the question or statement and record his voice on the tape.
Continue in this way until the students are ready to stop.
Play back the tape in full and have the students listen to the conversation.
Play back again, stopping at the end of each sentence, question or utterance. Have students
recall what was said and transcribe it on to large paper or a board. Number each sentence.
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Here is an excerpt from a conversation:

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Hadija, yesterday, problem?

Yes, I did.
Hadija, right now are you ok?
Yesterday, I was sick. Today, okay.
Good morning, everybody.
You talk English.
I go school. I happy. After school, I go Redmond.
Hello, students. Dont worry. Talk in English.
Students may at first be hesitant. Encourage them. Notice how students are encouraging each
other to speak in the above excerpt.
Follow-up
Model reading the transcript. Have students read along with you.
Bring back the transcript to future classes. You can provide a copy of the transcript on a
handout. Blank out some of the words and have students complete the transcript.
Pick out a word attack skill to focus on. Choose one sound to focus on and find examples of
in the text.
Read the transcripts to pick up common sight words. Have students circle these sight words.
Play grammar computer. Using the transcript on large paper, use a pointer to tap out a
sentence using words that are in the transcript in random order. Go slowly and repeat it a few
times. Have students say the sentence you are tapping out.
I-talk-English. / Hadija-was-sick-yesterday. / Are-you-students? / I-was-happy.

Have students come up to the transcript and tap out a sentence they can see.
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Writing labels and captions
Begin with conversation about a picture. You may bring in photos, magazine pictures, or
graphics. If teaching a group, you can make a list of all the words that were used to label the
pictures and have students practice reading words on the list. If there is great interest in the
picture, it may develop into an experience story. Students may also draw and label their own
pictures. This works well for cultural sharing but also can be done around many other activities.
If you have students illustrate the activities they do in a typical day, have them add words as
labels wherever they can. This can be repeated for many other topics such as floor plan of their
home, a map of the neighborhood, or a picture of their family.
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TEACHER-GENERATED MATERIAL
To avoid having students develop their own private language, teacher-generated material is also
helpful as it can control vocabulary and grammatical structures and provide accurate models of
English to supplement a students own words and provide high-interest, low-level reading
material.
u
Re-writes
As you get to know about your students lives, you may have many interesting conversations
with very few words. It is not always possible to stop the student and start to transcribe an
experience story. It can inhibit the flow of conversation and the student may not have all the
words she needs to describe the experience. So, you can supply the words as the story unfolds.
These are valuable experiences, and you can reinforce any new vocabulary that arises from it by
writing a brief story for your students. It provides a natural context to integrate skills and build
from speaking to reading.
Sambath was talking about her first experiences in the United States almost 20 years ago.
She was animated; words tumbled out as she described things that had surprised her. Big,
so big, buildings big, all the food so big, cars were so big. I very scare about that. I scare
for freeway, big trucks, and bus, and many, many cars. America big country. People bigger
than Cambodia and very fat! In my country, people not fat. I remember I am laughing
because American have big nose. Her teacher Ann remembered her comments and
returned to the next class with a re-written version of her story.
Sambaths story
When Sambath arrived in the Unites States, she was surprised at many things.
Everything seemed big to her. Buildings were very big. Food was big. Sambath was
scared to go on the freeway because there were so many cars and trucks and buses.
The people in the Unites States were bigger and fatter than in Cambodia. Sambath
thinks Americans have big noses!
Copies of the story were distributed to students. First, Ann asked students to recall what
they could about Sambaths experiences. Then they read through the story together. As
some students could read the story without difficulty, Ann asked them to complete a
sentence frame about their own experiences. When I arrived in the United States, I was
surprised ______ . Sambath was asked to underline all the words she could read in the
text. She read through the text, pointing at each word and mumbling as she did so. She
underlined Sambath, she, was, to, and so. Ann introduced the sight word, was
and had Sambath look for this in the story.
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Simplifying
Many students are interested in the news and see it on TV. Students may bring up a story at
the beginning of class or you might bring in pictures from newspapers or magazines
showing current events. It is a great time to find out what students understand about the
world around them. Students can learn relevant key vocabulary to tell about the news such
as earthquake, election, and war. Students are unable to read material about these real
events so you can write an account of a news story, carefully controlling grammar and
vocabulary, and bring it to class for reading practice. Also, check out the publication
Northwest News. In this ESL newspaper, articles from local news are simply written at four
different levels of difficulty.
In Paos class they had looked at pictures from Time magazine depicting some of the
destruction that was caused by the tsunami in December 2004. Students orally gave
captions for some of the pictures, and they were transcribed by the teacher. The word
lost was supplied to describe one of the pictures. Brenda then wrote this story on the
board.
The tsunami killed many people. Many people lost their houses. Many people lost their
family. Many people lost their jobs. Many people are sad.
The story was then treated much like any text. Students watched Brenda read the story.
They read it together, and then started working on sight words.
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Picture stories
Picture stories are an effective way to tell a story, learn new vocabulary and lend themselves to a
reading follow up.
Procedure
Introduce the story and show the pictures after some conversation and vocabulary work with
pictures.
Review the pictures one by one. Give one short sentence to describe each picture.
Have the students repeat this sentence.
Review from the beginning of the story again after doing a few pictures. Point to students to
supply the sentence.
Introduce written words when students are able to describe the sequence of the story well.
Depending on the level, you can introduce one key word for each picture or have students read
short, whole sentences.
Many other follow-up activities are then possible including cloze, sequencing sentences, and
matching words to pictures. Students should be very familiar with this material before they are
asked to read it.
Any material that students are mastering orally can be turned into opportunities to practice
literacy. You may introduce a written script for Total Physical Response (TPR) or provide a
written copy of any short dialogs students have practiced and mastered.
u
Building literacy into work with grids
Grids are a versatile tool for practicing grammar and vocabulary through asking questions. They
also provide an excellent context for practicing reading. Many students need document literacy
where they need to grasp how to read schedules, forms, graphs, and charts. Grids provide good
practice in the horizontal and vertical alignment that is necessary to do this. Students can read
simple sentences based on the information in the grid. Then, you follow-up with true / false
sentences, fill-in-the-blank exercises, and writing and reading questions and answers.
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PARTS TO WHOLE APPROACHES

