Date: Saturday, April 29th, 2006
Time: 1-4:30 PM
Location: Fourier Riley Room, The College of Notre Dame
RSVP: By April 20th, 2006
Vicki Y. Hong-Smith, vhongsmith@earthlink.net

Topics
I. Modifying ESL Instruction for World English Speakers: Christa de Kleine
Today, World English-speaking students present a major challenge for many ESL teachers, both in K-12 and beyond. Having come from countries where English is the official language (such as Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana and Jamaica), these students already speak English. Yet, their literacy development in Standard English is often not sufficient to be successful in American classrooms, resulting in ESL placement. This presentation argues that the unique English language background that World English speakers bring to the classroom is one of the main reasons for their academic underachievement, and discusses how ESL teachers can modify their ‘regular’ instructional strategies to meet these students’ unique linguistic needs effectively.

Bio: Dr. Christa de Kleine is Associate Professor of Education (TESOL) at the College of Notre Dame, where she coordinates the MA in TESOL program. Her research focuses on the acquisition of Standard English by speakers of restructured (Pidgin/Creole) varieties of English.

II. Altering Syntax to Achieve Coherence in Academic Writing: Carol Romett
How can a writer achieve coherence beyond the typical connectors and transitions? Most students learn the use of explicit coherence devices, such as discourse signals that are common in academic writing, but they might not realize that their choices in syntax can also help them to achieve more coherent, readable paragraphs. This workshop will provide a set of criteria for coherence based on choices in grammar and syntax, showing examples of how to apply the criteria during the editing process. Participants will explore ways to help students learn to edit their syntax so that their writing will become more coherent.

Bio: Carol Romett teaches in the intensive program in English as a Foreign Language at Georgetown University’s Center for Language Education and Development.