Publication Date

1977

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)

Second Advisor

Lee Hammond

Abstract

Few ESL teacher programs in the United States offer such compatibility highly trained humanistic instructors than the MAT program at the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont. Nonetheless, most of the studies at this institution are geared to teaching in a private language academy abroad or in the United States. Yet, a real need for competent ESL teachers exists in our country within the public domain. The recent emergence and evolving role of the bilingual/bicultural education major at SIT addresses itself to this area, mainly from the standpoint of elementary education and child language acquisition and development. By the same token, ESL has traditionally been pointed out as the weak component of many adult reading programs like Manpower which cater to non English-speaking illiterates working and residing in the United States. Since the majority of MAT graduates currently working in the United States prefer teaching adults, it is largely left unexplained why the fields of adult literacy and adult basic education are left virtually untouched in the curriculum.

The main goal of this paper is to channel interest in the prevailing approaches and methods for teaching adults how to read by proposing an elective course for the MAT program in adult literacy which will be oriented to prospective ESL teachers who will remain in the United States and, for example, teach adult migrants in Right to Read programs.

The proposal furnishes the following services:

1. supplies a sample outline for the prescribed course 2. suggests alternatives for integrating the course materials with other classes 3. serves as a guideline for individuals desiring to obtain information concerning adult literacy on their own 4. lists available materials at SIT 5. provides a bibliography on adult literacy not available at SIT but which may be used for future requisitions 6. identifies various organizations dealing with adult literacy

Disciplines

Curriculum and Instruction | Education | Educational Administration and Supervision | Teacher Education and Professional Development

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