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Project Narrative
An ELMS Grant by The New Jersey Commission on Higher Education
A. Extent of Need for the Project
Teachers of English as a second language (ESL) are often unprepared to teach adults, especially those in higher education. The theoretical understanding and associated skills required to teach and provide academic support to adult ESL learners are much unlike those used to teach younger children. Research indicates that adult ESL learners acquire competency in a second language differently from children, and competency in a first language influences the development of another language (Larsen-Freeman & Long, 1998.) There appear to be many factors that impact the ability to acquire competency in a second language: language proficiency in the first language, motivation, life experiences, level of education, and the strategies that are employed in teaching English as a second language. It is therefore vital to apply specialized instructional strategies for the adult ESL learner.
Adult ESL learners in higher education need specialized instruction and support but they also present an additional requirement: the need for direct instruction that focuses on the skills necessary to be successful in post-secondary academic activities. These skills include competency in academic reading, writing, technical writing, oral presentation, the use of the library and research materials, professional debate discussion, and advanced levels of literacy.
Although most ESL/bilingual teacher training programs include discussion of some issues related to adult learners, curriculum and course design focus primarily on elementary and secondary learners (K-12). Across the nation there are very few graduate or certification programs that address the needs of the adult learner. Considering the growing number of college students for which English is their second, third, or even fourth language, there is a critical need for faculty and instructors trained and qualified to teach and provide support within institutions of higher education. Currently, the majority of these students are being taught by ESL teachers who do not have specialized skills for teaching adults.
In addition, New Jersey does not have a State Endorsed Standard (Teacher Certification) for teachers of adult ESL learners. Many programs in the community and higher education are forced to allow elementary/secondary education ESL certification as an alternative. There is an obvious need in this state to develop a standard for teachers of adults. In the absence of any state endorsed certification for ESL Adult Teachers, New Jersey's teacher preparation program must take initial steps to begin qualifying teachers with the knowledge and skill needed to work with adult learners. According to the data provided by the New Jersey Higher Education ESL and Bilingual Coordinators/Chair/Administrators Council, the majority of ESL courses offered in institutions of higher education in NJ are taught by part-time adjunct faculty. They come from diverse academic backgrounds and need professional training in order to offer teaching and service of consistent quality to ESL learners. The council regularly addresses this crucial issue. However, because of the adjuncts' hiring status, universities and colleges are not able to provide them with sufficient professional development opportunities. There is an urgent need to provide staff development activities such as seminars and workshops for part-time adjunct faculty to keep them abreast of current theory and practice, and thereby improve the quality of instruction.
At The College of New Jersey (TCNJ), there is no ESL program, although according to the data gathered in fall 2002, 126 students who are non-native speakers of English came to the College's Academic Enhancement Center (tutoring center) for language support. As a result, the linguistic minority students do not receive adequate support to meet the need. Moreover, the students in the TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) program at TCNJ are not able to do field practice on campus to gain experience in teaching adult ESL learners. An ESL program is sorely needed to ensure ESL students' academic success and to provide a convenient location for field practice for TESL graduate students.
This proposed project is a one-year project (2002-2003) funded by the New Jersey Commission on Higher Education . It is conducting an annual Summer TESL Colloquium that focuses exclusively on current issues and research in teaching adult ESL learners within higher education. It will organize workshops during the academic year that inculcates the appropriate theory and skills necessary to address the specialized needs of adult ESL learners in the community and in higher education within the traditional graduate and certification programs.