All of the above activities provide students practice with learning sight words and looking at
whole texts. At the same time, it is useful to give students the tools to sound words out.
However, for students with limited knowledge of literacy in any language, this can seem pretty
arbitrary and abstract. As each sound is identified, it should be put into a word and a word into a
sentence as soon as possible. There are a number of published textbooks which provide
systematic introduction, practice, and recognition of the sounds of English. There are a few
recommended texts in the Resources section on page 104. If you do not have access to or
resources for published books, the checklist on page 86 gives a teaching order for introducing
sound-symbol correspondence in English.
It is helpful to use a systematic approach to phonics, but it should be used in conjunction with
other approaches. Building knowledge of sounds and their combinations is a slow and
painstaking process. Students generally need to access literacy much faster than the time it will
take to learn all the sounds, their combinations, and exceptions.
In using Parts to Whole Approaches, you can still create interactive activities using words
students know the meaning of.
u
Lists
Identify words that start with the same letter. Have students think of words they know that start
with the same letter. Students can then copy the words into a dictionary they make into a
notebook.
u
Rhyming words
Once a simple phonetic pattern has been grasped, rhyming words can be fun to think of that
match the same pattern. Cat, mat, sat, fat. Make a chain so each student says one word he knows
in the pattern until that pattern is exhausted.
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Bingo
Play bingo using initial sound, ending sound, or words with a certain vowel sound. Provide
bingo cards with pictures on them. You can include vocabulary that the student knows. The
student has to listen to the words and cover all words that have the sound /b/ or the vowel /i/, etc.
u
Word families
Once students have a sense of the sound of some letters, work with word families to make
phonetically simple words. For example work with the groups at, it, ap, ack. There are text
books available that teach this, but if they are not made specifically with ESL students in mind,
they contain many unknown vocabulary words. Always supplement texts with material
containing words that your students know the meaning of.
u
Sound discrimination
Once students have been introduced to some simple single consonant and short vowel sounds,
discrimination activities help students to distinguish between words. Discrimination activities
ask students to identify one of two words that are phonetically similar but differ by one sound
only. For example, hat and has. Provide a worksheet with choices, say one word, and students
circle the words they hear. You will have to go slowly and enunciate clearly. Once students get
the hang of doing them, they provide good assessment information for you. Remember to
include words that differ in sounds in the initial position hot and pot, the medial position hot
and hat, and in the final position cat and cap.
Once students have started to recognize and build a bank of phonetically simple words, you may
introduce more choices within one activity. For example, choose one word from a list of three.
C ircle the word you hear.
A
map
mat
c at
c ap
rap
rat
sap
sat
The processes described above for practicing sight word recognition, matching, circling,
crossing out what does not follow a pattern, sequencing, and categorizing can all be applied to
practice sound symbol recognitions.
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Activities that teach the alphabet
Teaching the alphabet to pre-literate students can be daunting. It seems like an obvious place to
start; however, knowing the names and order of the letters is not the same as reading. It helps to
work on the alphabet before attempting writing as it helps with spelling. Teach the names of the
letters as they come up. It is helpful to teach the letters that spell out important information that
the students may need to give frequently such as their address or names. Teach the letters a few
at a time.
Fatuma is learning some of the names of the letters. She can hum along to the alphabet
song as her children have taught her, but she cannot yet connect the name of the letter with
its symbol. Her teacher lays out the alphabet cards and asks, What is your name?
Fatuma. How do you spell it? Fatuma looks blank. Mike pulls out the letters one by
one, saying them as he does so. F-A-T-U-M-A. She repeated the questions and answers
and Mike helped Fatuma say the names of the letters. Do you know other words that
begin with letter F? Fatuma, feel, Fatima, Fiona, he prompted.
Procedure
Write the alphabet on a sheet of paper and place a pack of alphabet cards in random order on
the table. Have students pick out the letters in their name and match them to the letters on the
sheet.
Teach the alphabet song pointing to a written alphabet as you do so. The rhythm and grouping
of the song can help recall the names of the letters.
Have students put the letters in order as they start to recognize them.
Have students begin to produce letters in written form as they begin to identify them.
u
Connecting the alphabet to sounds
Students can be confused by the difference between the name of the letter and the sound of the
letter. Try this analogy:
Whats your name?
What do you speak?
Whats her name?
What does she speak?
Whats its name?
What does it speak?
Fatuma
Maay-Maay
Jane
English
A
/a/
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Writing and letter formation
Procedure
Teach students how to form letters in a systematic way. In published textbooks, they are often
grouped by similar shapes which can be helpful. Introduce one letter at a time. See the Resources
section for suggested textbooks.
Introduce the name of the letter by holding up a card or writing it on the board.
Show the order of strokes needed to make the letter.
Have students write the letter in the air. You can easily spot a student who is going the wrong
direction.
Have students write the letter on the table with their finger.
Give out paper so students can first trace over the letter. Adding a point or arrow to show the
start of the first stroke and the sequence of strokes is helpful.
Provide a commentary as you show how to form the letter.
Letter M
Up, down, up, down
Provide lined paper for students to practice writing the letter over a number of times.
Ask for words students know that begin with this letter.
Provide words with the target letter missing. Students write in the letter.
Letter M
_____ ilk
_____onday
_____y
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Tips
When developing written materials, there are a few things that can make the material more
accessible.
Use a larger font.
Use a font that reflects how we write, for example, Century Gothic and Comic Sans.
Have plenty of white space on the sheet. Too many words on the sheet can be intimidating.
Use visuals, graphics, and icons to accompany written material.
If you are in a classroom setting, provide a print rich environment. Label parts of the
classroom and furniture, write common sight words on charts, and make lists of words
containing common sounds. These resources will allow students to access information more
independently.
Build literacy routines into classroom management. Have students sign-in or check-off their
own name on a sign-in chart, get students to write the date on the board, and have students
write their name and date on every hand-out.
Communicate with students in writing. Write a daily message and read it at the beginning of
class.
Good Morning. Today we are going to write letter M.
Today we are going to learn about food.
Write a page reference on the board as well as telling students orally.
Review continually. Build in redundancy using the classroom routines above. Recycle known
sight words in new contexts. Play games, for review and for fun.
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Give hints and clues rather than the answer every time. Say things like, What sound does that
make? Give the beginning sound as a clue to a word you think they know. Cover up words to
make them shorter, so they can read a piece at a time. When reading longer words, like today,
cover half the word. Have students sound out the part they know and encourage them to guess.
Answer requests for spelling with, What letters do you think are in it? or What sounds can
you hear?
u
Play human computer
After introducing a short dialog or story, write sentences on paper or the board and number the
lines. Have a student choose the number of the line she wants to practice reading again. Stand
behind the student and be the computer. The student makes an attempt to read the line first.
Then, you, as the computer, automatically repeat the whole line after the student has tried. If the
student reads the line again, repeat it again. Repeat this as many times as the student wants.
Have the student signal when she wants you to stop.
Observe what students are doing. Close observation tells you a lot about where students are and
where you need to go next. Who needs extra help? Who has memorized but cannot read out of
context? Who is pointing to one word while saying another?
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MANAGING A MULTI-LEVEL LITERACY CLASS

