Need ABC's help

[Meg_2781]

Hi everyone! I'm new here and I'm preparing to start teaching summer classes and I could use some advice. One group of adult students that I will be responsible for have essentially no English skills at all. They've all arrived in the US very recently - within the past week or two - and some do not have any reading or writing skills in their native language. Most of them speak the same language (Somali) which I do not speak at all. I feel like I don't even know where to start - I want them to feel comfortable, first and foremost, since they have so recently immigrated and are adjusting to a lot. However, I know a lot of them are very eager to learn English very quickly, so I want them to be able to feel like they're making progress. Some other ESL teachers have told me I shouldn't bother with reading/writing skills until they can speak a few phrases; other teachers have recommended I start right away with the alphabet, and teach them how to speak whole words but also teach them to write. Does anyone have any suggestions? I've had experience teaching beginning level English, and even beginning English with no native literacy, but I've never taught students who are starting with not a word of English before.

Meg

[Lorikeet]

I don't think you have to make an either/or decision. It seems to me that you can do a lot of oral work, and start teaching the alphabet too. Oral work could include the usual total physical response type things. I think you'll need a lot of pictures or realia. I can imagine starting with fruit and vegetable vocabulary, for example. What's this? It's an apple. You could even have a tasting of some of the items, since they may or may not have the same kinds of fruits and vegetables in their native country. I've done a lot with beginning levels passing out objects and having them ask each other for them, and later describing where they are. (The apple is in the cup.) etc.

You could do a bingo kind of game with pictures of vocabulary you've already taught.

I had a lot of success with one beginning class where I taught the alphabet using cards I printed. Each student eventually got a set of them. They had to hold up the one I said, ask each other, etc.

I think I also did a lot with number dictations.

Of course, learning to write involves holding the pencil, etc. I don't have much experience with that.

[Sally Olsen]

You are in for a wonderful experience. The Somali world is so fascinating and complex and beautiful and also different. Are they all women? Adults? Where are you? There has been a tremendous amount of materials developed for the Somali group with translations of brochures, forms, and basic learning materials. Can you get a translator at all? Is their a Somali Association with newsletter, and cultural activities? There is a good dictionary - you could get your loca library to track it down. As I have suggested before teach them Somali or whatever other languages they come from first. They need to be able to have the foundation of a language and know how languages, letters, words, writing, reading works before they can truly understand the new one. It won't take any time because the Somali language is so straight forward. People have learned it in a month in tribes in the desert. They have the same alphabet although different sounds so it is a good basis for learning English. You can learn along with them and that puts you in a good position later on when things get tougher for them in English. You will know where they will have difficulties because you will have them in reverse. The main thing in the beginning is to listen and get them to listen and support each other. You might have to let them do this in Somali at the beginning or put them in language groups to support each other. It doesn't hurt to have them speaking their language a lot if they are learning where to buy the cheapest clothes or get their special food or how to deal with this or that official. The more they can do for themselves, the better their self-confidence and less you will have to do. Listen to the stories of why and how they came. Prepare yourself for the worst and have a good friend to help you take off the pressure of having all these stories. Write them down and help them to read them back - you can tape them. They need to tell them over and over and over. People outside need to hear these stories. Get lots and lots of volunteers from the neighbourhood in to help so they get individual attention. I will send you a book we developed years ago for beginning English learners with Somali background but it is adaptable for any language. Have lots of Somali reading material around. There is a TV program on cable in Ottawa, Canada. Make Somali tea every time - they will show you how. They love to work in a coffee party atmosphere. They don't take turns easily especially the men. They talk until you interrupt them like they do in the Shir where the one with the silver tongue becomes the leader. You have to have the silver tongue. Men are served first but you can teach them other more local customs. Don't expect them to shake hands and never call them by crooking your finger at them to come - they only do that for dogs and are highly offended. Learn about their religion. It is vitally important for them even if they are not religious themselves and will affect some things in your classroom when they are fasting and so on. Dress very carefully if there are men - long sleeves, pants to cover the legs. They are very proud people so don't take offence easily. Find out what tribe they are and don't let people from other tribes intimidate them and carry on the war here. They will teach you more than you ever teach them but you will always have loyal and faithful friends.