Centro de la ComunidadESL Course Designed for Intermediate Adult Learners

2006

The idea of democracy as opposed to any concept of aristocracy is that every individual must be consulted in such a way actively not passively that he himself becomes part of the process of authority, of the process of social control; that his needs and wants have a chance to be registered in a way that they count in determiningsocial policy.

-- John Dewey ( 1859-1

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Table of Contents● Context 3-6

● Beliefs 7-8

● Goals 9-10

● Needs Assessment 12-21

● Scope and Sequence 23-30

● Unit 31-39

● Supplementary Materials 40-42

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Curriculum Design and AssessmentCaitrin Cassie Bishop

March 2006

This portfolio includes a course description, three detailed lesson plans, a mind

map, a letter of introduction and a series of activities to assess students’ needs. The

enclosed unit has been designed for a twelve week, seventy-two hour ESL course. Open to

the public, this class is held at a small non-governmental organization known as Centro de la

Comunidad . This nonptpfit provides educational and career guidance to Latino immigrants

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residing in New London, CT. The student body in this class is composed of both men and

women, though the number of males far outweighs that of females on a typical day. The

syllabus has been written for a fairly homogeneous group of adult learners who have

varying degrees of proficiency in English.

There are approximately eighteen individuals attending this particular class on a

regular basis. It is held from 9 am to 12 pm every Tuesday and Thursday mornings. As

members of the Latino community, the students in this class share many of the same

difficulties assimilating to American culture and acquiring proficiency in the English

language. Being from a number of different countries in Latin America, however, great

disparities exist between each student’s education and social upbringing. Consequently,

their goals in coming to the US vary to a great extent. Given the distinct nature of each

student’s personal histories, including his/her schooling, work experience and exposure to

American culture, their levels of proficiency in English vary widely. While Spanish is in

fact a common first language amongst these students, the ingrained accents and fossilized

errors that present themselves on an individual basis impede the overall process of

learning in this class. Similarly, their ability to engage in interactive activities,

comprehend requests, or describe their own needs span from outstanding to meager. These

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students’ abilities to read and write in L1 vary to a great extent as well. Needless to

say, their personal goals in acquiring English communication skills span from passing the

GED to achieving a position at the local bank. I feel honored to be working with them and

hope to be of great service in their endeavors to sharpen their communication skills and

integrate the English language into their daily lives outside of class.

This group of students shares a common palette of basic communication skills,

(including general greetings, requests everyday proprieties. A certain number of

participants, in fact, exhibit confidence in their ability to grasp the speaking,

listening and reading skills necessary to ‘get by’. a vast of these sharp. While still

stumbling over fossilized errors with their pronunciation of certain words and the

accurate conjugation of various irregular verbs, as a group, they share fairly strong

speaking skill. This ability enables many of them to articulate their thoughts in

lengthier chunks more accurately than most of the other intermediate learners. A sense of

frustration continues to rise amongst these individuals, however, as they recognize that

they have in fact reached a glass ceiling. While many of these individuals are able to

envision themselves with full autonomy, thereby engaging more fully in their dat to day li

more active members of their new, English speaking country of residence,, many adult

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learners continue to face sizable barriers in achieving their ultimate goal(s) their

efforts to engage in authentic conversation or read in English.

The other students in this class suffer from varying degrees of inhibition when

pressured to take risks or partake in semi-authentic activities, however. While some

students certainly possess adequate communication skills in English, they are not prepared

to exhibit them in an authentic exchange. Since each of these students has been residing

in the U.S. for a different amount of time and currently holds a distinct position in the

workforce, their oral and auditory skills vary to a great extent. While some of them

interact with natives on a regular basis, (through both transactional and interactive

exchanges), others remain fairly isolated from their English speaking neighbors. Most of

these students have children or siblings attending the local public school. All of the

students live within a ten mile radius of Centro’s main office in New London, Connecticut.

With an enthusiasm to gain L2 proficiency and sufficient time to attend at least one class

per week, these autonomous learners are sure to make progress in ESL class. Their shared

interest in working together, moreover, will help set the foundation for a supportive

learners’ community where they will each experience great personal growth and the

development of meaningful relationships.

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Owing to the disparities in skill level, educational background and personal

objectives in acquiring proficiency in ESL within this group of students, however, my own

ability to create and follow a fluid curriculum that meets their individual needs is

impeded. While I have adapted to a more flexible approach to teaching and meeting

different needs in the classroom, I find the task of reducing a number of different aims

into one three hour session especially daunting. That is to say, I struggle to include

activities that will stimulate and engage such a wide spectrum of learners into the same

lesson plan. Coupled by the day to day influx of needs, concerns and ideas that surface in

this multi-level group, the lack of funds for new editions of workbooks, audio or reading

materials leaves it up to me to bring in appropriate materials. The financial challenges

that Centro de la Comunidad faces only compound my ability to facilitate learning sessions

which each learner finds worthwhile, (both challenging and rewarding). With commitment and

hard work, however, I am confident in my own ability to organize activities and

stimulating lessons that will appease everyone’s needs. Having recently organized an

outreach program in the community and contacted a private day school in the district, I

have found an excellent source of enthusiastic volunteers to help support my education

program. As students at a local private day school that share an interest in learning

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about Latin America and doing community service, these individuals have signed up for

intercambio partners to work with at Centro every Friday afternoons.

While my class is in fact composed of individuals who have all passed a federal exam

classifying them as intermediate learners, the levels of oral, written and auditory

proficiency amongst them range from just enough to nearly fluent. Due to the shortage of

funds for another class, all of these learners have been grouped together for a three hour

session twice a week. This class is held at Centro de la Comunidad, a small NGO on 109

Blinmen street in historic New London. As a city, New London populates both documented

and undocumented immigrants from Peru, Honduras, El Salvador, Mexico, Puerto Rico and the

like. Owing to the recent enforcement of immigration laws in the U.S., however, some of

these students fear being discovered by the police or threatening undocumented workers

residing in their own households. As their ESL teacher, I aim to facilitate a discussion

and offer guidance with regard to citizenship during the later stages of this course.

As an NGO, students are not required to pay a fee or fill out an official application

to attend classes at Centro. In order to determine their level of proficiency and

individual needs, an extensive interview is conducted by the director of educational

services. Students are also asked to complete a short questionnaire which will reflect

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their auditory comprehension, ability to read, and skill at completing sentences with the

correct verb conjugations, punctuation and/or lexis.

As a teacher at Centro de la Comunidad, I am not required to follow a specific curriculum

in my ESL classes. Instead, I have been given free reign to guide my students through the

SLA process as I see fit. With an InPrint workbook at my disposal, poster board, markers

and a clean blackboard, I am equipped with the necessary materials to conduct a good

lesson, nevertheless.

