Engage, Enrich and Empower New Students with
Interrupted Formal Education
Mary Lou McCloskey, Global Village Project; Agnes Scott College
Mary Lou is the author of many books for ESOL teachers and learners, serves as ESOL Specialist at the Global Village Project and teaches at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia.
Amy Pelissero, Global Village Project
Amy, in her fourth year as Head of School at GVP, is interested in the voices and stories of new immigrants and has worked with new adult, preschool, and adolescent learners of English in a wide range of settings.
Global Village Project: www.globalvillageproject.org
Online handouts: www.mlmcc.com Click “Handouts” for Outline and Strategy descriptions.
1. The Global Village Project: Who are we?
2. The Unique Challenge of Newcomers with Interrupted Education
· Trauma, culture shock, loneliness
· New culture of school
· English language – academic language
o Incomprehensible
o Exhausting
o Written language – any language - may also be new
3. Responding to the Challenge
· Making school welcoming – helping learners be comfortable and at home
o Clear expectations; Friends; Safety
§ Explanations of procedures and expectations with non-verbal communication, music, and tableau
· Making school comprehensible and interactive
o Using the first language (L1) (e.g., registration, enrollment, welcome)
o Using music and non-verbal language and cues
§ “I See You with My Eyes”
§ “Visual Life History”
§ “Respect All, Work Hard, Be Safe”
o Teaching academic language with support of Language Frame
§ Exploring similarities and differences with mathematics and literature
o Leveled Reading (Fountas & Pinnell Guided Reading, with adaptations)
o Writer’s Workshop and Shared Writing
· Providing culturally responsive instruction:
o “GVP’s Got Talent”
o School Sisters for orientation, language help
4. Conclusion/questions-discussion
References and Resources
Custodio, Brenda K. O'Loughlin, Judith B. (2017). Students With Interrupted Formal Education: Bridging Where They Are and What They Need. Corwin.
DeCapua, A., & Marshall, H. W. (2006) Serving ELLs With Limited or Interrupted Education: Intervention That Works. TESOL Journal 1, 49-70. http://www.tesolmedia.com/docs/TJ/firstissue/06_TJ_DeCapuaMarshall.pdf
Freeman, Y. A. & Freeman, D. E. (2008). Academic Language for English Language Learners and Struggling Readers. Portsmouth NY: Heinemann.
Igoa, C. (1995). The Inner World of the Immigrant Child. New York: Routledge.
Lehman, T. T. (2013). From Ideas to Words: Writing Strategies for English Learners. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann.
Levine, L.N. & McCloskey, M. L. 2012). Teaching English Language and Content in Mainstream Classrooms (2nd Ed.). New York: Allyn & Bacon/Pearson. http://www.pearsonhighered.com/assets/hip/us/hip_us_pearsonhighered/samplechapter/0132893665.pdf
McCloskey M. L. (2015). Language frames in the Refugee Classroom. TESOL RCIS Newsletter, March, 2015. (Unpaginated). Available: http://newsmanager.commpartners.com/tesolrcis/issues/2015-02-20/5.html
McCloskey, M. L. (2017). Initial Literacy Development for Learners of English. In The TESOL Encyclopedia of English Language Teaching (Wiley and TESOL International): In Press.
McCloskey, M.L., Orr, J. Stack, L. & Kleckova, G. (2017). Strategies for Teaching English Language, Literacy, and Content. Waysgoose Press.
Short, D. A. & Boyson, B. A. Helping Newcomer Students Succeed inSecondary Schools and Beyond. Washington DC: Center for Applied Linguistics. https://www.carnegie.org/media/filer_public/ff/fd/fffda48e-4211-44c5-b4ef-86e8b50929d6/ccny_report_2012_helping.pdf
Books about Similarities/Differences among Ourselves
Fox, Mem, and Leslie Staub.(2006). Whoever You Are. Orlando, FL: Voyager.
Hamanaka, Sheila.(1994). All the Colors of the Earth. New York: Morrow Junior.
Parr, Todd.(2004). The Peace Book. New York: Little, Brown.
Prelutsky, Jack, and Christine Davenier.(2007). Me I Am!New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Rotner, Shelley, and Kelley, Sheila M.(2010). Shades of People. New York: Scholastic.
Smith, Charles R. (2016). I Am America.New York: Scholastic.
Speir, Peter. (1988). People. New York: Doubleday.
Web Resources
Elise Witt Education Programs: http://elisewitt.com/web/workshops-2/school-programs/
Elise Witt Web Resources: www.elisewitt.com
Mary Lou McCloskey’s Resource Pages: www.mlmcc.com
Global Village Project: www.globalvillageproject.org
Films:
50 Feet from Syria, by Skye Fitzgerald. Information and trailer: http://www.50feetfromsyria.com/
4.1 miles, The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000004674545/41-miles.html
McCloskey, M. L. & Pelissero, A. TESOL 2017 Seattle
Engage, Enrich and Empower New Students with Interrupted Formal Education