Almost every English class could be called multi-level since students pace of learning, rate of
acculturation, style of learning, and previous educational experiences vary a lot. A variety of
materials, activities, and approaches can help. Adjusting groupings, modifying tasks, and
providing individualized and self-access materials all help to make a multi-level class run more
smoothly. Managing a multi-level class can be exhausting since you might be planning for and
supporting multiple activities going on simultaneously in your class.
Strategies for Teaching Multi-level Groups

There is no middle ground in a multi-level class. The key is to provide instruction and materials
that match every level that is represented. For each level in the class, be clear about what the
learning objective for that level should be within a single lesson plan.
For example, within the topic of communication with doctors, some students will learn how to
request an appointment. Another group, at a higher speaking level, may learn how to change an
appointment. A third group, at an even higher level of speaking proficiency, may learn how to
change an appointment giving details and negotiate a new appointment time.
For literacy, the lowest group may work on reading numbers or times. Another group will read a
simplified appointment card and extract details. The highest level may read a variety of authentic
appointment cards or learn how to fill out a health history survey.
NEEDS ASSESSMENT
Careful needs assessment is crucial in a multi-level setting. To ensure some success for all levels
in the class, find out what the students need and want to know. Your program may administer a
standardized test initially, but ongoing needs assessment is necessary.
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Some tools
Hand students a picture dictionary and have them put sticky notes on 5 different pages that
they want to know about.
Use brainstorming and prioritizing with the whole group. Use a pictorial checklist.
Ask individual students what they need English for.
Use pictures of places in the local community and have students select the places they go and
need help with language.
Create a picture story about a learner who needs English. Ahmed wants to learn English to
get a job, to take his child to the doctor, and to talk with his neighbors. Ask students to
substitute their own reasons for wanting English. Use the native language where possible and
appropriate to get this information from students.
Once you have some idea of the students expressed needs, go ahead and start planning. You
have a place to start, but you will need to revisit your list with students at a later date.
GROUPING STRATEGIES
Grouping students in different ways is one of the main strategies to cope with differences in
level. For any activity, consider which type of grouping will best meet the needs of each level.
Students may be resistant to being grouped together because of factors such as age, status, and
gender. Be sensitive to these factors. Your enthusiasm can encourage students to try unfamiliar
or non-traditional activities.
u
Whole groups
Decide if your activity will work with the whole class participating together. Despite differences
in level, it is important to have some whole group time as it helps students feel part of the larger
group. You might consider including a regular warm-up time and class closing. In whole group
time, you can introduce the theme or the topic with the whole group and then follow with some
small group and individual tasks. By using visuals and carefully placing questions you can help
to include everyone in whole group activities. For example, if your theme is shopping, you could
begin with large visuals of places where people shop. Remember the question hierarchy. Lowlevel students may be able to answer personal and other questions beginning with what, where,
and when. Here are some activities that work with the whole group but may have different small
group tasks: field trips, viewing video tapes, picture stories, brainstorming, and whole class
projects such as making a book.
u
Small groups
Small groups can be used to give students practice in language skills. They could be temporary
and the make-up of the group may change depending on the activity and the needs students
have.
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Cross-ability groupings and pairs
Cross-ability groupings allow lower level students get exposure to a greater pool of language.
Higher level students reinforce and demonstrate what they know by helping other students.
Activities that work well with this grouping are jigsaw activities, board games, and role-plays
where the more demanding role is given to the more proficient learner. LEA activities can be
utilized in pairs where one student dictates and the other writes. Students can conduct interviews
where one student asks the questions and the other answers only.
u
Same-ability groups and pairs
These groupings are made up of students with roughly equivalent skills. Problem solving,
information gaps, and dialogs work well in this format.
u
Individualized work
Each student can work towards specific goals at their own pace and with material appropriate to
their level. Writing activities such as dialog journals, writing about or writing captions for
visuals, and worksheets can all be done individually.
ACTIVITIES FOR MULTI-LEVEL GROUPS

u
Dialog journals
Appropriate for all levels, pre-literate students can work on an LEA story in their journal while
literate students can respond to a prompt written by you.
u
Pictures
Show a single picture or series of pictures for oral and literacy practice. Have students tell a story
or describe the picture. Start with a whole group and move to small group tasks. Cross-ability
groups, where one student is literate and the other not, can write a caption or story. Same-ability
groups can order sentence strips or create their own story.
u
Grids
Grids can be utilized with either cross-ability or same-ability groups. For same-ability groups,
students take turns asking and answering. For cross-ability groups, higher level students can take
the role of asking questions and writing written information on the grid.
For information gap activities, have students of mixed ability work together to complete a task.
Dictation grids work well with cross-ability groups. Student A has a list of words. Student B has
a numbered grid with word cards or pictures. Place a barrier between pairs of students. Student
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A reads the list, Number 1 is t-shirt, and Student B places the picture card on the correct
square. This helps review previously introduced material. First, review the language necessary to
complete the task and demonstrate how to do the activity.
u
TPR on paper
Have one student describe a picture to another. The literate students can read a description or a
higher level student can give a description. The non-literate or lower level student can draw the
picture.
Draw a table. There is a cat under the table. There is a chair next to the table.
u
Clocks
Have Student A tell the time on a series of clocks while Student B writes the time or draws the
hands on the clock. A lower level student may be able to read digital time and the higher level
students could draw the hands on an analog clock.
Other information gap activities are better utilized in same-ability groups as they demand that
students understand all the information. They may be using the same language to complete a
timetable or schedule or follow directions on a map.
u
Dialogs and stories
Practice dialogs in small groups. More demanding roles can be given to more proficient
students. Ensure plenty of visual clues as a guide to meaning and to help establish context.
Follow-up literacy tasks can be provided at a variety of levels.
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Low-level literacy
Circle key or repeated words in the dialog or story.