As a non governmental organization, Centro is subsidized by donations as well as

federal funds. Located in a two story building, with three classrooms and two offices,

this organization provides adequate space for interactive learning to take place or

meetings to be held. There is also a small library of old text books and a scattered

collection of authentic materials for teachers to implement into their lessons. That is

not to say tat Centro always has the latest addition to the best series or the correct CDs

to compliment each lesson.

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My Teaching Beliefs

It is vital for an ESL teacher to establish good rapport with her students and follow a predictable routine throughout the course.

o Once students have gained confidence in their teacher’s ability to meet their

learning needs, it is necessary to follow a routine in the classroom. In abiding

by a logical sequence,(beginning with fun warm ups, a review session and a

presentation of new language), teachers can offer students a more conducive

learning space to practice their L2 skills. . With a clear goal supporting each

activity, ample materials and a back-up plan, teachers are better equipped to

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engage their students in interactive, theme-based lesson plans.

The acquisition of a new language takes place best in an interactive community where students share common goals and respect each other’s differences.

o In the classroom, students should engage in participatory exercises that challenge

their fossilized errors and require risk taking. Language learners are more apt

to gain confidence in their communication skills by engaging in semi-authentic

activities and group work in a supportive class. As an ESL teacher, I will foster

a conducive learning environment by facilitating partner work, games, debates and

interactive decision-making in my classroom. Instead of presenting the linear

aspects of the language in a teacher-centered fashion, I will invite students to

collaborate on the content of their lessons until we have all reached consensus.

Students need to see the practical application of each lesson to their lives outside of

class.

o Supported by a functional approach, every ESL teacher should incorporate theme-based

lessons into her curriculum. In order to empower students as autonomous members of the

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community, teachers must connect their immediate needs and concerns to the lessons and

materials at hand. In doing so, she should bring in authentic materials or realia and

facilitate student centered activities. It is especially important for the ESL teacher to

involve her students in the construction of meaningful lesson plans tailored to their

needs. By incorporating their ideas, (and life experience), into the content of each

activity, the teacher can activate her students’ schema and motivate them as lively

participants in classroom activities.

The ESL classroom should always be a safe space for students to take risks and explore different dimensions of the English language.

o It is each teacher’s responsibility to invite students to bring in questions,

(or any materials that might need explanation), and contribute to the curriculum

design as they see fit. In assuming the role of both a culture broker and a

conductor of the learning process, ESL instructors should open the forum to

questions and invite students’ to examine both the structure and the functions of

the language. In doing so, they should always maintain flexibility and sensitivity

to the student’s shifting needs.

As conductors of language acquisition, ESL teachers must incorporate multi-sensory

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activities into each lesson. o By weaving visual, auditory, kinesthetic, writing and reading comprehension

activities into the fabric of each lesson, teachers can motivate students of

varied learning styles to take ownership of the language and engage in classroom

work more holistically. In doing this, teachers are better prepared to facilitate

worthwhile learning sessions while inspiring students to immerse themselves in the

target language.

Goal 1: Students will develop a sense of ownership of the English language, thereby establishing themselves as autonomous learners in and out of the classroom.

● Teacher will maintain a student-centered, participatory approach in the execution of each lesson, drawing on students’ needs and concerns.

● Teacher will elicit students’ previously attained knowledge and day-to-day concerns in compilation of daily lesson plans.

● Students will generate themes and materials for the course, thereby providing the main content of each lesson.

Goal 2: Based on their growing awareness of American culture and acquisition of L1

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communication skills, students will gain a sense of membership to the greater discourse community.

● Students will engage in semi-authentic-role plays, debates and/or games

● Students will develop a more precise understanding of the subtle nuances of the English language through exposure to authentic dialogue as well as involvement in social activities outside of class.

● Students will bring in aspects of their own cultural background as contributions to class content

● Students will meet with their interview partners on a regular basis.

● Students will keep a dialogue journal, recording new chunks, grammar points and lexicons.

● Students will meet with a volunteer intercambio partner once a week

Goal 3: Students will be able to apply newly acquired language skills to their daily livesoutside of class.

● Prepare activities for students to develop speaking, listening, writing and reading skillsin class.

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● Enhance practical communication skills needed in students’ everyday lives outside of class.

● Provide space for students to voice conflicting ideas and concerns about obstacles they encounter in their daily lives outside of class.

● Integrate music, visuals and movement into the presentation of new lexis and grammar points; provide theme-based content to classroom work.

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Goal 4: Foster an open learning environment conducive to active participation and collaboration on each student’s part.

● Facilitate interactive activities that provide students with the opportunity to test theircommunication skills, take risks in conversation or writing, and integrate new language into their daily lives.

● Regularly provide students with platform to negotiate the meaning of new lexis and offer feedback

● Students will leave course with a sense of accomplishment and confidence in their ability to function as autonomous member of mainstream discourse community.

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Primary Needs Assessment

Introductory Letter: At the beginning of the course, I will give each student a personal letter,

introducing myself and offering a brief explanation of my academic and professional background. This

memo will emphasize my own experience as a Spanish student. In compiling this letter, I am mindful to

include certain cognates and verb structures I think students may already be familiar with. I do not

expect them to comprehend the entire letter, however. Instead, I will ask them to underline any

unfamiliar lexis and/or grammar points and bring the letters back to class to review with a partner

before we read it together. In discussing the content and syntax of the letter, I will draw an outline

of my experience living in Spanish speaking countries and include visual paraphernalia from Mexico or

Spain. Finally, I will also highlight the value of being bilingual in contemporary America.

Ice Breaker: During the first week of class, the students will engage in structured introductions and

collaborate on mind maps. Owing to the disparate levels of proficiency, this orientation phase will

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focus on introductions with an implicit aim of assessing their needs. By the same token, these

conversational activities will serve as an excellent medium for the teacher to shape upcoming classes

and design an ongoing needs assessment plan. Needless to say, there will not be a great deal of

pressure on individual students to produce language while in the midst of the preliminary classroom

activities.

Purpose of activity:

● Lower students’ affective filters

● Establish good rapport with students while setting the foundation for a new discourse community to

develop

● Offer students structured activity to introduce themselves

● Assess students’ oral and listening proficiency 

● Elicit ideas associated with English Language and American culture

● Assess students’ attitudes, intercultural competence

● Foster a stronger sense of community amongst students

 

This initial assessment will encompass certain oral, auditory and reading activities that will elicit

personal data as well as objective facts from students. The students will first introduce themselves

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and choose an adjective beginning with the first letter of their name. After having exchanged names,

students will engage in a visual/conversational game that draws on their lexical and pragmatic

knowledge of English. Following this segment of our class time, students will fill out a fairly basic

questionnaire, highlighting their personal interests in coming to class.

One on one Interviews: Scheduled during the second week, (teacher is available for additional meetings

upon request)

Purpose:

● Confidential interview gives students opportunity to voice personal concerns, interests and needs

in the privacy of the teacher’s office.

