Practitioner Toolkit: Working with Adult English Language Learners

Reading Lessons

The four reading components described are integrated into a reading lesson, but they may not all be practiced in any one day. A reading lesson may cover several class periods. Throughout the lesson, the teacher should be aware of gaps in the learners' skills and plan activities that give them the practice they need. For example, if students are having difficulties comprehending past tense verbs in a reading, the teacher would then include activities to practice using -ed to form past tense (syntactic processing); if students demonstrate difficulties in pronouncing the past tense marker, the teacher could then include activities to practice the pronunciations of -ed (phonological awareness).

The following activities give examples of reading activities that can be used with learners who are preliterate, those who have minimal reading skills in any language, and those who have some literacy in English. As always, it is up to teachers to adapt the activities for use with the learners in their classes.

Sample Set II-30: Techniques for Teaching Reading to Beginning Literacy Learners

Sample Set II-31: Techniques for Teaching Vocabulary

Sample II-32: Beginning Reading Lesson Plan

Sample II-33: Multilevel Reading Lesson Plan

References

Burt, M., & Peyton, J. K. (2003). Reading and adult English language learners: The role of the first language. Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics. Retrie ved December 14, 2004, from http://cal-org.wdi.net/caela/digests/reading.htm

Burt, M., Peyton, J. K., & Adams, R. (2003). Reading and adult English language learners: A review of the research Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics. Available: http://cal-org.wdi.net/store

Folse, K. S. (2004). Vocabulary myths: Applying second language research to classroom teaching.Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press.

Kruidenier, J. (2002). Research-based principles for adult basic education reading instruction.Retrieved June 18, 2004, from http://www.nifl.gov/partnershipforreading/publications/html/adult_ed/

Qian, D. D. (1999). Assessing the roles of depth and breadth of vocabulary knowledge in reading comprehension. The Canadian Modern Language Journal, 56, 262-305.