Circle sight words that the students already know.
Fill in a missing word in a dialog.
Guess single words in the story from skeleton clues H_ _se (house).
Match single words to pictures in a picture story.
More advanced literacy
Order lines in a dialog or story.

Delete one speaker in a dialog and have students complete the missing portion.
Write an extension of the dialog or story.
Match whole sentences and pictures.
Complete a cloze exercise with every 8th word deleted.
Write the whole story or dialog from memory.
SELF-ACCESS MATERIALS
When students are doing independent or solo activities in class, self-access materials can allow
them to take responsibility for their learning and allow students to have something to do while
waiting for other students or groups to complete tasks. Timing activities to finish at exactly the
same time is very challenging. Self-access materials allow students to be engaged in something
meaningful and of their choice and interests. It helps reduce dead class time and can create a
relaxed but work-like atmosphere.
A self-access component can include activities from all skill areas. With these kinds of materials,
each task is set up to need minimal assistance from you. Answers, where applicable, are written
on the back of the activity or on the envelope.
Keep material in a box that can be passed around easily. Color coding the activities helps
students make appropriate choices. Color code for level and also for skill, if appropriate. Paste a
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picture on the envelope to help students make choices. Make sure that you never throw material
away! Every worksheet can be placed in the box with a key on the back. Many activities can be
cut up and recycled into the self-access box.
Self-access activities for the box
Match words and pictures.

Complete cloze activities.
Scrambled sentences with each word written on a card.
Whole dialogs cut up into separate words to be reassembled.
Scrabble tiles for creating own words.
Dictated stories or task completions on audio tapes. Students will need headphones.
Writing tasks with directions.
Draw a picture of your neighborhood. Label the streets.
Draw your family. Write names and ages.
Board games you have created.

Card games such as Go Fish, Undo, and Snap.
Copies of texts that you have used previously in class.
Computer software programs can be purchased for students to get independent practice.
It is helpful for students to be able to redo some activities at their own pace. Self-access
materials can help students who have been absent catch up.
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TASKS
Depending on the exact breakdown of level you have, students can work on the same material at
the same time, but they will be doing tasks that vary by level. For example, for class surveys and
interviews, lower level students need to ask the questions only once or to one person. Higher
level students must ask multiple students perhaps multiple questions.
Choose an activity that has several parts to complete a whole. The parts vary according to
difficulty. The final product incorporates everyones efforts. For example, in making a class
calendar, a group of lower level students fill in the dates only. Higher level students add the days
of the week. They may also read another text or extract information from a Whats happening?
community bulletin or newspaper, so they can incorporate events or holidays. Finally, all groups
transfer their work into the calendar.
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MANAGING A MULTI-LEVEL CLASS

You may feel like a circus performer as you are trying to keep multiple balls in the air at once.
Generally, you start off and close the lesson as a whole group. When breaking into small groups
for small group tasks, you may work with one group while another is doing something they can
complete independently. At some point, you will need to switch groups so that all students feel
they are getting your attention. Some teachers manage groups by utilizing volunteers. Students
themselves can act as group leaders and peer tutors. Be sensitive in your choice of leaders as
learning styles and expectations, language and cultural background, age, and sex can all play a
part in finding an appropriate person.
PLANNING FOR A MULTI-LEVEL GROUP

Careful planning and sequencing of activities will help make your lessons successful. Ask
yourself these questions as you plan.
1 Will this strategy / material / activity allow students to respond at their own level? Will
they succeed?
2 Will this material allow each student to discover something new about the language? Will
each student be able to push the edges of their current knowledge?
3 What language skills are being practiced? Will the students be able to go from one skill
to another to support the learning? How can I extend the material?
4 Are there visuals and non-verbal clues built into the material? Will they understand the
meaning without the language?
5 What is the objective for each level of student in the lesson?
Careful planning that includes clear objectives for each level for each lesson is essential.
Teaching multi-level groups requires skill and sensitivity, but by utilizing grouping and task
strategies and using self-access materials, all students will be able to experience some success.
USEFUL PUBLICATIONS
Teaching Multi-level Classes in ESL, Bell, Jill. Dormac, Inc., 1988
Input / Output, Boyd, R. and Boyd, M. Abaca Books, Inc., 1989
Teaching Multi-level Adult ESL Classes, Shank, Cathy and Terrill, Lynda. An ERIC Digest,
May 1995
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Checklist for Pre-literate Level 1

The checklist is a set of vocabulary, basic structures, and functional language that beginning
students need to know. The section on Basic Language provides essential starting items for
informal interactions and is good for anyone who needs to start interacting in English. Once the
students have mastered the Basic Language, they can move on to Other Language, which is
divided into topic areas.
Since students learn best when they can see that their needs are being met, organize instruction
into topic areas rather than starting at the beginning of the checklist and working your way
down. Program coordinators, bilingual counselors, or the students themselves can help prioritize
topic areas. Awad is concerned about finding a job. He would be interested in items in the
Employment section of the checklist so he could learn vocabulary for common jobs, state his
past work experience, and talk about his skills. Fatuma is pregnant and needs to interact with
health care workers. The competencies in the Health section of the checklist will be of more
immediate relevance to her naming basic body parts, describing common illnesses, and
following directions in a medical exam. The selected items from the checklist keep you on target
and provide a basis for assessment. By using the checklist, you can be clear about what you have
covered, and you can show students their successes. This method of instruction provides
discrete, measurable steps toward a goal. You are teaching and measuring what students will be
able to do with language. Grammatical concepts are embedded in the checklist items. You or
your institution should decide when or if instruction should be given on specific grammar
points.
Checklist for Pre-literate Level 1

SPEAKING / LISTENING
Basic Language
u
Greeting and leave taking
Greet someone and respond to a greeting

Hello.
How are you?
Fine, thanks.
Greet and respond to a greeting at different times of day
Good morning / afternoon / evening.
Say good-bye and respond to farewells
Bye.
Good-bye.
See you tomorrow / next week.
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Personal information
Ask and answer questions about personal information

What is your name?
Where are you from?
How old are you?
When is your birthday?
What is your phone number?
What is your address?
Are you married / single?
How many children do you have?
Identify relationships
Mother, father, friend, relative, etc.
Respond to requests for spelling of personal and family name
u
Asking and answering questions
Ask and answer Yes / No questions beginning with Are and Do

Are you from Somalia?
Yes, I am.
Are you Amina?
No, Im Trini.
Do you live in Wenatchee?
No, I dont.
u
WH questions
Ask and answer simple questions that begin with who, what, when, where, what time, how
much
Who is he?
Hes my son.
What is this?
Its my house.
When do you study?
I study at night.
Where do you shop?
I shop at Safeway.
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What time do you eat lunch?