● Similarly, these sessions give the teacher an opportunity to assess students’ ongoing needs,

tailor the lessons to their interests and serve their ultimate goals.

● Build trust with teacher

During the first two weeks of class, students will be asked to schedule an appointment with teacher

for a conference. In order to evaluate each person’s needs, the teacher must meet with them on an

individual basis, conduct an interview and survey his or her immediate objective in coming to class.

In doing so, the facilitator will not only gain exposure to her students’ personal needs, but

establish good rapport with each student and set the ground for individual choices.  In turn, this

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initial assessment will serve as a means of empowering the students as independent learners.   After

having recorded their responses to certain questions, examined the questionnaires that they complete,

and given each student an opportunity to voice their personal concerns, the teacher will begin

devising a more appropriate curriculum to support her students’ individual needs in this particular

class. In speaking with each pupil in her office, (or the park, weather permitting), she aims to

foster a stronger sense of purpose and belonging to the greater class. Given the disparate nature of

the group, however, a wide variety of skill levels are expected.

Interview Questions:

● Good afternoon, how are you today?● Please tell me your name, date of birth and marriage status.● Do you have children?● How long have you studied English for? Did you study English in your native country?● What is your educational/professional experience?● When did you first come to the United States? New London?● Why did you come here?● Who did you come here with?● Who do you live with?● Please describe your neighborhood/house.

This lockstep interview should provide the teacher with a fairly accurate glimpse of her students’

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oral and auditory proficiency. It may also reflect their comprehension of certain grammar points,

including wh questions, the auxiliary verb do in the present and past simple. Due to a raised

affective filter, however, students’ typical social tendencies and personal goals in coming to ESL

class may be obscured.

Partner interviews: During the first week of class, students will be assigned interview partners to

work with throughout the semester. Having their initial interviews based on a set of prescribed

questions will provide students with a foundation to get acquainted and engage in conversation.

Similarly, these questions will serve as an impetus to sharing more personal reflections and

practicing new lexis or grammar outside of class. By interviewing one another and recording one

another’s progress, students’ individual efforts to gain L1 proficiency will be supported. Similarly,

they will develop better interpersonal skills and a stronger sense of accountability as students.

Certain students may in fact find this activity more engaging than their interviews with me, as there

is less pressure to impress or meet any criteria. While these interviews will take place outside of

the classroom for thirty minutes a week, different partners will be asked to summarize their progress

to another pair in class on a weekly basis. Through this exercise, students are bound to improve their

reading, speaking, listening, and writing skills at a much faster pace than they would by merely

attending class and doing some of the projects or assignments at home. The quality of their English

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communication skills will be improved as well.

Mind Map: English Language/American Culture: Students will collaborate on ideas and share personal

reflections through this activity.

Purpose: This activity will serve as a cornerstone to a student-centered learning community.

In drawing their attention to blackboard, teacher points out two concepts: American culture and

English Language. After assigning groups, two students are asked to represent their peers, writing any

lexis or drawing pictures that they associate with these two phrases. This activity will elicit

previously acquired vocabulary, encourage collaboration and help build community in the student body.

The teacher assigns partners to take turns drawing their own mind maps with any ideas or images they

may associate with these concepts. The students’ tasks are to take notes on their partners’

statements as accurately as possible. Following this activity, students will reiterate what they have

heard to the larger group. This activity will give them the opportunity to generate words while

activating their schema and getting to know one another in a structured environment. It will also

help the teacher assess their attitudes and lexical competence.

Formative Needs Assessment:

I will measure my students’ learning by

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● Dialogue Journals

● Reflections on the interviews, as presented with their partners

● Performance in role plays, debates, and games

● Personal interview

Student Letters:

● Formative Analysis: At the end of the second week of class, students will be asked to compose a

letter, describing their personal interests, educational background, goals in coming to the U.S.

and immediate needs in ESL class. They will also be asked to note their marital status and

familial circumstances. For their first letter of introduction, students are permitted to write in

Spanish.

● Evaluative Analysis: As a means of evaluating their progress and continued needs in L2, I will ask

students to write another letter to me during the sixth week of class. This letter should follow a

certain structure, highlighting specific points in English only.

Ongoing: The assessment of students’ formative needs will take place throughout this course on an

ongoing basis. By engaging them in various group activities and giving them individual assignments

focused on the four skills, I will implicitly gain exposure to both their weaknesses and strengths as

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members of the community. The needs assessment will also involve more explicit demonstrations of their

progress as ESL students. Each student in this class will keep a portfolio of their work, including

writing assignments, dialogue journals, quizzes, and recorded interviews.

KASA: In this learner-centered atmosphere, I hope to provide my students with a space to cultivate

inner criteria and critical thinking skills. Similarly, I strive to motivate them to seek knowledge,

awareness and communication skills outside of the classroom. By facilitating activities such as

debates highlighting issues of concern amongst the student body, peer-to-peer interviews, video taped

skits, recorded dialogues and ongoing journal writing would support the development of these skills.

Consistent engagement in classroom activities and practice outside of class would also support each

pupil’s sense of membership to the greater discourse community and confidence in engaging in authentic

interactions. They will also be more prone to assert their needs in the public sphere by the end of

this twelve-week course. In order to support each student’s cognitive development and acquisition of

communication skills, I believe it is important to maintain a predictable, ritualistic pattern in the

classroom. It is also important to activate their curiosity and motivate them with challenging

lessons. Ultimately, I hope to prepare them with the practical skills they will need to navigate their

way in a new social environment and achieve their personal goals in contemporary America.

Anonymous Comments: After having conducted practice activities geared to enhance the four skills and

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engaged students in different workshops, (including panels of discussions, game shows or

competitions), I will open the floor for students to voice concerns and ask questions. In order to

reflect on their own learning experiences, students will be asked to spend the last ten minutes of

class writing . As a silent monitor, I will remain open to suggestions, feedback and anonymous

complaints. While they will have their own journals to write in everyday, a set of color coded cards

will be used to anonymously share confusion or satisfying moments with me at the end of each class.

Students’ candor, constructive criticism or mere complaints will serve as building blocks to the

construction of more worthwhile classes in the future.

Collages

With their interview partners, students will be asked to gather a collection of words or images

which best represent their shared interests and/or cultural backgrounds. During the second week of

class, I will allot time for them to collect materials and compose a collage for the rest of the class

to see. The following day, students will be invited to look through one another’s collages in a

Gallery walk. One representative of each poster will stay to describe the images and answer any

questions. This activity will serve as an excellent medium for students to generate language in a

semi-authentic environment and become better acquainted as a group.

Dialogue Journals: (Ongoing) An important facet of the ongoing needs assessment will be journal

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writing.

Purpose: Teacher can gain exposure to students’ needs through personal reflections as well as

structured writing activities. In conducting this exercise, critical thinking will be triggered,

reflection and active memory will be activated in students’ minds. Similarly, a sense of ownership

for the language will be nurtured on each student’s part.

