Perhaps this is an example of inspectors relying on a classroom model which 
is either too restricted or simply out of date. I used to volunteer, 
pre-National Curriculum, with a small literacy class run along these lines. 
Each learner was following an individual course of work and the tutor and 
volunteer rotated among them. One was working towards a GCSE in English, 
there were two with differing degrees of dyslexia, an youngster with Downs 
syndrome and a refugee with some English who really should have been in an 
ESOL class had one been available. The students occasionally chatted 
socially while waiting for their turns, but I don't recall any whole class, 
pair or group work. I have heard managers with no recent teaching experience 
speak as though this is still the norm for literacy and for ESOL, which may 
be why some seem to think that ILPs with 'smart' targets are more important 
than any other pedagogical consideration. It wouldn't be surprising if some 
inspectors brought the same expectations. One of my colleagues was 
criticised by an inspector who couldn't otherwise find any fault with her 
lesson because she hadn't detailed on the lesson plan which individual 
student each part of the lesson was aimed at. (This was a class of 15+ 
students all at E3 and meeting for 8 hours per week.)

Cheryl Thornett
ESOL & Adult Literacy tutor
Birmingham Adult Education

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Berta M." <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, December 06, 2009 12:08 PM
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: use of L1 in an ESOL classroom

> Hi,
>
> I couldn't agree more with David. I regularly pair weaker and stronger 
> learners in my
> ESOL classes and encourage strong students to support weaker ones using L1 
> if
> necessary. In my experience this helps weaker students understand 
> difficult concepts
> faster and more effectively, as a classmate who speaks the same language 
> will be able to
> present/explain the topic in a more accessible way.
>
> In terms of differentiation, I too would be worried about a class in which 
> different groups
> worked on completely different things. In my view, differentiation is 
> about stretching
> more able students while supporting weaker ones within the same topic and 
> level, not
> having two or three different classes in one room.
>
> Berta
>
>
>
>
> On Sun, 6 Dec 2009 01:23:19 +0000, David Thornton 
> <[log in to unmask]>
> wrote:
>
>>
>>Hi Philippa!
>>
>>
>>
>>My own view would be that the inspector's view of differentiation, judging 
>>by the
> example given, seems both simplistic and off target. The Ofsted inspector 
> seems to adopt
> an idiosyncratic perspective by failing to focus either on differentiation 
> by process and/or
> differentiation by product [but Ofsted inspectors sometimes seem to be 
> better versed in
> vaguely grasped theory rather than pragmatic and appropriate advice]. I 
> certainly don't
> like the example. Perhaps the inspector was just using a buzz word. For 
> me,
> differentiation is a fairly complex matter [and is, above all else, an ad 
> hoc response to
> specific classroom/learner conditions]. I attach three files that I have 
> used in teacher
> development for interest.
>>
>>
>>
>>I cannot see how pairing weaker and stronger learners is not a [sound] 
>>example of
> differentiation [and a better example than the one offered]: I would be 
> slightly worried
> about a class in which separate groups worked on grammar, punctuation and 
> 'another
> topic' as this says little or nothing about how the differentiation works 
> in terms of process
> or product [and makes it very difficult to see what performance objectives 
> would be
> behind the class].
>>
>>
>>
>>ATB,
>>
>>
>>
>>David.
>>
>>
>>
>>Date: Sat, 5 Dec 2009 22:42:26 +0000
>>From: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: Re: use of L1 in an ESOL classroom
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>
>>
>>Hi,
>>Going back again to the link which Helen gives below, I read it with great 
>>interest.
> Going off at a slight tangent to the original discussion on L1 use in the 
> classroom, one
> statement in there which made me look twice was:
>>"Using learners' other languages can support learning English by
>>... enabling differentiation (where a more fluent English speaker can 
>>support one who is
> less fluent, in another language)".
>>(I presume that the theory supporting this is something to do with 
>>Vygotsky??)
> Anyway, earlier this calendar year, I was observed by an Ofsted inspector. 
> Apparently,
> under the new system, ESOL and literacy count as the same thing, so the 
> inspector was a
> specialist in Basic Skills.  The inspector didn't like seeing me 
> explicitly pairing weaker and
> stronger students.  I was told that this is not differentiation, so I 
> asked what