I eat lunch at 1:00.
How much is the shirt?
Its $4.50.
u
Numbers, letters, time, and date
Count to 100 using cardinal numbers

Name the numbers
Put numbers in order
Know the value
Count by 5s, 10s
Identify and name ordinal numbers 1st 30th
Tell time in simple terms
Five oclock
Five thirty
Say and recognize days of the week
Say and recognize months of the year
Identify and state the names of the letters of the alphabet
u
Social interaction
Express lack of understanding and state communication problems

I dont know.
I dont understand.
I dont speak English.
Express needs and wants
I need / want / have / would like.
I dont need.
State and ask likes / dislikes
I like oranges.
Do you like oranges?
TCHTP
Page 88
Request assistance
Help, please.
Speak slowly, please.
Attract someones attention
Excuse me, Mary.
Introduce someone and respond to introductions

Hello, this is my __________ .
Nice to meet you.
Ask and respond to questions using common action verbs in the simple present tense to
describe daily routine
Come, go, put, bring, clean, cook, give, come, eat, watch, wash, etc.
What do you do on the weekend?
I cook / watch TV / play / clean my house.
TCHTP
Page 89
Other Language
u
Banking, shopping, and money
Identify money and understand values

Dime = 10c = 2 nickels = 1 nickel and 5 pennies
Quarter = 25c = 5 nickels = 2 dimes and 1 nickel
Nickel = 5c
One dollar = 100c = 4 quarters = 10 dimes
Recognize, read, and say written money values

$1.35 = one dollar and 35 cents
$12.06 = twelve dollars and six cents
Count money
Name common foods
Fruits, vegetables, meats, drinks, staples
Ask and understand questions about location of items in a store
Where is the rice?
Aisle 10.
Next to the beans.
On the bottom shelf.
Name clothing items
Shirt, jacket, pants, skirt, shoes, etc.
TCHTP
Page 90
Give and respond to a compliment

I like your shoes.
You speak English well.
Thank you.
Count by 1s, 5s, 10s

u
Health
Describe how one feels

I am sad / happy / angry.
Describe ones general condition
I am hungry / thirsty / tired.
Describe a health problem
My ________ hurts.
Identify body parts (major external)
Arm, leg, stomach, back, hand, head, etc.
Name common illnesses
Cough, cold, flu, sore throat, fever, etc.
Follow three to four word directions in a medical exam
Open your mouth.
Look up.
Roll up your sleeve.
Make a fist.
TCHTP
Page 91
Describe people
He is young.
She is tall.
He is happy.
u
School
Describe objects by color

The pen is blue.
They are green.
Describe objects by size
The chair is big.
They are small.
Identify classroom and common personal items
Eraser, book, purse, comb, etc.
Ask and make statements of identification using demonstratives (this, that, these, those)
Is this your eraser?
That is my book.
Inquire about classroom objects and personal items
Are these your shoes?
Where is my pen?
Follow one and two word classroom instructions
Copy, write, repeat, listen, ask, stand up, sit down, etc.
Give two to three word basic everyday instructions
Tell me.
Please, repeat.
Show me.
Wait.
Coffee, please.
Ask and respond to questions about work and school schedules
What time do you start?
I start at 3:00.
Ask and respond to questions about the location of items
Where is the pen?
It is next to / under / on / behind / near the book.
TCHTP
Page 92
Housing
Identify rooms in a house / apartment

Living room, bedroom, kitchen, etc.
Identify furniture in a house / apartment
Sofa, stove, sink, table, etc.
Ask and describe locations using prepositions
In, on, under, over, above, next to, etc.
u
Community services
Identify commonly used community resources and places

Supermarket, welfare office, school, hospital, post office
Ask and respond to common action verbs in the present continuous tense to describe where
you are going
Where are you going?
I am going to the store / welfare office, etc.
Describe basic weather conditions
It is sunny / windy / raining / cold, etc.
Dial 911 and provide basic information (name, address, problem)
Fire, police, ambulance, hospital, sick, hurt, etc.
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Transportation and directions
Use basic spatial directions

Left, right, north, south, up, down
Give and follow simple directions relating to movement and position
Go straight.
Go north.
Turn left.
Ask for and give directions to a place

Where is the school?
Its on 2nd Avenue.
Identify common types of transportation
Read a street address using ordinal and cardinal numbers
103 South 23rd Avenue
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Page 94
Employment
Identify common jobs

Mechanic, teacher, construction worker, driver, etc.
State job skills using action verbs in the present simple tense
Type, drive, read, cook, use a computer, speak English
Describe ones work skills using verb can
I can drive.
I cant use a computer.
Follow three to five word job related directions appropriate to students experience or
area of interest
Cook the meat and vegetables.
Put sheets on the bed.
Cut the grass.
Ask and respond to questions using common action verbs in the simple past tense
Came, went, worked, washed, gave, closed, etc.
Use was as the past tense of am to refer to self
I was a farmer.
I am a student.
Describe previous work experience in simple terms

I was a farmer.
I worked in / at _______ .
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Page 95
READING AND WRITING

u
Literacy basics
Recognize left-to-right and top-to-bottom directionality

Hold a pen correctly
u
Numbers and alphabet
Recognize numbers 1-100

Teach in stages 1-10, 10-20, 21-30, etc.
Recognize numbers 1-10 as symbols that represent quantities
Recognize numbers 1-10 as a sequence
Write numbers 1-100
Print upper case alphabet
Print lower case alphabet
Write name, address, phone number, age
Read digital clock times
Read dates
Read prices
Dial a number on a telephone dial pad
Read days of the week including abbreviations
Read months of the year including abbreviations
Write a phone number on a piece of paper from listening
Read and understand basic sight words / symbols in the environment.
Men, women, walk, stop, etc.
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Page 96
English sounds
Recognize sound-symbol correspondence of all initial consonants

