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An English Literacy or Adult ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages), the term frequently used in Florida, program is English language instruction for adult students sixteen years of age or older who are non-native speakers of English and who wish to improve English language skills to increase their ability to communicate in English for a variety of purposes including employment, higher education, and for life in the U. S. as parents and community members. The goal of the program is to exit students at an English proficiency level where they can succeed in the mainstream of our society.
Meeting the needs of the adult learner in the classroom is an important practice that all teachers need to recognize. The adult learner usually knows why he or she is studying the language, relating it to a particular goal. The instructor must recognize this motivation and satisfy it through instruction that responds to the needs and goals of the learner as much as possible. The content of instruction must be immediately applicable to real life situations that include skills useful in workplace, life, and academic applications and should be targeted to students' language proficiency levels.
Students entering the Adult ESOL course sponsored by a Community College, School District or other approved agency are required to complete an orientation, admission, and assessment process. At a minimum the student will take a standardized test approved by the state (CASAS/BEST Plus). See Adult ESOL Program Matrix for placement guidelines into individual Adult ESOL class levels.
The agency administering the CASAS/ BEST Plus will follow procedures for assessment as outlined in the Florida's Assessment Technical Assistance Paper and specific directions in the test publisher's Test Administration Manual.
Student instruction will include the Life Skills, Work Skills and Academic Skill topics contained in the Standardized Syllabi (formerly checklists) and language deficiencies identified through the assessment process. The instructor may provide the student with a copy of the appropriate standardized syllabus and other pertinent information to inform the student on course content.
When designing program criteria, instructors should pay particular attention to the performance standards listed in the English Literacy/Adult ESOL Standardized Syllabi. These performance standards are designed to provide measurable learning outcomes and to indicate areas in which students need to demonstrate achievement of skills.
There is no mandated sequence of instruction of the Life Skills and Work Skills topics within each level of Adult ESOL. Academic Skills such as grammar, reading and writing, should be introduced throughout the Life and Work Skills topics in order to make these skills pertinent to the students' needs.
Due to much diversity in the needs, goals, and backgrounds of ESOL students, the teacher will find that various methods of classroom instruction will be necessary in the implementation of the ESOL Curriculum Frameworks. Effective instruction should include a variety of instructional techniques and resource materials. Inclusive of such variety is individualized instruction, cooperative learning, competency-based instruction, technology-assisted learning, student-centered and teacher-directed learning.
Various ways of meeting the needs of the learners in a multilevel classroom include individualization, pairing, grouping, and learning centers. The latter is particularly effective in meeting the multilevel challenge because of the variety of activities from which students can select. Learning centers that make extensive use of computer-assisted instruction are most effective tools in the multilevel class. Peer coaching is another effective technique when students of varying English abilities with the same home language background can be grouped together. More information and resources on Multilevel Instruction is contained in the next unit of this web-based training, entitled Methods and Instructional Strategies.
English Literacy Standardized Syllabi (formerly known as Curriculum Checklists) should be used to help guide instruction to ensure that learners have been taught all competencies necessary to demonstrate progress on standardized assessments. Effective October, 2004, Curriculum Checklists can no longer be used as proof of student progress from one performance level to another or to obtain student completion (LCP) funding. Only the state-approved standardized assessment instruments may be used. Successful completion of a level is determined by the student's achieving a scale sore with the range of a higher level. For CASAS, the lower to the two scale scores will determine placement and progress when both reading and listening tests are given.
A student will exit Adult ESOL upon attainment of a CASAS
Reading score above 235 or equivalent BEST Plus score. Agencies offering
multiple courses in the Adult Education Program may counsel
students at any time to assist with transition to other
Adult ESOL courses, ABE/GED, Career/Technical or College
Credit coursework.
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