Teacher will review these journals on a weekly basis, noting any gaps, fossilized errors and

shared experiences in student body. Students will be record new lexis, chunks, grammar clauses, and

colloquialisms. Similarly, teacher will ask students to write at least five lines describing their

experience in the class, including preferences for different activities, adverse reactions,

frustrations and new interests.

Reiterate Life Stories

Purpose:

● Capture students’ verbal/oral proficiency

● Assess students’ intercultural competence

● Contextualize classroom materials by personalizing lesson

● Foster a stronger sense of community in the classroom

● Assess students’ needs with respect to written, listening and oral competence.

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Having asked students to bring in pictures or significant objects representing their cultural

backgrounds, teacher will facilitate discussion. This should set the framework for a fun,

participatory lesson. Based on their degree of competence each student exhibited in the last classes,

teacher designates specific partners to work together in class. For this session, teacher organizes a

semi-authentic exchange of ideas as well as a platform for students to introduce themselves in a more

meaningful context.  During this class, students will explore his or her cultural identity, country of

origin, education and intentions in moving to New London, CT in one-on-one set-ups. Each student’s

respective partner will record him or her and later takes notes on the information, so far as he can.

Following this session, the partners will compose timelines of their lives, drawing on the syntax and

lexical knowledge they may have already retained prior to starting my class.  After having worked in

dyads for up to thirty minutes, teacher will re-arrange students into quads, suggesting that they

reiterate their partners’ life story and share their immediate goals and/or concerns in coming to the

USA with the group.  

Feedback Cards: Ongoing Students anonymously share personal reflections, writing comments/criticism

about classroom activities on slips of paper at the end of class

Purpose:

● Gain a closer look at individual needs, assess personal concerns & academic questions while

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empowering students as important members of discourse community.

This practical needs assessment activity will be integrated into the lesson at the beginning of the

course. At the end of our first week together, students will be asked to write any questions or

concerns on note cards during the last ten minutes of class. By leaving these cards anonymous,

students should feel free to offer straight-forward critique of teacher’s approach or specific

activities that are conducted in class.

Find someone who: At this point in the course, students will be ready to formulate questions and

engage in semi-authentic conversation.

Purpose:

● Assess students’ intercultural competence

● Evaluate oral proficiency

● Assess grammatical competence

Teacher will begin class by pointing out movie posters on the walls, writing a few international movie

titles on the board and eliciting comments from student body (in L1). Next she will suggest that

students think of their favorite movie and find someone else in the class who has seen it. After

approximately four minutes, she will distribute list of questions and assign partners. Having

reviewed the present perfect and question form in previous classes, she will orchestrate a fun

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conversational activity using this verb tense. Once students have gone through questionnaire, they

will share with the rest of the group.

● What is your all-time favorite movie? ● Who's in it? ● Who directed it? ● Why do you like it? ● When did it come out? ● Where was it filmed? ● How many times have you seen it? ● Would you recommend it? Why?● Are there any kinds of movies you dislike? ● If so, what kinds? ● Why do you dislike them?● Do you like to watch horror movies? ● Do you prefer fiction or nonfiction books? How about movies? ● Do you usually watch movies at home or at a movie theater? ● Have you ever seen the same movie more than once? ● If yes, name it (or them).● Have you ever seen ___? (Insert the name of a movie.) ● How often do you go to movies?

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● How often do you rent videos? ● If a book has been made into a movie, which do you prefer to do first, see the movie or read the

book? Why? ● What is the scariest movies you have ever seen? ● What's the funniest? ● What's the most romantic?● What is the worst movie you've ever seen? ● What was the last movie you saw? ● Was it good? ● Who did you see it with?● Do you think that films can be educational?

Summative Needs Assessment: As a means of evaluating their individual progress in this course,

students will be asked to present their interview partners to the class, describe their cultural

backgrounds and explain their long term goals. In doing this, students are expected to incorporate

some of the new grammar points they have learned in class and demonstrate their spoken proficiency.

Not only will this activity help me gauge how well each student has harnessed the language, but it

will strengthen this community of learners and prepare them for authentic exchanges outside of the

classroom.

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Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen, September,2006

My name is Caitrin Bishop. As your new ESL teacher, I am very happy to work with you this Fall at Centro de la Comunidad.  I look forward to learning about your cultures and helping you gain better communication skills in English. While you all may have different reasons for coming to this class, gaining proficiency in reading, writing, speaking and listening to English will be our shared focus.

As a teacher of English as a second language, I enjoy learning about different cultures and meeting new people. Over the past five years, I have worked with Latino children in the New London public schools, Sudanese refugees, Spanish business men and Mexican University students. English is an important international language that many people wish to learn for different reasons. As you know, communicating in English is a key to many new opportunities in the U.S. Speaking in Spanish is also a valuable skill. I began to study the Spanish language at the age of twelve. The ability to communicate in Spanish gives me many more work opportunities in America. I have also been able to travel and live in Mexico, Costa Rica and Spain. As a nation, the U.S. is very diverse; citizens of this country come from all over the world. As Irish fishermen, my own family arrived here in the late 1800s. Many ofmy American friends are of Colombian, African, Indian and Korean descent. With a distinctcultural background, you can contribute to this nation’s unique, multi-cultural society.

In this class, we will begin by focusing on our personal identities and family backgrounds. Working in pairs and in group activities, you will practice new vocabulary and review the basics of grammar. I hope to see everyone’s level of communicative

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competence improve during this interval. As a class, we will talk about important topics which influence our lives, including

health, education, money and civil rights. Additionally, we will go into the community form visits to the library, the police station, hospital and school. You will also have the option of attending a town hall meeting with your classmates. As residents of New London, Connecticut, you can learn more about the public services available to you in thisclass. A Latin American member of the local police force, a nurse, and a teacher from the local elementary school will visit this class during our last three weeks together. You will also have the opportunity to practice your English with Intercambio partners from a local high school. These boys and girls come to participate in a conversation club at Centro every Friday afternoon from three to five o’clock. I am honored to be with you this semester, as a new teacher at Centro de la Comunidad. I look forward to working with each of you and hope to be of great assistance in your efforts to becoming fluent in the English language. I also look forward to learning more about the Mexican culture, political environment and contemporary society inthe process! On that note, let us get started! We are going to make great progress this winter. Thank you,

Caitrin Bishop

Evaluation:

During the last two weeks of class, students will be asked to compose a letter to a friend,

describe what they have learned in English and what they hope to do with their new communication

skills. Students will be encouraged to elaborate on experiences they have had outside of class and

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lessons they have learned from other students in class. During our last two days together, students

will be asked to read these letters aloud and share comments with each other. These letters will serve

as an accurate medium to evaluate students’ writing competence. Upon listening to them read the

letters and share spontaneous competence, their spoken proficiency will be apparent as well.