Recognize sound-symbol correspondence of all the following letter combinations
Short vowels appearing in initial and medial position
In, on, at, hat, ten, sit, hot, sun
Initial consonant blends
cr, dr, tr, fr, br, gl, sl, c, bl, pl, sk, sm, sp, st, sw
Final consonant
-g, -n, -m,-b, -s, -p, -x, -t, -d
Final consonant blends
-nd, -nk, -nt, -mp, -lt, -ft, -st, -sk ,-ff, -ss, -ll, -ck
One syllable plurals
Map, maps
Pot, pots
Initial digraphs
Sh-, ch-, qu-, thFinal digraphs
-sh, -ch, -th
R-controlled vowels
Car, corn, bird, turn, herd
Silent e combinations
Plane, nine, home, June
Diphthongs
Ou, ow, oi, oy
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Page 97
Read and write simple statements

I have 3 children.
I am from Nigeria.
I live in Kent.
My son is sad.
I like rice.
Use spaces between words
Use a capital letter to begin a statement and a period to end
Fill out a simplified form
TCHTP
Page 98
TRACKING PROGRESS
An easy way to keep track of what you are doing and how the students are responding is to
record the competencies on an assessment grid. If you are teaching one student or a small group
of students, you can chart progress by keeping a grid for each student. For larger classes, you
might keep a grid for each group of students by level. Having a number of columns on the grid
reminds you to keep recycling and reviewing the competencies to help retention. This is a simple
way to share progress with your students, too. You can show how much they know on one day
and can point out their progress when you have reviewed material on a subsequent day.
Student Name: Fatuma
Date
1/16
1/18
1/24
1/26
2/2
Recognize and K nows 'nose'

say basic body only
parts
Reviewed, all
ok,
pronunciation
of stomach
C ould do
whole TPR
sequence
My _ _ _ _ _ _
hurts
C an respond
to question
and substitute
body parts
C ompleted
substitution
drill
C ommon
illnesses (fever,
cold, cough,
flu, sore
throat, runny
nose
N ot known
K new fever
only
Describe how
I feel (I'm
sick, happy,
angry, sad,
tired)
Follow
directions in a
medical exam
Did well with

'How are
you?' dialog;
did not
remember
sore throat
Role play in
doctor's office;
could make
some
substitutions
but need to
review
difference
between flu
and cold
K new sick
already
C ould talk
about pictures;
need to review
tired
Followed TPR Reviewed

sequence
TPR
TCHTP
Followed
directions in
role play
Page 99
THE FIRST 100 COMMONLY USED ENGLISH WORDS

The most commonly used words are ranked by frequency. The first 25 make up about one-third
of all printed material in English. The first 100 make up about one-half of all written material,
and the first 300 make up about sixy-five percent of all written material in English.
The Firs t Hundre d
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
the
of
and
a
to
in
is
you
that
it
he
was
for
on
are
as
with
his
they
I
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
at
be
this
have
from
or
one
had
by
word
but
not
what
all
were
we
when
your
c an
said
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
there
use
an
e ac h
which
she
do
how
their
if
will
up
other
about
out
many
then
them
these
so
61.
62.
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
68.
69.
70.
71.
72.
73.
74.
75.
76.
77.
78.
79.
80.
some
her
would
make
like
him
into
time
has
look
two
more
write
go
see
number
no
way
could
people
81.
82.
83.
84.
85.
86.
87.
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100.
my
than
first
water
b een
call
who
oil
its
now
find
long
down
d ay
did
get
come
made
may
part
Taken from: The Reading Teachers Book of Lists, Third Edition; by Edward Bernard Fry, Ph.D,
Jacqueline E. Kress, Ed.D and Dona Lee Fountoukidis, Ed.D.
TCHTP
Page 100
Learner Profiles
Sambath
Sambath came to the United States in 1986 as a refugee fleeing persecution in Cambodia. She is
59 years old. After spending eight years in a refugee camp in Thailand, she was resettled in the
United States. Sambath is a single mother with 2 adult children.
In Cambodia, she helped on her family farm until the Khmer Rouge destroyed her village and
she was forced to flee. In the United States, she has worked in various jobs including fish
packing, janitorial, home day care, working in a bakery, and in manufacturing. She has recently
been laid off from her manufacturing job.
Sambath has studied in English classes a number of times since her arrival. She has a basic oral
fluency and can easily meet face-to-face basic communication needs. She says she enjoyed the
English classes she took previously but was forced to stop because of her work schedule. She did
not attend school in Cambodia and is not literate in Khmer or English. She can recognize some
letters of the alphabet, write her name and address when copying, identify numbers orally, and
can read some numbers up to 100. She has come back to English classes because she wants to
improve her English and learn to read and write. She is also looking for a job. She relies heavily
on her youngest daughter, who lives with her, to negotiate most written communication but her
daughter is about to get married.
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Page 101
Fatuma and Awad