> differentiation should be.  I was told that differentiation of ESOL 
> students might be to
> have one group of students doing the past simple, another group doing full 
> stops and
> another group doing another topic.  What do others in this email group 
> think? (And am I
> right about the underpinning theory?)
>>Philippa
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>On Thu, Nov 26, 2009 at 4:39 PM, Sunderland, Helen Charlotte
> <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>Dear all
>>
>>Thanks for some very useful references on using learners’ other languages 
>>in ESOL.
> There is also a brief factsheet in the new online ESOL core curriculum 
> under methods and
> approaches. http://www.excellencegateway.org.uk/page.aspx?o=180890 which 
> can now
> be updated with all those additional references.
>>
>>Helen
>>
>>
>>Helen Sunderland
>>
>>Head of ESOL, Assistant Director
>>LLU+ at London South Bank University
>>
>>Tel: +44 (0)20 7815 6285
>>Fax. +44 (0)20 7815 6290
>>
>>Postal Address:
>>103 Borough Road, London SE1 0AA
>>
>>Centre Address:
>>Pocock House, 235 Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1 6NP
>>
>>Why not visit: www.lsbu.ac.uk/lluplus/
>>
>>-------------------------------------------------------
>>‘Our aim is to help organisations improve the quality of education and 
>>training, so that
> individuals with a wide range of language and learning needs can achieve 
> success. We do
> this by pioneering and disseminating innovative approaches and good 
> practice in teaching
> and learning.’
>>
>>If you would like to be added to the LLU+ mailing list to receive our 
>>termly e-newsletter
> and information about LLU+ events and training, please complete this form, 
> and return to
> us by email or post.
>>
>>Watch the LLU+ promo video and find out more about how we could help your
> organisation.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>From: ESOL-Research discussion forum and message board [mailto:ESOL-
> [log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ibrar Butt
>>Sent: 18 November 2009 15:30
>>
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: Re: use of L1 in an ESOL classroom
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>Hi,
>>
>>I mentioned something on this in a post a while back when Stephen Woulds 
>>asked about
> translation devices. A slight copy from that post here:
>>
>>With regards to using the learners' L1, people have tended to fall in one 
>>of two camps:
>>
>>    1. Those who advocate a strictly monolingual classroom favouring only 
>> the L2 (Polia
> 1994) and subsequently regard usage of learners'
>>
>>    L1 in ESOL classrooms as pedagogically inefficacious.
>>
>>    2. Those who encourage its use. Advocates of this view suggest that 
>> the learners' L1
> can be used to convey meaning, organise the
>>
>>    class, and scaffold instructional information (Cook 2001).
>>
>>Personally, I have seen our role as ESOL teachers as partly to encourage 
>>our learners to
> see themselves as true bilinguals, at home in both languages and assuming 
> a type of
> 'ownership' of their new L2, by allowing them to mix and 'code-switch' 
> experimentally;
> this is a natural part of many learners' "interlanguage" coping strategies 
> (see Appel and
> Muysken 1987).
>>
>>In a recent issue of Language Issues Elsa Auerbach (2008) suggests that, 
>>rather than
> acting as 'language police' (p. 51), it is more useful for teachers to 
> pose this issue to
> students, allowing them to influence the method of their learning, as part 
> of a greater
> strategy to foster learner autonomy.
>>
>>Of course in heterogenous classes you're asking for trouble sometimes by 
>>letting
> students speak in their L1, so class management is also an issue.
>>
>>
>>
>>Regards,
>>
>>
>>Ibrar Butt
>>Ref:
>>Appel, R. and P. Muysken (1987) Language Contact and Bilingualism, London: 
>>Edward
> Arnold.
>>
>>Auerbach, E. (2008) "Autonomy and democracy in language education", 
>>Language
> Issues, 1 9: 1, 50-5 7.
>>
>>Cook, V. (2001) "Using the First Language in the Classroom", The Canadian 
>>Modern
> Language Review/La Revue Canadienne des Languages Vivantes, 5713: 402-23.
>>Polio, C. (1994) "Comments on Elsa Roberts Auerbach's 'Reexamining English 
>>Only in the
> ESL Classroom'", TESOL Quarterly 28/ 1: 153-161
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>Date: Wed, 18 Nov 2009 08:58:34 +0000
>>From: [log in to unmask]
>>Subject: use of L1 in an ESOL classroom
>>To: [log in to unmask]
>>
>>
>>
>>Dear all,
>>
>>Could anyone comment on the use of l1 in an ESOL classroom or point me in 
>>the
> direction of any relevant literature?
>>
>>Many thanks,
>>
>>Grace Painter
>>ESOL lecturer
>>
>>Please think of the environment before you print this email !
>>
>>*****************************************************
>> 

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