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Curriculum Scope and Sequence

Beginning in early September at a small NGO in New London, CT, this course will last for

twelve weeks. Comprised of both men and women of Hispanic backgrounds, the student body ranges from

twenty-one to fifty-eight years of age. These individuals share Spanish as a common first language,

however their cultural backgrounds vary to a great extent. Having distinct educational backgrounds,

they will each be pursuing unique careers and lifestyles in the United States of America. A fruitful

discourse community will be fostered in this classroom, nevertheless.

Although some of my students are competent writers in L2, others have just dabbled in

writing for transactional purposes. Nevertheless, they all strive to gain critical reading and writing

skills in English. While these abilities may not be necessary for their economic survival or social

well-being, they will support the quality of each student’s life in the U.S. and overall sense of self

in their new communities. Gaining proficiency in these areas will also serve as a backbone to their

roles in the family, as supportive parents, cousins or grandparents to children who have recently

enrolled in the American school system. As these younger family members continue to develop second

language competence at school, they are also undergoing a fast, sometimes bewildering process of

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Americanization. In order to help bridge the gap between immigrant children and their relatives, I aim to

prepare my students with sufficient reading, writing, speaking and listening skills. In the interest

of helping men and women gain autonomy in their new communities, I will facilitate practical, theme

based lessons that draw on their cultural backgrounds.

As a non-governmental organization, Centro has a limited supply of federal funds to provide

the educational department with adequate resources. While some of my students have purchased the

assigned workbook, others must pay for photocopied hand-outs on a day-to-day basis. The In Print Series

should serve as a sufficient framework for this course, as it provides interactive, visual and

auditory activities that integrate the four skills and address students’ practical concerns into the

lesson. My classes will also be supported by realia, pictures, and music. Although I aim to follow this

book, I am not bound to adhere to each lesson, step-by-step. The lesson plans will follow a thematic

sequence, tailored to meet the varying needs of each student as they present themselves.

Intermittently throughout the semester, students will be invited to open mic night at a local

café. Students who choose to gather here on the third Thursday of every month will have an

opportunity to read poetry, play the guitar, sing, or share their own reflections on American culture.

This fun, out-of-class activity will provide students with a space to exercise their creative muscles,

collaborate with others and share their own cultural background more openly.  This activity will also

help teacher assess students’ ongoing needs and strengthen a network of support.

Students in this ESL class will also be assigned an intercambio partner from a local high school who

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they will meet with on a weekly basis. This activity facilitates cultural assimilation while

supporting SLA outside of confines of classroom. Developing a companionship with an American student

will nurture a sense of learner autonomy and serve as an excellent platform for students to use

English outside of class. This exchange will also help students develop sense of belonging to greater

discourse community

In attending my class twice a week for three months, intermediate ESL students will gain the

skills necessary to pursue a degree in higher education and/or secure a job. These lessons will also

serve the students’ shared interest in adapting to their new social environs. While each of my

students has passed as an intermediate on the federal ESL exam, there are great disparities in each

student’s ability to read, write, speak or understand the English language through auditory stimuli.

Following a cyclical approach, I have arranged to present a series of compact lessons that will

actively engage my students in the acquisition of these fundamental skills. An underlying goal

supporting this outline is to empower these citizens with a sense of ownership of the English

language. Ultimately, they will establish themselves as autonomous members in the greater discourse

community.

The time frame for this particular class is three months, (Fall of 2006); it will last for

twelve weeks. While most of the students will arrive during the first week, I expect one or two

latecomers to join my class. Although we are scheduled to meet for three hours every Tuesday and

Thursday morning, I understand that certain pupils have other more pressing obligations to attend to

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on certain days. I do not expect all twenty-four students to arrive to my class throughout this

course. I will plan my lessons for the whole student body, nevertheless.

Context: This ESL course is designed to serve adult immigrants of Latin American backgrounds who share a common need for proficiency in the English language. The class is held at a small NGO known Centro de la Comunidad, in New London, CT. As residents of this small, American city, these ESL students all wish to gain better employment. Similarly, they wish to integrate their education and cultural backgrounds into their lives in the U.S. While these students have all passed a federal exam placing them at an intermediate level in written and conversational English, there is great disparity in their levels of competence in spoken, auditory, writing and reading. This class meets three times a week for three hours at a time. Many students are only able to attend one to two classes per week, however.

UNIT 1 (Weeks 1-3)

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o Focus o Speaking/Listening o Reading o Writing

Personal identity

Learning goals

Cultural identity

Family background

Prepare to seek employment,

Focus:

Self, family, work,

Practice personal greetings.

Give and getpersonal information

Explain culture,Dialog practice with a partner, record each other’s stories

Activities:

Name + adjTwo Truths and a Lie

Share stories about families

Discussion of demographicsin America, talk about students’ ethnic backgrounds

Paired interviewsCulture

Focus:

Practice past simple vs. past continuous

Review areas of confusion, bottom up approach

School Information Forms

Read about Dostali family

Activities:

Locate native country, Read T’s letter

Identify sight words,get the gistof written materials,

Complete In-print worksheet

Focus:

Generate a list of common themes basedon shared interests

Sharpen transactional and interactive writing skills in structured environment

Activities:

Complete data sheet, Write addresses

Write about personal goals in dialogue journals,Write a letter of introductionto teacher, write transcriptions from interview with their partner

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boxes Write personal resumes

o UNIT 2 (Weeks 3-6)Focus

o Speaking/Listening

o Reading o Writing

Practical Concerns

Comparing America

Focus:

Health Concerns,Speaking with doctors

Intonation/pronunciation

Activities:*Draw time line as a class*Go over health lexis orally*Review

Focus:

Countable/uncountablenouns

Appointment

Activities:

Match/concentrationgame

Introduce medicine

Focus:

Descriptions of health concern

Telephone messages

Activities:

●List pros andcons of U.S. health

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n medicalsystem to native country’s healthcare system

Gettingacquainted with public services of New London

Harnessing the past simplePresent perfect vs. Present perfect continuous

Articulating oneself in the correct syntax, asking questions: past continuous vs. present perfect continuousMedical lexis: Describing one’shealth condition:

Building skills to communicate personal problems, seek help

Ability to

questions*Meet with local health care practitioner, (of Latino background)*Reflect on personal experiences*Narrate partners’ experience

*Listen to NPRreport on health concerns in the U.S.*Watch video, discussTelephone conversations/request*Role play: students assume

slips, official documents

Articles about U.S. health caresystem

Read medicine lexis

Identify uses and contraindications of different medicines

vocabularyRead questions on p.70, InPrint

Read prescription labels, identify descriptive lexis

Read about common healthproblems in the U.S.

Read pamphlets from local public service agencies

Read prescription labels,

Top/Down

Critique

care system

Matchingexercises

Write individual responses to NPRnews report

write a review of documentary

Summarize telephone conversation

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reiterate child’s complaint to a doctor

different characters, enact typical scenarios*Engage in debate over U.S. health care system

identify descriptive lexis

● L

Unit 3 (Weeks 6-9)o Focus o Speaking/Listening o Reading o Writing

Financial ConcernsWelfare: whypeople need it.