Fatuma and Awad are Somali Bantu. They have been in the United States for four months. They
arrived with their three children 17, 14, and 9. In Somalia, Bantu are a persecuted minority
group since their arrival as slaves in the 19th century. Fatuma and Awad fled Somalia during the
civil war. They walked to Kenya where they lived in two different refugee camps. They were
housed in the camps for a total of eight years. Life in the refugee camp was dangerous. Somali
Bantu continued to be attacked. It was unsafe to go alone to collect firewood and water.
In Somalia they were farmers. Awad did the agricultural work and Fatuma did some bartering
and selling in a market. In the camps, they received some English instruction and cultural
orientation. They speak Maay Maay which is not a written language. They also know Somali and
Swahili but are not literate in any language. Awad has more confidence in using the few words
he knows. Fatuma is more hesitant. Awad is concerned about finding a job. The children are all
in school. Fatuma is 5 months pregnant.
TCHTP
Page 102
Pao
Pao Moua is Hmong. He is thirty-five years old. His family fled from Laos to Thailand when he
was six years old. He has lived in the United States for six months. He arrived with his wife and
six children aged 16 to 2 years old. He went to school in Thailand for about three years. He
speaks Thai and Hmong, but he is not literate in any language. He was forced to stop going to
school in Thailand as a child because he had to help his family. He had little preparation for
coming to the United States and has very little spoken English.
In Thailand, he worked in a rock quarry and for a local construction company.
TCHTP
Page 103
Esl resources
Web Sites
CULTURE
Cultural Orientation
www.culturalorientation.net
Offers links to information about refugee resettlement in the United States, information on the
type and length of training provided to refugees overseas, basic facts about new refugee groups
arriving in the United States, and cultural orientation activities for trainers overseas and in the
United States. Download, view, and / or order articles and other materials regarding refugee
resettlement. A division of the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL).
International Rescue Committee
www.theirc.org
Browse articles detailing IRCs activities overseas, general news reports, specific IRC program
information, links to government and non-government agencies, general refugee news and
information, and country-specific web sites.
United States Committee for Refugees
www.refugees.org
Provides current information about refugee issues in the form of newsletter articles, photo
galleries, short video testimonies from refugees, and statistical reports. Extensive site with
glossary of terms, online store to purchase publications, and links to other refugee information
on the Internet.
Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning
www.spring-institute.org
Offers information, materials, and technical assistance to ESL teachers and tutors of refugees
and immigrants. View articles with teaching and lesson ideas, program planning information,
and pre-employment training ideas.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
www.unhcr.ch
Provides current news and historical background about the worlds refugees. Contains topic and
country-specific articles, press releases, statistics, photographs, and maps, plus back issues of
the magazine, Refugees.
TCHTP
Page 104
LANGUAGE
Educational Resource Information Center (ERIC)
www.ed.gov/NLE
Link to the National Library of Education. Also provides various information about and access
to the ERIC database (www.eric.ed.gov) which is the largest education database in the world.
Contains more than 1 million records of journal articles, research reports, curriculum and
teaching guides, conference papers, and books. Digests can be downloaded. Provides short
articles on a wide range of topics for teachers of ESL.
Center for Applied Linguistics
www.cal.org
An extensive site with educational and cultural resources dedicated to improving
communication through better understanding of language and culture. Download, view, and / or
order articles and other materials about current CAL sponsored projects in a variety of topic
areas including Immigrant Education, Literacy and Adult ESL, Refugee Concerns, and
Workplace Literacy. Link to ERIC and the Center for Adult English Language Acquisition
(CAELA). Connect with a number of national resource centers including the Cultural
Orientation Resource Center which offers cultural orientation materials online and for purchase.
CAL offers other ESL instructional and cultural information for purchase including books,
videos, CD-ROMS, and tests. Various CAL-published reports and papers can also be viewed
online along with issues of the CAL newsletter. CAL also maintains a detailed listing of Internet
links by topic to other websites of interest.
Daves ESL Caf
www.eslcafe.org
Interactive site includes a bookstore for purchasing ESL / EFL materials through
www.amazon.com, an idea cookbook where teachers can share quick activity ideas, and forums
for students and teachers to send e-mail messages to each other. An always expanding site with
good graphics, links, and information for a variety of audiences. A free copy of Dave Sperlings
Internet Activity Workbook is available by calling the Pearsons Help Desk at (800) 266-8855.
Eastside Literacy
www.eastsideliteracy.org/tutorsupport/ESL/ESLRes.htm
A user-friendly website with FAQs and links to resources. Useful links to Absolute Beginner,
Internet Picture Dictionary, and ESL Teachers Guide.
Minnesota Literacy Council Resourced Reviews
www.themlc.org/index
Provides reviews of published materials for teachers.
TCHTP
Page 105
National Clearinghouse for ESL Literacy Education

www.ncle.org
Books
LANGUAGE
Total Physical Response (TPR): A Curriculum for Adults
Silver, Margaret, Adelman, Barbara, and Price, Elisabeth. Spring Institute for Intercultural
Learning. www.spring-institute.org
Presents a detailed explanation of the purpose of TPR. Includes step-by-step directions for
sample TPR lessons covering basic Level 1 content.
What Non-Readers and Beginning Readers Need to Know: Performance-based ESL Adult
Literacy
Brod, Shirley. Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning. www.spring-institute.org
Describes beginning adult English learners and factors affecting their literacy development.
Discusses performance-based instruction and why it should be used. Includes worksheets that
may be photocopied and a list of Web and print-based resources for instructors.
Before Book One: Listening Activities for Pre-Beginning Students of English, 2nd Edition
Boyd, John and Mary Ann. Longman. www.longman.com
Activities center on listening and non-verbal responding based on communication situations like
writing down a phone number. Designed for very low-level students.
Picture Stories: Language and Literacy Activities for Beginners
Ligon, Fred and Tannenbaum, Elizabeth. Addison-Wesley / Longman. www.aw-bc.com
Each of the 16 stories, told through a sequence of 10 pictures, deals with a particular cultural
topic such as using the telephone, on-the-job responsibilities, household safety, and shopping
etiquette. Designed for Level 1 students.
COMPREHENSIVE TEXTS
Lifeprints: ESL for Adults
Grognet, Allene and Crandall, Jodi, editors. New Readers Press. www.newreaderspress.com
This core instructional series develops language and cultural understanding through a wide
variety of activities that present authentic, natural English and provide opportunities to
manipulate language in learning situations typical of students everyday lives. Books available
for Literacy (pre-Level 1) and Levels 1, 2, and 3.
Literacy Plus A and B
Saslow, Joan. Longman. www.longman.com
Literacy Plus A is designed for students with no native language literacy. Literacy Plus B is
meant for students who are literate in their native language but not in English. A comprehensive
TCHTP
Page 106
text that presumes no previous literacy experience. Weaves useful oral language, with civics
concepts and basic literacy. Has a useful visual packet, CD-ROM for supplemental activities,
audio tapes, placement test, achievement tests, and teachers book. Has a structured and
systematic approach to learning phonics. A good amount and variety of practice activities
suggested. Moves slowly. After completing Literacy Plus A, students should move on to Literacy
Plus B, which is a review and extension of the first book.
Basic Oxford Picture Dictionary Literacy Program
Templin-Imel, Garnet. Oxford University Press. www.oup.com
Designed to be used with the dictionary, this comprehensive four skills program can be
photocopied. Lots of literacy activities for true beginners using the pictures in the dictionary.
Easy Way to English: An integrated Approach for Beginners.
Kill, Maureen. Scholargy Custom Publishing. www.scholargy.com
A workbook style text that introduces phonics, printing, numbers and beginning English.
LITERACY
Tales From the Homeland: The Language Experience Approach
Bell, Anita. Tacoma Community House Training Project. www.tchtrainingproject.com
Provides examples of language experience stories and follow-up activities used with pre-literate
refugee adults. Includes many ideas for including speaking and listening skills into LEA.
First Words in English
Mrowicki, Linda. Linmore Publishing. www.linmore.com
A beginning ESL textbook which provides pre-literate students with basic survival oral and
literacy skills. It contains a variety of activities dealing with school, work, health, shopping, and
emergencies.
Longman ESL Literacy 2nd Edition
Nishio, Yvonne Wong. Addison-Wesley / Longman. www.aw-bc.com
Chapters are organized around alphabet, money, family, and school. Many visuals. Presumes
some literacy in native language.
Literacy in Lifeskills
Gati, Sally. Heinle and Heinle. www.heinle.com
Designed for learners with little or no exposure to English, no basic literacy skills in their
primary language, or no familiarity with the Roman alphabet. Students learn to write numbers,
personal information, and addresses.
Personal Stories: Book 1
Koch, Kamla. Linmore Publishing. www.linmore.com
Easy to read stories divided into topic areas. Follows the same characters throughout. Not for
complete beginners but useful material when students have some sight words. Comprehension
and guided writing exercises follow.
TCHTP
Page 107
The Bantu in our Midst: A Resource for ELT Classrooms

