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This is one of the real burning issues in the ELT world (does that cover both??). It is clear that there are different types of learners who require different teaching strategies. I recognise both types that Judith describes below. The problem with the labelling issue is that too many assumptions are made with it - Someone who is an EU national is naturally an "EFL Learner", while all refugees are "ESOL Learners", we know that this is not the case, but funding bodies struggle with this idea sometimes.
I would say that the crucial point is that NEITHER of these groups should be ignored. When groups are put together this should be born in mind - we always have an E1 literacy group for the "ESOL Learners" (obviously this is more difficult for smaller, community providers). ESOL teacher training should DEFINITELY include strategies and methodology for teaching beginner reader and writers. Teachers coming from EFL need to get their head around ESOL issues. However materials and approaches produced for the global EFL market should not be ignored if they are relevant to a particular group of learners. Basically, we should be lead by our students' needs, and ensure that we cater to them.
Perhaps what we need is a new umbrella term and maintain the divison within that?
Any thoughts?
-Phil Bird
________________________________________
From: ESOL-Research discussion forum and message board [[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Judith Boardman [[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 14 May 2008 16:39
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Language Learning Principles & Materials Development- 6th British Universities Postgraduate Research Conference [Scanned]
I've been following this debate with interest. Recently I have been teaching
an elderly Pakistani ESOL learner to write her first name ( she can just
about hold a pen). She has lived in the UK for 29, has six children, no
previous education and is not literate in her Mother Tongue. In another
class I have taught a class of young, educated, upper intermediate EFL
learners, who are mainly Chinese speakers and not settled in this country,
to extend their vocabulary with the use of advanced, monolingual
dictionaries. Whatever the terminology used, noone will convince me that
there is any overlap here. The two types of learners are different in every
way, requiring completely diffrerent teaching approaches.
I would argue that the 'divide' needs to be sustained, especially in the
current political climate, so that the needs of all learners can be met
adequately and so that learners like the Pakistani grandmother is not
totally marginalized, forgotten and allowed to sink beneath the mire!
Judith Boardman
----- Original Message -----
From: "Stephen Woulds" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, May 14, 2008 2:41 PM
Subject: Re: Language Learning Principles & Materials Development- 6th
British Universities Postgraduate Research Conference
I don't wish to disagree with you Naeema but as I originally said, the
conference was 'billed' as an ESOL conference. I quote from the flier you
sent to the discussion forum: ' ... the conference will focus on materials
for the ESOL context, socio-cultural issues and materials development.'
This wasn't necessarily the case and that is the only point I was making.
The conference was otherwise interesting but not directly relevant to the
ESOL context. I also disagree with the quotation from Barton and Pitt. In
some, if not many cases, there is a landslide of difference between ESOL and
EFL. In the past we have had to create classes purely for EU migrants whose
language and cultural needs are distinctly different to some of our
'traditional' asylum seekers and refugees. As Jennifer stated, ESOL is
increasingly being used as an umbrella term and it is this which I don't
think is helpful.
Stephen Woulds
mailto:[log in to unmask]
Leeds Thomas Danby
Roundhay Road
Leeds, LS7 3BG
tel: 0113 249 4912 fax : 0113 240 1967
http://www.leedsthomasdanby.ac.uk/
Principal and Chief Executive Roy Thorpe
http://www.leedsthomasdanby.ac.uk/
PBefore you print think about the ENVIRONMENT
This message contains confidential information and is intended only for
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From: ESOL-Research discussion forum and message board
[[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Hann, Naeema
[[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 14 May 2008 13:10
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Language Learning Principles & Materials Development- 6th
British Universities Postgraduate Research Conference
A further clarification, there is indeed an inreasing blur between ESOL and
EFL which is not unhelpful. Certainly, a number of researchers 'now argue
that such a divide between the two groups of learners is no longer
sustainable, nor does it address the diverse needs of the adult learners who
come to FE colleges for help with their English' (Barton and Pitt, 2003). As
an ESOL and EFL practitioner with 27+ years of experience, I would agree.
As far as PostGrad conferences go, it was a good conference with a variety
of topic areas to do with Materials Development for language learning. It
certainly wasn't a pure ESOL conference and nor was it billed as such. A
number of presentations were by overseas students and it would be limiting
to impose the AECC as used in England and language level titles, as used
mostly by state funded ESOL programmes in the UK, on English Language
programmes overseas. English, and its teaching and learning, have healthily
evolved for more than a century now and this is almost a uniting influence
for many cultures and nationalities- it is the language they have in common
and this is a great strength.
looking forward to the ESOL research group meeting tonight!
naeema
Naeema Hann
[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
________________________________
From: ESOL-Research discussion forum and message board on behalf of Stephen
Woulds
Sent: Wed 14/05/2008 08:05
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Language Learning Principles & Materials Development- 6th
British Universities Postgraduate Research Conference
Just a quick feedback on the 'Language Learning Principles' conference. The
flier for the event stated that the 'conference will focus on materials for
the ESOL context' yet what I actually saw was a number of presentations on
what I would consider to be EFL. Some participants for example were
completely unaware of what Entry 1, Entry 2, etc, means. There does appear
to be an increasing blurring of distinctions which I think is not helpful.
