The LEA method helps you capture more than just a learner's grammar strengths and weaknesses. LEA transcripts also yield teaching hints for topics that extend far beyond language.
Looking at the transcript, you notice several small problems: the learner doesn't consistently add the word "it": "Is big city. Is multicultural. Is very clean, is very organized."
You also notice several strengths: the student makes skillful use of the present tense ("I live Everett", "It has Everest Institute...", etc. and some other sophisticated tenses: the present perfect, for example, in "He has taken care of the city."
The learner has other strengths, too, especially around vocabulary and abbreviations: CNA (certified nursing assistant), accounting, certificate, etc.
All of the above gives you ample space for teaching grammar that will help your student tell her story with better diction.
But what potential problems beyond grammar do you detect in the transcript? In other words, what can you teach your learner not so much about English, but about the realities of life in a small urban city close to a much bigger one?
One of the main problems which is vivid through this example is that learner is not fully aware of safety in Everett. He states that Everettt is a safe place. However, Everett is known for it large number of house-breakins. Does your learner know this? And does your learner know how to file a police report?
Moreover, the learner thinks that Latino is the main ethnic group in Everett. However, Everett's population is diverse. While Caucasions are the dominant ethnic group, other ethnic groups include South Americans, Latinos, African-Americans, Pacific Islanders.
The learner's knowledge about Everett Square is limited to its beauty and the presence of the church. However, there are plenty of facts about the Everett Square which learner needs to know...
For example, landmarks (Everett Clock, Sovereign City Bank, Norwood intersection, St.
Anthony's Parish Church), possible dangers (danger of being hit by car), main bus routes (route 109,104 leading to Boston; routes 106 and 99 leading to Malden, Everett's neighboring city. Also the number of Brazilian restaurants in Everett Square. (Braza Bar and Grill, Broadway Cafe).
But perhaps most important in terms of cultural and financial literacy, the student knows about the Everest Institute. The learner knows that it provides different certificates: CNA, Accounting Certificate However, the learner is not aware that such private commercial institutions are not always oriented at providing quality education to students, but at profit. The learner should be aware of the consequences of such education, such as a high debt rate, poor quality of education, no guarantee to get a refund in case of closure
All of the above gives great ideas for teaching your learner more than just language. Using the transcript based upon the learner's reaction to the photo of Everett Square, the tutor can go on to teach such non-language topics such as getting hit by a car while crossing a busy city intersection, burglaries (locks), and unnecessary money spending on public transportation (for example, using a Charlie Card for the bus in Everett is cheaper than paying cash. Finally, the learner finds out about possible higher education rip-offs.
These ideas will be further reflected in another post!
ENGLISH AT LARGE
Literacy and Learning for Life
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You begin your session with your learner by showing a picture and asking the simple question:
What can you tell me about this picture?(The picture, by the way, is of Everett Square in a small city close to Boston. Many English language learners from Central America and Eastern Europe have settled there.)
True to form, you take a transcript of what your learner says. You don't change the grammar or the vocabulary. You write what you hear:
The place is in Everett. It is square. Is beautiful. It has church.Is big city. Is multicultural with mostly Latino population. It's very peaceful location close Boston and it has Revere Beach is nearby to Everett. It has church.The mayor is really great. He has taken care of the city. Is very clean, is very organized. I live Everett. Everett has Everest Institute. Many of my friends attend Everest Institute for CNA, for accounting certificate, nursing certificate.
Looking at the transcript, you notice several small problems: the learner doesn't consistently add the word "it": "Is big city. Is multicultural. Is very clean, is very organized."
You also notice several strengths: the student makes skillful use of the present tense ("I live Everett", "It has Everest Institute...", etc. and some other sophisticated tenses: the present perfect, for example, in "He has taken care of the city."
The learner has other strengths, too, especially around vocabulary and abbreviations: CNA (certified nursing assistant), accounting, certificate, etc.
All of the above gives you ample space for teaching grammar that will help your student tell her story with better diction.
But what potential problems beyond grammar do you detect in the transcript? In other words, what can you teach your learner not so much about English, but about the realities of life in a small urban city close to a much bigger one?
One of the main problems which is vivid through this example is that learner is not fully aware of safety in Everett. He states that Everettt is a safe place. However, Everett is known for it large number of house-breakins. Does your learner know this? And does your learner know how to file a police report?
Moreover, the learner thinks that Latino is the main ethnic group in Everett. However, Everett's population is diverse. While Caucasions are the dominant ethnic group, other ethnic groups include South Americans, Latinos, African-Americans, Pacific Islanders.
The learner's knowledge about Everett Square is limited to its beauty and the presence of the church. However, there are plenty of facts about the Everett Square which learner needs to know...
For example, landmarks (Everett Clock, Sovereign City Bank, Norwood intersection, St.
Anthony's Parish Church), possible dangers (danger of being hit by car), main bus routes (route 109,104 leading to Boston; routes 106 and 99 leading to Malden, Everett's neighboring city. Also the number of Brazilian restaurants in Everett Square. (Braza Bar and Grill, Broadway Cafe).
But perhaps most important in terms of cultural and financial literacy, the student knows about the Everest Institute. The learner knows that it provides different certificates: CNA, Accounting Certificate However, the learner is not aware that such private commercial institutions are not always oriented at providing quality education to students, but at profit. The learner should be aware of the consequences of such education, such as a high debt rate, poor quality of education, no guarantee to get a refund in case of closure
All of the above gives great ideas for teaching your learner more than just language. Using the transcript based upon the learner's reaction to the photo of Everett Square, the tutor can go on to teach such non-language topics such as getting hit by a car while crossing a busy city intersection, burglaries (locks), and unnecessary money spending on public transportation (for example, using a Charlie Card for the bus in Everett is cheaper than paying cash. Finally, the learner finds out about possible higher education rip-offs.
These ideas will be further reflected in another post!
Happy tutoring!
Tatyana Pavlova
Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics/ Bashkir State University
MA Education/ESL 2014, Cambridge College
Tatyana Pavlova
Bachelor of Arts in Linguistics/ Bashkir State University
MA Education/ESL 2014, Cambridge College
Literacy and Learning for Life
Join the conversation
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