Brod, Shirley. The Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning. www.spring-institute.org
Presents specific Bantu cultural information and a short curriculum of lesson plans From the
Very Beginning: Getting Started in the ESL Classroom with Pre-literacy and Non-literacy
Learners by Shirley Brod.
Cultural Adjustment, Mental Health, and ESL
Adkins, Myrna Ann, Birman, Dina, and Sample, Barbara. The Spring Institute for Intercultural
Learning. www.spring-institute.com
Contains a very comprehensive explanation of the effects of the traumatic experiences of
refugees on their mental health. Includes lesson plans for ESL activities for dealing with culture
shock issues in an ESL classroom.
Stories to Tell Our Children
Weinstein-Shr, Gail. Heinle and Heinle. www.heinle.com
The stories are written by learners themselves. Practice and comprehension exercises provided
that lead students to writing their own story on the same topic. Not for complete beginners.
Some stories are quite short. The content of the stories is relevant and motivating.
CULTURE
The Somali Bantu: Their History and Culture
Lehman, Dan Van and Eno, Omar. The Center for Applied Linguistics. www.cal.org
Cultural profile of the Somali Bantu.
Muslim Refugees in the United States: A Guide for Service Providers
Maloof, Patricia and Ross-Sheriff, Fariyal. The Center for Applied Linguistics. www.cal.org
Gives an overview of the Muslim refugee experience in the U.S. Covers basic tenets of Islam,
resettlement issues, and special concerns for men, women, children, and the elderly.
The Hmong: An Introduction to Their History and Culture
Ranard, Donald, ed. The Center for Applied Linguistics. www.cal.org
Cultural profile of the Hmong. Covers people, history, life in Laos, the Thailand refugee
experience, literacy and education, resettlement, and language including common words,
phrases, and sayings.
TCHTP
Page 108

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Making It Real:

Teaching Pre-literate Adult Refugee Students

Tacoma Community House Training Project

Written by Alysan Croydon

Developed by Tacoma Community House Training Project

Funded by the Refugee and Immigrant Assistance Section

making it real: teaching pre-literate adult refugee students

TEACHING SPEAKING AND LISTENING SKILLS ..................................................................... 1

TEACHING READING AND WRITING .................................................................................. 46

Sound discrimination ................................................................................................. 73

Community services ................................................................................................... 93

Whats in This Book?

TEACHING SPEAKING AND LISTENING SKILLS

Making It Real: Teaching Pre-literate Adult Refugee Students

Making It Real: Teaching Pre-literate Adult Refugee Students

Other items that are worth teaching early on are:

Making It Real: Teaching Pre-literate Adult Refugee Students

Controlled Practice Techniques

Making It Real: Teaching Pre-literate Adult Refugee Students

Making It Real: Teaching Pre-literate Adult Refugee Students

VISUAL SUBSTITUTION DRILLS

Making It Real: Teaching Pre-literate Adult Refugee Students

Making It Real: Teaching Pre-literate Adult Refugee Students

Can you sew by hand?

Do you like pizza?

Mark the students answers on the grid.

Making It Real: Teaching Pre-literate Adult Refugee Students

Other grid activities

Point to squares silently and have students produce appropriate statements.

Practice various types of questions and answers:

Making It Real: Teaching Pre-literate Adult Refugee Students

Does your daughter like pizza?

Learn words and phrases to make connections.

Introduce new vocabulary and structures.

Discuss the information in a general way.

Making It Real: Teaching Pre-literate Adult Refugee Students

Practice literacy activities.

Match vocabulary words on index cards to various squares in the grid.

Complete cloze (fill in the blank exercises).

Read true / false statements

Combine parts of sentences to match information on the grid.

Have students respond to written questions.

Making It Real: Teaching Pre-literate Adult Refugee Students

Making It Real: Teaching Pre-literate Adult Refugee Students

Making It Real: Teaching Pre-literate Adult Refugee Students

Picture story or sequences

Making It Real: Teaching Pre-literate Adult Refugee Students

Making It Real: Teaching Pre-literate Adult Refugee Students

DIALOGS AND ROLE PLAYS

Making It Real: Teaching Pre-literate Adult Refugee Students

Making It Real: Teaching Pre-literate Adult Refugee Students

Making It Real: Teaching Pre-literate Adult Refugee Students

Making It Real: Teaching Pre-literate Adult Refugee Students

SORTING AND CATEGORIZING

ORDERING AND SEQUENCING

Making It Real: Teaching Pre-literate Adult Refugee Students

Making It Real: Teaching Pre-literate Adult Refugee Students

Tools and Techniques for Conversation / Applied Practice

Making It Real: Teaching Pre-literate Adult Refugee Students