Practitioner Research - ESOL

ESOL L1S1: Error Analysis of Learners' Writing Yields Surprising Results by Elaine Jemi-Alade
An error analysis of her learners' writing reminds an instructor of the need to review basics.

ESOL L1S1: Student Goal Achievement Through Self-Reflection and Peer Evaluation by Jean Renoll
An instructor seeks to incorporate periodic self-reflection and peer evaluation into a low-beginner ESOL class.

ESOL L1S1: Tackling Tardiness in the ESOL Classroom by Regina Carson
Why are learners late to class? An instructor plans to research possible causes, survey learners, and design motivational activities to combat tardiness.

ESOL L1S1: Implementing Needs Assessments by Kerrin Epstein
An instructor proposes developing assessments to determine what her learners need from class and how well the class is meeting their needs.

ESOL L1S1: Assessment of Writing Needs and Instruction in an ESOL Classroom by Donna M. Comstock
A writing assessment reveals the need for more frequent informal assessments -- and for a better understanding of learners' long-term goals.

ESOL L1S1: The Forgotten Pronunciation Skill: Assessment and Integration by Roula Ali
Assessing learners' native-language interference patterns allows a practitioner to provide targeted, meaningful pronunciation practice -- with impressive results.

ESOL L1S1: Building Community in the Classroom to Promote Learner Persistence by Paula M. Burger
A series of creative and varied community-building activities, in and out of the classroom, results in improved learner persistence.

ESOL L1S1: A Rubric for Guiding Conversation Pullout Sessions by Gregory Byrne
Responding to a need to improve learners' speaking skills, a volunteer creates an innovative standards-based rubric to guide conversation pullouts.

ESOL L1S1: Journaling for Multilevel Assessment by Adam Nathanson
In a correctional setting, the author combines standardized assessment with differentiated journaling to measure learners' progress toward their goals.

ESOL L1S3: Comparison Shopping and Low Cost Meal Planning: A Group Project for Intermediate Learners by Patricia Murphy
A Fairfax Family Literacy Curriculum multilevel group project integrates practice of a grammatical structure with the lifeskill task of comparison shopping.

ESOL L1S1: Initial and Ongoing Assessment of Learner Needs and Goals by Adelaide Chang
Innovative learner needs assessments allow an instructor to target skill and content-area instruction and result in a two-thirds retention rate.

ESOL L1S1: Using Portfolios to Assess Learner Needs and Skills by Elizabeth O'Brien
Portfolio assessment allows an instructor to identify skill-area gaps to target in instruction, with impressive results.

ESOL L1S1: "Independent" Success is Key by Allyn Anderson-Sodowsky
A pictorial student learning plan helps beginners identify their language-learning goals and choose strategies they will use to meet them.

ESOL L1S1: Multilevel Goal Setting Through Needs Assessment by Tom Bello
An innovative variety of needs assessment and goal-setting techniques creates heightened learner persistence – and results in a professional development tool.