Expressing opinions,Defining therole of welfare in individual lives and society

Orally review billsstudents have to pay,elicit opinionsStudents articulate recent experiencesShare experience

Focus:Bills/Checks

Read about current welfare regulation

Activities:

Match imageswith words

Compare impressions,differences with native country

Sight words/

Focus:

Official forms

Summarizing complaint,Narrating partner’s stoey

Activities:Mind map: Money, welfare

Filling out welfare forms

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What to do in the case ofEmergency

Discuss students’ responses toemergencies in native countries

Review vocabulary/grammar: present perfect vs. present continuous

Chain stories

in budgetingArticulate concerns about welfare eligibility

In pairs, discuss whatwelfare means to refugees, elderly people, children, mothers, etc.

Students askand answer questions: Have you ever been robbed? Where when?

Discuss what

Review Emergency Sight Words p.101

●

flash cards

Reading & interpretingBills

Read controversial articles from The NewYork Times

Read an accident report

Read stories, dtraw conclusions

● \

Transactional writing

Writing articles

Write stories for emergencies

Fill out accident reports

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should be done in an emergency.

Unit 3 (Weeks 6-9)o Focus o Speaking/Listening o Reading o Writing

Community Building:Acculturation: Homesickness, nostalgia for the past

Workers, pay, benefits

Tell life stories share feelings of nostalgia

Describe steps others must take to become citizens, therole of literacy in voting, paying taxes,etc

Modal Auxiliary Verbs: form &

Recount daily routines, describe reasons for coming to the U.S.

Describe hopes for new lives inAmerica.

Discuss optimum jobs, current abilities

Focus:Reading for pleasure/ emotional support, pleasure

Sight Words ,abbreviations

Benefit packages

Activities:Read narratives of other immigrants Review written formof why questions

Read classified ads

Read and

Focus:Recording your own experience

Stream of consciousnessLife stories

Resumes, letters of interests

Activities:Writing letters home

Students devise theirown storiesWrite biographies of interviewpartners.

Write letterof interest,take notes during interview

Record

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function

How much, howmany? wages

Discuss discrimination and ways toovercome it

Articulate work experience in semi-authentic job interview

Orally review imperatives

explain benefits with partner

Read other immigrants’ stories

● \

complaints in journals

UNIT 4 (Weeks 9-12)o Focus o Speaking/Listening o Reading o Writing

Settling in:Family ties,cultural norms

Function:Is your family changing?

Sharing in-depth

Activities:Review story telling conventions using

Top/Down:Critical reading, making comparisons,

Students read throughquestions, and offer critical analysis ,

Transactional writing

Interactive writing

Filling out Birth Certificate

Based on student

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Discrimination

descriptionsof family background, traditions and current changes underwayExploring more educational opportunities for students andtheir families

Reflect on personal experience

Enhance speaking proficiency

photographs.Students tell their stories

Interviewpartners:Orally review major life eventsSs reviewquestions, talk about racial issues, describe personal coping mechanisms for dealing with

recognizing genres

Read about family literacy program offered in Connecticut

Retain new lexisReview legislative acts protecting them from discrimin

Read story about immigrant family as a class

Read articlehighlightingindividual plans

Top Down Students read throughnewspaper article

Rewriting

Interactive writing

generated language & concepts, students write their own storiesStudents collaborate to rewrite the story ofa young woman and her family who immigrated from El Salvador

Students write letterto the Editor

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in task based practice exercise

racismRole play: Making anofficial complainton discrimination

ation Students collect dataand write articles fortheir class newspaper

Unit 1: Cultural IdentityPart One of a Seventy-Two hour Course for Adult Literacy at a community-based organizationin New London, CT.

Introduction: I have designed this segment of the course in the interest of building a supportive, interactive community. In setting the tone for a fun, engaging classroom, students should feel energized to challenge themselves and take risks. I aim to set the tone for engaging practice activities and student-centered productions that enhance their ability to function and achieve success as autonomous members of the greater discourse community.

The first three weeks of this course will focus on students’ cultural identities. In turn, I will concentrate on students’ previously acquired knowledge, shared interests and mutual goals throughout the primary phases of this course. During our first few weeks together, I will facilitate structured workshops that draw on students’ listening and speaking comprehension. Similarly, I will present certain writing activities and engage students in reading circles. While I will set aside time for personal interviews, some of

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the in-class activities during this period will be geared to assess students’ needs and immediate goals. In serving as the backbone to their curriculum, the InPrint workbook will provide a predictable set of activities and in-class activities for the students to follow. As their facilitator, I will implement music, posters, time lines, and video clipsinto our daily work. By catering to each student’s unique learning style, I hope to gain their confidence and enthusiasm in coming to class. With respect to their personal preferences, moreover, I will offer time for students to share anonymous feedback, ideas and/or criticism on a selection of color-coded note cards.

Unit Objectives:● Foster a conducive learning environment, establish sense of community ● Energize students to generate ideas, interact and collaborate on projects● Gain clear glimpse of students’ individual needs

Students will be able to:● Grasp a clear sense of purpose and belonging in their new class● Gain a sense of confidence in their ability to comprehend spoken and written English as

autonomous learners.● Become active, top/down listeners● Independently negotiate the meaning of new language● Read advertisements and watch television critically ● Reflect on their own cultural upbringing & share stories with group● Articulate their immediate needs and goals

Rationale: The beginning of this course will focus on student’s personal identities and

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overarching goals. As their new instructor, I will elicit previously acquired vocabulary and grammar through structured games and community-building activities. I will be mindfulto focus on concepts that students have already processed, drawing on lexis students are comfortable with. In support of my interest to establish good rapport with students and foster a participatory learning space, the first three weeks of this class will draw on their personal interests and shared knowledge of English. While I will come to class prepared with a blueprint for class, the lessons will be based on the language and ideas generated amongst students. I hope to honor these students’ cultural backgrounds by concentrating on their histories, and tying their stories into the curriculum. By facilitating fun cultural exchanges into each class and offering students time to reflect on their own intentions and shifting needs, I hope to engage them in a dynamic process of.L2 acquisition. By the same token, I hope to earn their respect and enthusiasm to participate in the classroom activities that I organize. These first few sessions will setthe premise for their ongoing progress as ESL students in our classroom. This primary phase will also offer me a glimpse of their varying levels of competence and immediate goals in coming to ESL class.