I noteable ESOL example was delivered by Bev Davies in which she gave a very
persuasive presentation on 'returning to realia'. From the Salford Hertitage
Services she discussed the use of historical objects to generate language
activities, based on a project she ran with asylum seekers. The basic
premise being one of physical engagement with objects and the very human
desire to name and explain what we don't understand.
For more of her project and packs go to:
http://www.salford.gov.uk/leisure/museums/esol.htm
To contact her:
[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
For more info on the national project (Open Doors) to engage skills for life
learners with museums/heritage, go to: http://www.mlay-skillsforlife.org.uk/
Stephen Woulds
mailto:[log in to unmask]
Leeds Thomas Danby
Roundhay Road
Leeds, LS7 3BG
tel: 0113 249 4912 fax : 0113 240 1967
http://www.leedsthomasdanby.ac.uk/
Principal and Chief Executive Roy Thorpe
http://www.leedsthomasdanby.ac.uk/
PBefore you print think about the ENVIRONMENT
This message contains confidential information and is intended only for
[log in to unmask] If you are not [log in to unmask]
you should not disseminate, distribute or copy this e-mail. Please notify
mailto:[log in to unmask] immediately by e-mail if you have received
this e-mail by mistake and delete this e-mail from your system. E-mail
transmission cannot be guaranteed to be secure or error-free as information
could be intercepted, corrupted, lost, destroyed, arrive late or incomplete,
or contain viruses Leeds Thomas Danby therefore does not accept
responsability or liability for any errors or omissions in the contents of
this message, which arise as a result of e-mail transmission.
________________________________
From: ESOL-Research discussion forum and message board
[[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Hann, Naeema
[[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 27 April 2008 17:12
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Language Learning Principles & Materials Development- 6th British
Universities Postgraduate Research Conference
Here is a conference in Leeds which may interest colleagues. It is a day
conference and is free.
naeema
________________________________
Postgraduate Research Conference
Language Learning Principles & Materials Development
Saturday 10 May
10.30am - 4pm
310, Cloth Hall Court
[cid:204225808@25042008-1B79] <http://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/>
[cid:204225808@25042008-1B80]
[cid:204225808@25042008-1B87]
6th British Universities Postgraduate Research Conference
[cid:204225808@25042008-1B8E] [cid:204225808@25042008-1B95]
You are invited to attend this stimulating one day conference – entry is
free of charge!
The conference will provide postgraduate students and researchers from
British, EU and overseas universities with an opportunity to put forward and
exchange ideas on the interface between learning, teaching and materials
development from both theoretical and practical perspectives.
A great networking opportunity and environment to debate ideas, the
conference will focus on materials for the ESOL context, socio-cultural
issues and materials development, as well as implementing methodologies in
different contexts.
[cid:204225808@25042008-1B9C]
Plenary Guest Speaker
Ivor Timmis
Materials Design: Principled Compromise or Compromised Principles?
This seminar will discuss the process of writing materials for publication,
with a particular emphasis on what happens when the principles of the
material’s writer conflicts with the views of other stakeholders, such as
publishers and education authorities.
[cid:204225808@25042008-1BAA]
ELT<http://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/international/english/index.htm>
map &
directions<file:///H:/LAC/FACULTY_MARKETING/2007-08/207ASG07%20-%20E%20News%20Bulletins%2007-08/ELT/Full_Maps_15Jan08_WEB.pdf>
leeds met<http://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/>
courses<http://prospectus.leedsmet.ac.uk/main/index.htm>
contact us<http://www.leedsmet.ac.uk/contact_us.htm>
To sign up for the conference, please contact Kelly Hemingway
0113 812 7440
[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]>
English Language Teaching
To view the terms under which this email is distributed, please go to
http://disclaimer.leedsmet.ac.uk/email.htm
*********************************** ESOL-Research is a forum for researchers
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Education, University of Leeds.
To join or leave ESOL-Research, visit
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To view the terms under which this email is distributed, please go to
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*********************************** ESOL-Research is a forum for researchers
and practitioners with an interest in research into teaching and learning
ESOL. ESOL-Research is managed by James Simpson at the Centre for Language
Education Research, School of Education, University of Leeds. To join or
leave ESOL-Research, visit
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ESOL-Research is a forum for researchers and practitioners with an interest
in research into teaching and learning ESOL. ESOL-Research is managed by
James Simpson at the Centre for Language Education Research, School of
Education, University of Leeds.
To join or leave ESOL-Research, visit
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/ESOL-RESEARCH.html
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ESOL-Research is a forum for researchers and practitioners with an interest in research into teaching and learning ESOL. ESOL-Research is managed by James Simpson at the Centre for Language Education Research, School of Education, University of Leeds.
To join or leave ESOL-Research, visit
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/ESOL-RESEARCH.html
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