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Training Library Literacy Program Staff & Volunteers

Training staff and volunteers

Several organizations provide training to help adult literacy instructors and tutors meet the needs of basic literacy and English language learners.

There’s a book for that!

Litstart: Strategies for Adult Literacy and ESL Tutors is a tutor manual that includes lesson plans and teaching strategies for teachers of adult literacy and English as a second language.

Instructional materials

Multilevel curriculum sets designed specifically for learner-tutor paired instruction can help support both new and experienced tutors.

Curriculum sets may include:

  • Assessment tools to help match the learner to the correct level text.
  • Student books with sequential exercises introducing skills and vocabulary.
  • Teacher or tutor manuals with lesson plans, activities and scripts.
  • Multilevel instruction from beginner to advanced.

What is ESOL?

ESOL stands for “English for Speakers of Other Languages.” You may also see ESL (English as a Second Language) or ELL (English Language Learner). The term ESOL recognizes that English language learners may speak several languages, and that English may be a learner’s second, third, fourth or fifth language.

Over 200 languages are spoken in Florida, with Spanish being the most common non-English language. According to the Migration Policy Institute, approximately 30% of the population of Florida speak a language other than English at home.  

Libraries across the state are responding to the needs of their communities by hiring bilingual staff, offering English and foreign language classes, expanding collection development and providing multilingual signage and print materials.

 

English language learners

How is instruction for English language learners different from instruction for native English speakers?

English language learners may require more direct instruction in vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation than adult literacy learners who are native English speakers. Learners may need to practice hearing spoken English, especially sounds that are different from their native language, as they learn to write the letters and letter combinations that represent those sounds.

Understanding how the writing system of a learner’s native language is different from English may be helpful to instructors. A character-based writing system like Chinese is very different from a phonetic alphabet. Even languages like Spanish that use the same alphabet as English will have differences in how letters and letter combinations are pronounced.

English language learners come with a wide variety of skills, backgrounds and needs. Some learners may hold advanced degrees or job certifications but need to improve their English for work. Learners may have studied English extensively in school but may want to practice talking with native speakers. Some learners may be illiterate in their native languages. English language learners who are literate in their native language will have more reading skills that learners who are not literate in their native language.

To learn more, see What Does Research Tell Us About Teaching Reading to English Language Learners?

 

Reading skills overview

Basic reading skills include mastery of print conventions, phonemic awareness and phonics, vocabulary, morphology, grammar, fluency and comprehension.

Here are some of the skills that an adult literacy learner may need to acquire.

  • Print conventions
    Understands the way print is organized in English.
  • Phonemes and phonics
    Know the sounds of letters and letter combinations and can pronounce and spell them.
  • Vocabulary   
    Knows the meaning or multiple meanings of a word. Can recognize, pronounce and spell a word and use it in reading, writing, speaking and listening.
  • Morphology
    Understands and uses prefixes, suffixes and root words.
  • Grammar
    Knows and uses the rules for organizing and manipulating words in a language, including word order and verb conjugation.
  • Fluency
    Can read easily and accurately, with appropriate rhythm, intonation, and expression.
  • Comprehension
    Can read text and understand its meaning.

For a quick overview of the building blocks of learning to read, see the video How Children Learn to Read, with Margaret Goldberg (53:08). For a free, self-paced course on teaching phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension, see Reading 101: Self-Paced Learning Modules from Reading Rockets.

Adult Learning

imls180.for.panel.jpgMany of these resources and programs are funded under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Florida's LSTA program is administered by the Department of State's Division of Library and Information Services.

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