During this primary stage of the course, I will most likely offer certain translations and communicate some ideas in Spanish. In the interest of gaining students’ respect and capturing their attention, I will give a brief description of my own background as a Spanish student and experience working in Latin America. I will not put any emphasis, however, on my ongoing interest in gaining proficiency in their language. Making a few short statements in L1 will serve as a precursor to my explaining that it is in fact much more effective for students to stay in L2, negotiate the meaning of new vocabulary and immerse oneself in the target language. In making these remarks, I hope to dissuade them from relying on descriptions in L1 or looking in their dictionary. As a monolingual group, however, students will be receptive to certain comments in L1 during

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this initial phase of the course. In a more jovial tone, I will explain that our classroomis an English only zone.

Upon inviting students to go on a “ride” on the Spanish high-way, I will guide them into “pueblo ingles”, where they are prohibited from speaking in their native tongue. In order to motivate them to take risks and challenge themselves, I hope to engage them in a short, rewarding review of basic concepts and practical vocabulary.

In the interest of establishing a fun, interactive space for students to focus on improving their communication skills in L2, I will facilitate group activities that draw on their interests and cultural backgrounds. Primarily, however, I will present my own academic and cultural history. By showing students an assortment of images from my cultural background and a brief timeline of my own upbringing, I will open the floor to questions and comments. From the onset of this course, I will highlight the interrelated nature of culture and language.

Week One, Day 1: Introduction to the course, Self-IdentityObjectives: Set the tone for student-centered classroom, capture students’ attention and engage them in fun introductory games

Students will be able to:● Shift gears, practice alphabet/numbers● Introduce themselves and their country of origin in the present simple● Present their name and age● Partake in interactive dialogue, forming questions correctly● Describe their families● Work together in structured arena, collaborate on mind map, generating language amongst

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themselves

I. Warm up 45 minutesA. Introduce Myself: Seated in a circle with the students, I will present myself and share a

brief description of my own background. After enunciating my name and sharing basic facts on my academic background and professional history, I will draw students’ attention to a collage of pictures on the board and a selection of realia that represents me. By pointing to this display of images and words, I will elicit vocabulary from students and have them piece the information together for themselves. Next, I will invite them to ask me questions and share comments on what they see.

B. Alphabet Review: In groups of four, students read through alphabet cards, correcting one another. After making two different words, students engage in alphabet game, holding up the correct cards as I read them. A member of the winning team takes the role of class leader, calling out letters for students to respond to.

C. Name game: Careful Caitrin, Nice Nancy In order to bring the class together, I will facilitate a simple name game, introducing myself with an adjective that corresponds with the first letter of my name. After having gone around the circle and shared an adjective that goes with their first names, they will be prepared to turn it up a notch and memorize the otherstudent’s names. This structured activity will challenge their auditory and spoken abilities in L2.

D. Where are you from? After having handed the student to my left a colorful, blow-up globe, I will facilitate a game of around the world. During this segment of the class, students will point out their country of origin and share certain facts regarding their cultural histories

E. Culture Bus, Class trip to Pueblo Ingles. Upon arrival, I will point out agenda for today’s class

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F. Mind map: I bring students’ attention to board, where there will be 3 mind maps for literacy, read, and write. In groups of three, students will collaborate on words they associate with these three categories.

G. Workbooks: Students open their workbooks to page 2. I facilitate structured dialogue with focus on questions. Paying close attention to errors or mispronunciation, add to the Box on the board. Elicit ideas as to why students wish to learn English.

H. Review: Facilitate brief review of numbers before drawing students’ attention to diagram on page 9.

I. Matching Exercise: Students identify function of different statements by taking Wh questions and finding their corresponding response by asking questions to other students. Students practice conversational English as members of a new community.

J. Common Q’s: Once I have gained exposure to their ability to formulate questions and assertthemselves in English, I will give students a list of prescribed questions to ask one another. In the meantime, I will quietly monitor, recasting sentences and writing mispronounced words or incorrect grammar points in the error box on the board.

K. Present your partner: After having worked with another student and reviewed the questions,students will be asked to take notes, highlighting any salient points or characteristics they have in common. Students will then present this information in the third person, introducing their partners and practicing spoken English as a group. In doing so, studentswill become further integrated into their new community.

L. Coffee break Students take a ten-minute stretch break.

II. Presentation 45 minutesA. Common Questions: In pointing out a selection of pictures on the board, I will elicit

language/concepts from students on the family. Next I will present them with diagram of

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family-tree, including extended family with names of family members in a box at the bottomof page. In pairs, students will fill out these sheets and have a brief, informal discussion on their own families.

B. Do you have a brother? After introducing this theme, I will point out a set of lexis and images on the board. Students will be asked to consider their roles in the family, pertinent vocabulary and basic sentence structure. I will present basic verbs such as ‘have’, ‘live’ and ‘go’, as well as the auxiliary verb do in question form and don’t in negative statements, highlighting their distinct functions.

C. “Find Someone Who”: I will introduce this game to the class with gestures and raised intonation, pointing out the basic questions on the board while inviting students to generate their own questions. After having modeled this activity with a more extraverted student, I will pass out the note cards with family members’ names on them. For approximately ten minutes, I will monitor them as they ask one another questions and sharetheir family backgrounds.

D. Personalizing lesson: Drawing their attention to the center of the room, I will describe my own family, with an emphasis on adjectives which highlight simple linear facts. Ex. My sister is twenty-eight years old. She lives in Boston. She has a dog and two cats. At this point, I will elicit numbers from student body. This will serve as an impetus to a brief discussion on age.

III. Practice Forty-five minutesA. Mind Map: Students are divided into groups of three and assigned a word, either family,

school, or work to draw a mind map on. In collaboration, they choose a selection of words to write before sharing with the rest of the class.

B. Dialogue: After reviewing family lexis on page twenty-seven of In Print, student work in partners, asking/answering eleven set questions about their own children, brothers,

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parents or relatives.

C. Mingling activity: Once students have practiced the questions in pairs, they will stand upand engage in semi-authentic dialogue. At this point, they will ask one another what theirnames are, where they are from, if they are married, have children, what they like to do in their free time, etc., etc. The first chapter of their new workbooks will serve as a foundation for these inquiries.

IV. Production, Forty-five minutes.A. Role play: Following student generated descriptions, pupils engage in fun skit, enacting

characters in the Dostali familyB. Reading/Writing: With new partners, students review logistical facts, contextualize lexis

by filling out form and discussing images on page thirty-fourC. Summary: As a class, students take notes and reflect before sharing personal hopes for

their children or themselves as U.S. citizens.D. Personal data: Students complete sentence fragments with personal information on page

thirty-four before presenting specific information about their own familiesE. Journals: Students write in their dialogue journals, recording new lexis/grammar as well

as personal reflectionsF. Culture box: Students are asked to prepare their own culture boxes for our next class.

Week One: Day 2: Cultural-Identity Focus: Speaking, Listening, Reading and Writing, Culture Comparison

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SWBAT:● Describe cultural background with the correct syntax● Recapitulate another students’ story, (gain confidence in auditory comprehension)● Use the past simple and participle accurately in conversation and writing

I. Warm Up 45 minutesA. Pueblo Ingles: After pointing out the agenda, welcome students onto language bus for trip

into English town, reenact driving on the Spanish highway and getting off at Pueblo Ingles exit. I elicits differences between speaking Spanish and English from student body. Two volunteers collect ideas from their groups and write them on the board in the form of a mind map.

B. Daily Check In: Working in pairs, students read through question forms, discussing similarities/differences.

C. Partner review: divided in partners, student review the biographies written about one another on the first day, make any necessary corrections and read to class

D. Game, Gossip chain: Student whispers one fact about their partner to the next partner, whopasses information onto next student, etc., etc. Last student presents contorted information.

E. Vocabulary Review: I elicit numbers, months, years from student body. F. Coffee break: Students are free to mingle, lounge or step outside while

music plays and I stands up

II. Presentation Forty-five minutesA. Where were you born? I display my own pictures, describing where, when and why they were

taken. I points to a time line marking the corresponding dates on the board. After eliciting student generated language and opening floor to questions and comments, I

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emphasizes past tense with auxiliary was. In so doing, I implicitly introduce the grammar point of the day.

B. Grammar point: to be + present participle: compare sentence structure in English with sentences focused on this concept in Spanish, drawing linear graph on board. (L1 is permitted for five minutes)

C. Nationality: Present irregular form of to be in the past tense as an auxiliary verb and a main verb. I drill students on new grammar point, elicits examples. Writes them on the board.

D. Dual nationalities: After identifying country of origin, review nationalities, ie Dominican, Mexican, Peruvian, Colombian, etc.

II. Practice: forty-five minutesA. Game: Pass around the globe, initiating Around the World game: students introduce

themselves and short descriptions of their country of origin. Next student presents themselves and those who have already gone.

B. Authentic exchange: Having been asked to bring in culture boxes with pictures or meaningful items, students should be prepared to join circles of five, share collections and comment on one another’s images. As a silent monitor, I pay special attention to intonation, marking any mispronounced words on the board to drill with students. Studentsidentify brothers, sisters, relatives, parents, important dates, ages, etc

C. S-centered: Bringing the class back together, open the floor to questions or comments.

III. Production: Forty-five minutesA. Brainstorm: Facilitate brainstorming on personal stories. This exercise involves making a

timeline for the student's photographs/drawings/documents and putting them in sequence. Ona piece of paper, the students make a list of all the events for the day when the

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photographs was taken. Students have 10-15 minutes to pre-write. B. In partners: students recapitulate another’s stories for the rest of the class. C. Dialogue journal: Students write about their own photographs in their journals for 10

minutes. While they are writing, I will ask several questions: Who is in the photographs? When were the photographs taken? What was happening in the photographs

D. Follow up: Students write an outline for their personal letters and set up a time for a personal interview

Week Two: Day oneOur New CommunitySWBAT:

● Make comparisons between New London and their native towns● Discuss shifts in lifestyles● Describe abilities with modal auxiliary can● Fill out job application ● Engage in formal interview

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I. Warm up: 45 minutesA. Pueblo Ingles: Welcome students onto language bus for trip into English town, reenact

driving on the Spanish highway and getting off at Pueblo Ingles exit. I elicit differences between speaking Spanish and English from student body. Two volunteers collect ideas from their groups and write them on the board in the form of a mind map.

B. Daily Check In: In partners, students practice morning greetings, share brief reflections on new communities.

C. Around the World: Students pass around the blow up globe, pointing out their countries of origin and mentioning one detail of their lives prior to coming to the U.S., open the floor for one student to share story of coming to the US

D. New London, CT: I will draw students’ attention to their new social environment, New London, Connecticut. By displaying a map of New London and highlighting certain landmarksin the city, I will ask students to mark their place of residence and/or areas they are familiar with. Next, I will present students with photographs and advertisements, eliciting students’ ability to describe where these come from and what purpose they serve.T facilitates student-centered comparison of home country with America.

E. Game, Gossip chain: Students share similarities and differences in gossip chain.F. Discussion: In partners, students read through questions on page 37. As a group, students

talk about what jobs they can do and what jobs they want to have in twenty years.G. Game: 2 truths and lie, students apply new grammar point to descriprtion of their

abilitiesH. Coffee break: Students are free to mingle, lounge or step outside while

music plays

II. Presentation Our new community Forty-five minutesA. Grammar Point: Present modal auxiliary can + root form of main verb

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B. Lexis: Teacher points out occupation lexis with illustrationsC. Oral Practice: teacher drills students on pronunciation/intonation of new vocabularyD. Mind Map: teacher writes Work and Experience on the board, elicits lexis from student body,

elicits discussions on what sort of work students did in native countries, what they want to do in the US

E. Finding the right job:a. Elicit ideas on preferred employment/ job skills from student bodyb. Students invited to stand up and identify different occupations illustrated in pictures

around the room, draw on students’ previously acquired knowledgeF. Grammar point: After eliciting past simple, review ed form of certain typical verbs and

drill pronunciation with a display of different types on the board: worked, stopped, tied, dated G. Present certain irregular verbs in the past simple: went, were H. 4 skills game: Ask students to write two true sentences about their work experience, one

lie to practice speaking/listening in relaxed atmosphere

III. Practice Forty-Five minutesA. Work: In pairs, students draw pictures of work experience in their own countries and

discuss differences they have encountered in the USB. Writing: Students generate sentences about occupations and write them on page 41C. Mime: As a group, students guess what profession I am mimingD. Match: With new partners, students match lexis with exampleE. Clocks: In teams, students complete the time exercise, teacher facilitates discussion of

work schedules in native countryF. Jobs: Individually, students fill out work applicationsG. Syntax Review: Working in groups of four, students complete worksheet on p.45 and ask one

another questions

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H. As a class, students discuss abilities and interests with new syntax and lexis

IV. Production: Job Interviews Forty-five minutesA. Pair work: students review job applications B. Model: Teacher and student model job interviewC. Production: Students practice interviewing one anotherD. Journals: Students write in their dialogue journals, recording new lexis/grammar as well

as personal reflections

FIND SOMEONE WHO….

Has a daughter Does not have children

Has two brothers Has a sister

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Is married. Lives with their parents

Has a baby Lives with their grandparents

Mind Map

This mind map illustrates an autonomous learner engaging in the process of SLA. As anESL student, she is supported by a strong community of learners and a supportive teacher, who tailors each lesson plan to her students’ shifting needs. The front door to her vehicle represents KASA, four important facets of acquiring a new language. The two principal windows show important aspects of the classroom dynamic, whereas the two smallerwindows highlight the four skills. Finally, the gas pump provides regular feedback to motivate learners and maximize the learning process. With two strong wheels supporting community and student autonomy, the conductor of this course remains sensitive to students’ needs and keen to support their interests. This student enjoys time to reflect,

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get regular feedback from her teacher and engage in interactive lessons.

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